Locking the slide back, Question!

[Alabama MP]

Originally Posted by BabySpice

However, hubby says it is cheating and if I can't fully function the gun, then I shouldn't have it.

My wife was furious when I read that to her. Like you, she can't lock back the slide on our XD45s without an empty magazine. Unlike your husband, I figure that's good enough for now.

[Cumminalong]

Sorry, but if you can't operate the equipment, put it away.

It's like driving a car, but not being able to reach the brakes.

If you have to unload and clear the weapon, not being able to lock it back and show it is clear, to me, is a safety issue.

There are too many times that the weapon needs to be cleared, other when there is an empty mag.

Just my .02

[Lefthanded Shooter]

Originally Posted by BabySpice

But seriously. I am a lefty (oops, should have mentioned that). So I am using my trigger finger for the slide lock. And my right hand is being used to pull the slide back. It does look like it would be easier if I was a righty, sigh, as do most things doing with shooting.....

It did take some practice after I first got the gun to even be able to pull the slide all the way back (without locking it). I did work on that, and eventually got it. The slide lock is still giving me hell!

It just seems that the way I have to hold the gun and the grip to get enough leverage to pull the slide back, I can't seem to move that finger up to lock the slide back without losing my grip almost. Does that make any sense?

But I will practice with gripping the gun and moving the slide stop lever without actually moving the slide back. I think that may help get the movement down at the very least.

Thanks all!

Hi BS. I am a guy, and a lefty, almost 69 years old, with a lot of arthritis that is especially problematic in my thumbs. I am just beginning with using a handgun having recently purchased my XD-40 Service model. BTW, I do know where BFE is.

Because the gun is made to favor right handers, when practicing handling the gun, with an empty mag in position, I simply place the gun in my right hand, use the left to rack, and press the slide lock w/the thumb of the right hand.

NOTE: Once racked, with the empty mag in position, to unrack I must remove the mag, or pull down on the slide lock once I have pulled the rack back. Hope that makes sense.

Thus far I have not practiced with a loaded mag until I get more comfortable handling the gun and routinely assuring it "IS" unloaded. I do not want to do anything stupid.

I have added some exercises w/ wts. to my routine that are specifically intended to strengthen the muscles in my hands, wrists, and forearms. I also use a hand grip for strengthening.

Hope this helps and if anyone has ideas for lefthanders about how to rack the slide and engage the slide lock while holding the gun in your left hand, please share them. I have tried, and tried, and tried w/o success. That is why I shift the gun to my right when wanting to rack the slide (other than for just dryfiring).

Thanks,

LS

[shyi3t]

all you need is practice and strength . cause i use to have problems with locking it back or racking the slide. My husband said the same thing if i can't do it then why did i get it .. but he told me to just practice and you'll get stronger and better. I would just watch him do it with his gun and we do it together so i know how to work the gun

it took me awhile to learn to lock it back using my thumb but i eventually got it.

make sure when your racking it back that you are looking at the slot so that you know when to move your thumb up to the slot.

Originally Posted by Cumminalong

Sorry, but if you can't operate the equipment, put it away.

you know guys most women don't have the same natural hand strength like some guys.

overtime you learn how to operate an equipment it takes practice

[BabySpice]

Originally Posted by Alabama MP

My wife was furious when I read that to her. Like you, she can't lock back the slide on our XD45s without an empty magazine. Unlike your husband, I figure that's good enough for now.

He is coming from the point that I have had it for over two months now. And that I eventually (long time away) would like to shoot IDPA. I know that without being able to lock the slide back and show clear, that can't happen.

So I understand where he is coming from.

He has a Glock in 40 and I have no trouble locking back that slide.

Originally Posted by Lefthanded Shooter

Hi BS. I am a guy, and a lefty, almost 69 years old, with a lot of arthritis that is especially problematic in my thumbs. I am just beginning with using a handgun having recently purchased my XD-40 Service model. BTW, I do know where BFE is.

Because the gun is made to favor right handers, when practicing handling the gun, with an empty mag in position, I simply place the gun in my right hand, use the left to rack, and press the slide lock w/the thumb of the right hand.

NOTE: Once racked, with the empty mag in position, to unrack I must remove the mag, or pull down on the slide lock once I have pulled the rack back. Hope that makes sense.

Thus far I have not practiced with a loaded mag until I get more comfortable handling the gun and routinely assuring it "IS" unloaded. I do not want to do anything stupid.

I have added some exercises w/ wts. to my routine that are specifically intended to strengthen the muscles in my hands, wrists, and forearms. I also use a hand grip for strengthening.

Hope this helps and if anyone has ideas for lefthanders about how to rack the slide and engage the slide lock while holding the gun in your left hand, please share them. I have tried, and tried, and tried w/o success. That is why I shift the gun to my right when wanting to rack the slide (other than for just dryfiring).

Thanks,

LS

So you've been to BFE huh? Blink and you'll miss it!

My problem is that I cannot even rack the slide with my left hand. It feels extremely awkward and unnatural, and as a result is not fluid and looks like a total mess. Let a righty try and do it the other way, they are going to fumble with it.

Using a hand grip for strengthening sounds like it would be a great idea even for me.

I also know I need to devote more time per day to practice, but honestly, life with a 2 year old doesn't leave much free time.

Originally Posted by shyi3t

all you need is practice and strength . cause i use to have problems with locking it back or racking the slide. My husband said the same thing if i can't do it then why did i get it .. but he told me to just practice and you'll get stronger and better. I would just watch him do it with his gun and we do it together so i know how to work the gun

it took me awhile to learn to lock it back using my thumb but i eventually got it.

make sure when your racking it back that you are looking at the slot so that you know when to move your thumb up to the slot.

you know guys most women don't have the same natural hand strength like some guys.

overtime you learn how to operate an equipment it takes practice

But you gotta switch hands. I am using my trigger finger on my left hand to move the slide stop lock. It is difficult to get a good grip on it and be able to keep that finger free to move the slide up.

And you are right, we don't have the same hand strength as guys. I guess they like their women girly until it comes to strength with guns.

I have been practicing a bit more today. And Philly, I modified your suggestions and practiced moving that finger up and and down to simulate locking the slide back. Then I actually racked the slide and twice got it to lock back! So that is improvement. Of course the movement is very ugly. It isn't fluid and not at all graceful. But Hubby says that will come and as long as I can get it locked back, we can work on making it a more smooth motion.

I guess I am getting there.

And I agree with Lefthanded Shooter. If any lefty's have any tricks that may help, I'm all ears!

Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

[robinsre]

I'm a righty. But I try to work and train with ambidextrous techniques so I can teach lefties.

This is how I've taught a few lefties and it's worked well.

To clear the weapon, left handed.

Start with a master grip in your left hand. Remove the magazine and place it in a secure location.

Turn the firearm upside down. Place your RIGHT hand across the top of the slide with the front of the chamber between your fore and middle finger. (if you have really small hands you can go further than that). Place your RIGHT thumb on the side of the slide stop farthest from the slide (the normal bottom) and put downward pressure on it with your thumb, imagine pulling your thumb in and together to touch the palm of your hand with it. It's important to note you do not need to use the pad of your thumb, the center will work fine. Now, maintaining a grip on the firearm push forward on the frame with your left hand and pull rearward on the slide with your right hand. The tension between your hand and the slide should be highest between your two back fingers and the palm in the corresponding region. If there is a round in the chamber it will fall into your open right hand. If you're applying proper downward pressure the slide stop should engage once you've pulled far enough.

I taught a 65 year old 110 lb woman with arthritis to do this and it worked for her nearly every time. If the technique is properly executed it should work.

[thisismyusername]

Originally Posted by shyi3t

yes it gets easier overtime .. had the same problem but if i get stuck i let my husband do it for me .

I use both hands .. holding the gun with my right and then with my left hand i grab the back part of the slide and pull back and once i have it back , i use my right thumb to push the slide release up to hit that slot to hold it back. you kinda have to slide your right hand a little bit around the grip to get the leverage for your thumb

most often i can do it but there are times i dunno . my strength disappears and then i can't do it.

or you can you use on empty mag and when you rack it back it stays lock back

hope that helps.

* i took pics . sorry it's in a weird angle . my sisterinlaw was sleepy when she took it, she didn't want to get up

i grab the slide in around the middle or so cause (that's where i feel i could push the slide back with my hand strength) but make sure you have it where you don't pinch yourself.



then i use the side of my thumb to push it to the slot once i got the leverage from the slide to push it in the slot.

Perhaps it's the picture angle, but it looks like you're muzzling your arm in those pictures?

[mpak87]

I am a lefty, and the technique that I use is similar to the one noted by Robinsre. I'm not positive that it will work for you though, as it might require more brute force than finesse, and larger hands than you may have. However, this is how to operate it with my method.

Grip the pistol with your left hand, and hold it horizontally.

You can either put your index finger over the trigger guard/on the frame or shift your grip downwards to put all four fingers on the grip, whichever gives you the most leverage and allows you to still depress the grip safety.

Next, grip the slide with your right hand. I have fairly large hands, so I use the rear cocking serrations. You might do better with the front ones for this step. I don't have my XD here to experiment with, so I can't mess with it to tell you. Anyway, being certain not to put your fingers in front of the muzzle, pull the slide back. Depending on hand placement, you will find the thumb of your right hand to be right next to the slide stop when the slide is at the very rear, and you can push the slide stop up.

I think that this may be the fastest technique to use when field stripping as well, because you can use the same hand to pull the slide back and push the lever at the same time, then slide your hand forward, flipping the takedown lever. After that, with the gun still horizontal, you can bring your right hand to the rear of the slide, slingshot it back and ride it down, finishing the takedown procedure. I can have the slide off in two or three seconds this way, but I digress.

Anyway, you may be able to make this method work.

[shyi3t]

Originally Posted by BabySpice

But you gotta switch hands. I am using my trigger finger on my left hand to move the slide stop lock. It is difficult to get a good grip on it and be able to keep that finger free to move the slide up.

And you are right, we don't have the same hand strength as guys. I guess they like their women girly until it comes to strength with guns.

oops hehe i forgot about the left hand .. my sister in law is left handed and she was also having trouble when i was showing her how to rack it back and she couldn't even pull it or lock it back. I was also confused myself how to get her to do it too

Originally Posted by thisismyusername

Perhaps it's the picture angle, but it looks like you're muzzling your arm in those pictures?

it's the angle . my sister in law took it while laying down so i had to move my hand more angled ...... when i do it for real i have it pointing away from me

[Philadelphia]

Originally Posted by BabySpice

I have been practicing a bit more today. And Philly, I modified your suggestions and practiced moving that finger up and and down to simulate locking the slide back. Then I actually racked the slide and twice got it to lock back! So that is improvement. Of course the movement is very ugly. It isn't fluid and not at all graceful. But Hubby says that will come and as long as I can get it locked back, we can work on making it a more smooth motion.

I guess I am getting there.

And I agree with Lefthanded Shooter. If any lefty's have any tricks that may help, I'm all ears!

Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

You've gotten good advice. The trick to manipulating the slide stop as a lefty is you have to do it with your right thumb as you rack the slide back. Your right hand will be the reverse of the "proper" way to grip the slide, but that's something leftys have to live with. Break it down into steps and practice each step a few times to give your hands a chance to "learn" what they are supposed to do and, for that particular manipulation, exactly where on the slide you need to place your hand so the right thumb ends up close enough to the slide stop lever to move it.

One point where I may depart from what I've seen a lot of competition shooters do is DO NOT cover the ejection port with your fingers* (and do not get your fingers near the muzzle either without good reason) -- so generally do not use front slide serrations for pretty much anything. There should be one way and one way only for gripping and manipulating the slide done the exact same way every time. Chamber check, locking slide, racking slide, reloading from slidelock, reloading from in battery, tap rack, etc., etc. Same grip and basic motion for the slide every time.

*Cases have been reported where during unloading the round is not fully ejected, the slide either slipped or allowed to come forward with force, the live round gets wedged in the action and the extractor hits the primer. Bang -- the round basically explodes and if your fingers cover the ejection port they are likely no longer attached to your hand.