Am thinking coping and fitting moulding is a lost artform.
Smyth Busters: Dropping a 1911 Slide on an Empty Chamber
- Thread starter Talyn
- Start date
Am thinking coping and fitting moulding is a lost artform.
Keystone19250
SAINT
The Mossberg Patriot Rifle Stock was first made in walnut and it was me that built that stock from the ground up before putting it into production.That's pretty cool!
If I pickup a Mossberg Patriot I'll be sure to look for the goose foot prints....
No seriously that's pretty awesome!
The stock was made completely using a CNC machine which I wrote all the programming for.
I was always careful when looking at bad workmanship in someone's home because most of the time they were the ones who did the work and were usually proud of what they did so I tried not to insult them by pointing out the flaws.
I always cope crown when I install it.
Custom mouldings in houses are still pretty popular in the northeast especially on the coast.
Keystone19250
SAINT
I always asked if the work was contracted out before commenting. If the potential customer did the work themselves they got high praise no matter how bad it looked. I will say I was always worried about if the blood showed from me biting my tongue though.
Good call!
I've made the mistake once, early in my career by asking a homeowner “who butchered this wood”. Yeah that didn't go over too well.
Keystone19250
SAINT
Ditto. I remember telling a guy I’d go after the contractor and get your money back for that work, when he told me he did it I didn’t know what to say. Needless to say I didn’t get the work he wanted done.
Annihilator
Emissary
Worked here fine now, thanks, good video, I won’t drop my slide on an empty chamber
Keystone19250
SAINT
Yes very good article thanks for sharing @Talyn
shanneba
Custom
The 2003 dated Colt Series 70 owner's manual includes this section on page 37
Colt Government Model MKIV Series 70 / Model O
7. After assembling the pistol, check its functions as follows:
Remove magazine. Pull the side back fully and let it go.
It should fly forward and close on the empty chamber.
The hammer should stay cocked.
...
.....
IMPORTANT: Do these checks only after you strip and assemble the pistol.
Do not slam the slide forward at any other time, except when loading.
If you exercise the slide, control it with your hand.
Colt Government Model MKIV Series 70 / Model O
7. After assembling the pistol, check its functions as follows:
Remove magazine. Pull the side back fully and let it go.
It should fly forward and close on the empty chamber.
The hammer should stay cocked.
...
.....
IMPORTANT: Do these checks only after you strip and assemble the pistol.
Do not slam the slide forward at any other time, except when loading.
If you exercise the slide, control it with your hand.
Snake45
Professional
Dropping a 1911 slide on an empty chamber shouldn't have any effect on sear engagement, unless the hammer falls to the half-cock notch. Even that would probably take multiple incidents to cause any damage.
The hammer shouldn't drop on a dropped slide, especially if the gun is held tightly. It's more likely to let go if you hold it loosely--even then, it SHOULD hold.
IMHO doing ONE empty chamber slide drop a year or so is a good way to make sure you have good sear engagement.
Also IMHO, the empty chamber slide drop is more damaging to the barrel locking engagement surfaces.
I don't do it repeatedly, but I don't get bent out of shape if it happens. Again IMHO, it's MUCH less damaging to the gun than flipping the cylinder of a DA revolver out even ONCE. (Or dry-firing a P.38, but that's another story.
)
Oh, almost forgot--the EC slide drop is also hella hard on old-school oversized front sights that have only been staked in, GI-style, but almost nobody does that anymore. It also doesn't do any good to S&W adjustable revolver sights on a 1911 slide--a popular modification in the '70s--but almost nobody does that anymore, either.
The hammer shouldn't drop on a dropped slide, especially if the gun is held tightly. It's more likely to let go if you hold it loosely--even then, it SHOULD hold.
IMHO doing ONE empty chamber slide drop a year or so is a good way to make sure you have good sear engagement.
Also IMHO, the empty chamber slide drop is more damaging to the barrel locking engagement surfaces.
I don't do it repeatedly, but I don't get bent out of shape if it happens. Again IMHO, it's MUCH less damaging to the gun than flipping the cylinder of a DA revolver out even ONCE. (Or dry-firing a P.38, but that's another story.
)Oh, almost forgot--the EC slide drop is also hella hard on old-school oversized front sights that have only been staked in, GI-style, but almost nobody does that anymore. It also doesn't do any good to S&W adjustable revolver sights on a 1911 slide--a popular modification in the '70s--but almost nobody does that anymore, either.
Last edited:
Annihilator
Emissary
I know my manual for my Sig 1911 states do not drop slide on empty chamber, may cause damage to hammer/sear engagement and is not covered by the lifetime warranty
Old_Me
SAINT
i too respect my guns, since i paid for them. i also do not dry fire ANY of my guns, with out snap caps. and i NEVER drop the hammer on an empty gun, unless i have my thumb on it to lower it slowly.
just a few of my idiosyncrasies, i picked up from some of the video experts.
but in contrast, GunBlue 490, said when he was in the military doing guard duty, they were supposed to drop the slide in front of the officer inspecting them.
The38Super
Alpha
The only time I've ever intentionally dropped my slide on an empty chamber was last week, as a safety check after doing my first trigger job.
Since dry firing was mentioned, as a former and semi current USPSA shooter, I've dropped the hammer on an empty chamber tens of thousands of times, with no ill effects. We all do it...
Since dry firing was mentioned, as a former and semi current USPSA shooter, I've dropped the hammer on an empty chamber tens of thousands of times, with no ill effects. We all do it...