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Old January 13, 2006, 07:24 AM   #1
shamus005
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Gun Store idjit desecrates a Hi Power

So I'm at the local gun store and I'm browsing at Hi Powers (just doing a little bit of "man shopping"). The clerk racks the slide back and hands me the weapon. I carefully inspect the piece and check things out. gently release the slide foward so I can test the trigger. I gently squeeze the trigger but I catch the hammer so I won't dry fire. Afterwards I slowly rack the slide, locking it back, and hand the clerk the weapon The guy then slingshots the slide and I hear the chick-CLACK of the slide slamming down on an empty chamber.

John M Browning just rolled in his grave.

lesson: Never buy the gun in the display case.
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Old January 13, 2006, 07:30 AM   #2
topspin43
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I'd take that hi-power. And I would nurse it back to health and ask for permission to keep it.
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Old January 13, 2006, 09:38 AM   #3
Crue4
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Newbie question... Is it really that bad on a gun to do that with an empty chamber?
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Old January 13, 2006, 09:42 AM   #4
Handy
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It's the equivalent of dropping those parts on a metal floor. Whether that is "bad" or not is up to the owner.

I know how I'd vote.
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Old January 13, 2006, 11:17 AM   #5
Mal H
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Caution: perform the following at a range or at least have your pistol pointed in a safe direction ... and do it only once.

Take your pistol, unload it completely, pull back the slide and release it without holding onto the slide. Hear the sound? Remember it.

Now insert a loaded mag into the pistol. Again, be sure the pistol is pointed in a safe direction. As before, pull back the slide and release it. Compare that sound with the previous one. Hear the difference?

That is what Handy is talking about.

Fully releasing the slide of an empty pistol isn't going to wear it out or break it immediately, but it can over the long run. Something has to stop the forward momentum of a fairly heavy chunk of steel being pushed by a strong spring. Might as well let a replaceable brass case help in stopping it.

"Slingshotting" a slide on an empty pistol puts unnecessary stress on some parts and it can cause some peening of the breech face and sometimes the barrel. It all depends on the design of the pistol. No matter how well the pistol can take it, it's just bad form to do it.
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Old January 13, 2006, 12:32 PM   #6
Wildalaska
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tWO WORDS:

you're fired

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Old January 13, 2006, 02:57 PM   #7
Mikeyboy
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Wait, I want to make sure I'm not doing something stupid that could damage my weapon or a stores weapon. I'm handling a semi auto, and pull back the slide. Nothing is in the chamber, and the slide stay open. I inspect the chamber, then I'm satified with what I'm looking at and I push the slide release lever and let the slide snap forward. Am I supposed to hold onto the slide??? I have been shooting with people with military and LE training and everyone I know does it.
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Old January 13, 2006, 03:08 PM   #8
Musketeer
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On an empty chamber you close the action by hand. DO NOT let the slide just fly closed. The extractor in Browning style actions is intended to ride forward on a round. Without the round there to hold and buffer it the extractor will eventually break and you will one day fire your gun and find the rounds do not eject.
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Old January 13, 2006, 03:19 PM   #9
isa268
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i hate when people do that.

ESPECIALY TO MY PISTOL. damn the other night my gun was messing up so i asked the clerk at the range to take a look at and before handing it to him i lock the slide back....AND WHAT DOES HE DO BUT DROP THE SLIDE ON AN EMPTY CHAMBER. i swear the next time someone does that i'm going to politely ask him not too....then he goes on to say "i'm more a Colt man" (mine was a SW1911SC) i'm thinking great i hope you don't do that with all your Colts.

then once i was letting someone at the range look at my SW1911sc, and what does he do but drop it on an empty chamber about 3 or 4 times.

i'm really going to slap the next person that does that to my gun.

/end rant
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Old January 13, 2006, 04:00 PM   #10
Mikeyboy
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Well you learn something new every day. Once I am made aware that I am commiting a sin, I will sin no more. As punishment I will have my wife slap my backside...wait I might like that.
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Old January 13, 2006, 04:43 PM   #11
trigger happy
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that's why you have her do it
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Old January 13, 2006, 07:13 PM   #12
Crue4
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Thanks for the advice... I have never really heard that... makes me very weary to never buy a display gun from a store... they probably have had this done who know how many times...
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Old January 13, 2006, 10:08 PM   #13
Syphonius
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Ouch. I have done this a bit (but not too much since my Buckmark is fairly new) and this thread made me check.

Yup, I have a slight indentation where the pin hits right above the breech.

Thanks for the info! Never again on an empty chamber!
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Old January 13, 2006, 11:00 PM   #14
HiPowering Along
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Must. Throttle. Idgit. Now.

Goober....

That's what you get for 7.65 per hour!
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Old January 14, 2006, 02:46 AM   #15
cuate
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Dropping slide on empty chamber

I always learn something new on TFL, Oh, we dropped the slides on the old worn 1911s in the National Guard and in the Marine Corps, inspections and all that jazz. Dropped the mag into the hand, stuck it in the belt, racked back the slide and all the time at "raised pistols", when handed back by the officer still held at raised pistols, released the slide, pulled the trigger and replaced the always empty magazine. One former Brig Rat on interior guard duty however inserted the loaded magazine, let the slide down and pulled the trigger.......Shot a hole in the ceiling, was disarmed and arrested..........

Those old loose, rattling 1911s still did well for themselves on the firing range and in combat. But I will not ever drop a slide on an empty chamber now that I have heard from you guys on this possible damaging bad habit. Thanks.....
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Old January 17, 2006, 12:04 PM   #16
rha600
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ok dumb question. what do you do if you don't have a hammer to catch. ie. a glock.
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Old January 17, 2006, 12:30 PM   #17
918v
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There was a giscussion on another site anout cracked Glock breechfaces. Seems there was a coincidence of dryfiring ALOT. I mean ALOT. Something approaching thousands.

The striker probably peened the heck out of the breechface on the backside, eventually hardening the metal to the point of brittleness. So, dryfiring excessively may be bad for your Glock's health.
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Old January 17, 2006, 04:42 PM   #18
rha600
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I'm not sure why anyone would do it over and over. the only time I do do it is after I'm done cleaning it (after I'vebeen to the range of course) and I release the slide it's cocked. I always understood that it's not good to leave it cocked either so I have no choice. Unless someone knows of a trick.

Thanks.
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Old January 18, 2006, 03:12 AM   #19
yorec
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You sure WA? Them dang Nijas are sneaky beggars with bad habits!

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