gun with an easier to rack slide

[LVSteve]

there's a big recall going on from S&W because of hammer issues, and a lot of people are having problems with the last round in the mag stove piping, or failure to feeds

AFAIK the EZ 380 is the model with the stovepiping, not the 9mm. Our EZ380 has been trouble free, touch wood.

Finding guns that are easy to rack usually means going down in caliber or up in size. My wife find all the locked breech Sig 380s (238, 250c, 250sc) dead easy to rack. In 9mm she is also able to rack a Ruger P95 with relative ease, along with my hammer fired Grand Powers with their rotating lock up system. The fullsize Star pistols like the Super B and the 30M are easy to rack, but they both weigh 40 oz or more loaded.

 

[VaTom]

Assume you don't want a 22LR? If 22LR is under consideration the Ruger SR22 is very easy to rack . Totally reliable when using quality ammo but will eat anything you feed it. Only recall one failure to fire over the 8 years I have owned it and it was with Federal bulk. I carry mine loaded with CCI Velocitors when I am trout fishing as it easily fits inside the zipper pocket in my waders. DA/SA with a de-cocker safety. A fine 22lR.

 

[bubbatime]

Ruger Mark IV. She will love it.

Ruger 10/22 with a 25 round magazine. Will get the job done.

 

[BB57]

A few thoughts….

1. All other things being equal a locked breech pistol will have a lighter recoil spring and it will be easier to rack the slide.

Compare for example the Kimber Micro and the RIA Baby Rock, both in .380 ACP. The Kimber is a locked breech design and it is much easier to rack the slide with the lighter spring.

2. Again all other things being equal smaller cartridges require lighter recoil springs. For example consider the Walther PP or Bersa Thunder in .380 ACP, .32 ACP and . 22 LR. The have progressively lighter recoil springs that require progressively less effort to operate the slide.

3. I’ve found for some women it’s easier for them to rack the slide is they hold the pistol in their right hand and then anchor their right forearm firmly against their hip, hold the slide firmly with the left hand, and then push with their right hand while also rotating their right hip forward.

4. Revolvers conveniently avoid the whole issue of racking the slide.

5. The Beretta Tomcat with its flip up barrel negates the need to rack the slide at all. A small lever pops the barrel up and open so the first round can be inserted, and then the barrel is pressed back down. The other rounds then feed from the magazine when the slide cycles under recoil. It’s made in .32 ACP, which is minimal from a self defense perspective, but far better than nothing.

The Beretta Bobcat is similar but in the .25 ACP and .22LR. They used to make one in .22 Short.

My mother in law carried this one. I never had much confidence in the terminal ballistics of the .22 Short round, but she did and that’s what counts. It is surprisingly accurate, very concealable, and will deliver 7 rounds very quickly. I’d seriously consider the .32 ACP version as a back up.

 

[hittman77]

any suggestions?

1. Revolver. If number of rounds is a concern, I think some in 22LR or 22 Mag are made for more than six.

2. If she can function a Glock 43 I highly recommend one of those.

3. NO to the Ruger LC series. I may be in the minority but …. I’ve owned 4 and they were all bad enough to be traded away or sold. And my 22LR LCP was completely unreliable. Easy to rack? Yes. Count on it to go bang? NO.

 

[zzclancy]

Revolver

My Grandmother carried a revolver ... who said it was a must for older folks to have to deal with loading magazines and racking slides .
She could shoot and reload that 5 shooter with nary a problem .
She liked Speed Strips ...kept two in her purse .

More than one way to skin a squirrel ... consider options that don't need racks .
Gary

I was think revolver also.

 

[sigp220.45]

Why does she need to rack the slide? Does she plan to go to the range by herself? Or is she planning to keep it with an empty chamber?

Otherwise, who cares? Do you think she’ll be in a situation where she’ll need to do a tap-rack-bang?

To answer your question though, I have a Beretta Model 87 .22 and a baby could rack the slide.

 

[Texchappy]

As someone with compromised strength, went with the 380ez. Both my wife and I have one. Hers went back for recall but neither has had an issue at all since purchased new.

 

[dmar]

The Sig 250 is a very easy slide to rack. They don’t make them anymore, but are pretty easy to find, and not very expensive.

 

[Kenna]

Thats why the wife has model 66 loaded and available!! Shes more comfortable with revolver, thats not to say she wont grab auto if necessary.

 

[quikdraw67]

1. Revolver. If number of rounds is a concern, I think some in 22LR or 22 Mag are made for more than six.

2. If she can function a Glock 43 I highly recommend one of those.

3. NO to the Ruger LC series. I may be in the minority but …. I’ve owned 4 and they were all bad enough to be traded away or sold. And my 22LR LCP was completely unreliable. Easy to rack? Yes. Count on it to go bang? NO.

Agree about the LC series. When my LC9S would not reliably feed it was time to go bye bye.

Went back in to a J frame and never looked back. EDC is a 442 NL.

 

[LVSteve]

Agree about the LC series. When my LC9S would not reliably feed it was time to go bye bye.

Went back in to a J frame and never looked back. EDC is a 442 NL.

The LC9 series are tough to the rack. I shoot other small 9mm pistols better, so my LC9s may also go away.

I have a LC380 that is easier to rack but somehow I've never got it to the range. It's still tougher to rack than a Sig 250 or 290 in .380 ACP

 

[Gene L]

As a substitute for difficult racking pistols rather than selling them, you might try the Handi-Racker. I've got a P7 with a strong spring, the Handi-Racker makes it easy for my aged hands.

 

[csurp34]

I have a Glock 17 Gen4 that was hard to rack but doable.


My Glock 43X GEN 5 is ridiculously difficult so I went with this charging ring and it solved that problem.


If you go with a Glock, caveat, it is a bear to install so maybe better to buy locally and have them do it. I eventually sent my slide to Glockstore for the install.



Slide Pull Charging Handle for G42/43/43X/48 | Best Glock Accessories | GlockStore.com


I added similar to my Ruger MK IV Hunter because the charging tabs are sharp! First time I shot it I was wondering where the blood was coming from? Two fingers on my left hand. Problem solved.


Ruger(R) Mark IV™, Mark III™ & 22/45™ Charging Handle | TANDEMKROSS

 

[coltle6920]

A lot of suggestions here but for the most part that's all they are. I'm not being snotty. I have less experience than most on this Forum. Most new gun buyers aren't asked enough questions when buying a firearm. There's more to a firearm than just shooting it.

Some would suggest just putting ones firearm in the drawer and buying another one. Since there were numerous examples of what the OP's mother could use it could become very expensive.

Am I ignorant to think that all new firearms have a breaking in period? A little extra oil on the rails can help speed up breaking in a new firearm.

Maybe a better firearm for the OP's mother would've been a used one that already has numerous rounds through it. Obviously we can't think of every question to ask when accompanying someone to make that first purchase.

I'm don't agree with modifying any part of a firearm unless it belongs to you. Things that could happen are called unexpected for a good reason. They are unexpected and could be worse than one thought.

I have found a fondness for Beretta firearms with the tip up barrel. You insert a loaded mag and then one in the barrel chamber and there's no need at all to rack the slide. I have one in 22LR and just ordered one in 32 ACP. Nothing could be simpler and still pack a punch.

 

[wormraper]

dang, the P250... I forgot about that one. And you're right, it had a butter smooth slide.

 

[csurp34]

I'm don't agree with modifying any part of a firearm unless it belongs to you. Things that could happen are called unexpected for a good reason. They are unexpected and could be worse than one thought.

Not sure what you mean here but a charging ring is hardly a modification if that is what you are addressing.

The gun operates exactly as it did before except that you now have something sturdy to hold onto when racking.

To each his own.

 

[coltle6920]

Not sure what you mean here but a charging ring is hardly a modification if that is what you are addressing.

The gun operates exactly as it did before except that you now have something sturdy to hold onto when racking.

To each his own.

I wasn't referring to anything specific. An addon is one thing. Cutting coils on the spring or replacing the spring with a lesser one could affect the operation later on as the gun gets broken in. Down the line the next owner could be left scratching his head wondering what the issue is.

IMHO

 

[noonster]

Rack issues

Couple of things. I spent the better part of my life doing labor type work for a living. Now in my silver years my body parts (shall we say) don't work like they used to, like, I suppose the OP's. A guy spends his whole life shooting semi-autos and is told get a revolver? Yeesh. Stick with what he's used to. "Old" is confusing enough - you'll all find out soon enough. I would say there are a couple of good solutions in here, tho'. I'm REAL surprised that the gun makers don't take their older customers seriously enough to address the "grip" problem we come to. There's enough of us that they ought to give us some attention, and I'm (ticked?) that we're not. Got that offa my chest. Other: Semi auto dept: I don't think anybody - brigands especially - would like to get a couple of 22LR's in the throat. There's a number of them that work well and can be pretty accurate at in-the-house distances. I've toyed with the idea of drilling and installing a short bolt in a side of one of my slides to make that grip thing work better. Will try one of the other things first. Also considered getting a real long extension on my barrel bushing so I can just jam the whole thing down on a table/whatever to rack the slide. I don't care what my heirs think of what they're getting for free. Nuff.

 

[xtrtsqrt11]

A few thoughts….

5. The Beretta Tomcat with its flip up barrel negates the need to rack the slide at all. A small lever pops the barrel up and open so the first round can be inserted, and then the barrel is pressed back down. The other rounds then feed from the magazine when the slide cycles under recoil. It’s made in .32 ACP, which is minimal from a self defense perspective, but far better than nothing.

The Beretta Bobcat is similar but in the .25 ACP and .22LR. They used to make one in .22 Short.

My mother in law carried this one. I never had much confidence in the terminal ballistics of the .22 Short round, but she did and that’s what counts. It is surprisingly accurate, very concealable, and will deliver 7 rounds very quickly. I’d seriously consider the .32 ACP version as a back up.

Didn't Beretta make a similar variation along this line with a .380? The tomcat is still in production, but I'm sure that .380s could be had...