Is this normal behavior?

[SpartanRN]

I'm messing with snap caps. I've never noticed this before because I've never done this before. My kid is sleeping in the next room so I wanted to be really quiet. I loaded a snap cap, pulled the slide back and very slowly guided it forward. The result is that the slide gets stuck and doesn't fully close. However, if I rack the slide the normally or even if I guide it forward gently but not very slow, it doesn't happen. When not loaded, the slide will go all the way forward regardless of whether I rack it normally or guide it very slow.

[Tobuk]

Yes, this is normal.  You'll often hear people give the advice of not "riding the slide" forward into battery.  The slide's normal function is to be closed very quickly by the recoil spring, so the round can be picked up from the magazine and shoved up the feed ramp of the barrel.  If you hold the slide and go slowly into battery, there is often not enough speed/force for that to happen properly.  I don't know of any trick to load a round into a gun quietly.

[Longshanks]

Absolutely normal , and happens on most guns regardless of make or model. Slides are meant to be released shut.

Having said that, some will tell you not to do that if there is nothing in the mag, i.e. on an empty chamber , but that is not what you intended anyway as you had a snap cap.

[SpartanRN]

Ok guys thanks.