1911 Experts. Extended slide stop or not??

Rule3 · #1 11-29-2011, 03:32 PM

My 1911's have regular slide stops. I have short stubby T Rex fingers. I either have to use my non shooting hand to release after a mag change or sling shot the slide (again with my left hand)

Will installing a extended slide stop enable me to release the slide with my shooting (right hand) Or is it just something to get in the way? Some I guess are different lengths but no way to tell on the web such as Midway.

Does it extend over the thumb safety spring tube?

I am not shooting competition so speed is not the issue, just convenience.

Bottom line, should I get one to try??

arjay · #2 11-29-2011, 03:42 PM

I tried one for a bit.Still had to shift my grip to reach it.Went back to using my left thumb or slingshotting it.

Joe in SC · #3 11-29-2011, 03:52 PM

I have the extended slide stop on a couple of my 1911's and I like it. The 1911 that has the stock length is not used for carry so it's really not a problem.

Alpo · #4 11-29-2011, 04:17 PM

As to as far it extends, it depends on the stop.
http://www.shootingillustrated.com/w...I_MG_74391.jpg

I have one of these. See how far it came, from the factory.
http://picturearchive.gunauction.com...fd7d52f369.jpg

I found that when I released the extended slide stop, the jump the gun made when it chambered the next round made my thumb hit the bottom of the extended safety, and put it on. Little dremel work and I don't have that problem any more.

I don't like 'em.

Bat Guano · #5 11-29-2011, 04:23 PM

I've never seen the need in 50 years, and I have a small hand. I just either shift the gun a bit or use my off hand thumb to hit the release.

Seeing all the aftermarket kitsch for the 1911s reminds me of the old J.C. Whitney car parts catalogues of yore.

Wyo · #6 11-29-2011, 04:28 PM

I've never seen any use for one at all. I've tried a couple and found they are easily hit at bad moments, they can interfere with the fit of the gun in some holsters, and they don't accomplish much anyway. Actually, I virtually never use the slide stop as I always come over the top with my left hand. They seem like a good way for someone to get in your wallet, but I doubt much else will be accomplished.

29aholic · #7 11-29-2011, 04:56 PM

I would assume you shoot mostly 2 handed so using your supporting hand to release the slide should not be an issue. As has been said, the extended ones can cause problems...as in bumping them and locking the slide at a bad time.

NE450No2 · #8 11-29-2011, 04:59 PM

I have been shooting the 1911 since 1967.
I carried one as a duty gun for several years, and for off duty.
I still carry one.
I do not use an extended slide stop.

681ismyfavorite · #9 11-29-2011, 05:16 PM

they dont stop the slide for me because my grip presses down on them so the last shot doesnt lock the slide.

JcMack · #10 11-29-2011, 05:18 PM

Absolutely not. The things have been known to engage the slide at the wrong time because of additional weight. Your supposed to "sling shot" a 1911 from a slide locked open, magazine reload. Not drop the slide from the slide stop. Maybe I'm mistaken and missing something?

Rule3 · #11 11-29-2011, 05:43 PM

Thanks all. Saved me some $$

Looks like something to get in the way and cause problems.

KJM · #12 11-29-2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JcMack

Absolutely not. The things have been known to engage the slide at the wrong time because of additional weight. Your supposed to "sling shot" a 1911 from a slide locked open, magazine reload. Not drop the slide from the slide stop. Maybe I'm mistaken and missing something?

Nope....your missing nothing. You are exactly right.
On ANY semi, you should sling the slide upon reload.... LEOs are taught that way for a reason.... Muscle memory.... you don't need to be looking for a slide stop in an emergency.

WC145 · #13 11-29-2011, 09:11 PM

Agree^^^^ It's a slide stop, not a slide release.

redlevel · #14 11-29-2011, 09:16 PM

I like my 1911s just like John M. Browning designed them, or at least the way his design emerged as the 1911A1. I am far from an expert, though.

El Biblioitecario · #15 11-29-2011, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bat Guano

I've never seen the need in 50 years, and I have a small hand. I just either shift the gun a bit or use my off hand thumb to hit the release.

Seeing all the aftermarket kitsch for the 1911s reminds me of the old J.C. Whitney car parts catalogues of yore.

I believe it was the late Mel Tappen who said some firearms modifications were like the modifications some people did to their automobiles, in that they were not intended to enhance performance, but to draw attention to the owner.

I've used the Colt Govt model for 40 years, have a smallish hand, and have never found the factory slide stop (or for that matter, the factory thumb safety) lacking.

Fishslayer · #16 11-30-2011, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlevel

I like my 1911s just like John M. Browning designed them, or at least the way his design emerged as the 1911A1. I am far from an expert, though.

Well, let's have a look at the Gospel According to John Moses Browning...

Quote:

2 "And shouldst thou muck with it, and hang all manner of foul implements upon it, and profane its internal parts, thou shalt surely have malfunctions, and in the midst of battle thou shalt surely come to harm."

3 And as the ages passed men in their ignorance and arrogance didst forget the word of the Lord and began to profane the 1911. The tribe of the gamesman did place recoil spring guides and extended slide releases upon the 1911 and their metal smiths didst tighten the tolerances and alter parts to their liking, their clearness of mind being clouded by lust.

Peter J. · #17 11-30-2011, 02:54 AM

I've been shooting 1911's for almost 40 years, since I was in the Army. I've changed both slide releases on both my Series 70's to extended styles, and think they are fantastic. To each his own.

Tyrod · #18 11-30-2011, 03:16 AM

I like 'em. But I do skinny 'em up considerably. I don't use them because I can reach it better, I use it for the mechanical advantage the longer lever gives me. Got tired of tearing up my thumbnail.

Sure glad my new Ford isn't a Model T.

RomeoTango · #19 11-30-2011, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJM

Nope....your missing nothing. You are exactly right.
On ANY semi, you should sling the slide upon reload.... LEOs are taught that way for a reason.... Muscle memory.... you don't need to be looking for a slide stop in an emergency.

LEO's are taught to the lowest common denominator.
The purpose of the press pad is to press, to release the slide and chamber a fresh round, like John Moses Browning designed it.

Shamefully plagarized because it speak volumes

Quote:

The main benefit of using the slide release lever is that it is substantially faster. In a fight, if your gun is empty and you need to reload that means you’ve already fired a number of shots and it wasn’t enough. So it goes without saying, time is of the essence. Faster is good.

The main benefit of racking the slide is that it’s nearly universal. Whether you’re right-handed or left-handed, whether you’re using a 1911 or Glock or Kel-Tec, pulling the slide back and releasing it is going to work.

You will often hear that racking the slide is also “more reliable” under stress. This is a myth. As soon as you hear someone starting to talk about gross motor skills and fine motor skills, you are officially justified in tuning out. Both racking the slide and hitting the slide release are fine motor skills.

Fine and gross motor skills are terms from child development and child psychology. They are pretty clearly defined.

A gross motor skill is one that uses only major muscle groups, like arms, legs, & trunk. Walking is a gross motor skill.

A fine motor skill is any movement that requires smaller or more precise muscles. Pointing, grabbing, even squeezing with your hands are all fine motor skills. Basically, anything that uses your fingers is a fine motor skill.

So:
•Hitting slide release lever = fine motor skill
•Overhand racking slide = fine motor skill
•Slingshotting slide = fine motor skill
•Banging head against wall after hearing this debate the 1,000th time = gross motor skill

Sources:
•babycenter.com
•Developmental Psychology Newsletter
•Wikipedia

What it boils down to is this: if you have enough “motor control” under stress to press the trigger properly and press the mag release button properly, then you are equally capable of hitting the slide release lever if the lever is properly sized and located.

So the long answer is: If you can reach the slide release lever comfortably without a major shift in your grip, it is faster and less fumble-prone than racking the slide manually. If you cannot hit the lever reliably, then racking the slide is a better option.

Learn and practice both and use whats appropriate

haggis · #20 11-30-2011, 12:46 PM

I love extended slide stops just as much as I do full length guide rods and front slide serrations.

Buck

Cocked & Locked · #21 11-30-2011, 01:03 PM

I use and view the slide stop just as a take-down device for removing the slide from the frame.

No extension needed for me. I use the the sling-shot method with the slide.

For what its worth, I don't like front serrations on the slide either...or beaver tails (on firearms that is.)

PALADIN85020 · #22 11-30-2011, 01:43 PM

I've been handling and shooting 1911s for over 50 years. I got my first one back in 1961. Over the years, I've experimented with a number of slide releases. I discovered that the Norwegian version of our .45 automatic had an extended slide release, and I obtained one to use on my pistol. It did indeed allow me (after modifying the left grip panel) to release the slide with my shooting hand. Here's a pic of that particular style on an original M1914 Norwegian:

Still, I found it quicker to activate the slide release with the thumb of my left hand, since it was already right there using a standard two-hand hold. Using the Norwegian release was no advantage, and I would be able to use a standard left grip on the gun.

Later on I experimented with releases that extended back closer to the rear of the gun. These were still awkward to activate with the right thumb, and occasionally they would self-activate through inertia because of their increased weight.

I wound up reverting to the original John Browning design, which works perfectly - I activate it with my left thumb, or retract the slide to release the slide over a fresh magazine load.

Bottom line - use the original. It works the way it was designed to work.

John

A10 · #23 11-30-2011, 02:02 PM

I carried a Combat Commander for alot of years, had both the extended slide stop and ambi safety on it. I shoot southpaw so never had any interference with my grip and only once during a match unintentionally activated it. Once was enough, though, and I went back to the stock item. As far as front serrations, they came out of IPSC and were used by unlimited shooters so they could load/press check their scoped and guid rod equipped 1911's. I never saw any other use for them, but I guess some folks think they look cool.