Arthritis & Semis

D

Doc Holliday 1950

New member
Who makes the easiest semi to rack that is also considered to be a great SD semi? Ass indicated, I have fairly bad arthritis. I stopped using Semis because I could not rack and load and vowed that I'd only have 357 wheels.

I DO NOT LIKE THE LIGHT WEIGHT POLY STUFF!! Only steel. So, what are your recommendations and why. The Forum has always been a great teaching entity and I trust and value all most all of your opinions.


Doc
 
My Colt Government 380 is fairly easy to rack. I am assuming it's because of the locked breech design rather than blowback.

We have the same friend named Arthur.
 
While I'm definitely not a fan of DAO pistols, I recently handled a Sig P290 that was purchased by a friend, specifically because they needed a slide that was easy to manipulate. I was very surprised at how easy it was compared to any of the ones I own.
 
A Beretta 950 does not have to be racked. It was purpose designed for people like you and I. I also have arthritis and this little pistol is ideal for me. It is very small and fits easily into my pants pocket. It is in .25 ACP which of course is not a big man stopper. That being said, it holds 9 rounds, is very reliable, extremely accurate, and is better than a big gun that you cannot use.
 
The Beretta Tomcat in 32acp also has a tip-up barrel that doesn't have to be racked. IIRC there is also a less common 380 version.
 
CZ75B (steel frame) and Beretta 92FS (alloy frame). Both a little large for carry, but easy to rack and both have very light felt recoil.
 
When I decided to get my CPL I took a class that allowed me to shoot a variety of handguns. My off shoulder was frozen at the time, and there was no way for me to rack a slide with my left hand. During the class I had to hold a pistol in my left hand to rack the slide with my right. My gymnastics drew the attention of one of the instructors who asked what I was doing, but anyone who has never had a frozen shoulder, which is similar to arthritis, cannot know how painful it is.

The awkwardness of having to switch hands prompted me to do some research. Women often complain about not having the strength to rack a slide, and I found a women-oriented website that claimed anyone could do it with the right technique. The right technique is to use your off hand to secure the slide, then rack it by pushing the frame forward with your strong hand. In particular, the push came from rotating the hips counter-clockwise. It worked well for me, as my weak and throbbing left shoulder did not move during the manuever.

In short, try racking the slide like a girl. There are various websites and YouTube videos that discuss the issue. I think the site I found useful was something like The Cornered Kitten.

Also, try using a lighter recoil spring. A lighter main spring may help, too. And, manually cocking the hammer reduces the force needed.
 
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I DO NOT LIKE THE LIGHT WEIGHT POLY STUFF!!
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To bad. They seem to be the easiest to work. At least among all the different autos I have, they are. They also seem to be the softest shooters.

Im starting to get a little in my hands and wrists as well. I guess it is what it is. I just keep working them so they dont get stiff.

Hmmm, you didnt mix up the Aleve with the Viagra, did you? :)
 
I have arthritis too...and as a result, I shoot a lot more 9mm than I used to.

In a 9mm, by far my favorite gun, is an all steel, full sized, 5" barrel 1911 with a 13# recoil spring. The weight of the gun helps reduce muzzle flip and recoil ...and the 13# spring makes it easy to manipulate the gun. Picking a 1911 with cocking cerrations on the muzzle end and breech end of the slide - helps as well if my hands are bad that day.

I prefer Wilson Combat 1911's... and would recommend a couple of their more affordable models like the CQB or Protector .... but there are more and more decent 1911's out there these days in 9mm ( Springfiled, CZ, Sig, Colt, etc ) - but Wilson Combat goes the extra steps and makes a fine gun. My 9mm is a Protector model - all stainless - coming up on 9 yrs old and about 90,000 rds thru it now...and even with arthritis I manage to get to the range and put 6 - 8 boxes a week thru it with my Tactical Drills.

On my better days, I can still shoot my revolvers or a .45 acp for a box or two...but on days when my hands are bad....its a 9mm 1911 for me.
 
AK,
Are you sure about the Poly being the softest? in the wheels I've owned the steel models always eats bthe recoil better than 6he Poly stuff.nBut like i said I'm a total novice on this.

Big Jim,
Thanks for the info on the 1911's. I hear all about them but haven't a clue which to check out.
Doc
 
Doc,

To me, my 9mm Glocks are softer shooting than the steel/alloy frames guns in the same caliber I have or have had. Best I can recommend is, if you can find a couple to shoot and compare, give it a try.
 
The link below is what Limnophile has referred to. I found this last year while doing research for my wife. I also find myself using the technique because it is easier to power the gun by holding onto the handle of the weapon and moving it forward verses pulling the slide back.

http://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

There is another alternative but it could be very difficult if you are carrying, having your local gunsmith weld wings on to the rear of the slide so that you can pull it back like a claw (saw that on a certain, now-defunct TV show).

Best of luck to you.
 
As a big fan of 1911's in 9mm, and for someone wanting steel, I have to agree with others. They are incredibly soft shooting guns, as they really do suck up the recoil.

They will be easier to rack the slide than a CZ75 or Beretta, as there is a larger profile to the slide than the others. I own a 75, and have owned a 92FS in the past, so I know the platforms well enough to give my honest opinion.

Not sure I would recommend a Wilson Combat. While a very nice and well made firearm, be prepared to spend upwards to $3K or more on a new one.

I have two from Springfield, that have been stellar performers. One will be difficult to find, as it has been discontinued, the Loaded model. The other is the Range Officer, which mine has 6000 flawless rounds through it.

If you are not shooting hot rounds, you could probably get away with an 11# recoil spring, so racking should be relatively comfortable.

While not my favorite brand, Kimber has all sorts of 9's. Colt has a couple as well. For 2016, Dan Wesson will be expanding their 9mm offering considerably.

Another good one is the STI Trojan or Lawman.

See if an LGS in your area has one to fondle.
 
Question.
There have been excellent suggestions
To my post. The rack question has been
Answered & also the question about
construction steel vs poly
so my last question is,
What would you chose having your
Top budget of $650.
Thanks everyone. This is very serious
for me.
Doc
 
If you are interested in a 9mm pistol of the 1911 type, I like my Star Super B very much. After he shot it, my FiL liked it so much that he bought one too. We paid less than $250 OTD.Mine had been shot very little, and his was LNIB.

I haven't paid attention to them being easier or harder to rack than our other 9mm pistols, but we both prefer large steel service pistols. All of my 9mm's have hammers, so when my hands are bothering me I just cock the hammer before I rack it.


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IIRC there is also a less common 380 version.
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The Beretta Model 86 Cheetah is a tip-up barrel model. Very nice pistol but now discontinued.

The full-sized 9mm Beretta PX4 has a slide that is very easy to work and the pistol also has light recoil. My wife has difficulty with her hands due to a medical condition and the PX4 is one of her favorites. She says that the H&K USP might recoil slightly less, but that the PX4 slide is the easiest to work of the 9mm pistols she's tried.

The CZ-75 slide is pretty easy to rack and the gun has very low recoil due to its weight. However, the gripping area on the slide is small compared to other similarly sized pistols which makes it slightly harder to operate.

In your position, I would at least try to handle all of the guns mentioned as good candidates in this thread. Most of them are fairly common and therefore it's also likely that you can shoot at least some of them if there's a range in your area that rents guns.
 
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