Yes, you do whatever you have to do with whatever you have available, but using the slide release is by far the optimum way to send the slide home. I've owned one Glock, which was a Glock 21, so it might have been just my pistol, but it was definately very hard to use in the stock form. I also have large hands and getting my big thumb on that little lever wasn't easy for me. With the aftermarket extended slide release it wasn't a problem, but I guess I feel that this should be something that shouldn't be an issue for anyone. I own, or have owned, a Glock, an H&K USP, a Beretta 92FS (in addition to the M9 service pistol I carried in the Corps) and the XD, and I've shot various forms of the 1911, and the Glock is the only one that uses such a small and hard to use slide release lever. But like I said, if Glock would put the extended lever as stock equipment then it'd be on par with the others. But in the factory form, the XD, by comparison is better in this regard.

I guess my point is that I feel that the XD is a better, more refined design that makes up for what I percieve to be some of the shortcomings of the Glock. But I also do honestly think that the Glocks are a decent and capable defensive pistol for those who like them and are comfortable with them, but they not for me and I'll never own another one.

Mike