trouble holding slide open for show-clear

[cassandra]

I'm a USPSA noob, and I'm getting all the moves down but the one part that's still bothering me is showing clear. I have G19 and am still pretty weak - at least my instructor showed me how to rack it stronger by holding it out further in front of me. Before that I was a basket case. :crying:

But when I try to hold it back and show clear to the RO I can hardly keep ahold of it. Should I be able to hit the latch and lock it open? I hope not because I have a helluva time doing that with my small hands.

[Yar]

Change your recoil spring. For your G19 I would reccomend a 11 lbs ismi recoil spring. The stock spring is 16 lbs in a glock 19 iirc.

Drop the magazine. Hold the gun closer to your body, tuck your elbow in close to your side holding the gun pointed downward at a 45 degree angle. Grab the top of the slide with a overhand grip (palm on top of the slide, thumb towards the rear sight, pinky kind of towards the barrel hood. Keep your arms close to your body and push with your strong hand (the one gripping the pistol grip) with finger off the trigger.

This will give you more leverage as it is easier to push than pull

If you need a recoil spring shoot me a PM. I got a bunch of them.

[mpolans]

What he said will work, but watch the 180 and sweeping any part of your body.
One thing you could do is alway carry an empty magazine. When it's time to unload and show clear, swap out the loaded mag with the unloaded mag and pull the slide back. The round in the chamber should eject, and the magazine follower should engage the slide release, holding the slide open for you.

[Yar]

While the empty mag should work as described above it is really not the best solution. I would recomend you get the gun set up where you can operate it. I got extra extended slide releases too. Easier to lock the slide back.

The lighter recoil spring should really help you out.

[cassandra]

Oh right, it won't lock anyway without a mag in it. Will the slide still do the Glock Bump when I reload? I got that down now.

[Bogey]

What Yar said about the spring.... +1.

Every time I unload and show clear, I lock the slide back and hold my gun out to the right so the SO has an unimpeded view of the chamber.

Then, after given the OK, I gently release the slide and pull the trigger.

[ecmills]

As long as it's not a carry gun, I'd respring it no matter what. It's really needed to get the most out of your gun anyway.

If you carry it, I'd leave the spring as-is. If you can rack the slide to load the gun, but just have trouble holding it open for 'show clear'.... I'd rack the slide and (thumbing the lever upward) lock the gun open manually. Then you can simply thumb the lever, trigger, and holster once he's satisfied.

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the part about small hands. Try this: It's what I do in order to lock the slide back (I'm a lefty, thumbs are on the wrong side for the mag-release). Grip the gun well ahead of the ejection port with your left hand, left thumb on the LEFT side of the gun, fingers curled over the top of the gun to grasp the slide. Tug the slide to the rear, and use your left thumb to move the lever, not your right one... It's sort of a variation on what I do - as a lefty, I curl the fingers of my right hand over the top of the gun to rack the slide, and use the tip of my index finger to pull the lever upward while releasing the slide.

[cassandra]

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the part about small hands. Try this: It's what I do in order to lock the slide back (I'm a lefty, thumbs are on the wrong side for the mag-release). Grip the gun well ahead of the ejection port with your left hand, left thumb on the LEFT side of the gun, fingers curled over the top of the gun to grasp the slide. Tug the slide to the rear, and use your left thumb to move the lever, not your right one... It's sort of a variation on what I do - as a lefty, I curl the fingers of my right hand over the top of the gun to rack the slide, and use the tip of my index finger to pull the lever upward while releasing the slide.

OK I'll try that. It's the only part of the drill that's still not goin' for me right now..

[24D]

Rotate the gun 90 degrees to the inside of your body with your strong hand, then grab the back of the slide with your weak hand, thumb on top, squeeze and pull back. Try it for free and see if it works. This technique has been taught to women for years.

[cassandra]

Rotate the gun 90 degrees to the inside of your body with your strong hand, then grab the back of the slide with your weak hand, thumb on top, squeeze and pull back. Try it for free and see if it works. This technique has been taught to women for years.

I think that's how I'm doing it now, if I read you correctly. I just can't lock the slide back after I drop the mag and don't want to fumble with it during competition. It's been working ok so far, but I'm really straining to hold it open long enough and in a position the RO can really see it's empty.