You have probably seen it before. One of your range buddies or the local gun shop has a sweet, modified Glock with extended controls on it. It looks gnarly, they’re thought-provoking, and you are immediately intrigued. So, what are they for? What are the benefits and maybe downsides to getting an extended slide release or an extended magazine release on your Glock handgun? We will dive into those elements today to see if it is an upgrade you may want to add to your personal pistol.
Let’s first look at the importance and benefits of an extended slide release. Some people say slide release while others say slide lock; it is like knit-picking the word potato versus patato – however you say it we are discussing the same thing. An extended slide release can be beneficial for innumerable reasons, but the most important is to more easily release the slide forward into the battery with one hand. An extended slide release gives the weapon handler more leverage in their favor to easily release the slide and load a round into the chamber. This can be valuable to people with adequate hand strength, those with arthritic hands (or carpal tunnel issues), and when you need to manipulate a firearm one-handed. Scenarios that may prompt you to operate your controls one-handed may occur in a fight/struggle for your firearm if your non-dominant hand becomes injured, or to simply launch your slide forward more quickly into the battery as opposed to manually cycling your slide.
Likewise, there are a lot of upsides to an extended magazine release as well. If you are facing adverse conditions while shooting such as severe cold (gloved shooting), excessive heat causing copious sweat, and/or the factory magazine release is too small for you to easily actuate, then an extended magazine release might benefit you. Also, if you happen to own a Glock G43X or G48, and are deploying the ever-popular Shield Arms S15 15-round aftermarket magazine, that specific magazine requires you to use a metal magazine release in order to properly function. So, if you are bumping up the capacity on your G43X/G48 you will also want to upgrade your magazine release as well.
So, in sum, extended controls like a magazine release or slide release simply make it easier to manipulate and actuate those functions on your pistol. Whether you have limitations or not, it basically makes life easier for everyone. It is something to consider if you are looking to upgrade your Glock handgun – big or small. Until next time, continually check out our blog, join our newsletter, and watch the website for new and exciting updates! As always, let us know all your thoughts in the comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!
