During our Fundamentals of Defensive pistol we cover reloads. In this class a student asks us “Why do you rack the slide as opposed to using your thumb? Watch Jeff explain why we teach our students to rack the slide for reloads instead of using the slide lock/release.

We try to keep things simple and using the grab and rack method is an easy gross motor skill that we know we can perform under stress, and in low light conditions. The slide release is fine motor skill that requires small finger movements that maybe difficult under stress. A second reason is that the grab and rack method will work no matter what condition your gun is in and works for most semi-automatic pistol models. Our fundamentals training provides you with a base line of skills you need to become a proficient shooter there is no one-size-fits-all solution, we will always try to find what works best for you. No matter what technique you choose to adopt consistent training is required.

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