[stars75]

Hi, new member, new shooter and owner of a new P99C. In other words, I'm not an expert on anything.
Took my P99 to the range for the first time yesterday and when changing magazines I used the slingshot method to chamber a round. Worked good for the first few mags but then wouldn't completely chamber a round. I resorted to using the slide stop and it worked perfectly. I re-read the manual and Walther says to use the slingshot method. Am I doing something wrong or does the pistol need some break-in time?


Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[imaoldfart]

Hello stars. Either way is acceptable. However, using the slide stop to release the slide is my preferred method. Quick and easy and works every time.....its actually quicker than using the slingshot method.

With the slingshot method you've got to mindfully pull the slide to the rear and THEN cleanly/quickly let go. Many people, if not concentrating, will ride the slide a little forward prior to release.

Me thinks you began to loose your focus, after a few reloads, and began to ride the slide...it doesn't take much.

 

[Yoxford]

Slingshot is the correct way to chamber round. It's a slide stop, not a release. But to each their own.

 

[stars75]

Hello stars. Either way is acceptable. However, using the slide stop to release the slide is my preferred method. Quick and easy and works every time.....its actually quicker than using the slingshot method.

With the slingshot method you've got to mindfully pull the slide to the rear and THEN cleanly/quickly let go. Many people, if not concentrating, will ride the slide a little forward prior to release.

Me thinks you began to loose your focus, after a few reloads, and began to ride the slide...it doesn't take much.

Thanks oldfart (haha). That's probably what's happening-like I said, I'm new at this. I've ordered some snap caps to practice at home so I can be more proficient with both methods. Other than that, the pistol ran like a champ.

 

[extremist]

What I teach (from what I've learned at various shooting schools): slide stops vary from gun to gun. Some large, some small. It's a fine motor skill to manipulate the slide stop. Over hand retract slide and release works with all semi-autos and is a gross motor skill easier to accomplish under stress.

Do what works for you with your gun but keep in mind you may have to pick up a different gun and use it under stress ....

 

[DarkeWolf]

Heyas Stars! Welcome aboard to the site, and welcome to the fantastic world of shooting.
In most cases, slide stop release vs slingshot is a matter of personal taste. Tho myself, I prefer to train as much 1 handed manipulation, as possible.
Now, from personal experience, and this was actually one of my first posts to these boards, the p99/p99c does NOT like snap caps. I was having constant, as in almost every single one, issues with failure to return to battery when sling shotting with snap caps.
IF that ends up being a problem with yours as well, just dry fire it, it's not going to damage the pistol. The only time you really need to worry about parts wear from dry firing, with modern guns, is if you're dry firing a rimfire cartrige like a .22lr, .22sr, .22wmr, etc.
After you get some break in, as in wearing on the slide rails, breaking in the recoil springs, etc, you will not have as much of an issue with slingshotting and ftrtb.

 

[23738]

Neither of my P99c mind snap caps at all. Either caliber, at that..

I would not however dry fire a PPS, unless you don't mind inspecting and likely replacing the striker spring guide...I've broke mine twice from lots of dry firing.

 

[Kar98]

Can I reach and operate the slide release lever easily, in one swift, smooth "insert mag, raise gun, align sights, fire" motion? Slide release lever it is.

If I can't, well, I guess I pull the slide back and let go.

 

[imaoldfart]

Yep.....^^^^^....this. As soon as the magazine is 'banged' home, I thumb the slide stop lever. It's soooo easy and quick.

 

[Revchuck]

@stars75 - "Slide stop" vs. "slide release" is one of those Ford vs. Chevy things. Whichever way works better for you is the right way.

FWIW, I learned on 1911s in the Army, so for me, it's a slide release. It works fine for me with my P99C (and my other autoloaders) as well.

Pressing the trigger to the rear without disturbing the sights is a fine motor skill. Depressing the slide release/stop, not so much.

 

[extremist]

1911s and P99/PPQ lend themselves well to slide stop reloads. Glocks/Sigs/M&P do not. YMMV.

 

[Dukes4aces]

I just watched this today-John Lovell uses slide stop ( not saying he is right or wrong.. and he even says use what u want), but shows what happens if you hit it too fast. https://youtu.be/Q3NBGH5TMgs

 

[Firemanjones]

I use the slingshot method.

 

[MGMike]

Assuming you retract the slide fully, and release it smartly, the slingshot method always provides slightly more of a "running start" (and energy) for the slide to strip the top cartridge from the magazine. This is because the slide stop, by design, never holds the slide all the way to the rear--there has to be some excess slide travel to give time for the lever to move upward and mechanical clearance to freely engage the slide notch.

There is often some combination of gun/ammunition/magazine that introduces high resistance to stripping out and feeding the top round (especially if one is determined to cram every last cartridge into a high-cap mag). So it might need all the help it can get, which the slingshot method provides.

Using the slide latch is faster and more convenient, but whether it's equally reliable can only be verified by actual experience --which might change if one switches to a different gun or different ammunition, or even if one is shooting a dirty gun (yes, that happens).

M

P.S. As for "snap caps": If the dimensions and weights of actual ammunition are so variable, why should plastic playthings be more consistent?

 

[381465]

I was in a refresher CCW class over the weekend and the instructor REALLY drove home the use of slide release. I learned manual racking 35 years ago and it's ingrained now. The twenty something instructor was nice but emphatic.
I'll try...but it won't come easy.

 

[DarkeWolf]

Using the slide latch

I grew up with it being a "slide release" as well. So it's kind of one of those things that isn't anywhere nearly as touchy as "magazine" vs "clip". Unless somebody is really @[email protected] Don't call them a clip tho. That's an entirely Different type of ammunition holder.
"slide latch". I like that. I can definitely see that as a worthy compromise.
Sometimes I just call it a slide lever, tho I'm not sure how accurate that is, but it does slip out.


Back on topic - Stars: mine would always catch a little bit under 1/4" of an inch prior to full battery. Run some more ammo thru it. If the problem doesn't sort itself out in about 500-600 rounds, Call Walther, and have them take a look at it. It may be catching somewhere there around the striker mechanics, internally. As Thunderbird mentioned, most of them will slingshot just fine. Mine, and a few other's on here, along with a couple of PPQ threads I've seen, don't. Those are the irregulars, and should be able to be corrected by the manufacturer.
Hope it works out

 

[stars75]

Back on topic - Stars: mine would always catch a little bit under 1/4" of an inch prior to full battery. Run some more ammo thru it. If the problem doesn't sort itself out in about 500-600 rounds, Call Walther, and have them take a look at it. It may be catching somewhere there around the striker mechanics, internally. As Thunderbird mentioned, most of them will slingshot just fine. Mine, and a few other's on here, along with a couple of PPQ threads I've seen, don't. Those are the irregulars, and should be able to be corrected by the manufacturer.
Hope it works out

Hopefully that will do it. Thanks for the reply.

 

[balance]

Took my P99 to the range for the first time yesterday and when changing magazines I used the slingshot method to chamber a round. Worked good for the first few mags but then wouldn't completely chamber a round.

It is possible that your arms were fatigued or that you were riding the slide home. Any slide stop/release lever with serrations on the top of it, is probably meant to be used as a slide release as well as a slide stop. On a pistol with a lever large enough to be used reliably to release the slide, the choice is yours.

Here is the take of one instructor who has a reputation for having a good amount of experience. I put this out there for no reason other than I tend to always see and hear people who say that the overhand method is the ONLY correct way to do it whenever this topic is brought up:

I'm a left handed shooter, and on most pistols I don't have a choice other than to use the overhand method. But on pistols like the PPQ, I use the slide release lever because it is faster, because I have never had a malfunction using this method, and because it is more consistent and there is almost no chance of riding the slide home.

I look at this with the perspective of a concealed carry permit holder, and nothing else. I don't need to train with a method that works on most pistols unless I'm in a scenario where I would need to use a pistol other than one that I train with. If, I shoot my pistol until I am out of ammunition, and then I shoot all of the ammunition out of my spare mag, and then I find another pistol to use, and then I shoot all of the ammunition out of that pistol, and then I find other mags for that pistol, and then I'm in a position where I have to reload that pistol, then you can tell me "I told you so". Until then...

 

[MGMike]

...


... I tend to always see and hear people who say that the overhand method is the ONLY correct way to do it whenever this topic is brought up:

I try to avoid vexatious people who insist that their method is the "ONLY correct way" to do....anything.

M

 

[Kar98]

The correct method is the one that works best for you.