Front serrations in semi-automatics?

[claydoctor]

I detest FCS on a 1911, anything else, I don't even notice.

 

[shafter]

I've always press checked from the rear of the slide. Never felt the need to do it from any other part of the slide.

 

[claydoctor]

Is it still a press check or does it become a pull check ?

 

[44 AMP]

There is no one single technique that will work for every pistol or everyone.

For the most part, I just hold the slide or cocking ears and push the frame forward. Some of my guns require that as the only practical method.

Front slide serrations are of no use at all on some of my guns, they don't have front slides to serrate.

One thing I've always wondered about, the much ado about "press checks". Why??

I mean, ok, if the gun has been out of your sight/control then yes, check it. Otherwise, why? Do people actually FORGET that they chambered a round?
I know why in the movies/tv they have characters open a revolver to check it is loaded (right before going into action), its because the director wants it for its dramatic visual, but do real people actually do that in real life?

I don't.

 

[Carl the Floor Walker]

There is no one single technique that will work for every pistol or everyone.

For the most part, I just hold the slide or cocking ears and push the frame forward. Some of my guns require that as the only practical method.

Front slide serrations are of no use at all on some of my guns, they don't have front slides to serrate.

One thing I've always wondered about, the much ado about "press checks". Why??

I mean, ok, if the gun has been out of your sight/control then yes, check it. Otherwise, why? Do people actually FORGET that they chambered a round?
I know why in the movies/tv they have characters open a revolver to check it is loaded (right before going into action), its because the director wants it for its dramatic visual, but do real people actually do that in real life?

I don't.

I do!

 

[44 AMP]

I do!

You forget you loaded the gun??

Do you have other short term memory loss issues as well??

Seriously, we all seem to have our own OCD issues, but for me, at any rate they don't involve guns, so I have a bit of difficulty understanding some things. I do get that little voice in my head, usually about a half mile from the house, that asks "did you remember to lock the door??"

NEVER got one that asks "did you remember to load your gun?" ..but, that's just me, i suppose..

 

[Carl the Floor Walker]

You forget you loaded the gun??

Do you have other short term memory loss issues as well??

Seriously, we all seem to have our own OCD issues, but for me, at any rate they don't involve guns, so I have a bit of difficulty understanding some things. I do get that little voice in my head, usually about a half mile from the house, that asks "did you remember to lock the door??"

NEVER got one that asks "did you remember to load your gun?" ..but, that's just me, i suppose..

No, I do not have short term memory losses a It takes about one second to Check a firearm. I know human frailty exist. Do you actually believe all guns that fired a round that People truly believed it was unloaded does not exist? Make one mistake and you can kill people, perhaps someone in your own family. You can make remarks about my safety concerns all you want. I will not take a chance for something so simple to do.
YOU CANNOT TAKE BACK A BULLET ONCE FIRED! Even from the gun you swore was unloaded.

 

[Sevens]

Nice rant.

If you want your pistol CLEAR so that you don’t have to “take back a bullet” then clear your weapon properly, not with a silly press check.

 

[Urbanrecon]

Brit

Back to front serrations. My always carry pistol my Glock 19 4th gen. When holstered the trigger finger can feel the extractor protruding, as it rests on a chambered cartridge. If I feel like doing that. But the loading process is quite simple, with one cartridge, insert the mag rack it. Look at the now empty mag.
Insert a fully loaded 15 round magazine, bingo one full gun. Holster. At age 85, now that is old! My young wife of 28 years, is fast asleep, she makes not a sound as she sleeps! The odd time I go to check. Time for my second sleep.

Yes, but what do you do when you only have one hand available? I'm talking about the actual motions, not something like "I put in another mag".

 

[JohnKSa]

Yes, but what do you do when you only have one hand available? I'm talking about the actual motions, not something like "I put in another mag".

While holding the gun in a shooting grip, catch the rear sight or ejection port on a belt, pocket, holster, mag pouch, pant seam, boot/shoe heel or other hard edge and push to rack the slide.

See my post yesterday for multiple links to videos showing how it's done.

Very fast, very positive. No need to shift the grip on the gun to the slide.

 

[Urbanrecon]

If you want your pistol CLEAR so that you don’t have to “take back a bullet” then clear your weapon properly, not with a silly press check

As much as I may like to, can't argue with that.

 

[TunnelRat]

While holding the gun in a shooting grip, catch the rear sight or ejection port on a belt, pocket, holster, mag pouch, pant seam, boot/shoe heel or other hard edge and push to rack the slide.

See my post yesterday for multiple links to videos showing how it's done.

Very fast, very positive. No need to shift the grip on the gun to the slide.

Same, though I’d add when using the holster you want to make sure it has a rigid enough edge to catch the sight (one of many reasons I try to convince people to avoid nylon holsters).

I do use front serrations for the primary reason of them being easier with my slide mounted optics, but doing one handed manipulations with front serrations seems to ignore easier options, imo.

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[Urbanrecon]

My defensive handguns have rear sights that can be hooked on the edge of something (including a belt or even a pocket) with the functional hand in a shooting grip on the gun to rack the slide.

See my post yesterday for multiple links to videos showing how it's done.

Yes, I saw that, John. But the ONE thing you're always going to have available to you is not a table or a place to "hook-it" or "pressure it" with your clothing... is the GROUND or other firm flat surfaces. Plus, I don't know if you've actually ever tried this but it is much easier to do on a flat surface utilizing the butt of your pistol rather than a article of clothing or furniture to hook the sight.

Another option for one-handed racking is to squat with the grip of the gun behind the knee so that the bent leg holds the grip of the gun firmly. Then it's possible to grasp the slide at the rear, as normal, and rack the slide that way.

A simpler version of that would be my choice when carrying a revolver and in need of a reload.

It seems much more difficult and much slower to use than the more commonly taught method of holding the gun in a shooting grip, hooking the rear sight (or ejection port in some guns) on something and pushing.

Roger that but doesn't work worth a darn on stove pipes, or at least not as well as the approach I described.

If done correctly, there really is no difficulty racking a slide on just about any pistol.

Thank you for your opinion, Carl. How are you at doing that with one hand?

 

[TunnelRat]

Yes, I saw that, John. But the ONE thing you're always going to have available to you is not a table or a place to "hook-it" or "pressure it" with your clothing... is the GROUND or other firm flat surfaces. Plus, I don't know if you've actually ever tried this but it is much easier to do on a flat surface utilizing the butt of your pistol rather than a article of clothing or furniture to hook the sight.

Come on, John, this is not about what you maybe read in books but actual real-world stuff.

I’ve taken multiple defensive courses with instructors that have backgrounds in the military and law enforcement. I say this solely because for them it wasn’t just things they read in books, it was real world. John gave you a list of locations on your body where you can rack the slide, not just a table. Any one of those can work and I’ve tried most of them myself.

Now in fairness a revolver is a different case, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the methods in question work with semiautomatics.


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[dgludwig]

Seriously, we all seem to have our own OCD issues, but for me, at any rate they don't involve guns, so I have a bit of difficulty understanding some things.

I've actually read on these pages more than once where a person actually had forgotten they even had a particular gun located in their house before they inadvertently rediscovered it, let alone knowing whether it was loaded or not.

 

[Hawg]

Front serrations are a deal breaker for me.

 

[dgludwig]

Front serrations are a deal breaker for me.

Which way?

 

[JohnKSa]

Yes, I saw that, John. But the ONE thing you're always going to have available to you is not a table or a place to "hook-it" or "pressure it" with your clothing... is the GROUND or other firm flat surfaces. Plus, I don't know if you've actually ever tried this but it is much easier to do on a flat surface utilizing the butt of your pistol rather than a article of clothing or furniture to hook the sight.

I've practiced the one-handed racking using the method described many times. It works very well. You can see in the videos that other people use the technique effectively as well.

It hooks very well on pockets, belts, even seams. It works on the heel of a shoe or boot. It is certainly not limited to having just something like a table to be functional.

In fact, if a person were to find himself with absolutely no surfaces to catch a rear sight on, totally naked and even not wearing shoes, it is possible to kneel and use the heel of an unshod foot to catch the rear sight and rack the slide. I wouldn't want to do that a lot as it is not super-comfortable, but I have done it with a bare heel a number of times with a couple of different guns purely for curiosity's sake to verify that it's feasible and it works satisfactorily and did not cause any injury to my heel with either gun.

Roger that but doesn't work worth a darn on stove pipes, or at least not as well as the approach I described.

Catching the empty on the edge of a belt or holster works just fine on a stovepipe. Just tried it and there's no problem at all clearing a stovepipe using the technique. It is also very fast and does not require switching the grip around to grasp the gun by the slide.

Now, if we get back to the (somewhat unlikely) situation where the person is in a barren area, totally nude and without shoes, then I believe it would be necessary to use a different technique. Perhaps kneeling and pinching the grip behind the knee so the slide is accessible, or perhaps using the technique you describe where you grab the front of the slide.

You believe your technique is much better than the one that is nearly universally taught for real-world use. I admire your self-confidence.

However, I invite you to try it for yourself--you can use the videos as primers. I believe you will find that the technique is eminently practical--certainly suitable for use in the real world.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

It took three pages and almost fifty posts but, inevitably, this discussion (like all those that are subjective) had devolved into trading barbs. This one has run its course.

Closed.