1911 Question

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  • COOPADUP

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    I recently purchased a Springfield 1911 full size 45 caliber.
    This is my first 1911 so my question is can you let the slide slam forward ?
    It appears that some 1911 models can and some cannot. With so many experts on this topic here,
    I am sure to get some great feedback.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    I don't know why you couldn't let it "slam forward". That's exactly what happens when you fire it. :dunno: I also have a Springfield and I rack the slide just like I do any other semi-auto pistol. Pull it back and let it go.
     

    Expat

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    When you do it on an empty gun, it isn’t cushioning the impact by the stripping of another round. So the impact is greater. In a well built gun will this damage it, no. I still wouldn’t just do it over and over for no reason.
    never drop the slide on an already chambered round.
     

    churchmouse

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    When you do it on an empty gun, it isn’t cushioning the impact by the stripping of another round. So the impact is greater. In a well built gun will this damage it, no. I still wouldn’t just do it over and over for no reason.
    never drop the slide on an already chambered round.

    :thumbsup:
     

    Amishman44

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    When you do it on an empty gun, it isn’t cushioning the impact by the stripping of another round.
    So the impact is greater. In a well built gun will this damage it, no. I still wouldn’t just do it over and over for no reason.
    never drop the slide on an already chambered round.

    Well said...in the normal case of function, when it's 'cushioned' by the reloading process, the spring pressure necessary to assist in the absorption of recoil + reloading, is fine.
    Repeatedly allowing the slide to 'slam' (slide home) on nothing, can be bad over time.
    I was once told to 'treat a 1911 carefully, as if it were a piece of fine art', except when in combat... because, in combat, you would destroy that art, if necessary, to save your life!
     

    NHT3

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    According to the guys I talked with at Nighthawk Custom it can damage the sear\hammer engagement surfaces. When it is chambering a round from the magazine there is a cushioning effect on the hammer and sear. Just as an aside, on a 1911 or anything else it is bad practice to insert a round in the chamber and let the slide go into battery. it can damage or break the extractor.

    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Aron Bright[/FONT]
     

    Disposable Heart

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    According to the guys I talked with at Nighthawk Custom it can damage the sear\hammer engagement surfaces. When it is chambering a round from the magazine there is a cushioning effect on the hammer and sear. Just as an aside, on a 1911 or anything else it is bad practice to insert a round in the chamber and let the slide go into battery. it can damage or break the extractor.

    [FONT=&]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&]

    [/FONT][FONT=&]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&]
    [/FONT][FONT=&]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&]

    [/FONT][FONT=&]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” [/FONT][FONT=&]
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&]
    [/FONT][FONT=&]Aron Bright[/FONT]

    This 100%. It has nothing to do with the locking lugs, barrel or frame lugs. It's the sear nose and the hammer hooks that you're battering the snot out of.

    Two schools of thought on this:
    1. It's NEVER okay to do it.
    2. It's okay to do it on rack grade, non-modified 1911s but never do it on anything with matched or prepared sear/hammer engagement surfaces.

    I'd just stick with NOT slamming it home on ANY gun. I hate going to a shop and seeing Johnny HuckleDuck sitting there, slamming the slide home on ANY pistol because he thinks it makes him look cool or an expert. It's up there with the "Cagney Flip" of snapping a cylinder closed on a revolver. Can you do it? Sure. Is it good for the gun? Long term no.
     

    russc2542

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    The flip side is when loading a round, always pull it all the way and let it snap shut. Do not ride the slide. (from the mag, NOT closing the slide with one in the chamber)


    Poor new guy, so many rules! haha we were all there once.
     

    Trapper Jim

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    This 100%. It has nothing to do with the locking lugs, barrel or frame lugs. It's the sear nose and the hammer hooks that you're battering the snot out of.

    Two schools of thought on this:
    1. It's NEVER okay to do it.
    2. It's okay to do it on rack grade, non-modified 1911s but never do it on anything with matched or prepared sear/hammer engagement surfaces.

    I'd just stick with NOT slamming it home on ANY gun. I hate going to a shop and seeing Johnny HuckleDuck sitting there, slamming the slide home on ANY pistol because he thinks it makes him look cool or an expert. It's up there with the "Cagney Flip" of snapping a cylinder closed on a revolver. Can you do it? Sure. Is it good for the gun? Long term no.
    Yep this
     

    2A-Hoosier23

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    never drop the slide on an already chambered round.

    I hope I'm not jacking the thread here but I have to ask: is this a good rule of thumb for all pistols, or 1911's specifically? For example, after manually loading a round into the chamber of a Glock, should you drop the slide with full force, or should you ride it home to lessen the force? I have always dropped the slide on all my guns but I don't own any 1911's (yet!)
     

    churchmouse

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    I hope I'm not jacking the thread here but I have to ask: is this a good rule of thumb for all pistols, or 1911's specifically? For example, after manually loading a round into the chamber of a Glock, should you drop the slide with full force, or should you ride it home to lessen the force? I have always dropped the slide on all my guns but I don't own any 1911's (yet!)

    Question....why would you drop a round in the chamber and then drop the slide on it. Most every gun I have messed with is not designed for that.
    The extractor is not intended to be pushed over the lip of the round. This damages it.
     

    Expat

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    I hope I'm not jacking the thread here but I have to ask: is this a good rule of thumb for all pistols, or 1911's specifically? For example, after manually loading a round into the chamber of a Glock, should you drop the slide with full force, or should you ride it home to lessen the force? I have always dropped the slide on all my guns but I don't own any 1911's (yet!)

    Question....why would you drop a round in the chamber and then drop the slide on it. Most every gun I have messed with is not designed for that.
    The extractor is not intended to be pushed over the lip of the round. This damages it.
    The proper way to load your gun is to put a loaded mag in the gun, then release the slide, feeding a round into the chamber. I always top off the mag and this confirms that a round was successfully chambered in the gun and I don't have to do any of those tactical press checks.
     

    2A-Hoosier23

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    Question....why would you drop a round in the chamber and then drop the slide on it. Most every gun I have messed with is not designed for that.
    The extractor is not intended to be pushed over the lip of the round. This damages it.


    The proper way to load your gun is to put a loaded mag in the gun, then release the slide, feeding a round into the chamber. I always top off the mag and this confirms that a round was successfully chambered in the gun and I don't have to do any of those tactical press checks.

    To be completely honest I never thought of the stress that would put on the extractor. that makes perfect sense though. I would do it that way to put a round in the chamber, then put a full magazine in, so that it's loaded full mag + 1 round. It's the way I was taught and the way I've seen it done repeatedly from several instructors and RSO's -- incorrectly it seems. I had no idea i was putting undue stress on the extractor. thank you for the valuable info!
     

    churchmouse

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    To be completely honest I never thought of the stress that would put on the extractor. that makes perfect sense though. I would do it that way to put a round in the chamber, then put a full magazine in, so that it's loaded full mag + 1 round. It's the way I was taught and the way I've seen it done repeatedly from several instructors and RSO's -- incorrectly it seems. I had no idea i was putting undue stress on the extractor. thank you for the valuable info!

    Wow. Not on you but on those who would tell you this is OK. The round is to be stripped from the mag and the lip slips in behind the extractor.
     

    EricG

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    Nope. Not with a Springfield. A Smithy or Sig with external safety is something different.

    Sent from my VS810PP using Tapatalk
     

    russc2542

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    To be completely honest I never thought of the stress that would put on the extractor. that makes perfect sense though. I would do it that way to put a round in the chamber, then put a full magazine in, so that it's loaded full mag + 1 round. It's the way I was taught and the way I've seen it done repeatedly from several instructors and RSO's -- incorrectly it seems. I had no idea i was putting undue stress on the extractor. thank you for the valuable info!

    Guns with bending extractors it's an absolute no-no because you have to bend the part to do it. guns with articulating (hinged, pivoting) extractors it's a no-no but not as bad. As you've seen it can be done, maybe even many times, but there are a lot of things that will tolerate abuse for a period before breaking.

    If you look at the breech-face of a gun you can see whether it can be closed on a chambered round. If there is a raised surface all around the rim (preventing the round from sliding), it's OK. If there's a groove along the path of movement of a round, it's meant to slide up under the extractor, not for the extractor to snap over it.

    A couple examples I have from the last time this came up: https://imgur.com/a/jPiXl
     

    churchmouse

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    Guns with bending extractors it's an absolute no-no because you have to bend the part to do it. guns with articulating (hinged, pivoting) extractors it's a no-no but not as bad. As you've seen it can be done, maybe even many times, but there are a lot of things that will tolerate abuse for a period before breaking.

    If you look at the breech-face of a gun you can see whether it can be closed on a chambered round. If there is a raised surface all around the rim (preventing the round from sliding), it's OK. If there's a groove along the path of movement of a round, it's meant to slide up under the extractor, not for the extractor to snap over it.

    A couple examples I have from the last time this came up: https://imgur.com/a/jPiXl

    Love the Hula Hoop....:):
     
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