Slide release with support hand?

Love2shoot

Love2shoot

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Anyone use their support side hand to release the slide lock after inserting new magazine? I have to reach a bit to release with strong hanf after mag insert and found that in theory I might be able to faster by using support hand. Just curious if anyone does this, and why or why not.
 
Thanks. That's been somethung I've been thinking about too. I just shot my first match and had fun, planning to shoot more. So then I think, well do I go for most efficient which would be slide lock, or do I go for "train like you fight" and slingshot...... having only shot one match for fun, and not really worried about winning, I'm not sure what way I will go yet. If I'm in a match it makes sense to try and go as fast as possible I'd think. But then is that bad real world training.
 
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I don't think there really is a right vs wrong way, more a matter of what works best for you. Before I really ingrained the habit and muscle memory of running the slide on a mag change I would hit it with my support hand thumb as I was pushing back out. It works....
 
rantingredneck said:
I don't think there really is a right vs wrong way, more a matter of what works best for you. Before I really ingrained the habit and muscle memory of running the slide on a mag change I would hit it with my support hand thumb as I was pushing back out. It works....
Click to expand...

That's the answer I was looking for. Thanks.
 
For competition shooting, train like you are going to shoot in competition.

Almost everyone I see uses the opposing hand release method.

I don't have a slide lock on my comp gun so I have to use a thumb over front serrations to wrack slide.
On my glocks I use left hand (other strong hand!).

Edit: I will say I always used the hand over top slingshot until seeing it on a timer. Still use it sometimes.
 
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I use my strong hand thumb, I can reach with just a little flip, it is a near subconscious action with all my pistols. I much prefer not running to slide lock.

If it requires a major shift of the gun to use your strong hand use your support hand.

I have heard both suggested/used by top level competitors.

I only slingshot as part of remedial action or when shooting my dumb gun that doesn't have a slide lock/stop/whatever.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk
 
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Big surprise here.. I disagree with LV. I tried support hand thumb but kept missing the mark, so I gave up on that. Slingshot/over-the-top is too slow. If you have to change your grip to reach consider installing an extended slide stop and see if that helps. You just gotta do what works for you. I use my strong hand thunb.

ETA: If you have to shift your focus from the target to the gun in order to hit the button, don’t do that.
 
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Strong hand thumb. I have fairly strong hands and popping the slide release has never been an issue. I don't even think about it. Even with guns where the release is tiny. I don't use any extended slide releases.
Some guns, no. I have an LC9 that no matter how hard you push the slide release it ain't budging. But that's the guns design. If I have to release the slide with my weak hand I'm-a grabbing the whole thing and letting her go. I've seen the shooters that use the weak hand to trip the release as they complete their grip. If it works for them more power. For me, that's one extra thing my weak hand doesn't have to do.
I don't suggest any of this is written in stone. I agree with @rantingredneck...whatever you can make work for you that's safe and efficient.
 
Nope, was taught that a handgun is a single hand weapon. Learned to operate it with one hand, strong hand or weak hand. Learned reloading with single hand long ago which now they teach it. I've taught people with short fingers where they have to use two hands and I'm fine with that. If you use two hands great. The more techniques you know the better off you are in my book.


CD
 
I can usually reach them with my strong hand thumb, or I'll sling shot it. No real rhyme or reason to it for me.
 
See, there you have it. Varying opinions based on personal tastes and experiences. That's exactly why 9mm is better than .45 ACP! :p
 
If you are competing do not run it to slide lock, that will always be the fastest reload. If you are shooting IDPA then yeah use a timer to find what is fastest for you.
 
Thumbs of both hands (shooting hand to drop mag, left hand to insert mag and hit slide release). I don't like slingshot. No issues with it, it's just awkward to me.
 
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I have found that in any gun I can reach the slide release with my strong side thumb, I ride it with a thumbs forward grip and the gun never goes to slide lock. Extended slide stop just makes it worse, so I have pretty much shifted all my comp guns (IDPA) to stuff where I can't reach it even if i wanted to with strong side. (1911, SIG SAO and the such) Weak side thumb release has worked fine on the clock
 
Wow didnt expect so much feedback, thanks guys, I think I will check them both out and find what works for me, as it seems theres no real "wrong way"
 
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Can't figure which thumb to use on this one:
IMG_2106.jpg
 
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