Slide Hard to Rack

[ColColt]

I guess after all these years I should know the answer to this but I don't. My SW1911(and Ruger SR1911) see to be tougher these days to rack the slide than my old faithful 25 year old 4506, which is a breeze.

I have trouble racking the slide on the 1911's but none on the 4506 or the 4516-1. All have a 16# spring so you'd think they'd be equal. Any ideas? Maybe I've just gotten older and don't have the hand strength I once did. Surely that's not possible at only 70.

 

[rwsmith]

Do you use the.....

Do you use the cross weak arm across the body and grab the slide from the top and push the gun out to rack. I've gotten to where I can sling shot everything, but it's sometimes handy to use a more efficient muscle set.

 

[ColColt]

I've tried it both ways and it's pretty much the same. The springs in the 1911's just seem stronger.

 

[Jaymo]

Are they harder to rack with the hammer already cocked?
Do they have heavier hammer springs?
Do they have longer/tighter tolerance barrel links than a GI style 1911?

 

[ColColt]

No-with the hammer cocked, easy. They have the standard 16# springs. Both have been shot some 500 rounds through them so, the sear/disconnector should be pretty well broken in by now.

The 4506 has had a bit more at around 800 rounds but it's always been easy even when new.

 

[scooter123]

Heck Col, I'm only 61 but arthritis in both thumbs has pretty much eliminated using a Pinch Grip to rack almost anything. What I do now 100% of the time is the cross body technique rwsmith has described. While I'm fighting it tooth and nail I've resigned myself to the fact that no matter what I do I will be getting older and that will impose some limitations.

 

[ColColt]

I guess my thumb/fingers aren't what they once were but what is once you past 60+? It just seems a mite odd that the 4506(or any 3rd Gen pistol) has been easier to rack anyway you do it than the typical 1911 and I have to wonder why I'm just noticing it.

 

[paragain]

Got the same problem at 69, I hold the slide with my left hand across the top of the slide and pinch between the thumb and three finger and push the frame forward aginst the clinched slide. I do this with the hammer cocked, it take some of the pressure off the cocking effort.

 

[ColColt]

I've had 1911's since 1973 with my first Colt Series 70 Mk IV and don't ever recall a problem. Of course, I was but 28 years old then. I think I know the answer to my question but reckon I don't want to admit it and was looking for some other reason.

 

[Tinhack]

About 6 months ago I couldn't even cock a BB gun. I hurt my right wrist working on a tractor a year earlier then Rheumatoid Arthritis starting setting in just about everywhere. My RA was getting bad and the Aleve quit working. Along with the hurt wrist, I was loosing muscle mass from not using my right arm much. I had to give up carrying and shooting for a while as I couldn't even draw my pistol from the holster. Man, I was having withdrawals.

Finally went to a doctor and with "better living through chemistry", the RA is under control and I'm rebuilding muscle, carrying and shooting again. If your problem is strength, keep working on the slide. Start out for just a few minutes and take a day off. If you're not sore, bump the work out time but keep the day off in between. Work the slide until either hand or arm is tired. The rest day in between is important for the muscles; don't push it.

It took me a couple of months but I rewarded myself with a new Shield in 9mm as an EDC. But then I had a problem loading those brand new magazines. An UpLula solved that problem and the mags are getting softer (or so it seems).

Just keep working at it.

 

[ColColt]

I think one of the problems, at least, is I haven't shot much over the past year since my 12 year old Corgi developed DM. He now has no use of his rear legs, incontinent and has gotten some separation anxiety-barking if I leave the room.

I can't bring myself to go spend three hours at the range(counting drive time) and leave him. Today was the first time in a while I'd even picked up the S&W 1911. Probably playing around with it at least once a week would give more strength back to that left hand that currently sees little duty.

Just as important, I found out last range trip, I can't focus on the front/rear sights and target at the same time. If I use the upper part of the glasses for seeing the target, then the sights are blurred. If I tilt my head up a bit and look through the trifocal section the sights become sharp but the target goes blurry...just can't win.

 

[Tinhack]

Focus on the front sight. The rear sight and target should be out of focus somewhat. Work on your sight picture too by dry firing. Concentrate on your front sight and trigger pull so that the sight picture doesn't move. It's really easy to get out practice or loose the touch.

You don't need a range to practice that. Hang a printed target on the opposite wall and practice the sight picture and trigger pull. It'll come back.

 

[haertig]

Just as important, I found out last range trip, I can't focus on the front/rear sights and target at the same time.

Wwwaaaiiittt... You said you're 70, and you JUST NOW found out you can't focus on the sights and the target at the same time??? Heck, I found that out at 50! You're doing much better than me (almost 60 now). The only way I can use open sights is if I use my single-focus piano/computer glasses. Trying to use my bifocals (progressives, actually), I have to tilt my head so far back it looks like I'm trying to line up my nostrils with the bore. Besides being painful and inefficient, I look like an idiot. I finally gave in and put a red dot sight on one of my pistols. Man, is that nice! So much easier to shoot. But the red "dot" is more of a "fuzzy comma" to me with my astigmatism, but at least I can still shoot fairly well with this comma. For rifles, I just can't do open sights any more. Peep sights/tang sights or a scope are what I have to use now. I've tried lasers. I guess those work OK. But with my reduced steadiness with age, it looks like a dancing disco light show on the target. People get motion sick just looking at it.

 

[martybee]

I'm 85 and can't see the sights and target at the same time, so I focus on the front sight, Then the target. switching back and forth. Thankfully, I am by my self most of the time at the range. I find I have to shoot at a close distance. (7-8 yrds.) to even see or hit the target! Getting old is no fun, but considering the alterative....!
.

 

[star1]

I got these stick on bi-focal lenses and put them at the top of my glasses just for my dominant eye, works pretty good for me. They come in different strengths , just got to a store and try out some reading glasses in front of your regular glasses to get the right strength

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[joeintexas]

Wish I had the answer for you, I have just the opposite problem. My 4566 seems much harder to rack than either my S&W 1911 or Ruger SR 1911. I guess we could go do a little shooting together and just trade guns. All mine have 16 lb. springs also.

 

[ColColt]

I found out a long time back I couldn't see the front/rear sights and target well...amazing what you forget when you don't do it at least now and then. Between getting back into an old photography habit, taking care of my dog around the clock and not shooting it's sort of like math. If you don't do it often you get rust and forget a lot.

I did at one time have some device who's name doesn't come to mind right off, that you stick on your glasses with a rubber suction cup and a tiny peep section you look though that brings everything into focus...IF you could get it to stick and stay. It never worked well, kept falling off or wouldn't stick and I threw it away one day after getting aggravated with it.

Odd, I have a 45-70 Browning 1885 that uses a vernier rear sight with a Hadley eye cup that gives the choice of different sized "holes" to look through. The front has inserts and you choose the circle size you need for a bulls-eye at 100 yards. Everything comes into focus with that setup.

joeintexas, I'd gladly swap my SR1911 for your 4566.

 

[joeintexas]

It would be hard to part with the 4566, sure is a soft shooter.

 

[federali]

Try this.

If you cross your non-shooting hand over the top of the slide so that your thumb and index finger are facing rearward, you are essentially just using your arms to rack the slide. If you grip the rear of the slide with your thumb, index and middle fingers, so that your fingers are facing forward, you can get your more powerful shoulder, back and waist muscles in play and virtually eliminate arm strength entirely. In fact, you just have to shrug your shoulders to work the slide.

 

[ColColt]

It would be hard to part with the 4566, sure is a soft shooter.

I understand totally.