Keeping an autoloader in battery with your thumb

[4t5]

https://youtube.com/shorts/NQS5vlFeiLs? ... AzquJYA50Z
I for one thought he would lose it.

[LeverGunner]

I once reassembled a Ruger 22/45, the first version which is part of the Mark II design, without the firing pin retaining pin. I thought "Oh NO!" as you have to dry fire the gun to disassemble and doing so would probably ding my chamber. After giving it some thought, I decided to put a cartridge in the chamber and fire the gun with my thumb behind the bolt to hold it. I put a death grip on that bolt, expecting thumb damage. It was much lighter than I expected. Why I didn't think to use an empty... I don't know.

[JimT]

Have you never held the slide and fired an autoloader? Gotta be careful but you can hold the slide from moving fairly easily. If you are ever in a hand to hand situation and the other person pulls an autoloader, if you hold the slide shut AND get it pointed away from yourself, if he fires it the gun has an empty in the chamber and he's gonna have to rack the slide to get it running again.

[RodinAK]

I used to believe you would injure your thumb too. Took a defensive pistol class a couple of years ago and we all had to do it for a contact shot. Very easy to do on a striker fired pistol. Hammer fired guns the shooter held the slide. I learned something new that day. And Jim is right, you then have to rack the slide to get back into the game.

[GunnyMack]

I saw a guy take the slide off a Glock, disassemble barrel, recoil spring from the slide, load the barrel then reinstall. He held down on the barrel and slid the striker backwards and let go firing the 9mm. He said it wasn't the most pleasant thing he ever did but it wasn't too bad.
I too have kept thumb on bolt of my Mk II, I always let new shooters make that mistake with it, good learning curve getting that backwards bump - now they knew how to properly hold an auto.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Have you never held the slide and fired an autoloader? Gotta be careful but you can hold the slide from moving fairly easily. If you are ever in a hand to hand situation and the other person pulls an autoloader, if you hold the slide shut AND get it pointed away from yourself, if he fires it the gun has an empty in the chamber and he's gonna have to rack the slide to get it running again.

Another good reason to carry a sixgun!

[JimT]

I am comfortable carrying a sixgun. Or even a fivegun.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I am comfortable carrying a sixgun. Or even a fivegun.

I carry a five gun every day.

[earlmck]

Yes, and the thumb trick makes your suppressor more effective too.

[yooper2]

Have you never held the slide and fired an autoloader? Gotta be careful but you can hold the slide from moving fairly easily. If you are ever in a hand to hand situation and the other person pulls an autoloader, if you hold the slide shut AND get it pointed away from yourself, if he fires it the gun has an empty in the chamber and he's gonna have to rack the slide to get it running again.

Another good reason to carry a sixgun!

I carry a sixgun everyday as well but a DA is easy to tie up by grabbing the cylinder. The hand/pawl doesn't have near enough leverage to overcome a strong grip. Guns aren't ideal for contact distance.

Eric

[Pisgah]

It's a locked-breech pistol, and all the thumb has to overcome is the small amount of energy it takes to unlock it...