I am not a gunsmith, and the following is meant as a beginning point for discussion. Recently, a member wrote, concerning my statement that a modern pistol is not damaged by allowing the slide to close on an empty chamber:
"Depends upon the design of the pistol. Single action pistols, especially those with tuned actions, this is true {Do not close on empty chamber} as the slide slamming home on an empty chamber can cause the hammer to bounce and pound the sear's engagement surface, which will peen that surface. Eventually, the sear surface will round off, which leads to the sear no longer catching the hammer and the hammer will follow the slide.
With striker fired and DAO pistols, this is usually not an issue."
I believe this is a mostly accurate and carefully written statement, but I believe there is more to it. Any time there is a sear engaging a hammer or even a striker, the "bounce" referred to could be an issue for the stated reasons.
It seems to me that manufacturers are well aware of this potential. So, they design their firearms with original specs that prevent the potential for hammer bounce. They have sufficient springs, engagement surfaces and angles to keep the gun operating safely through tens of thousands of slide cycles--empty chamber or not. This usually means factory triggers are somewhat heavy, and because surfaces are not yet polished through wear, they may have a gritty and uneven pull. They smooth out and become better as they break in over a few hundred rounds--or hand operated slide cycles and trigger pulls on empty chambers. However, the gun is no less safe after the break in period. In fact, it is more reliable.
SA military pistols (like the former 1911s and Berettas) were required to have the slide slammed shut without a round in the chamber (by releasing the slide release--Oh NO!) and the trigger pulled on the empty chamber for a safety check before holstering, sometimes numerous times daily with a carried pistol. The SA hammer follow problem was not a common occurrence in the military.
If the difference in shock resonating through a pistol with the slide closing on an empty chamber vs. a loaded chamber is even measurable, I imagine, but do not know, it would be miniscule. If such closing of the slide on an empty chamber could cause hammer bounce to some degree, would it not also happen when a round is in the chamber to some (lesser?) degree? In other words, every time the pistol is loaded or fired?
Now, if you want a glass break, 3#, short take up/no over travel target trigger on any gun not originally designed for it, SA 1911 or striker fired, you can do it. Good gunsmiths can deliver this trigger pull, but the gun is now out of original spec. And if a home gunsmith does this trigger job? It may have lighter springs, reduced engagement surfaces with different angles, in other words, it may have become a delicate piece that needs special care to keep functioning safely. It may wear out quicker and become unsafe sooner than a factory spec pistol.
For these types of specialty pistols, the advice of not dropping the slide on an empty chamber may be wise. However, this is a very small subset of the pistols in circulation, and their owners wanting such delicate, high performance pistols with tighter tolerances for greater accuracy are probably aware of the restrictive handing required to keep them running safely.
IOW, it seems to me that not dropping your slide on an empty chamber is rather specific, not general, advice. For most shooters, especially new shooters with a modern pistol, dropping the slide on an empty chamber is a helpful exercise in learning the mechanics of the firearm. The firearm is designed to not allow hammer/striker bounce, so it is not an issue. The benefits outweigh the very, very small risks.
In my opinion.
"Depends upon the design of the pistol. Single action pistols, especially those with tuned actions, this is true {Do not close on empty chamber} as the slide slamming home on an empty chamber can cause the hammer to bounce and pound the sear's engagement surface, which will peen that surface. Eventually, the sear surface will round off, which leads to the sear no longer catching the hammer and the hammer will follow the slide.
With striker fired and DAO pistols, this is usually not an issue."
I believe this is a mostly accurate and carefully written statement, but I believe there is more to it. Any time there is a sear engaging a hammer or even a striker, the "bounce" referred to could be an issue for the stated reasons.
It seems to me that manufacturers are well aware of this potential. So, they design their firearms with original specs that prevent the potential for hammer bounce. They have sufficient springs, engagement surfaces and angles to keep the gun operating safely through tens of thousands of slide cycles--empty chamber or not. This usually means factory triggers are somewhat heavy, and because surfaces are not yet polished through wear, they may have a gritty and uneven pull. They smooth out and become better as they break in over a few hundred rounds--or hand operated slide cycles and trigger pulls on empty chambers. However, the gun is no less safe after the break in period. In fact, it is more reliable.
SA military pistols (like the former 1911s and Berettas) were required to have the slide slammed shut without a round in the chamber (by releasing the slide release--Oh NO!) and the trigger pulled on the empty chamber for a safety check before holstering, sometimes numerous times daily with a carried pistol. The SA hammer follow problem was not a common occurrence in the military.
If the difference in shock resonating through a pistol with the slide closing on an empty chamber vs. a loaded chamber is even measurable, I imagine, but do not know, it would be miniscule. If such closing of the slide on an empty chamber could cause hammer bounce to some degree, would it not also happen when a round is in the chamber to some (lesser?) degree? In other words, every time the pistol is loaded or fired?
Now, if you want a glass break, 3#, short take up/no over travel target trigger on any gun not originally designed for it, SA 1911 or striker fired, you can do it. Good gunsmiths can deliver this trigger pull, but the gun is now out of original spec. And if a home gunsmith does this trigger job? It may have lighter springs, reduced engagement surfaces with different angles, in other words, it may have become a delicate piece that needs special care to keep functioning safely. It may wear out quicker and become unsafe sooner than a factory spec pistol.
For these types of specialty pistols, the advice of not dropping the slide on an empty chamber may be wise. However, this is a very small subset of the pistols in circulation, and their owners wanting such delicate, high performance pistols with tighter tolerances for greater accuracy are probably aware of the restrictive handing required to keep them running safely.
IOW, it seems to me that not dropping your slide on an empty chamber is rather specific, not general, advice. For most shooters, especially new shooters with a modern pistol, dropping the slide on an empty chamber is a helpful exercise in learning the mechanics of the firearm. The firearm is designed to not allow hammer/striker bounce, so it is not an issue. The benefits outweigh the very, very small risks.
In my opinion.
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