Shot my new P365 for the first time today. Out of 175 rounds (17.5 mags) I had three failures for the slide to lock back on the last round. Should I be worried that I am going to have to send the gun in for repairs or is this a break in thing.

On a side note, has anyone tested the Corbon DPX 115 grain out of their P365?

You're probably locking the pistol open with your thumb. Most people reject this suggestion, but that's likely the answer.

Do you shoot right-handed, or left-handed?

You can witness my journey through the seven stages of emotional grief with my G43 in this thread.

Was able to shoot the 365 for the first time this week and between two of us, the slide did not lock open on the last round a few times.

After we paid better attention to our grip we did not experience it again. That small of a gun caused our grips to shift during live fire.

The problem is not that I am locking the slide open, it's that it didn't lock open on the last round of the magazine. I tried to research the P365 before purchasing, so I was aware that this had been an issue for some early guns, but I just assumed it had been corrected. After the first failure to lock back I was especially careful not to get my thumb anywhere near the slide lock lever. To answer your question I am a right hand shooter and I was using Federal American Eagle 124 grain FMJ. I looked at several pages of your journey Parabellum, but unless I am not understanding, I think you and I had different problems. FYI, I had hoped to replace a G43, that never had a single issue, with the P365, just for the extra capacity.

Completely different gun, but this was/is an issue with my P239 since if have owned it. I let my thumb move a bit and it hits the slide release, if I am careful then works fine. User issue for me.

I have fired nearly 800 rounds through my P365, the predominance of which was with 10 round mags. That's roughly 60 mags (assuming 200 rounds went through the 12 rounders), and out of those 60, I did have 1 failure to lock back. I feel pretty confident that the single time that it didn't lock back was because I accidently touched the slide release with my thumb. If I were you, I would take it to the range again, but pay very close attention to your grip to see if it happens again.

What they’re suggesting is shoot it left hand only to see if it locks back. For right handed shooters that have this issue we’ve found most of the time it is the way they are gripping the gun. Somehow you’re putting pressure on the lever during recoil. So shooting it left handed tests this.

I plan on shooting it again tomorrow, so I will try everyone's suggestions. I guess my next question would be, if touching the slide release lever with your thumb causes this problem, then it's a problem, right? What would happen in a defensive situation when you would be shooting under distress? Do you think your thumb might touch the untouchable slide release.

Sorry, I should have read your first post more thoroughly before commenting.

quote:

Originally posted by ALLWHITEFJ:
What would happen in a defensive situation when you would be shooting under distress? Do you think your thumb might touch the untouchable slide release.

Well, here's the slide release on my G42:



You can't bump that which does not exist.

quote:

Originally posted by ALLWHITEFJ:
I plan on shooting it again tomorrow, so I will try everyone's suggestions. I guess my next question would be, if touching the slide release lever with your thumb causes this problem, then it's a problem, right? What would happen in a defensive situation when you would be shooting under distress? Do you think your thumb might touch the untouchable slide release.

Yes. If it happens in training, it will 100% happen when the pucker factor is up. You have to train yourself how to shoot around it, modify the weapon or get something different. I have small hands and don’t seem to have this issue with my P365. Now my M11-A1, I had to retrain the way I shoot. My thumb would ride the slide stop lever and not lock the slide back on the last round.

Go slow. Make yourself consciously while watching not touch the lever. Do this enough, and you will train it out of you. If you can’t, the weapon just isn’t for you.

Another thing to train for is if you hear bang ten or 11 times and then click and the slide is not locked back, change mags and rack and keep shooting anything left that's threatening you. In a defensive situation, the slide not locking back when you still have ammo is not a problem. it's a problem when you still have ammo and it's locked back.

I don't normally shoot to slide locked back during training, I reload somewhere in-between. Then again, I'm one of the few that keeps four spare mags on my duty belt at work.

quote:

Originally posted by ALLWHITEFJ:
I guess my next question would be, if touching the slide release lever with your thumb causes this problem, then it's a problem, right?

User error.

Mr. OP - As others here have identified since the release of the P365 there have been several forum members that identified the same issue only to learn that their thumb was riding on the slide lock.....

Just a suggestion to try if you will consider....Purchase a 12 rd mag and see if this issue goes away. I suggest this because the 12 rd mag will allow your hands to sit just ever so slightly lower when gripping the pistol and as a result your thumb will not ride the slide lock...Just a suggestion to give a try...I have two P365’s and both are loaded with the 12 rd mags and we have not had the first issue related to our thumb wanting to ride the slide lock...Good Luck Sir...Mark

quote:

Originally posted by ALLWHITEFJ:
I plan on shooting it again tomorrow, so I will try everyone's suggestions. I guess my next question would be, if touching the slide release lever with your thumb causes this problem, then it's a problem, right? What would happen in a defensive situation when you would be shooting under distress? Do you think your thumb might touch the untouchable slide release.

People who started by shooting revolvers don't tend to have this issue, or so says my opinion.

When you shoot a revolver you don't do this new-fangled thing where you plaster your hands all over the grip as much as you can to enhance support. You tend to get burnt fingers doing this on a revolver.

I shoot my tiny guns in that manner. Thumbs away from the slide. Never had this slide issue.

Train enough with it and you'll quit hitting it.

Or you could just cut the sumbitch off like the boss did

I'd like to know how Parabellum filled the slot; it's exact enough that it looks like the part was never there, and the slide looks almost like it was filled with a weld and filed out slightly. Pretty exact work.

That's been a gripe of instructors who see me shoot; one of the first things asked is "did you shoot revolvers?" It's the way I hook my thumbs down, and I have to consciously force them straight out. JJones and crew beat it out of me so I don't do it much now, and it took the moac course to do it, too. Probably burn my thumbs on the redhawk when I get it out next.

I've got big hands and with a thumbs forward grip, I'm actually more surprised if the slide actually locks back on any pistol. It's totally a user issue and not the slightest concern to me. It kinda amuses me that so many people freak out about slide lock, while every military, "freedom fighter," and third world warlord that use the AK doesn't give it a second thought that there's no BHO.

Anyway, OP if it doesn't work for you, sell it and move on. But 99.9% of the time, it is user induced.

The thumb is very likely the issue, but I have had that issue on a 1911 where the slide release was out of spec and not catching 100% of the time. Since it’s a SIG and considering what SIG said in their manual for the P938, are you using 115 gr ammo? It may need more punch (124 gr) to push the slide far enough back on a new gun.

Likely your thumb, though.

OP - One other thing that I have learned from this great SIGForum braintrust - grease and lube your pistol up good before your next range session....That extra slippery might make the difference if it is right on the cusp of locking back every time....Just a thought...Mark

Another thumb placement issue which can result in the slide not locking open, after the last round, is those with larger hands allowing their thumbs to rub against the slide. This is what happened to a friend who was test firing my pistol.

quote:

It may need more punch (124 gr) to push the slide far enough back on a new gun.

All failure to lock back problems I have had with a Sig was caused by weak ammo. Also target ammo is a commodity & your favorite brand may be manufactured in different factorys in different countries. If you have problems with your defense loads then I would be concerned. I had this problem with 124gr FMJ Aguila last week in my P320 VTAC, switched to 124gr MEN NATO spec & the problem disappeared.