HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE "NEW METHOD" OF COCKING A SEMI-AUTO?

chief38 · Mar 15, 2023

I have seen this more and more over the last year..... Shooters are using a red dot sight to rack the slide on their semi auto's! I could see doing that in an emergency situation but I have witnessed this as a regular practice both in YT videos and at the Range I go to. Personally, I don't use a red dot on any gun but would tend to think that using one as a cocking devise would not help it in the accuracy and reliability departments.

I have minded my own business so far and have not said anything to anyone at the Range, but I am a bit perplexed when I see shooters doing this. Am I just an old fart with antiquated methods or do you agree?

crazyphil · Mar 15, 2023

I agree, but I too am an old fart with antiquated methods.

BAM-BAM · Mar 15, 2023

Will wonders never cease!

But I've noticed that " young studs" only shoot, really fast, at 3-5 yds ......most trying to get a good "shotgun pattern" on paper........ so doesn't really matter!!!!!!!

swsig · Mar 15, 2023

Racking using the red dot for leverage puts a lot of stress on the minuscule screws that hold it to the slide. I can imagine that persistent racking that way would lead to a loosened and inaccurate red dot that needs to be re-tightened and re-zeroed, or possibly even stripped threads.

But I'm sure it looks very tacticool!

Ivan the Butcher · Mar 15, 2023

I saw 1911's in the 1970's with tall sights, so you can rack the-slide on a countertop or table!

The first time your female unit discovered that gouge in the furniture, you learned not to do that in the house!

Ivan

Breakaway500 · Mar 15, 2023

If the sights are rugged enough to take it..why not? If they aren't, you will lean an expensive lesson. Kind of like crashing your vehicle to learn how to drive..

erikpolcrack · Mar 15, 2023

Off topic, no doubt, but OP brought it to mind. Back in the 60s and 70s, the Army taught a method of racking your 1911 slide with one arm incapacitated. It involved hooking the rear sight on your belt or boot top to gain purchase and pushing the butt down with your good arm hand. Didn't work very well, but any port in a storm.

chief38 · Mar 15, 2023

erikpolcrack said:
Off topic, no doubt, but OP brought it to mind. Back in the 60s and 70s, the Army taught a method of racking your 1911 slide with one arm incapacitated. It involved hooking the rear sight on your belt or boot top to gain purchase and pushing the butt down with your good arm hand. Didn't work very well, but any port in a storm.

I have seen the belt/rear sight rack method being done on film and it requires a lot of practice to be done effectively. Even if well practiced, I would not bet on it being a good method in a time of great stress. More theory - less practicality IMO

Hair Trigger · Mar 15, 2023

chief38 said:
I have seen this more and more over the last year..... Shooters are using a red dot sight to rack the slide on their semi auto's! I could see doing that in an emergency situation but I have witnessed this as a regular practice both in YT videos and at the Range I go to.

I have minded my own business so far and have not said anything to anyone at the Range, but I am a bit perplexed when I see shooters doing this. Am I just an old fart with antiquated methods or do you agree?

The more of this I see on YT videos, the less YT videos I watch. I can see doing it in an emergency situation when one hand is incapacitated, but only then. You can do it with standard sights if you have a sharp enough edge like a table or door frame, but it seems like every tacticool guy on YT videos is doing it after they themselves saw it on a YT video. Next thing you know, they'll all be shooting gangsta style with the gun sideways, and stabbing it forward as they pull the trigger.

WR Moore · Mar 15, 2023

I've seen some written comments alleging that some "noted trainers" suggest that practice. I think it's only supposed to be done if only one hand is available. I've never brought it up to any of the "name" trainers I know. I'm with the several posters who cringe at putting that kind of load on a couple of #6 screws. There are high strength versions of screws that size, but there's still only some much cross section.

Given the fact that even micro pistols now seem to come optics ready and where there's only so much slide space, it may be that the hand goes over the top of the optic and the slide is pinched between heel of hand and fingertips. Given the hefty recoil springs on the itty bitty pistols, that might not work.

When I had a slide machined for an optic, Bowie Tactical installed the rear sight in front of the optic. That way, the rear iron can be used to rack the slide. That's likely not a cost effective way to do things in mass production where the CNC machines would need new programs and you'd lose production time switching back & forth.

mtgianni · Mar 15, 2023

I was wondering how anything other than my thumb could cock a hammer.

waffles · Mar 15, 2023

Many of the popular dots can handle it and it doesn't seem all that different from the belt/bench rack that's been taught for ages. I also rarely see it in videos, and haven't seen it at the range ever that I can recall. One more tool in the toolbox I guess.

LVSteve · Mar 15, 2023

The optics/competition ready Canik I picked up cheap comes with a little cocking handle you can screw into the side of the red dot base if you wish. Mine remains in the box.

Beemerguy53 · Mar 15, 2023

What's a "red dot"?

Krogen · Mar 15, 2023

Sometimes it's tough to get a good grip on the slide serrations with a red dot in the way. In matches, I "slingshot" the slide rather than grip it overhand. The Fastfire sight on my 1911 naturally falls into place in my hand. Or I could say, I suppose, it's just in the way.

I doubt using the red dot to rack the slide will loosen it. The shock load it experiences by riding the slide during cycling is far worse than the load my hand imposes on it. If the sight won't stay on the gun during normal slide cycling, that's a whole 'nother issue!

prairieviper · Mar 15, 2023

Krogen said:
Sometimes it's tough to get a good grip on the slide serrations with a red dot in the way.

That is true and my red dot "helps" me rack the slide as well. I do not place my red dot against barriers or bench tops to do this, however.

robvious · Mar 15, 2023

people tend to grab whatever is protruding out of habit I guess.

Nomadmax · Mar 15, 2023

Beemerguy53 said:
What's a "red dot"?

I think it has something to do with the Kardashians and phone "apps".

JcMack · Mar 15, 2023

Beemerguy53 said:
What's a "red dot"?

It's like the Popiel Pocket Fisherman or water injection for your '57 Plymouth. Some people can't live without the newest gismo and there's plenty of entrepreneurs willing to invent for them.

XAVMECH · Mar 15, 2023

My Staccato 9C has a Holosun sight and you can bet that is the LAST thing I’m using to rack the slide. There is plenty of other surface on that slide to perform that function. It is the only pistol I have that uses this type of sight. I generally prefer fiber optic. BUT, having used this one a bit, I’m pleased with accuracy and speed of this combination.

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE "NEW METHOD" OF COCKING A SEMI-AUTO?

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