# One Finger Glock Slide Rack



## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

Thought I'd show you guys something new. It's never been seen by Glock's instructor of the year who was my instructor in Smyrna GA,a at Glock USA Headquarters.
I kinda got a lecture by the instructor because it's a "fine motor skill" and it disrupted the class because some of these other instructors thought they had seen everything there was to see 

Sure it's a fine motor skill, but it's still a skill.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

pretty cool, i am trying this, now


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## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

FenderBender said:


> pretty cool, i am trying this, now


Please practice with dummy rounds first


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Glock 23 3rd gen. Just pinched the tip of my pointer finger off  

I always have one in the pipe anyway, but I'd like to be able to do this.

I can't do this. Any tips or advice? I can't tell exactly what you are doing due to the speed but I assume you are sticking your finger in the indention in the slide where the round is chambered? Nothing else I can find to get a grip on. 

My hands are not small and my grip strength is pretty good, I think. Now I have a sore finger tip.


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## no_control (Jul 18, 2010)

maybe a lighter recoil spring would help? I tried it but my fingers gave up on me...


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## scubapro (Nov 27, 2010)




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## SAWMAN (May 24, 2010)

*Hopefully.....*

.......the BG that I am in a gunfight with will be doing this. 

You didn't say the application for this. Weak hand disabled ?? Are you saying that Glock OFICIALLY indorses this method ?? Can you do this without a bench/car hood,etc,in front of you or will you have to attempt to find one in a gunfight ?? Have you OR your students attempted to accomplish this under stress or while on the move ??

May I ask how you teach the "normal" way to rack the slide ?? Overhand...slingshot ??

While the way you have shown(one handed)seems that it could be useful if injured or if you normally have only one hand/arm,this would definately be a "default" method for me ONLY. 

"You WILL fight like you train". --- SAWMAN


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## SAWMAN (May 24, 2010)

*And.......>>>>>*

Just noticed the post by no_control. Here we go with the "side effects" of the one handed slide rack. 

I would highly recommend that you do not change anything in your fighting firearm that goes DIRECTLY to the reliability of your weapon. A Glock's recoil spring is exactly this. People never have reliability problems with their STOCK Glock's. The reliability problems(FTF,FTE's)that owners have with their Glocks is due to the super-dooper aftermarket parts that they have added. Return the Glock to OEM and magically the problems disappear. This is one of the first things that I have learned from the Glock Guru's. 

AGAIN....."You WILL fight like you train". --- SAWMAN


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## Miami Matt (Jun 20, 2009)

Can you do it w/ your left hand?


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## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

*AS STATED IN THE VIDEO*: It's simply an exercise to show people who may have difficulty doing the normal overhand sling shot method that if I can do it with one finger than they with proper technique can properly rack the slide with two hands.

Sawman, I do NOT teach this. Again, only for demo purposes. I normally do it so fast and from the blind side, the student can't really see how it's done and simply acknowledges it can be done. It's a confidence booster for the females who have had difficulty in the past racking a slide.

It could also simply be another way to get the job done if need be. 

Also, I have shown this move to some local actors who have trained with me. You should be seeing it in a few movies soon...hopefully
Just remember where you saw it first 

That is done with a new double factory recoil spring. I have been able to do this with every Factory Glock so far. It can can irritating for sure.

Guys you have to remember, I do this everyday. So my finger has become acclimated, but may still get sore after repetition.

The purpose is NOT to impress you, but to impress upon how important technique is, and how much easier things can get with proper technique.
This is not a technique I teach, this is only a demonstration I give to re-enforce the the efficacy of other techniques.

I just thought I'd show you guys something different.

Glock is about getting the job done and is very encouraging in using whatever technique that works for the shooter. They really are PC when it comes to their training, it's quite sad really. Their 3 day instructor workshop course is less than impressive to say politely.


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## Az-Vic (Jan 7, 2012)

I think the technique has absolutely no logical use what so ever; that said, Im impressed as hell as to your finger/hand strength. If nothing else, it has the impressive ability as would a one handed card shuffle...pretty cool Ron!
Of course I gave it a try...Im left handed so with my right hand it was a no go, although I can manipulate the frame/slide and load a round using my left hand, but no fingers sticking in any ports to give myself a boo boo


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Yepper, I can see several folk get pinched fingers.....I've done training to rack the slide how ever you can, walls, utility belt, vehicle...so forth and so on. Any type of this is a motor skill and must be done a bunch to build up muscle memory fer it....


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## user207 (Oct 1, 2007)

It may be a cool trick, looks absolutely dangerous. To many things that could happen just using one hand.


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## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

Tim Barry ( BAYWATCH TOWERS ) said:


> It may be a cool trick, looks absolutely dangerous. To many things that could happen just using one hand.


*Looks Absolutely dangerous?*

Ok let's analyze the danger factor...(other than your finger getting pinched or soar) I think we can agree that "_absolutely dangerous_" in this instance means exceptionally likely to negligently discharge the weapon leading to a serious injury, death, or property damage, etc...

A bit of the gun philosophy I aspire to first...
I believe ALL firearms are dangerous, "there are no safe firearms, only SAFE SHOOTERS". Agree? Yes, let's move on!

To tell someone that one firearm or style of firearm is safer than another is pure charlatan salesmanship. I think we can all agree on that.

I prefer to tell my students what these salesmen really mean is that a typical inexperienced poorly trained shooter is less likely to have a negligent discharge with this or that type of firearm. Although it often happens with seasoned shooters as well.

Now everyone should know by now that an unmolested Glock will only discharge after it has been loaded and the trigger has been squeezed by a finger or depressed by an object. 

Safety Tip: Never try to catch a falling gun! This is one of the first tips I share with my students, but we all know it's still hard to fight instinct, so lets not drop any guns!

Let's examine the true culprit in I'm guesstimating 99.9% of negligent discharges:
Medically known as the _Digitus Secundus Manus, typically the _*Distal phalanx *portion of the finger more commonly known as your booger stick or trigger finger.

Let's also review where and when many if not most negligent discharges occur with shooters, particularly more "experienced" shooters. It's commonly during the holstering and un-holstering of the weapon or when quickly bringing the weapon on target. Once again the poorly controlled trigger finger is the culprit!

*A quick story where the Trigger Finger was actually cleared of all charges:*

There was that AD/ND of the FWC officer through the hull of his boat, but that was later reported that the waste bungie string bead of his coat jacket got caught in the trigger guard while holstering his weapon, or so that was the reported conclusion. This could be totally plausible. Often officers are taught to holster their weapons without their eyes leaving the threat which is also very logical. This seemed to be the only incident of such AD/ND and was easily remedied by simply removing the FOD. A valuable lesson we all can learn from with only the boat paying the price of this piece of knowledge.

So where am I going with all this?
On MY single finger Glock slide rack, you may humbly refer to it as Capt Ron's Rack, (Please grant me some illusions of grandeur my trigger finger is in a naturally secure place at all times during the mechanical operation of the movement: on the top of the slide just outside the extractor housing no where near the trigger. Note: No persons were lased during the filming of this video.
I'm not saying the technique is practical, please refer to original reason for demonstrating this technique. I'm simply discussing the "Level of Danger Factor"

During the traditional overhand sling shot method (which I fully endorse as a primary instruction)the shooters finger is often not straight on the frame where it should be, but often inside the trigger guard or even worse, resting on the trigger. This is also another reason why my students learn to slide rack while remaining on target when possible. There's always a chance of oops anytime, anywhere, any place especially with a new typically nervous shooter. I prefer oopses not to happen, but if they do, it's always better they happen in the direction of the target.

I truly appreciate ALL your feedback and I'm always open to new training techniques and ideas from any of you.

You all motivate me to write, vent, and become a better shooter and instructor.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

I think its pretty effin cool,and besides knowledge is a good thing,when you quit learnin your dead.And now I know that if I break my hand I can rack the slide easy enough.


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## SAWMAN (May 24, 2010)

*You,You,You.......*

Capt. Ron, you have some good training techniques,philosophies,and attitude towards your students IMO. Others I do not agree with. Although I (personally)feel that I would benefit better from my training methods than yours it is not a condemnation of your school/business. I have also met you in person(briefly) and I feel that given our personalities we would have a instructor/student problem that would preclude the learning process. 

With firearms training/expierance I do believe in training for the real world experiences that will befall us everyday. As from my prior military days I am naturally aggressive,ruthless,and have a barely" street legal" take no prisoners attitude. This is fine for me, but in no way politically correct. This is basically why I feel that I can only learn from my fellow, past military member training group. 

I would hope that you keep in mind the true attitude of the BG's out there. They kill just for fun. They beat a 82 year old lady to death AFTER she has given up her social security check. They abduct someone's 5 year old daughter, just for a their play toy for the next 10 minutes, then dump her in some shallow grave. 

As I told a guy the other day during a debate at my local Waffle House. If someone is pointing a gun at you,why would you feel that you WILL NOT get shot ??? If someone tells you that they will shoot you/harm you,if you do not comply to their demands,why would you think that they would not ?? During an "encounter" with a BG,I WILL be aggressive,I WILL take charge of the situation,I WILL fire the first shot if I feel threatened. I WILL shoot the BG(s) to the ground. Controlled pairs are a "normal" reaction by me. From my 10mm,357Sig,or 9mm,I will shoot at least two before I lower and look. If I,even for a moment,feel that the BG could still be somewhat of a threat,or still has a grip on his weapon,I WILL continue to shoot him OR her. 

Please remember in YOUR training and while training others...."You Will fight like you train". Train others to react as you would want your grandmother,mother,or daughter to react. We are the good guys,we should be able to win. Teach your students that they WILL win. 

The above are MY opinions. How people train or how people train others is a personal thing. The best of luck to all of us in this world that we are "stuck" with. --- SAWMAN


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## scubapro (Nov 27, 2010)

I'd enjoy the opportunity to train with your "friends"!! They sound like my kind of people


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## bama99 (Dec 20, 2009)

SAWMAN said:


> Capt. Ron, you have some good training techniques,philosophies,and attitude towards your students IMO. Others I do not agree with. Although I (personally)feel that I would benefit better from my training methods than yours it is not a condemnation of your school/business. I have also met you in person(briefly) and I feel that given our personalities we would have a instructor/student problem that would preclude the learning process.
> 
> With firearms training/experience I do believe in training for the real world experiences that will befall us everyday. As from my prior military days I am naturally aggressive,ruthless,and have a barely" street legal" take no prisoners attitude. This is fine for me, but in no way politically correct. This is basically why I feel that I can only learn from my fellow, past military member training group.
> 
> ...


Don't want to hijack Ron's thread about the one finger rack, but found the comments on tactics interesting. I think having a proactive attitude is great, but it seems to me that if any of us find ourselves in a bad situation we will be reacting and defensive. I'm no expert and just now started carrying and have given a lot of thought as to the responsibility that entails. 

It seems to me, military tactics, in and of themselves, are more offensive in nature and may not be the best training for a civilian street encounter. I'm not walking the streets with a military mindset of scanning for threats to "take out". Some may and that's fine, but I'm not going to live my life that paranoid. I pay attention to my surroundings, but every family outing is not going to become a "mission."

In a one on one encounter the BG has the intuitive and knows what he is going to do, thus putting the law abiding citizen at an immediate disadvantage. If he is armed then he will have the drop on you, so I'm not so sure immediately drawing on a gun pointed at you is the smartest move to make. No matter the level the training, I just don't see how one can draw & fire quicker than someone can twitch their finger.

One can be alert, but it's not like you can just go pulling out your gun every time a suspicious person approaches you. In my mindset, I have accepted if they have a gun, it will be on me before I can have mine on them. So my first response would depend on if I am alone or not. If with my wife, I would put myself between the BG and her, giving her time to take cover and draw her weapon. If she is up to it, arming your wife is a huge tactical advantage imo. If alone, I would probably look for cover and move very quickly of the X, hopefully making his/their minds "reset" giving me time to find cover and create a distraction to draw my weapon. Hopefully at this point they decide I am to much trouble and choose to bug out or have a hard time hitting a moving target.

The cold hard fact is that there is a high probability that one will be shot in this situation. I agree with being aggressive to a point, but my ultimate goal is to survive. Sometimes a little fear is a good thing imo. I think there is a danger in getting a false sense of security from the fact one has a gun and has trained with it. I don't want to fall into that over confident mindset. The gun is just a tool at my disposal to help get me and loved ones out of a dangerous situation. I thinks one's mind and how he or she utilizes it in that situation, is what will ultimately be the most important variable. There is so many different scenarios that could play out, it is impossible that one mindset or course of action is always the right move. 

It's all well and good to say "I WILL take charge of the situation and be the FIRST shot, but it seems naive to me." There is no way to control an encounter like that and you may be up against a very determined individual as well. If they have a gun on you how are you going to draw and fire before they pump you full of lead? It's great and all to say you will take the first shot, but good luck with that when a gun is already pointed at you. He see's you going for a gun and he is going to shoot you, that's how that will go down. I completely agree that that if someone has a gun on you then they may shoot you, but then again they may not. 

My cousin was mugged in downtown Pensacola. Two thugs were on him before he knew it and had a gun to his head. They took his wallet and did not shoot him thank God. Had he resisted that could have changed. Lets say you are carrying, but didn't see them coming. A gun is to your head. At that point you are going to go for your weapon? Unless well trained in hand to hand combat and disarming someone that will probably end up with a bullet in your brain. Even if well trained, there are two of them and there is a high probability that you are toast. My point is, there are to many possible scenarios to stick out one's chest and say I will shoot them to the ground first.

I think people should be trained for the reality of the situation. The reality is: you were very unlucky and have found yourself in a very bad situation, in which you have a high probability of being seriously injured or killed. You will be scared, your heart will be beating out of your chest, you will have tunnel vision, and the simple fine motor skills you use at the range will be seriously impaired. That's reality imo....... not that your going to WIN the situation no matter what because you were "trained" and have a gun. Train to these realities and you have a better chance than you might have had otherwise, but there are no guarantees and sometimes you number is just up.

All that is just my opinion and I realize many may disagree with it. I don't pretend to have all the answers and have plenty to learn. I do, however, see a danger in the overconfident macho/military attitude that seems to come along with some firearms enthusiast/instructors. 

Another thing worth pointing out imo, is that we should all be careful what we post on message boards. God forbid one finds themselves in a self-defense shooting, one can bet their comments on message boards could come into play. It's not near as anonymous as people think. It would not be good to be explaining to the PA, DA, or jury about one's strong comments that they will be AGGRESSIVE and SHOOT first. The authorities could very easily portray you as a gung ho military type looking for a confrontation. Just something to think about.....We will be held accountable for our actions and have to answer for them.


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## pilotpop (Oct 1, 2007)

*Proper technique*

I guess I am old school, but I have been an Instructor for MANY years (over 20) now and NONE of my students ever have a problem racking a slide on a Glock.. I have had women that have had problems with some of the small pocket guns due to the size and lack of strength in their hands.. but never on a Glock... I also do not teach stuff to students that can put them in harms way, teaching them tactical shooting is dangerous enough, why add to the danger trying to teach them a useless technique.. that could, and probably will get them hurt in a high stress situation.. I teach shooting techniques that will help them to survive in a gunfight, and if they practice them, the techniques will give them an edge in a high stress situation..


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## scubapro (Nov 27, 2010)

bama99 - you raise some good points in your post. Military or civilian training alike -- I think both focus on "situational awareness". To the trained person, situational awareness is automatic and constant. To the untrained (or anti-gun), it may seem "paranoid" and excessive.

However, no one can completely quantify the number of potentially aggressive encounters that are prevented by the use of good practices in public as well as proper situational awareness -- as the goal is to prevent either placing yourself in a situation to be easy prey or the subject of an aggressor, or acting quickly and properly to extricate yourself from that situation before deadly force is required.

As for posting on the internet forums goes. Yes, one should be aware that anything discussed could potentially be discovered in preparation for a trial. However, being someone who was involved in a self defense shooting within the last few months -- and is presently going through the deposition process in preparation for the criminal case against the captured aggressors, I can attest to the supportive nature of the local police, and the state attorney's office in_* our area*_ with regards to a law abiding citizen who has found themself in a position to use justified deadly force.

Fortunately for all concerned -- everyone involved in my encounter is still alive and breathing, and I am thankful that my actions did not result in the loss of life for the aggressor. However, it was made clear that should that have been the ultimate result - I would not have experienced any other treatment by the police or the state attorney given the reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm that I found myself in that night. Rest assured, however, my personal life would be forever changed if death had resulted in my use of force. My mindset to carry a firearm, train to a level of proficiency annually, or to use deadly force again remains unchanged.

We all can be thankful for Rep. Peaden and his fellow legislators who sponsored and voted for the current "stand your ground" law as it is wrtten and in force. No longer is the self defense shooter automatically treated like a criminal initially with reliance upon the investigation to sort things out later. If you act properly and within the scope of the current law, you will be ok from a legal standpoint. You have immunity to criminal or civil legal action when your decision to shoot is deemed justified in Florida (at least in the panhandle) - do to a *reasonable fear of death or bodily harm*.

My only inconvenience was about 45 minutes to an hour of my time to answer questions from multiple police officers on the scene and the retention of the fired weapon (they returned my back-up and OTF auto knife to me on the spot) into evidence -- and an additional hour later in the evening to identify suspects in a photo lineup once arrests had been made. Never was I handcuffed or "detained" in any way -- only interviewed on the scene with the focus on the description of the suspects, their vehicle, and what events occurred in the encounter by very polite and professional members of the Pensacola Police Department. Once my firearm returns from the FDLE lab (standard procedure for any firearm taken into evidence), I am free to reclaim it at the PPD property management office.

A popular quote is used by my primary firearms instructor Randy Cain. The quote comes from notable military author Barrett Tillman. He states, "*You won't rise to the occasion -- you'll default to your level of training*".

Carrying a firearm as granted by the Florida Concealed Weapon License is a priviledge with serious responsibilities and consequences. Although I am pleased that Florida allows citizens to obtain such a license without undue burden and restrictive requirements -- I personally believe that anyone choosing to exercise that priviledge should obtain the necessary training to become and remain proficient with the use of their chosen firearms carried for self defense. At a minimum, I believe at least one or two multi-day training courses per year from a qualified school/instructor (along with other monthly personal range time) is necessary to maintain such a level of proficiency.


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## HisName (Nov 29, 2009)

I like seeing any new technique , thanks for sharing.


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## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

pilotpop said:


> I guess I am old school, but I have been an Instructor for MANY years (over 20) now and NONE of my students ever have a problem racking a slide on a Glock.. I have had women that have had problems with some of the small pocket guns due to the size and lack of strength in their hands.. but never on a Glock... I also do not teach stuff to students that can put them in harms way, teaching them tactical shooting is dangerous enough, why add to the danger trying to teach them a useless technique.. that could, and probably will get them hurt in a high stress situation.. I teach shooting techniques that will help them to survive in a gunfight, and if they practice them, the techniques will give them an edge in a high stress situation..


With all due respect...and not to make this an instructor pissing contest...

If an instructor has never had a student male or female who has never had a problem racking a slide on a Glock, then that instructor doesn't use Glocks in training, is NOT very experienced regardless of the amount of time he/she has had an instructor certification, Or that instructor only trains students that are strong, young, and in perfect physical health and without any physical handicaps, illnesses or impairing conditions.

During job interviews for example:

I have learned that if a person can't think of any training or management failures (and how they resolved them) in any and every aspect of their job, then they simply don't have enough experience for the job they are getting hiring for in management.

I have never watched you train so I don't know how you do your classes, but I thought NRA instructors are now required to use real bullets also for their classes or do they just teach the classroom portion only now without shooting?

*pilotpop wrote: 
"*_I also do not teach stuff to students that can put them in harms way, teaching them tactical shooting is dangerous enough, why add to the danger trying to teach them a useless technique.. _"

Unfortunately, I can't say that because I have to use real guns in my training with real bullets. Driving to my gun range can put a student into harms way. 35,000 people a year killed in car crashes!

Are you using airsoft for training? You can still shoot your eye out you know~! I personally would consider airsoft potentially harmful also.


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## K-Bill (May 14, 2009)

i haven't read every post, but i watched the video and skimmed a lot of posts. did capt ron come out say this is the best technique and everyone needs to learn this? maybe i missed something. i would have never even thought about doing that. i appreciate the video. thanks for sharing.


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## scubapro (Nov 27, 2010)

http://youtu.be/REvmhBO99I4


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## Capt Ron (Aug 12, 2008)

scubapro said:


> http://youtu.be/REvmhBO99I4


That link was awesome! Damn I miss being a kid again!
Danger Will Robinson!


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## aaronious45 (Dec 15, 2011)

I don't own a glock

I bet if you're hand/arm is broke and you need to load your glock(which I don't own) this would be really helpful.. 
For me, my revolvers are a 1 hand operation


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