Gun for wife - easy to rack slide?

One word: Kahr

Ah, now I understand. DA trigger pull. Some of the hammerless revolvers do have a very nice DA trigger pull, and a good smith can make them better. While at the gun show give them one more try. While a nice gun, the P22 is still a .22lr and not a very good SD weapon.

Another option might be the new Ruger LCP in .380 which is a quantum leap better than the .22lr for SD. It has a fairly light recoil spring since it has a locked breech instead of blow back operation. So, racking the slide may be somewhat easier, and recoil should be a bit lighter as well. Reviews I've read comment favorably on the trigger pull.

Gun for Wife

My 73 year old mother and my wife each carry a PT-111 Millenium pro. Ive got one also and like the heck out of it.

Taught my G/F push/pull and she carries a Sig P220 with no problems.

Have her try the Bersa Thunder .380. My girlfriend has arthritis but she doesn't have any trouble with the slide on the Bersa. She just cocks the hammer and then racks the slide. With plenty of range time and practice, it's now second nature for her.

My girlfriend has trouble racking slides too. My Bersa 380 is doable for her, and so is the Five Seven. I think that is so easy for her because the slide has "wings" molded into the rear which make it easy to grab.

You can tell where my minds at, I saw this as someone wanting to trade their wife for a gun...

My wife won't touch one but my 16 year old daughter has no problem with a Beretta 92F Compact, thankfully I have one sane female in the house.
My wife's an attorney, that fact gives new meaning to that wedding vow "until death do you part"... But somehow the "to love and obey" part was edited out.
Seemed like a good idea at the time, 25 years ago.

instead of limiting yourself to calibers that are easy to rack per soft recoil springs, why not have her engage in a hobby that builds some hand strength. You don't have to be the incredible hulk to rack a slide.

forgive me if she is disabled in some form, it isn't included in the OP, so I am assuming a normal situation.

you know, the whole tail wagging the dog thing.

Charge

+1 for revolver.....SW J frame

Try the Taurus 24/7 in 9mm. It seemed to work for my ex-gf after five pistol tries, including several already listed here.

S

Based on the guns I've handled and owned, the easiest-to-rack full-power handgun is the 9mm 1911. I imagine the Hi-Power should be right behind it. Another factor to consider is that greater length usually equals a softer spring tension to work against.
The Government Model is noticeably easier than the otherwise identical Commander.

Funderb said:

instead of limiting yourself to calibers that are easy to rack per soft recoil springs, why not have her engage in a hobby that builds some hand strength. You don't have to be the incredible hulk to rack a slide.

Click to expand...

Very seldom do I see this approach being suggested. Perhaps stepping up to the challenge and beating the problem is better than yielding to it and going for a subpar (in terms of power) gun? I'm not trying to be hostile but generally, I don't think giving up should be the first order of the day.

5 minutes a day with a grip strength trainer can go a long way.

Have a lot if experience in that area:

selecting something that weak
upper body, weak wrists and long fingers can slide
(and minimum 9mm )

here are the things that did not work:
Glock 22,20
sig 239, sig 229, sig 2022
Browning hi-power .40 (probably the most difficult one)
CZ-SP01,
Taurus PT 1911
Beretta 92, 96

----------
The ones that worked

STI LS9 -- the best
PT-111 Millenium pro 9mm-- very good
Eaa Witness Match 38 super
FEG P9R double action
Glock 23 -- if with the special grip sticker on slide, Ok

I recommend a Glock.
My wife has no problem racking the slide of my G22.
But she does have some trouble racking the slide of my CZ 75B.
The slide rides inside the frame and if offers less to grip.

My wife has a BTA-90 (9mm X 19) and a S&W Mod 10-5 2" (.38 special). She's a good sized woman at 5'9". Guess which one she carries and which one is her favorite range weapon...

I'll give you a hint...She carries the Mod 10 and loves to shoot the BTA-90 on the range. Of course I'm usually there to rack the slide for her.

i'd recommend the G19.

No decockers or "safety" to worry about under stress. The slide is easy enough when taught properly. At or around eyes height, not in the line of fire but up at periphery. AGGRESSIVELY rack back and push thru. The weak hand should smack you in the shoulder ...do it like you mean it.

My wife fits the G19 well and can do it right with ease.

.02

I say pick the biggest longest 9mm you can! I know the slide on my G27 is harder to rack than a G23, so I can only imagine some long slide 9mm is even easier...

One to avoid is the Sig 232. I have one and even 6'3" 250 lb me has trouble with that slide. No good grip surface and a strong spring. The spring might be what makes the pistol so reliable - very positive feeding.

+1 Cornered Cat site.

I believe it is mostly a matter of technique.

But that being said, I'd like throw a vote towards the Beretta PX4.

It has one of the easiest slides to rack in any semi-auto I've ever tried. And that's out of the box, no break-in.

It also has the added plus that the rotating barrel helps reduce felt recoil.

Have your wife grip the slide with her weak hand and hold it still. Have her grip the pistol grip with her strong hand and move the gun (her strong hand) and keep the slide in place (weak hand). The more you make it punch like, the easier it becomes. My wife couldn't work my FEG until I showed her this. The phoenix arms .22 is still difficult because of how thin the slide is (she can't get a good grip).

Take your wife out to the gun store and have her try the new LCP 380 by Ruger (provided you can find one). It may be a little stiff when new but after break in she should be able to handle it pretty well and it's small enough that she can carry it on her hip if she so desires.