The bottom line is that almost all new Shields are hard to rack but with use, they loosen up and becomes manageable for most everyone. The suggestion to buy a used one is excellent because someone else has already done the hard work. My wife and I absolutely hated the Shield because of this problem when we bought it since we hadn't experienced similar problems with our G19. The advice I got on this forum convinced me to hang in there, and I am really glad I did. I love this gun.