What semi auto pistols are easy to rack?

Ducksledfish said:

Alternative is shoot 38s out of a smaller 357. Probably avoid the internal hammers due to trigger pull.

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For consideration, the softest shooting factory loaded .38 Special that I know of is 148 grain wadcutters. Typical muzzle velocity in the 700 fps range and muzzle energy around 160 to 170 ft. lbs. Put that into a steel frame gun weighing 30 or so ounces and felt recoil is soft.

No worries about limp wristing a revolver (which can cause malfunctions with a semi-auto), but you still have to be strong enough to pull the trigger through.

https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/ammo/38-special-wadcutters-for-self-defense/

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1000477420?pid=366708

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1657453406?pid=910560

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021031525?pid=846286

What will the gun be used for?

Casual shooting? Home defense? Carry gun?

What are the complaints about the 380 EZ?

The 380 EZ is VERY easy to rack, and a good choice for that reason. And it has mild recoil.

Among 380s, the S&W EZ has a locked breech design and has a softer recoil impulse than a blowback 380 like the Beretta Model 84.

The recoil issues are usually about gun design. A semi-auto has a longer recoil impulse because the slide moves. Revolvers transfer the recoil immediately.

There is some very low recoil 38 Special, but it's made for plinking and self defense - see below. Another alternative is to just shoot target wadcutter ammo in the 38 Special because it has low recoil. Another option is to shoot 38 Short Colt. It has less recoil than the 38 Special wadcutter.

super low recoil 38 Special - but they have changed bullets and I don't know how much recoil their current product produces: https://mattsbullets.com/ammunition/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=28

This thread, "So you want to buy your girlfriend/wife a gun" may be helpful.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/so-you-want-to-buy-your-girlfriend-wife-a-gun.564531/

I don't know much about your mom and her gun knowledge or physical condition, but I'm an adult male, and I don't like shooting little revolvers. They have a short sight radius that makes them tough to shoot accurately, often have heavy trigger pulls, and since they are small and light, recoil can be uncomfortable. I much prefer shooting full size semi-auto pistols as they usually have reasonably light triggers, carry a lot of ammo, and are usually large enough to handle recoil fairly well, but I acknowledge not all shooters can make them work properly.

A "carry gun" and a "home defense" gun may be different guns, and may require different compromises.

For racking a slide there is this from "The Cornered Cat" https://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

I often argue, if someone can shoot an auto pistol without issue, but has trouble racking a slide, you could load it up and rack the slide for them, and they may never have to rack the slide again.

Having said all that, let her choose what she is comfortable with.

I have a SW 380 EZ. It works well no problems. Also the Walther PK380 is another one that the slide is easy. I have one too. Very reliable.

I don’t agree with the Cabelas guy. If you can find one of these, a Ruger LCR in 22LR, I would highly recommend it for a 70 year old lady that doesn’t go to the range much. The trigger pull is not bad and obviously recoil is as mild as it gets.

Some flaws in that CC article.

Covering the ejection port style of overhand racking is safe enough on an empty pistol. Not such a good idea to clear one though.

It gives us better grip doing it this way. If I'm soaked, this is how I'm racking to clear a fault. Hopefully, the failed round doesnt go off on the way out, but that's mostly a 1911/2011 issue.

Another technique that's helpful for newbs: TAKE THE DARN MAGAZINE OUT!.

I can't fathom why too many instructors fail to mention this to ease admin loading or admin press checks.

The magazine in high cap modern pistols adds a ton of friction to the slide. Pop it, and its twice as easy to rack.

Lock the slide back. Put mag back in, release the slide from the lever, or a quick yank. Your choice.

You can also skip grabbing the slide at all. Charge the pistol off of a table or counter top. Use the rear sight. Ok, we dont want a newb sweeping their feet, so at first, do this just to lock the slide back on an empty gun. Then insert the mag at a normal position.

While not optimal. They'll refine their skills eventually and be able to rack as well as anyone. Dont act like "trouble racking" is a permanent problem, or that only easy to rack pistols are all they're stuck with.

Easy to rack:
Gen 3 9mm Glocks

Olde farty 9mm DA/SA's. Beretta m9, CZ75, Ruger P95, etc. Cock the hammer first to ease racking. No mag, and hammer back, the recoil spring alone offers little resistance.

Kahr p9? I forget the Kahr models, but some where very easy to rack. I'll let the Kahr guys handle that one.

Maybe try to find big heavy revolvers with weak .38 or 9mm calibers.

Zerodefect said:

Olde farty 9mm DA/SA's. Beretta m9, CZ75, Ruger P95, etc.

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My only trouble with the CZ75 is the small slide grip area. As I age, I find myself needing a slide built like a 1911. My little RM380 with greater grip area is surprisingly easy to rack compared to my CZ75D PCR.

re: .380 ...

LockingBreach .380s will almost always be easier to rack than BlowBacks.

The latter usually depend upon additional slide mass and a stronger spring to better handle the recoil energy.

A snub nose 22lr is what you need, for somebody who doesn't shoot, cant pull slide back, will never be able to clear a jam, may not cut the safety off. Stick with snub nose longer barrel is just giving the bad guy a handle to grab. The ruger LCR as stated above would be a good choice.

Snowman357

.22 Mag revolver. Maybe .38 special shooting target load wad cutters. anyone who can't easily rack a semi-auto and clear a jam, and get the mechanism and work it, should have a revolver IMHO. being able to shoot it, and get off more than one shot - is more important than what cartridge it is loaded with in my opinion. the single action of a revovler can be cocked with the palm of the off hand while holding the butt of the grip down on any surface if strength is an issue. nobody is going to stop an army with any hand gun, so - the most important factor in self defense IMHO is don't be completely defenseless. any firearm solves this basic issue well IMHO

A revolver. A Ruger LCR in .38 or as suggested 22M.

3C

Ducksledfish said:

Hello, hoping for advice on a handgun for my mom (in her 70s)

She will probably go to the range a few times, then leave in her nightstand for peace of mind

I was thinking revolver for simplicity.
Guy at cabelas was pretty strongly pushing away due to trigger pull and kick.
He was suggesting an an S&W MP shield EZ in 380.
It did seem really easy to actuate, and 380 does kick less than 38 spl.

Seems alot of complaints around that model though (cycling issues and stovepipe complaints seem to be all over the web), anyone have thoughts on easy to work pistols for a lady in her 70s?
Probably limiting to 380 or maybe a 9 due to kick.
Alternative is shoot 38s out of a smaller 357. Probably avoid the internal hammers due to trigger pull.

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As folks get older, the limiting factor in handguns is often declining grip strength.

Revolvers have been a popular recommendation, but double-action trigger pulls may be too heavy to be manageable and cocking the hammer for single-action use may be too slow. Revolver recommendations also tend toward smaller models which exacerbate recoil; there is nothing wrong with a mid-sized revolver for nightstand use.

Racking the slide can be a problem for semi-autos. The force needed to rack the slide is greater on striker-fired designs compared to hammer-fired designs and is generally greater as pistols get smaller (for a given caliber).

S&W's Shield 380 EZ was designed around ease of use. The slide is ridiculously easy to rack; I can do so with the tip of my pinky finger on the front sight. The magazines have tabs on the side of the follower that help greatly with loading. Other important aspects of the EZ are that it has a full grip, relatively big sights, and can be purchased with a relatively large ambidextrous thumb safety.

Stovepipe complaints seemed to be concentrated in earlier EZ models (my wife's was initially problematic, but has been fixed). One consideration for the EZ's stovepipe issue was that it occurred on the last round in a magazine. My wife's attitude was that she would rather have 8 usable rounds of 380 and possibly a stovepipe rather than 5 or 6 rounds of .38 in a revolver (and my wife was an active revolver shooter for decades).

Ducksledfish said:

I was thinking revolver for simplicity.
Guy at cabelas was pretty strongly pushing away due to trigger pull and kick.

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FWIW, my wife Carrie’s a LCR specifically because it’s the one she finds easiest to manipulate. And they make it in a number of calibers. You can shoot some pretty light loads in the 327 version, availability and ammo cost could be an issue.

I wish I could do more to answer the actual question but l, like I said my wife’s solution to the same problem was a LCR.

One issue we've had with new shooters and the Shield EZ is their unfamiliarity with the grip safety resulting in a failure to fire because the safety is not fully depressed. Often more of a problem with individuals lacking hand strength.

Ducksledfish said:

Yeah, I've been wondering myself if many complaints on the EZ are due to insufficient strength.

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Okay, I'll try this again. What will the gun be used for?

Ultimately, you should probably take her to the gun store and let her decide what she can and can't operate.

For an elderly person with strength issues, I suggest a Ruger 10/22, with a lightweight polymer stock, loaded with CCI 40gr Velocitor or CCI 36gr Minimag HP. It'd be a lot easier for her to manipulate and shoot more accurately than a handgun, especially under stress. Mount a quality shake-awake reflex red dot sight on it (and nothing else). Get her trained up in how to use it and then take her to the range once a month to keep her proficient.

While a 9mm Ruger PC Carbine would be a better choice, wound ballistics-wise, it's heavy.

Good luck.

Ducksledfish said:

Hello, hoping for advice on a handgun for my mom (in her 70s)

She will probably go to the range a few times, then leave in her nightstand for peace of mind

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fxvr5 said:

Okay, I'll try this again. What will the gun be used for?

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Looks like a nightstand gun, which means home defense for most folks.

Shawn Dodson said:

For an elderly person with strength issues, I suggest a Ruger 10/22, with a lightweight polymer stock, loaded with CCI 40gr Velocitor or CCI 36gr Minimag HP. It'd be a lot easier for her to manipulate and shoot more accurately than a handgun, especially under stress. Mount a quality shake-awake reflex red dot sight on it (and nothing else). Get her trained up in how to use it and then take her to the range once a month to keep her proficient.

While a 9mm Ruger PC Carbine would be a better choice, wound ballistics-wise, it's heavy.

Good luck.

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Makes me think of a 10/22 Charger pistol for home defense. There was a company not long ago that outfitted Charger pistols with lasers for older folks with eyesight and hand strength issues.

It was a non-takedown model without a brace, just fired with one hand on the forend and one hand at the pistol grip. Held low like a hip fired sub-machine gun and aimed with the laser.

https://www.ruger.com/products/22Charger/models.html

I can't seem to find the videos I remember seeing of this set up being fired by older folks.

chicharrones said:

Looks like a nightstand gun, which means home defense for most folks.

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Gotcha. Sorry, I completely missed the obvious. My bad.

My late mom generally liked guns but wasn’t a gun person. She ended up with a new model single six. While it wasn’t ideal in many areas, it was her speed. The bearcat was I her radar too but she didn’t like the half cock.

We have a friend, who’s probably about a 55 year old lady. We got her an lcr in 22 but she couldn’t pull the trigger except using two fingers. She loved it other than that. She traded it for a Ruger 22 semi auto. I forget the model.

I suggest a 22, of whichever flavor suits your Moms fancy.

Ducksledfish said:

Yeah, I've been wondering myself if many complaints on the EZ are due to insufficient strength.

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After major reconstructive surgery on her hand, my wife has minimal grip strength, but she has no problem at all with the EZ's grip safety. While the grip safety is very easy to depress, the critical part is holding the gun's grip so the hand actually presses on the safety.