Proper Way to Release Slide to Commence Firing

In the past my BE pistols had GI hammers and grip safeties. I was taught to hold the hammer back and release the slide with the, you guessed, slide release. My current pistol has 'modern' semi-Commander type hammer and the longer spur that prevents my getting a thumb onto the hammer to pull it back. Is releasing from the slide release alone safe for the internals?
Thanks, Mike

I was taught that years ago, talking 70s.  Now I pull the slide back and release it instead of using the slide release. I used the slide release on a friends 1911, he told me not to do that. He was told that years of using the slide release would wear out the notch in the slide enough that the slide wouldn't stay back on the last round.  I don't know...plenty of shooters use the slide release, I don't anymore.
kurt

I'm with Kurt on this one. I just use the big ol 1" Ultra Dot on the top to slingshot the first round into the chamber. Both of my wad guns have commander style hammers and semi-beavertail grip safety's that don't lend themselves to holding back & using the slide release.

Now, on my 22 conversions, I do hold the hammer back & use the slide release. Not sure why, other than Larry Nelson suggested doing it that way. I'd think there would be a lot more wear on an aluminum slide and steel slide release.
Allen

I pull the slide back, but I make sure that I go all the way back and let my fingers kind of slip off the slide to release it.  The worst thing you could do is hang on when the slide starts forward, kind of walking it home, like you would do when dry firing - that is a big no-no.
- Dave

Folks, there's a reason why JMB named this part "slide stop", not "slide release"
Keep the gun pointing to the safe direction (downrange), pull and hold the trigger back, pull the slide all the way back, release the slide, release the trigger and feel the disconnector click. Commence fire. Make sure all five rounds hit the X ring. Rinse and repeat.

If dry firing an empty gun (without snap caps), ease the slide forward instead of releasing it, all other steps remain the same.

Perfect! That makes sense to me now.
Thanks!

javaduke wrote:If dry firing an empty gun (without snap caps), ease the slide forward instead of releasing it, all other steps remain the same.

I have always used snap caps on revolvers because I was told in my early days that they protected the firing pin.
By extension, I use some in my 1911 and they are the reason why I took the bad habit of just cocking the hammer when dry firing, so it was not ejected.

Reading this here, I think it is time to ask if snap caps serve any purpose when dry firing a 1911?

I don’t use them on my 1911. I do use drywall anchors on my 22s.
Kurt

Jambat wrote:........I use some in my 1911 and they are the reason why I took the bad habit of just cocking the hammer when dry firing..........

When dry-firing a 1911, why is it a bad habit to cock the hammer, then dry-fire?

It seems to be the consensus on this thread: 1911 dry fire

MMmm, no. It started out as a question as to the correct method to run the slide closed before shooting a string. Insert a magazine, pull the trigger back and hold it, pull the slide back and release while holding the trigger back. Release the trigger to reset, commence firing. The concept was to not damage the finely tuned ignition parts within the pistol.

The OP asked if it was fine just to cock the hammer, and everybody replied with how they racked the slide for several various reasons: potential damage, different feel, staying as close as possible to what happens during live fire including trigger reset.