riding the controls is a dangerous practice...
Really? How so?
With the stock grips on my Compact my thumb was under the safety and slide lock. Once my thumb inadvertently activated the slide lock during a string of shots. Nothing a simple press of the slide lock release didn't solve, but my first impression was that my magazine was empty. That could prove dysfunctional in a gunfight.
After putting VZ grips on the gun I can now comfortably ride the safety with my right thumb, which eliminates the potential of it activating the slide stop.
I wasn't very specific - riding the safety is not a problem (generally that is "how it's done", no?) but inadvertently riding the slide stop or decocker certainly can be - more so with some guns than others.
Riding the CZ decocker is not really a problem given the placement and long travel but on an FN or HK it can decocker the gun under recoil. Riding the slide stop will cause the slide to not lock back on empty or, as you mentioned, lock back unintentionally. None of these problems are desirable in a self defense scenario...
