Racking the Slide and Loading the Pistol: Efficiency Tips

[Annihilator]

Nice little article on racking the slide and loading the pistol, some good tips.

Racking the Slide and Loading the Pistol: Efficiency Tips

Properly racking the slide and loading the magazine are essential skills for using your pistol, and with these tips, you'll be a pro.

blog.cheaperthandirt.com

 

[Annihilator]

Additional link on this subject.

NRA Family | How to Rack a Pistol's Slide

Don't let your hand strength stand in between you and the semi-auto of your dreams.

www.nrafamily.org

 

[iklwa]

May I add, the way most semi-autos function best is to drop the slide on a loaded magazine using the slide release. That way battery is insured and short stroking the slide is avoided. In many self defense videos I have seen, the shooter tries to load the chamber by racking the slide and in his or her hurry, short strokes the slide and produces a blockage. This means instead of bringing the weapon into service, the shooter has to deal with a user induced malfunction before using the weapon properly.

Note how handily I wrapped empty chamber carry into the discussion?

 

[C. Sumpin]

May I add, the way most semi-autos function best is to drop the slide on a loaded magazine using the slide release. That way battery is insured and short stroking the slide is avoided. In many self defense videos I have seen, the shooter tries to load the chamber by racking the slide and in his or her hurry, short strokes the slide and produces a blockage. This means instead of bringing the weapon into service, the shooter has to deal with a user induced malfunction before using the weapon properly.

Note how handily I wrapped empty chamber carry into the discussion?

But you are joking, right? Not advocating empty chamber carry?

 

[iklwa]

But you are joking, right? Not advocating empty chamber carry?

No, I am decidedly for loaded chamber carry.
Loading the chamber is just another complex step in bringing the weapon to bear.
Complex manipulations are best avoided during high stress environments.
It has been shown, repeatedly, folks under the high stress environment of being assaulted, loose their manual dexterity and often botch racking the slide to prepare for combat. Not only are you physically impaired, you are dealing with the obvious time constrains of trying to avoid being killed or injured. In other words, you may already be in combat while trying to get your pistol in the game.
In many cases, folks are also trying to evade attackers by moving backward, to the side or escaping through a doorway. Even under normal circumstances, most folks have difficulty in walking backward. Add in a task like loading a chamber and you have a recipe for disaster.