Wait Finally Over / Glock 43 Question

[Samantha_b011]

Finally got my LTC in the mail today. Merry Christmas to me

TimeLine:
Took CHL Test Oct 5th

Sent CHL passed test, application and payment online Oct 6th

Fingerprinting Oct 8th

26 Female
Never Arrested, No mental issues, everything sent in electronically too.
There seems to no reason to how long it will take. First timers with arrests got theres way before me.

BTW Website never changed from day 1.

So as soon as it came in I hunted down a Glock 43 (first firearm). Big box stores didnt have any so went to a local one. Guy wasnt helpful and gave me 380 hollow when I needed 9mm so wasnt to happy when i noticed that.
Anyway ive been practicing drawing and dry fire, well if i pull back to lock the slide intentional or not and it locks back it will not unlock by pulling back or the release button. I have to drop the empty mag out and then pull back to snap it forward. Is this normal? If im in a situation and it locks back ill be in trouble. When I borrowed a 42 on my test I dont recall this happening. Not sure if this is normal or a dumb question...

[Breny414]

The slide locks automatically on an empty magazine either upon firing the last round or by racking the slide.

To release the slide on an empty magazine you have to pull down on the "slide stop lever." it's not a button. pulling the slide to the the rear a bit will make pulling the lever easier.

If there isn't a magazine inserted then, as you said, you can pull back the slide and release it forward... or you can activate the lever.

congrats!!!

[CleverNickname]

Yes, when the magazine is empty, the magazine follower will push on the slide release and cause the slide to lock back. Either dry fire without a magazine, or just push down on the slide release to drop the slide. Almost all modern semiauto handguns operate like this.

It sounds like you're not terribly familiar with shooting a handgun. I would suggest your next step should be an intro-to-carrying-and-shooting-a-handgun class (vs the Texas handgun law/dispute resolution class and range test that is the Texas LTC course).

[Samantha_b011]

Thanks, makes sense now.

[karatedad]

Please do not take this as a rude reply. It is certainly not meant that way. Read your owners manual from cover to cover. It has most of the information you need from operation to disassembly for cleaning. I have several autos of different makes and still refer back to the manual from time to time.

Congrats on getting your card.

[Breny414]

I'm new at this, too, and it just so happens that I also purchased a Glock 43. I'm still waiting on the card though. And yes I did a lot of dry fire. I also practiced dry firing with a holster. I dropped it a couple of times while practicing manipulating it in and out of the holster, etc. So practice is key (I'm on my soap box here ).

I love the Glock 43 even though I had issues with it initially and had to send it back. it kept jamming (stove piping), but since I got it back I've had no issues. I'm sure it was a one-off issue and hopefully yours will work perfectly, as mine does now.

Welcome to the forum and Merry Christmas!!