Dropping on an empty chamber M&P

[kdiver58]

We had a discussion at a gun shop today on whether it caused any damage to drop the slide down on an empty chamber on an M&P. One person said he had seen it break a M&P.
I don't believe it.
I know with the 1911's it can, and does, cause problems but with the way the M&P is designed I don't see it causing any damage at all.
S&W gunsmiths out there what do you think ?

Thanks .. K

 

[handgunner356]

I prefer to ease a slide down on a empty gun. It's designed to strip a round and feed it into the chamber at a rather fast rate, I can't believe it would really hurt the gun to do it empty, but what's the need to?

 

[walkin' trails]

Don't recall seeing anything like that in the owners manual. I've never heard of it damaging any gun that way unless you were trying to chamber a round by slipping a bullet in thru the ejection port instead of using the magazine, thus causing damage to the extractor.

 

[84CJ]

unless you were trying to chamber a round by slipping a bullet in thru the ejection port instead of using the magazine, thus causing damage to the extractor.

+1

 

[vnmous1]

Originally posted by kdiver58:
We had a discussion at a gun shop today on whether it caused any damage to drop the slide down on an empty chamber on an M&P. One person said he had seen it break a M&P.
I don't believe it.
I know with the 1911's it can, and does, cause problems but with the way the M&P is designed I don't see it causing any damage at all.
S&W gunsmiths out there what do you think ?

Thanks .. K

This "break" rates right up there with the number of people that have broken their M&P's by dryfiring them. There MAY be a small handful, but it's extraordinarily small. I have a TON of dryfires on a full size 9mm and it continues to operate better every session that I use it.
bj

 

[ronterry]

I've been in the gunsmithing world for a few years now, and I never heard anything that droping a slide on an empty chamber would cause any sorts of shock to the metal thats properly tempered...
I havn't even heard that with 1911's?

How many here shot one in the pipe with no mag in it? I know S&W has those Dumb *** mag saftey deals, but I never had any issues.

 

[lovemy686]

Anytime I go into a gun shop, I get the reminder to not drop the slide on an empty chamber, and I have read it online many times. I guess its just like the "Is dry firing harmful or not" discussion. It seems like everyone has their own opinion.

 

[ronterry]

Dry firing I seen firsthand the damage that can be done. But only cause by design the firing pin was never ment to strike the backside of the breach face, which doesn't occur when there's a round in the pipe. Whether it's a snap cap or actual.
However round or not, the slide is going to slap the barrel/Frame when letting it fly home...So we're only talking about the amount or energy that differs, because yes stripping a round will cause a little drag. The energy difference should not cause any harm, and if it does than the metal was not tempered correctly. There for it would be a manufacturing flaw and not a design flaw.
That's my logic on the subject...

 

[danski]

ronterry, are you sure slamming a slide on an empty chamber doesn't put stress on the internals,
i.e. the sear, hammer engagement particularly on a 1911? Same question regarding after a piece has
been given an action job. Just wondering.

 

[USAF385]

I've heard you shouldn't do this with a Bersa. The makers in (where are they made.. Argentina?) didn't anticipate Americans dropping the slide. Apparently this is an American thing. But anyway.. dropping the slide on a Bersa supposedly can cause damage.

 

[ronterry]

Again I've never heard of it. Think about the difference with say a light spring no round vs. heavy spring and striping a round. Wouldn't the impact be roughly the same?
With normal headspace the round wouldn't really cushion the blow, but only provide a little bit of drag.
With a 1911 the barrel is going to cam over and engages into the lugs, so it's not this metal to metal smack like you think. I can't see there would be any harm to the fire control components.
However, I could see some guns where this can be an issue especially with inferior metallurgy techniques and straight blow back designs.

 

[Grandma]

This may be a stupid question, but as a newb to guns, could someone please explain what "dropping the slide down on an empty chamber" is? I'd like to make sure I'm not doing it if it may damage my M&P's. Thanks

 

[sasu]

Originally posted by Grandma:
what "dropping the slide down on an empty chamber" is?

When you draw back the slide on an empty gun and let it fly closed unhindered.

The "proper" way is to lower the slide on an empty chamber while holding it all the way, i.e. you do not let the slide slam closed on an empty chamber, you lower it gently.

I do not know if the gun would be damaged if you let the slide fly, but to be on the safe side and to look cool I (almost) always lower the slide on an empty gun with suitable care. I do not worry about this, though.

 

[WR Moore]

A study on shock loading on .45 ACP 1911 showed that the force going into full recoil was around 800 Gs (800 times the force of gravity). The loading going into battery was around 850 Gs. This was while firing and stripping a round to load.

Other brands/models of pistol will have different results, but the disparity in recoil/battery loading is probably a constant. Minimizing unnecessary shock to the barrel and slide stop/take down latch is probably a good thing in the long run. When 22-24 lb recoil springs were the rage in IPSC, so were sheared barrel lugs and slide stops.

I once watched the slide assembly of a high priced pistol launch down range after the takedown latch broke. 'Twould not be good if your life was on the line at the time.