M&P 9 recoil spring options?

[Bruce in WV]

I'm looking at a M&P 9mm, either full size or compact, for my wife. She is worried about having the arm and hand strength to rack the slide. What are the standard springs and what are the options for reduced springs that still function reliably with modern JHPs (e.g. Gold Dots)?
I appreciate any help or practical advice you can offer.

[OKFC05]

The recoil spring must be matched to the ammo for reliable function. You will regret putting in an excessively light spring just to make it easier to rack the slide.

A rule of thumb is that the longer the spring and the smaller the caliber, the easier it is to rack the slide. Therefore, the M&P9 Pro is their easiest to rack.

However, there is a lot to learning the proper technique to rack a slide, and even a small woman can learn it effectively. In my instructor experience, most inexperienced students don't have a clue, and try to hold the gun near their body while pulling just the slide: WRONG!

Take a firm firing grip strong hand (finger off trigger), point the gun away, and turn sideways toward weak hand. Take a firm grip on the slide with the weak hand, and lock arms rigid. Using shoulders, simultaneously push strong arm forward and weak hand back, sling-shotting slide. It's easier to demonstrate than describe, but hopefully you get the idea.

A good class helps a lot.

[Bruce in WV]

We understand that slide handling technique plays a big part in the solution, and getting her into a class where she would feel comfortable as a 'senior female' is key. We're already looking for one near us, but its a tough demographic to find a teacher for. I'm thinking that private instruction from a competent female instructor is the way to go, and we're looking in that direction.

The second half of the process is to provide her with a high capacity weapon that will function absolutely reliably with the specific ammo we prefer to load it with. I'm wondering what the tailoring options are for spring strength vs. ammo in the specific context of the M&P 9 platform.