Difficult to rack slide.

[joeintexas]

I carry the Shield 45 and have owned the 9 and 40 also. I can verify the 45 is easier to rack than either of those. I wanted the wife to see if she liked the 9mm Shield, she couldn't rack it at all. Doesn't seem to have a problem opening the cylinder on her Sp101 though!

 

[oldiegoldie]

my handi-racker arrived and i was impressed enough to order the "small" H-R also. i've made my living as a farmer/rancher for about 60 years and physical labor has been the daily regimen. there comes a time when the strength just isn't there and a little assistance is needed.

 

[Ldouc]

Difficult to lock slide

They are more difficult to rack than most other brands, but should be pretty easy for a big guy with some strength. Could be the technique you're using. Take a look at this guy's video.


M&P Shield - Watch this video BEFORE you buy one! Also - HOW TO properly rack and lock the slide - YouTube

This video was extremely helpful. I have been having difficultty locking the slide and now after watching it is so much easier. The trick for me was pushing up on the slide lock as I push the slide back. Before I would push the slide back and then push up on the slide lock. Thank you so much for your help. LD

 

[SchemaEnigma]

My wife has arthritis and cannot... as in CANNOT... rack the slide on my full size M&P 2.0 9mm. We have tried several techniques.... can't be done.

I wanted a smaller gun for EDC, so I bought the Shield EZ 9. Problem solved. The EZ line is a great gun for a certain segment of the market. Kudos to S&W.

 

[touchoneoff]

My wife has arthritis and cannot... as in CANNOT... rack the slide on my full size M&P 2.0 9mm. We have tried several techniques.... can't be done.

I wanted a smaller gun for EDC, so I bought the Shield EZ 9. Problem solved. The EZ line is a great gun for a certain segment of the market. Kudos to S&W.

The EZ is a great option for people with limited hand strength. Glad you were able to find her an option.

 

[mrmike7189]

I see an older post has been revived, and I posted here about my Shield.

Here's the update: The harder-to-rack slide and stiff slide stop got fixed when I sold the Shields (both .45 and 9mm) and bought a CS9 and 4513TSW. Then I picked up a 3914 LS and a Sig 245 just for variety.

No more hard to rack slides, no more stiff slide lock, and I've got four guns I am comfortable carrying, work flawlessly, and give me enough firepower for where I live and what I do.

While I liked the Shields (especially the .45) I like these guns a lot more.

I like the shield, but what I really wanted was a 3rd gen 9mm. Picked up this 915 w/2 15 round mags. Shoots a little left for me, but all metal and a great range gun .

 

[AppStFan]

The TacRack, ArachniGRIP tape, and the push-pull procedure are about all that I have found to make racking the slide easier. In spite of being hard to rack, I still really like the Shield.