I don't know if I every read anything about closing the slide on an empty chamber. I have heard a lot of talk about 2 related things.
1. Never load a round in the chamber by hand and then release the slide. I can see how that might be hard on the extractor because it has to snap over the case rim as the slide slams shut. That is assuming that the extractor slips over the rim as it feeds a round from the magazine and before it slams shut (that's the way it is supposed to work). Before "I knew better" I always followed that practice and nothing ever broke. I was probably lucky - I don't do it any more.
2. Never use the slide release to load the first round from the magazine - instead pull back the slide and release it. Theoretically it cause wear on the slide release. I never read all this back when I was shooting a lot. Truth is, I had a old pre-series 70 Colt 1911 that I used in competition years ago. That thing had tens of thousands of rounds of wadcutters shot through it and I always used the slide release to load the first round. That one never wore out. Since I have become "educated" in the matter, I always pull the slide back and release it. Not because I think it's a problem for the slide release, but because it gives the slide just a tad more travel and momentum. That might cause a round to chamber that otherwise might have hung up.
Just my 2 cents. Sounds like a question for Iowegan. He knows what he's talking about.
Tom
1. Never load a round in the chamber by hand and then release the slide. I can see how that might be hard on the extractor because it has to snap over the case rim as the slide slams shut. That is assuming that the extractor slips over the rim as it feeds a round from the magazine and before it slams shut (that's the way it is supposed to work). Before "I knew better" I always followed that practice and nothing ever broke. I was probably lucky - I don't do it any more.
2. Never use the slide release to load the first round from the magazine - instead pull back the slide and release it. Theoretically it cause wear on the slide release. I never read all this back when I was shooting a lot. Truth is, I had a old pre-series 70 Colt 1911 that I used in competition years ago. That thing had tens of thousands of rounds of wadcutters shot through it and I always used the slide release to load the first round. That one never wore out. Since I have become "educated" in the matter, I always pull the slide back and release it. Not because I think it's a problem for the slide release, but because it gives the slide just a tad more travel and momentum. That might cause a round to chamber that otherwise might have hung up.
Just my 2 cents. Sounds like a question for Iowegan. He knows what he's talking about.
Tom
