New shooter story

[tdrizzle]

I've taken a friend of mine shooting a couple of times, and she's becoming more comfortable with pistols (she didn't like shooting my folding stock AK much, though). She and another friend of ours took a familiarization course last night at one of our local ranges.

She is planning on buying a used G22 from me, and had been handling it a week earlier when I reminded her it's easier to slingshot the slide closed than look for the slide release. She said yeah, ok, and I thought nothing more of it.

Last night she said they were doing familiarization fire with various weapons, and when the instructor came to her and said something like 'ok, you paid attention in class, load this, release the slide, and fire one shot'. All of the other newbies had been awkwardly loading the XD, searching for the slide release, and firing like they didn't know what to expect, she said.

She took the mag, slapped it in, slingshotted the slide and fired one round center mass, which was followed, she said, by the instructor's eyebrows rising to his hairline. The instructor chuckled and said he wasn't expecting anyone to do that.

I'm pleased she got such a kick out of doing that, and happy to have gotten a new shooter into the fold. I hope she likes her G22, and I explained she can also get a 9mm barrel and mags for it when she can afford to.

 

[PhilC]

Good job with the new shooter!
Hope she likes the Glock. I recently comparison shopped a Glock 36 and a compact 1911 about the same size. I wanted a 1911, but considering the grip safety, thumb safety, single action trigger, and hammer, versus just the Glock's trigger, I went for the Glock.

 

[CWPinSC]

I reminded her it's easier to slingshot the slide closed than look for the slide release.

It's easier on the gun, too. Using the slide release like that will eventually cause excess wear on the release and the slide release slot, possibly causing it to not lock back on the last round.

Good for HER!

 

[pendennis]

CWPinSC wrote:

It's easier on the gun, too. Using the slide release like that will eventually cause excess wear on the release and the slide release slot, possibly causing it to not lock back on the last round.

I disagree. The 1911 was designed to use the slide stop as a release. I was also taught to use the 1911 that way by Marine, Navy and Army shooting instructors.

When using a two-handed grip, the right thumb releases the slide, the left hand never loses its position on the frame and supporting the right hand, and your eyes never leave the sights.

The so-called "slingshot" release breaks the grip and the sight picture. There's also the possibility of "riding the slide", thereby creating the potential for a failure to seat. There's also a chance of getting digits caught in the ejector port.