Racking the slide.....

[leper]

I want to mention that once you become familiar with your new firearm, or any firearm in general, it will become habit for you to pull the slide back and make sure there isn't a round in a chamber. If I am showing or explaining something it is habit for me to check for a round. If the slide is not back, I seem to check it every few seconds. Not a bad habit to have. Muscle memory and all that.

[Dutchie_in_Mobile]

To all,

Thanks so much for your input. It is very helpful during these initial stages of my gun ownership....

I am actually looking into taking a local "First time pistol" class here at one of the local ranges. I think I will be able to ask a lot of questions there too.

Again, thanks so much for your help. It makes me feel confident that not all of you "gun fanatics" are scary and angry folk.... LOL! Just kidding!
I really appreciate it.

Regards, Dutchie.

[1lowlife]

Sorry for the thread hijack Dutchie_in_Mobile.
Every time I see your screen name I think of this song..

YouTube - Musical Youth Pass the Dutchie

Sorry for the interruption, no offense intended............

[reidic]

Originally Posted by mandohack

What you're likely seeing when you see someone racking the slide three or so times in rapid succession is to clear a double feed.

One variation is this: drop or strip the magazine from the magazine well, rack, rack, rack, reinsert magazine or load a new one in case the magazine is the problem, rack to load, and start shooting again.

This is typically left for novice level training. Get some basics down before you worry about rapidly (tactically) clearing your XD of a double feed.

As much as I would love to assume you're right, the sad reality is anybody who watches tools like Nutnfancy and others like him on Youtube might think that racking your slide 4-5 times is "clearing" a weapon. I understand that most of those guys do it because they've already cleared and condition checked their firearms and they know it's clear, but failing to say "This isn't really a safe way to check your weapon, I'm just doing it as a backup habit." when you do garbage like that is as bad as just failing to check the weapon at all. If you're going to be negligent, let everyone KNOW you're being negligent instead of half-assing it and fooling inexperienced users into thinking that it's good to follow suit.

[agalindo]

Hey Dutche_in_Mobile, can you post the link to the youtube vid so some of these guys can settle the "clearing" or just plain "stupid" vid poster discussion.

Some of those "experts" are pretty entertaining. Those mall ninjas seem to be everywere.

[mandohack]

Originally Posted by reidic

As much as I would love to assume you're right, the sad reality is anybody who watches tools like Nutnfancy and others like him on Youtube might think that racking your slide 4-5 times is "clearing" a weapon. I understand that most of those guys do it because they've already cleared and condition checked their firearms and they know it's clear, but failing to say "This isn't really a safe way to check your weapon, I'm just doing it as a backup habit." when you do garbage like that is as bad as just failing to check the weapon at all. If you're going to be negligent, let everyone KNOW you're being negligent instead of half-assing it and fooling inexperienced users into thinking that it's good to follow suit.

Great point. "Clearing" a gun in an effort to unload it, is a bad idea.

There's a difference between clearing and unloading. Clearing a gun has to do with get it operating again after a malfunction, you clear the malfunction. Unloading is to remove the magazine (in the case of the XD) and to rack or lock back the slide to remove the chambered cartridge. Then you visually and physically inspect the magazine well and chamber to make sure they are empty of ammunition.

[sloopy70]

It's all Syntax... I clear my weapon at the end of a stage in a uspsa match... to me you can CLEAR your weapon of ammunition, OR you can CLEAR a malfunction... either way ...

[Dutchie_in_Mobile]

Originally Posted by reidic

As much as I would love to assume you're right, the sad reality is anybody who watches tools like Nutnfancy and others like him on Youtube might think that racking your slide 4-5 times is "clearing" a weapon. I understand that most of those guys do it because they've already cleared and condition checked their firearms and they know it's clear, but failing to say "This isn't really a safe way to check your weapon, I'm just doing it as a backup habit." when you do garbage like that is as bad as just failing to check the weapon at all. If you're going to be negligent, let everyone KNOW you're being negligent instead of half-assing it and fooling inexperienced users into thinking that it's good to follow suit.

Uhoh, I am almost afraid to respond now..... Nutnfancy is exactly the one I saw do it. Although I also saw other ones that did it similarly......
Are there any guys on youtube that show the correct way of doing things (any thing, really) with guns and safety and practicing and so on....?

Also, what do you mean with "tools"....?

Originally Posted by agalindo

Hey Dutche_in_Mobile, can you post the link to the youtube vid so some of these guys can settle the "clearing" or just plain "stupid" vid poster discussion.

Some of those "experts" are pretty entertaining. Those mall ninjas seem to be everywere.

Hey agalindo,

See above my statement about who I saw do this.

Oh well, I have to go and post some pics of my bike in one of the other threads here......

Talk to you later and thanks again for all your advice.

Dutchie......

[Dutchie_in_Mobile]

Well,

Here I go... I have made arrangements with a couple of guys from work to go the Styx River Shooting range in Robertsdale (near Daphne) to shoot for the first time.
One of the guys is ex-military and has been shooting various weapons for years. He told me he would help me out and show me various aspects of the sport, like safety, stance, grip, etc. etc.

I am so excited! I can't wait. I am 43 years old but as giddy as kid at Christmas....... I'll let you all know how it went and probably try to post some pics of the targets.

I also went ahead and ordered the Crossbreed Supertuck IWB holster for my XD 40 SC...... It's all the positive reviews everywhere that made me take the plunge! It's gonna take a while to get it, I guess, but I think it's worth it if all the reviews are true....

I'll keep you all posted.

L8er, Dutchie

[sloopy70]

well,heres a review for ya... 25,000 rounds (mostly hard use Match Rounds) and 0 Failures

Hope ya have fun