What semi auto pistols are easy to rack?

If it has to be a semi-auto, a 380EZ. My friend is knowledgeable about handguns and wants to have his wife try one. She finds the G43 a bit harder to shoot than she prefers. I examined a 380EZ at the range gun store. The slide is very easy to rack.

Better for a non-shooter who isn't going to practice and may be frail is a 32 magnum revolver with a decent trigger.

My wife is not a gun person and has damaged wrists. She can shoot 32 H&R just fine. Its recoil is minimal, and it's an effective caliber . The trigger on her Charter Arms 32 H&R is pretty good. She can shoot it with decent accuracy at close range. There are no safeties or magazine releases to think about. On the rare occasion I am out of town, I leave it out for her (though her large aggressive dogs make it somewhat irrelevant).

No slide racking is needed. The 32 would be the better choice. A 380 if found is not a good choice for senior lady with weak hands. Use FMJ for most reliable results.
IF her fingers are really weak get it in single action. That may likely have to be a .25 acp.

Beretta 950 is a simple blowback pistol with a single action trigger

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Ducksledfish said:

Wasn't you...I went back and edited my original post after you asked. I guess it does not show up as edited (long time lurker here, but first post)

1. She's never owned one so wants to check that off.
2. Shoot with the grandkids a few times
3. Home defense, but no carry.

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Thank you.

Since this ends up being an issue of what she can manage, a trip to the gun store is in order. There she can handle and manipulate a variety of handguns. If looking at a revolver, check out the Ruger LCR. It has probably the best double action trigger of revolvers. They also make the LCRx, which has an external hammer, so it can be used single action. But if these are to hard for her to operate, then no other double action revolver would be right. But there is single action, even with double action revolvers with an exposed hammer. Another option is to have a trigger job on a revolver. That can reduce the trigger pull quite a bit.

Recoil in light alloy revolvers with 38 Special can be unpleasant. Here, wadcutters, Matt's special ammo or 38 Short Colt ammo is the way to go. But regular 38 ammo in one of these light guns is unpleasant even for me (adult male lots of trigger time). An all-steel revolver will absorb more recoil and make regular ammo tolerable for most people, and more so with heavier guns.

I have three S&W EZ 380s. They have all been reliable. And they have the easiest slides to rack and magazines to load. Their recoil is mild, and are one of the most fun guns to shoot at the range for that reason.

Go to a store that can also let you shoot guns before you buy them - if that is an option in your area. That should guarantee she will go home with a gun she likes.

Ducksledfish said:

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?

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I won't tell you exactly how old my wife is, but she isn't allowed to contribute to her IRA anymore, and she carries a Smith M&P Shield EZ 380 because the slide is easy to operate, and its "kick" isn't bad enough to irritate her arthritic right thumb joint.
On the other hand (no pun intended), our daughter traded "up" her Shield EZ 380 to a Shield EZ 9mm, and she told my wife that her 9mm doesn't kick any harder than the 380 she had. Well, there you go with that "perception" thing - my wife ran a few rounds through our daughter's 9mm Shield EZ, and my wife says, "It does TOO kick harder than my 380."
BTW, my wife is not new to handguns, and she's not a wimp about recoil. She was one of the top IHMSA competitors in the state back in the '80s, and she literally ran tens of thousands of full house 44 Magnum rounds through her two 10.5" Ruger "Super Silhouette" revolvers. The thing about that is though, my wife has a shelf lined with IHMSA trophies in a basement bedroom now, and she has arthritis in her right thumb joint that is probably (at least in part) the result of her doing what she had to do to win those trophies.

gc70 said:

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.

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There's that too - my wife has enough grip strength, but she had to train herself to grip her Shield EZ "high enough" to depress the safety. As I said, she's ran tens of thousands of rounds through revolvers, but she grips revolvers "lower," and she always had problems with semi-autos not cycling right until she learned to grip them higher. Now that she's learned though, semi-autos run just as well for her as they do for me. We took Idaho's "Enhanced" Concealed Carry class together (me with my Sig M-11 A1 9mm) a few years back, and my wife ran a hundred rounds straight through her Shield EZ without a single hiccup. When the smoke cleared (pun intended), the instructor compared her target to mine and said, "I wouldn't make her mad if I was you."
BTW, it does concern my wife and me that in an emergency, she might forget to grip her Shield EZ "high enough." That's why she practices with it a lot.

Sorry, I'm getting old - I completely forgot what I was going to say.

In a semi-auto I would go with a S&W Shield EZ in .380. Another alternative in an easy to operate .380 (but a rather expensive one at that) is the Beretta Model 86. It features a tip-up barrel which allows the gun to be loaded manually without having to rack the slide to chamber a round. Magazine holds 8 rounds and it weighs around 24 oz. Some show up on the various gun auction websites from time to time.

Coyote3855 said:

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.

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Ducksledfish said:

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

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If my wife can shoot hers about anyone can. Her hands are in terrible shape. She had a problem at the very first with not gripping the gun high enough but quickly figured that out. The goofy grip safety on this and the 9mm version tend to make you want to grip it too low to start with. Both versions of the EZ are certainly easy in slide racking and mag loading. No one makes a grip sleeve sleeve for these but I cut down one for a Glock to where it would fit and eliminated the grip safety annoyance and just depend on the side safety like so many guns do. The sleeve even made the recoil a bit less.

chicharrones said:

Ducksledfish said:

mom ... in 70s ... leave in her nightstand for peace of mind

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Makes me think of a 10/22 Charger pistol for home defense.

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10/22 is easy to "rack" the charging handle and how about 110 round drum magazine for capacity?

LiveLife said:

10/22 is easy to "rack" the charging handle and how about 110 round drum magazine for capacity?

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Lol.

The Charter Arms Undercoverette 32 revolver would be a good option. They seem to be readily available in online stores. I haven’t seen any Ruger 32 LCRs in stock in quite a while.

There are several companies that make aftermarket “slide rackers” that can be added to some striker fired pistols.

The widest variety seem to be for Glocks.

Google a bit and see what you can find

-Stan

Walther CCP M2 380. Wife (70) loves it and I enjoy shooting it myself. Much better trigger than our S&W EZ Shield 380 which we sold
The right size, soft recoil, and good trigger.

I’m going to stick my neck out here and suggest looking at the Ruger 57. Very easy to operate slide, 30% less recoil than 9mm and it has a large ambidextrous safety.
I’d stay away from tilt barrels and grip safeties as over complicating things.

I’m not sure how easy to rack a P9 slide is. I can do so easily but I have fairly good strength all the way around. My wife still had some issues.that’s why I bought her the 480 ez. I got a really good price. I am super curious about the Walther. I haven’t seen one out.

We have four 380EZ's and all have been flawless in operation
Two are stashed in vehicles, one is a range gun, and the other used to teach new shooters
VERY easy operate in all respects but single-actions and autoloaders aren't for everyone
If they lack strength to work a slide they often cannot hold firm enough to prevent limp-wristing
But an all around great firearm for both new and seasoned, it is highly underrated

We also have a number of LCR's both snub and 3" in several calibers
The 3" in 38 Special using mid-range full wadcutters is a WONDERFUL shooter
The DA pull is light & smooth, easy for weak hands & fingers
The recoil is very mild and very similar to the 380EZ but "different"

The 22 Magnum LCR 3" has almost no recoil, the DA pull is a bit stiffer than the 38 but still light
If the person can manage thumbing the hammer then you add another layer of use

Both the EZ and LCR are light and offer a full size adult grip that helps make them easy to grip and use
I've taught numerous new shooters on both and they became instant fans of shooting

Just my perspective

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.

Thanks in advance!
I mainly duck hunt, so not a big pistol shooter, any advice welcome.

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Kahr's are relatively stiff to operate... NOT for a weak shooter
The 380EZ is a breeze to operate whether the magazine is in or out

Things like a "press check" or racking a slide on a table are NOT suited to a new shooter
Keep things simple and basic, dont over complicate

Lastly, the LCR has two visual and one tactile loaded chamber indicator

Zerodefect said:

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.

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snowman357 said:

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

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An extra inch of barrel isn't going to give a bad guy squat over a snub, frankly thats just silly
But an extra inch will tame already light recoil even more, reduce blast and flash
It will also provide better sights which will greatly help the shooter

Coyote3855 said:

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.

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The EZ's grip safety requires effectively zero strength to depress/hold
Improper grip is the reason people have issues with the grip safety, not strength

Bazoo said:

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.

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The Single-Six is a very good option
Simple to use and easy to cock
A very safe firearm for new shooters and those likely not to practice much

Skinny Pete said:

The EZ's grip safety requires effectively zero strength to depress/hold
Improper grip is the reason people have issues with the grip safety, not strength

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Agreed. I’m having to teach my wife about proper grip where she just holds it correctly without fixating on it. Muscle memory takes a bit to build.

Had a similar problem with a petite, grown daughter. She had some familiarity with guns (hunted and took a deer with me), but wasn't a regular shooter. Got her a .38 Centennial, but the recoil was too much for someone without the time (or desire) to practice much. On the other hand, she likes having a gun. Went with a .22 Centennial, and I slicked up the trigger.

BTW, prefer Centennials; if you cock an exposed hammer, it will need to be uncocked. That can be tricky ordinarily, but it is downright treacherous in the middle of an adrenaline dump.
Moon

Measured weights to rack a slide:

S&W 380 EZ = 11.0 lbs
S&W 30 Super Carry EZ = 14.0 lbs
Glock 9mm G19 Gen 3 = 15.75 lbs (well used!)
Beretta Model 84 380 Auto = 18.25 lbs (blowbacks suck)
S&W M&P9 9mm 4.25" barrel = 16.0 lbs

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.

Thanks in advance!
I mainly duck hunt, so not a big pistol shooter, any advice welcome.

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So now do you feel any better about putting a gun in your 70 year old mother's hands? If you REALLY need advice, well you got it, but how do you sort out the fly specks from the pepper in this thread or is all crap?

Arrange a time and a place where she can handle some of these guns mentioned in this thread AND MORE. Then of the 4 or 5 she may actually want to try to shoot, get some ammo and let her try loading, unloading and you'll be lucky if there are still TWO she actually wants to shoot and you won't have a prayer of guessing what those will be from the advice in this thread.

If she don't want to go that far, she doesn't really want a gun. Spend the money putting better locks on her doors or moving her to a better neighborhood.

I think the biggest issue is the OP’s mention of the likelihood of little or no practice after shooting it initially a couple of times. IMHO, for those “no practice” folks, a double action revolver is the simplest, best, choice. Find a steel frame, .38 spl, DA revolver, with a 4” bbl ..... have someone slick up the double action if it is too stiff. If you use light target loads, the recoil should be comfortable, and they’ll still be ok for close range defensive purposes. If .38 spl target loads are still too much, get a .22 lr revolver.

No love for the SIG P238? I find them very easy to rack. Also, if you get the all-steel HD model, the weight does a lot to minimize felt recoil.

Oops -- just checked the SIG website, and the P238 appears to be discontinued, except for the bizarro CA-compliant model, with its weird pop-up loaded chamber indicator. Oh well ...