Racking the Slide

[Hand and Steel]

I've never found a reason to abandon the "old way" of racking the slide - that is, gripping the cocking serrations between the thumb and the side of the index finger and using a pushing motion of the frame against the slide. It has always been more natural and feels much stronger to me than the overhand method. I sometimes use an overhand method when I am manually locking the slide to the rear or disassembling a gun, but even then, I'm still gripping the serrations between the pad of the thumb and the side of the index finger, instead of the way that has become more common with all the fingers touching the slide.

So what are the preferences here? What is the reason you prefer one over the other? Why the shift from the old way to the way that is more common now? Is it just the sodium fluoride in the water, or is there a good reason for this?

[samuelrp]

I was taught the new way, and do the same every time. Thought the old way was well........the old way, lol

[hkguy]

it mostly depends on the gun and what i am doing. i will use the "old" method to lock the slide back on an empty chamber. I typically use the "new" method when checking to see if a pistol is loaded. to me, there is less vision obstruction when using the "new" method. I find that i use the old method more frequently when shooting my full size firearms when compared to either my G43 or LCP.

[Nathan]

It depends; if I'm ejecting a live round, I use the thumb/finger method to facilitate cartridge clearance. If I'm loading the chamber, I utilize the over hand method.

[yankeejib]

This post did make me unload, which is rare, and just see what was my natural motion. I find that I over hand when the goal is simply to get one in the chamber, which is rare, because there's always one in the chamber, but I underhand with the gun upside down when I want to catch the round in the chamber when I rack to unload. I dunno. I realize how many times I never rack. I shoot to empty, then just use the slide release on a fresh mag (and then drop the mag to add one more ).

[Tye]

Old way. Rear serrations. Also like the look of a smooth slide front. No need to keep my fingers, etc. at the muzzle.

[LWP]

I pinch the slide which keeps it pointed downrange. If I overhand it, it tends to point sideways a bit. YMMD.