Riding the Slide to Avoid Bullet Setback

[kbm6893]

Some people just don’t like to leave a round chambered in a gun that goes back in the safe. But unloading and then rechambering a round can possibly cause bullet setback. Even if you rotate the rounds, in a 10 shot magazine each round is being chambered 3 times a month, at least. People press check all the time, so why would riding the slide forward to mitigate against setback be an issue? If you bump the back of the slide to make sure it’s fully in battery, what would be the issue?

Please, no mall ninja comments. I know I routinely did it with my duty Glock 19 for years. Never had an issue, but then again, I was replacing that ammo every six months.

 

[squidsix]

It isnt really an issue, if your specific pistol will reliably chamber a round at that slow of a slide speed.
I drop the slide full speed to chamber a round, and dont store my guns with a round in the chamber. If I get setback on a few rounds, I wouldnt really care because those rounds get shot and replaced frequently.
If ammo for your carry piece is scarce, riding the slide forward to avoid setback makes sense, I suppose, provided your gun doesnt care.

 

[Shark Bait]

I stand corrected! Thanks guys. I was not thinking clearly when I posted this.

 

[Protocall_Design]

On some guns, like the 1911, it's bad for the extractor to put a round in the chamber and then make the extractor jump over the rim of the case.

 

[squidsix]

Exactly. I strongly recommend against placing a round in the chamber and dropping the slide over it. The only broken extractor claws I have ever seen were from people doing that.

 

[Catbacker88]

It isn't really an issue, if your specific pistol will reliably chamber a round at that slow of a slide speed.

Edited for clarity. Obviously (but worth saying) you absolutely need to know how to tell whether the pistol actually in your hand is ready to fire or not.

 

[reddog81]

You aren’t going to hurt anything riding the slide forward. It’s more likely you’ll experience a failure to feed as the gun wasn’t designed to operate that way. Worse case scenario you’ll have a round jump out…

 

[BB57]

I own a *lot* on pistols chambered for five different common pistol cartridges and set back has rarely been an issue.

If you are experiencing set back at all, it is:

- an ammunition issue where the round has inadequate neck tension and or the case lacks a cannelure under the base of the bullet; and/or

- a feed issue where the pistol is bashing the round into the feed ramp, before it starts to angle and or lift it into the chamber.

After market magazines are the most common cause of the feed issue. In 1911s it’s complicated by three different feed lip designs designed for three different types of bullet shapes as well as the Wilson 47D that just sort of chucks the round up into the path of the bolt face which just bats it into the chamber (with related extractor profile issue).

——

Ideally, you’ll fix the problem rather than try to mitigate it.

 

[Eric300]

Never had any issues rechambering the same round a few times.

 

[BMCM]

If it is a concern, you could lock the slide to the rear, drop a round in the chamber, release the slide, then put in your magazine.

Please don't do that...

While a chipped or broken extractor is a simple matter to replace, I only have a few left, they're not particularly easy to come by and S&W isn't making them anymore so, when they're gone, they're gone. No extractor = gun is a very expensive fishing weight. Note also the extractor is not a drop in part, fitting is required.

Cheers
Bill

 

[kbm6893]

I know to not drop a round in the chamber and close slide. On the Beretta 92, it is supposedly safe, but I still don't do it. I am referring to putting the mag in, and racking the slide like normal to chamber a round, but instead of letting it fly forward like normal, that I keep my hand on the slide and let it ease forward, then bumping the rear of the slide to make sure it's closed. Again, I can't see it as being an issue, since press checking is all the rage now, with the forward slide serrations.

 

[Sevens]

NOT THE ANSWER you want, but like the Stones always sang… you know the rest.

Administrative handling of a loaded firearm increases the risk of an unintended/negligent discharge.

So while the discussion absolutely has merit, I believe there is far more merit in examining the situation on the whole and really let the truth sink in.

If you aren’t following what I’m saying, there is a parallel to the nervous new-to-carrying fellow who tries to make the argument that he “feels better” when he carries a semiauto concealed for defense use but he wants to carry it without a chambered round.

It’s a bad plan. And jacking a round in/out twice a day for a handgun that is secured is a bad plan because it increases the chance, however unlikely, of an unintended discharge.

So I’m not sure who the random subject person is that is worried about bullet setback, but his best answer is to stop futzing with a loaded handgun where he’s stacking up a whole lot of risk in multiple ways for no good benefit whatsoever.

 

[kbm6893]

NOT THE ANSWER you want, but like the Stones always sang… you know the rest.

Administrative handling of a loaded firearm increases the risk of an unintended/negligent discharge.

So while the discussion absolutely has merit, I believe there is far more merit in examining the situation on the whole and really let the truth sink in.

If you aren’t following what I’m saying, there is a parallel to the nervous new-to-carrying fellow who tries to make the argument that he “feels better” when he carries a semiauto concealed for defense use but he wants to carry it without a chambered round.

It’s a bad plan. And jacking a round in/out twice a day for a handgun that is secured is a bad plan because it increases the chance, however unlikely, of an unintended discharge.

So I’m not sure who the random subject person is that is worried about bullet setback, but his best answer is to stop futzing with a loaded handgun where he’s stacking up a whole lot of risk in multiple ways for no good benefit whatsoever.

Thanks for your advice, and it has merit, but it’s not so much of a concern. He’s comfortable with guns. He’s not comfortable with a loaded gun not directly under his control. He doesn’t want to leave a loaded gun in the safe in the unlikely chance his children figure out a way in.

The gun in question is a Shield 2.0 with a manual safety, and the safety is engaged as he does it. Certainly mitigates the chance of an ND while administrative handling.

And by the way, I’m not overly comfortable leaving a round chambered in gun locked in my safe, either. But I do it. If I can safely chamber a round by riding the slide I might start to do it. If there’s no real downside to it; why not?

 

[Jason Demond]

You can do it safely with certain guns.

A gun like a 1911 with an internal extractor that uses it's own spring tension to work, is a bad idea. You will quickly lose the any tension your extractor had in just a couple instances.

If the extractor pivots like on most modern guns, it's perfectly safe to do.

 

[CALREB]

Well thankfully most modern semi autos have eliminated the need to perform a chamber check. They now have a hole in the top of the barrel hood where you can visibly see the bullet case. Or look in by the extractor and you can check for brass, or if all that fails, as long as you started with a fully loaded magazine when you remove the mag to top it off you should be able to tell if there is a round missing. Nighttime is a bit different, but loading and unloading being administrative type functions hopefully you can get to some light or perform a night time chamber check by feel. Reloading being another issue. I would still lock the slide to the rear and visibly check if I wanted to insure the gun is unloaded.

When I was part of an organization I performed all the chamber checks that were taught in our classes. Most were redundant but taught to emphasize officer safety. Especially to new gun handlers and to officers under any type of stress. Although there shouldn't be much stress loading and unloading. When you are teaching recruits everything is stressful to them and to you. I have never like performing the checks by pressing the slide to the rear using the front portion of the slide or serrations. If you have a gun where the hammer is down after loading( any with D/C in safe position) most have to cock the gun to do it. I just never liked any technique that places the hand near the muzzle of the weapon.

Which leads me to following the slide during loading. I actually was taught to over emphasize the racking of the slide to the point of slapping your shoulder after you rack. This technique is done so that during stress you will not short stroke the slide or accidently follow the slide forward and then cross the muzzle with your hand. This happens alot and most never realize it.

For years I was the night armorer, so I had a lot of time to watch videos and investigate things. One issue that we had off and on was during duty ammo qualification. It seemed we had more failure to feed issues than during a normal qualification. Every six months our officers would qualify with 30 rounds of their duty ammo. Turning in the other 20 rounds. After they qualified they would get a new box of 50 duty rounds.

I studied work orders on guns where officers complained of having a failure to feed during this duty ammo qualification. Mostly on .45 cal weapons and a few 40 cal. I can not remember a 9mm having any addition issues (more than normal)during these quals.Most of the guns were clean and lubed, because they knew they were going to qualify.
Not seeing any obvious reason for this I was left with ammo as the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a couple empty ammo case boxes filled with 45 cal rounds( about 1500 rds) turned in by officers. Man I was shocked , some rounds had so much setback they looked like GAP rounds. I check .40 cal turn in and 9mm and did not see any great amount of setback in those calibers.

We advised officers to periodically switch out the top 2 rounds in their magazine in their gun between duty qualifications. Unfortunately there are many instances during a 6 month period when officers have to unload and load their weapon. Also a chance of oil contamination if you are not careful. Luckily most didnt carry the whole 50 rounds issued so there was ammo to alternate.

I dont believe you have to worry much about calibers other than .45, just my observation.