I’ve told people for years that slamming an auto pistol’s slide closed on an empty chamber is abusive to the gun, and particularly so with the popular 1911 pistol. Over on the Wilson Combat channel, Bill Wilson and Ken Hackathorn have said the same. Ain’t too many folks know more about 1911s than those two experts. Some of their gunsmith staff have concurred. Yet I still see idiots on the internet not only slamming slides closed on empty chambers, but endorsing the practice. I guess they think it looks dramatic.
Nelson Ford has been a gunsmith for 45 years. He has an excellent series of tutorial videos on YouTube.
He agrees with us too, as you’ll see in a discussion that begins just before the four minute mark, here:
Lots of other good insights in the rest of that particular video, too.
Very detailed explanation from an expert, not just internet clickbait. Didn’t know that about Springfield 1911s.
I think it’s akin to dry-firing a compound bow (or any type of bow, really), which is why I definitely don’t do it.
I’m always up for being taught useful stuff by experts in any trade, so thanks for the link! 🙂
Off topic, but I stumbled over something I thought would interest readers here. (Slap me if I’m out of line.)
This miscellany column from TexasMonthly August 1973 includes an interview with “THE MAN WHO KILLED BONNIE AND CLYDE”. The last surviving one, anyway, Ted Hinton by name. (Scroll down past the piece about the purported UFO crash site.)
Hmmmmmmm. I never did hear a direct answer other than maybe not? What about the modern 9MM DAO that everyone sells (Glock)? Secondly, the spring theory was a little flawed. He did a GO, NO-GO test, where 10 worked, but 8 didn’t. Did 9 1/2 work? VERY knowledgeable but couldn’t really give direct answers.
I’m glad you posted this. I guess I’m getting old and grumpy, but when I saw the reaction videos to your original video, it just really hacked me off. I grew up in an era that saw people who were rude, ugly, mocking and disrespectful get called out to their face, or maybe even occasionally get popped in the mouth. But in this “enlightened” era, people feel free to be as nasty as they want, with zero consequences. Probably one of the worst consequences of the Internet age