[calhounhenry9]

I was in Rural King today and asked to see the LCP Max 380. The counter help released the magazine, and pulled the slide back , then handed me the gun. I tried to release the slide but was unable to with quite a bit of might from my thumb being applied to the slide stop button. I handed the gun back to the counter person who promptly pressed the slide stop button and released the slide. I tried again and again but could never release the slide. What was I doing wrong? I am not weak in hand strength?

 

[themousethatroared]

Did you press down on the release/stop with your right thumb without also pulling back the slide slightly with your left hand, to detention it and unhook it? (80's-90's action movie hero style?).

I think the manufacturers responded to the slide release/stop debate to discourage the action hero one handed slide release technique, by putting more of a hook on the mechanism. This makes the two handed action, to unhook and let-go of the slide with the fingers of the left hand, the only way to get the slide to go forward.

 

[mveach]

I was in Rural King today and asked to see the LCP Max 380. The counter help released the magazine, and pulled the slide back , then handed me the gun. I tried to release the slide but was unable to with quite a bit of might from my thumb being applied to the slide stop button. I handed the gun back to the counter person who promptly pressed the slide stop button and released the slide. I tried again and again but could never release the slide. What was I doing wrong? I am not weak in hand strength?

No matter how many times you see it in movies or people tell you that they do it all the time, that is not the proper way to release the slide.

 

[madmuthertrucker]

I seem to remember having to slingshot the slide after a mag change because I couldn't just release the catch.

 

[LMB]

No matter how many times you see it in movies or people tell you that they do it all the time, that is not the proper way to release the slide.

I politely disagree. Many firearms have designs that allow you to use the slide stop as a slide release. The old wives tale and myth that you need two hands, small motor skills failing and other bull has been disproven for years. Many years in govt in the field and if my firearm would not go into battery with one hand, it was sent to the armorer to fix, until it did. You never know when you need that ability. Just one mans opinion & experience.

 

[LMB]

I seem to remember having to slingshot the slide after a mag change because I couldn't just release the catch.

depends on the firearm. Some are designed to allow you to do it, some are not.

 

[Coloradocam]

IMHO you should never drop a slide on an empty chamber. Wether you are pulling it back or using the slide lock. Either way is fine if you are chambering a round.

 

[Texas Yankee]

Opinions aside, as well as “the way I learned it was . . . “, what are design specifications that’d favor one or the other way of releasing the slide??

 

[clif4]

This is another case for ‘READ THE FINE MANUAL’ and follow its direction. Like the previous poster said, this isn’t a matter of opinion - its a matter of design.