"Do Not Use Excessive Upward Force When Inserting Magazine..."

[WNC Seabee]

I've always found the ability to slam home a magazine, and have the slide carry forward, in my 3rd Gen Autos to be a "feature" that is helpful for IDPA and other action shooting events (not to mention Self Defense). Since I bought all of my 3rd Gens used, I never had a manual before. Well, I scared one up today and here's what the manual has to say on the subject...

WARNING: DO NOT USE EXCESSIVE UPWARD FORCE WHEN INSERTING A LOADED MAGAZINE INTO THE PISTOL. EXCESSIVE UPWARD FORCE COULD CAUSE
THE SLIDE TO MOVE FORWARD, CHAMBERING A ROUND AND MAKING THE PISTOL READY TO FIRE.

So...what say you, Attractive Feature or Terrible Mistake?

 

[Bart 44]

I thought making the pistol ready fo fire was the idea........

Dennis.

 

[repawn]

First time it happened to me I was a bit surprised. Now I can recreate it when I want. Seems like a feature to me.

 

[perfectcircle1]

I thought it was done on purpose too.

Sent from my SCH-R760 using Tapatalk 2

 

[grif684]

Liability statement? I have always found it to be a handy feature myself.....

 

[Maximumbob54]

I think it's the point between slapping the mag home and slamming it home.

 

[murphydog]

A nice feature for the experienced, and a potential problem if you insert the loaded magazine with your finger on the trigger and it startles you when the slide goes forward, leading to an unintended round downrange.

 

[18DAI]

Hmmm........

I don't think I can seat a mag in a 39XX series without giving it a firm slap. I've been doing it for years with no problems.

Ooops.. Your talking about inserting a mag with the slide back. OK, I guess there is no reason to use "excessive" force with the slide back. I don't recall ever having a 3rd gen slide go forward on its own when a mag is inserted....enthusiastically.

My HK USP's do it. Not my Smiths. Regards 18DAI

 

[QXSOUP]

Lawyer speak.
Just like the stupid engraving on the pistols without the mag disconnect.

 

[catcus-jack]

It is not a feature it is a problem.All is well and good until it fails to pick up the round when the slide slams forward.I have seen and experienced this.It forces you to do a tap,rack,bang drill at a critical time.Seat the mag firmly and release the slide either with the slide stop or the slingshot method,which ever you are the most comfortable with.

 

[crofoot629]

It's just lawyer talk.
It doesn't harm your pistol and I always consider it a bonus when it happens.

I'm retired now, but often times noted with amusement that when qualifying that the little bit of stress caused me to slam magazines home hard enough to chamber a round much more often than target practicing or plinking. (my experience with Glocks, your mileage may very)

Emory

 

[BruceB]

I don't believe it is designed to do that, and I would have any 3rd gen I own FIXED if it was doing slam slide closures.

The only time I have ever experienced this was the first magazine load on a rental M&P 40 at the S&W range in Springfield, and i was not pleased. I cleared the pistol and put it down, and turned around to ask the range guy about it. He just shrugged and said "they do that" .

 

[jimmyj]

Slamming the magazine into battery on a semi-auto and flipping a revolver cylinder into battery one handed comes out of the movies and TV.

 

[crofoot629]

Slamming the magazine into battery on a semi-auto and flipping a revolver cylinder into battery one handed comes out of the movies and TV.

You're of course right about flipping a revolver cylinder shut, but wrong about seating magazines with authority.

Would you care to state your training, or source for your statement on magazines?

I'm a retired LEO, 6 times Thunder Ranch Grad, and IPSC shooter.

Emory

------------------------------------------------------------------
Honest Men Fear Neither The Light Nor The Dark

 

[A10]

I've not had to slam a mag into a semiauto when the slide was back. They usually went in fairly easy. When the slide is forward and the mag is full, it may take a bit more force. I can understand the mechanics of the slide release being bumped or jiggled free if the butt of the gun is smacked hard. It wouln't upset me too much if the slide went forward. It oughta be pointed down range anyway, and yer finger oughta be well clear of the trigger guard. An improperly lightened trigger or poorly done honing of the sear could result in an AD in the situation. I haven't seen it happen, but it seems it could.....

 

[gc70]

Auto-forwarding it neither a feature or a problem; it is just a function of physics.

If auto-forwarding was a design feature, it would happen consistently whenever a magazine was inserted.

When I first read about auto-forwarding, I had never experienced it on a 3rd Generation S&W so I pulled one out of the safe to give it a try. Smartly inserting a magazine didn't have any result, so I kept banging the magazine in harder and harder until the slide did go forward on its own. By that time, my palm was sore, so I switched to a rubber mallet and whacked the bottom of the grip frame without a magazine - and the slide went forward.

When a pistol's frame is accelerated upward with enough force to overcome the slide's tension on the slide release lever, the slide release lever falls and the slide will go forward. I have noticed that heavier guns (which require more force to accelerate the frame) generally require more forceful magazine insertion to auto-forward than lighter guns.

The shape of the slide release slot in the slide and the weight of the recoil spring would also be factors. An interesting experiment would be to test auto-forwarding on a gun by first using a very light recoil spring and then using a very heavy recoil spring.

 

[catcus-jack]

IT IS A PROBLEM WHEN IT DOESN"T STRIP THE ROUND FROM THE MAG!!!!I have seen and had this happen.

 

[jimmyj]

You're of course right about flipping a revolver cylinder shut, but wrong about seating magazines with authority.

Would you care to state your training, or source for your statement on magazines?

I'm a retired LEO, 6 times Thunder Ranch Grad, and IPSC shooter.

Emory

------------------------------------------------------------------
Honest Men Fear Neither The Light Nor The Dark

Hi, Emory:
My limited training / experience:
1. 8 years Military (ordnance)
2. 45 years LEO
3. Graduate of FBI Training School
4. Firearms Instructor in Military and LEO.
Disability Retired 2007 (on duty incident)
Jimmy

 

[SMSgt]

My Glock 30 will do the same thing. It's caused by inertia on the slide stop (or lock if you prefer). It's no big deal, just CYA for the manufacturer.

 

[growr]

I LOVE that my M&P's will do that ....especially in a match!
Never had one NOT strip off a round

Randy