[Andy79]

I am considering buying a semi-auto gun but am worried about handling the weapon.

I tried pulling the slide to the rear my husbands 9mm Kahr & a little Ruger and with both I really had difficulty pulling it back.

Do any of you have wives that use semi-automatics or if you are a woman do you use one?

[Drail]

Consider a revolver.

[Odd Job]

Check Kathy Jackson's advice on Cornered Cat:

http://www.corneredcat.com/RunGun/rack.aspx

But if all else fails a revolver may be a better option.

[Andy79]

Great site Odd Job, it really helps. Thank you!

Drail, I have one revolver and am buying another as well but was considering a pistol just for the bullet capacity, gotta stock up if Obama gets it. :-)

[Japle]

Check out a Glock 9mm. They seem pretty light compared to some of the other pistols I've handled.

[dieselmech]

have you tried to hold the slide and push the grip method?

[Big Daddy Grim]

My girl has the Lady Smith as her favorite but she also likes my XD compact

[chris in va]

It's really a matter of pinching the slide and PUSHING forward with your dominant hand. Cocking the hammer if so equipped also helps tremendously.

[Rob G]

I completely agree with the others that you should try the method recommended on corneredcat.com. My wife is a tiny woman who can easily work the slide on any handgun you hand her after learning that method.

[Mat, not doormat]

This in no way should be construed to mean that my father is female, but he did have similar troubles, related to hand strength recently. He broke his right wrist, and it never really healed properly. Using his conventional "large american male brute strength method" of simply wrestling the slide back, he could barely manage it, and couldn't manage it at all without extraordinary pain. However, the more efficient method described on cornered cat helped him out tremendously.

~~~Mat

[NavyLCDR]

Please forgive me if this is the method on cornered cat:

Grasp slide near the front sight with weak hand, being careful to keep the path in front of the muzzle clear.

Place grip of handgun in the web between thumb and index finger of strong hand.

Push both hands together sharply.. With practice you can engage the slide lock, if needed, with thumb of the strong hand.

When you do this, you might have to turn your body 90 degrees toward your strong hand to keep the muzzle of the gun pointed down range.

[NCMom]

My favorite gun for years has been a S&W 3913LS.
I am a middle aged, average strength female and have no problem working the slide on it, on my husband's CZ99 or just about any other semi-auto I have been handed.
Keep practicing until you find a technique that works for you.
The one gun I did have problems with was a brand new Seecamp. It was hard to get a good grip on such a small gun. My father was kind enough to spend a few evenings working the slide while he watched television until it loosened up a bit.
The point being that you may need to find a well used gun that has been worked enough to not be quite so tight. You may find working on your grip strength will help. Spending time daily squeezing a tennis ball can help with that. They also make wishbone shaped hand exercisers that can be used to increase grip strength.
Revolvers would also be a good solution, but IMHO it is good to be able to handle both types of guns.

[bearmgc]

I used revolvers at first and still do. But the semi auto that really made it easy for me initially was a Beretta 96, bought used, that had a buttery smooth slide, and to this day was the easiest slide to pull back. Since then I've acquired 1911's, Sigs and my favorite, a Walther P99AS. High praise for the 1911's and my Walther. Point being, it just takes practice. NcMom, I agree on strength building.

[Andy79]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions.
I looked on the corneredcat site and really think it was helpful info. I will try it with my hubby's gun this weekend.
Like NCMom says it's just good to know how to use both type of guns.
Thank you!!!!! all of you are so helpful! :-)

[Andy79]

Oh I have another question.........
For a concealed carry, which is better a semi-auto or a revolver OR is it just preference?

Thanks!

[Voodoochile]

I would deffinitly try the different methods listed in the Cornered Cat web sight, I've trained my wife how to use my M1911A1 .45ACP & after a few sessions I built her a custom .45ACP that incorporated recoil management & grip feel that best suited her.

Now she sometimes can out shoot me.

Good luck & safe shooting.

[glockman19]

My wife has had trouble pulling back the slid on my glock 26 & 19, she also doesn't care for the recoil of my j-frames.

I'm looking inot a .380 for har be Khar, Walther, or Beretta.

[Mat, not doormat]

As far as auto vs. revo, the auto is generally flatter in profile, especially ones fed by a single stack magazine. Most autos will have an easier to learn trigger than a double action revolver. An auto will also carry 7 to 20 rounds, instead of five or six. However, an auto can also fail to feed, fail to eject, double feed, and a number of other problems. With a revolver, a high primer can keep the cylinder from rotating. Other than that, they rarely malfunction. the revolver shooter's maxim is "Six for sure."

~~~Mat

[Phil DeGraves]

The Walther P38/P1 or P5 all have twin small recoil springs making racking the action much easier. My significant other has no problem with them (and she has a problem with a lot of other guns since she has arthritis in her hands).
Also, 9mm 1911 Govt Models have easy springs as well and don't have the heavy D/A trigger pulls either. She prefers that one to all others.

[Deanimator]

For a concealed carry, which is better a semi-auto or a revolver OR is it just preference?
It's a matter of preference based on, among other things:

1. Body size and type
2. Preferred method of carry
3. Proper holster design

I recently got my Ohio CHL. I had a Don Hume inside the waistband holster for my S&W 3" Model 65 revolver. The day I got my CHL, I bought a cheaper Bianchi inside the waistband holster for my Glock 19. Contrary to EVERY expectation, the revolver with the better IWB holster works FAR better than the flatter auto with the bargain IWB holster. I didn't buy an expensive holster for the Glock because I didn't know if it'd work for IWB at all. Because of price related design compromises, the Bianchi is significantly inferior to the revolver holster, both in terms of comfort and safety. I've carried the revolver significantly more often than the Glock, not because I don't like the Glock, but because it's so much EASIER to carry the revolver with the proper holster.

If you have friends who carry concealed, ask to try their guns and holsters or other means of carry. It saves a LOT of money.

[Tom Fury]

also offer something to push/pull against, rather than simply using grip strength to haul the slide back pinching the serrations. The S&W autos like the 3913 with decocker safety mentioned above come to mind. Other advantage is the safety can be engaged before/while racking the slide, and you're not likely to disengage it while doing so. Always used to teach the Slingshot/Cornered cat method, or the crossbody push pull as described above.
Cheers, TF

[M2 Carbine]

At present I'm teaching three ladies to shoot.
I'm allowing them to shoot many guns to help them decide on which guns they want for defense. Not being able to pull the slide has disqualified some guns.
Personally I don't like Glocks but all three ladies have had no trouble with the Glocks I borrowed for them to shoot.
One of the ladies even shot a 249/250 with a Glock 17 on the Texas Concealed Carry qualikication.:)

[phast12]

My wife has the same issue with several of my guns but has no issues with racking the slide on her Glock 19 or 26.

[mljdeckard]

The main reason I prefer (and my wife as well) autos over revolvers is we don't like double-action pulls, where the hammer is down on the revolver, and your pulling the trigger pulls the hammer back, rather than single action, where the hammer is already cocked and you pulling the hammer just trips it, and the slide traveling rearward cocks it again with each shot. We only use 1911s, which are ONLY single action. You cock it, place it on safe, and carry it that way. Uncomplicated, easy trigger pull.

Most agree that if you use a revolver for defense, even though most of them can be cocked manually before you fire, on a carry gun, you should only use double action, since the single action pull is usually very light, and there is no way to place the weapon on safe if the hammer is cocked on a revolver. Autos can be placed on safe or decocked if the hammer is cocked.

As for the original question, I find it's really not so much that women (or men for that matter) can't rack the slide, it's just a mechanical action they aren't used to. I know many women with normal strength who rack the slide normally, they're just used to how hard they have to hold the slide, and which muscles they are going to use to rack it. Absolutely, use the grip/push to get started, and this is never incorrect, but over time, most people just get used to it, and out grow it. It's not strength, it's knowing what to expect.

[NCMom]

A lot will depend on how you intend to carry and what your normal style of dress is, or how flexible you are willing to be in changing your style of dress.
Your particular body shape and size will also be a determining factor. `
If you plan to carry in a purse, either type should be fine. Weight may be a determining factor more than style. Bear in mind, if you go for too light weight in a larger caliber, you may experience more recoil, so there are trade offs.
There are also fanny packs that would hold either fairly well.
If you normally dress wearing bulky sweaters or sweatshirts, either should be easy to conceal.
If you tend to wear lighter weight fabrics with tucked in blouses, a fairly sleek style semi-auto may be your best bet.
If you tend to wear jackets/blazers or long vests, either style may be ok.
If you are physically flexible and wear wide leg slacks or jeans, there are ankle holsters.
If you find something you like, see if the shop has a holster you can try with the gun. Find where it is most comfortable for you to wear and to draw from. Do some bending and stretching as you would in your normal daily activities. Sit down! The biggest issue I find is that something I can wear standing up will jab in the ribs or thigh when sitting if the gun is in the wrong position.
If a .32 or .380 is acceptable, look at Seecamp. If you want 9mm, Kahr Arms makes the MK9. Both will take some practice working the slide.
In my opinion, finding the right holster and position to carry is every bit as challenging as deciding on the right gun.
Good Luck!

[rogdigity]

my (now wife) was excited to shoot with me when we first got together. I bought her a PA-63 and had the frame anodized purple for her for her birthday last year. she had a little bit of difficulty with the slide on it but i found that if she pulled back the hammer first then she didnt have as much trouble with the slide. she doesnt carry a pistol regularly or anything but it does help her when we go shooting. honestly, due to the little tiny aluminum frame, the gun kicks as bad as my 45! you can also usually find lighter recoil springs for the pistol. dont go too light though.

oh, another thing, she shoots left handed with all my right handed guns. she is appidextrous though and i have seen her cock them with her right hand before when her hands were tired from shooting all day.