Can't Rack Ruger EC9S 9mm

W

WmMunny

New member
My 80 year old neighbor no longer has the hand strength to firmly grip the rear of the slide and reliably rack his EDC Ruger EC9S 9mm pistol. I suggested he buy one of the easy-rack compact guns but he said he really likes the EC9S and would like to modify it if possible.

Any way to do that? Install a weaker recoil spring or (ugh) clip a coil off the existing recoil spring?

Maybe I should just try to convince him to get a new pistol that he can rack.

Ideas?
 
Convince the neighbor to choose a different firearm, such as a revolver.
I like my semiautos, but I still maintain my revolver skills.
I'm not far behind in age of your 80 year old neighbor.
The EC9S is a 7+1 round 9mm pistol.
There are various .38 Special (similar to 9mm ballistically) and even some 9mm revolvers from with 5 round to 8 round capacities.
He'll need to get over getting old and get into enjoying revolvers.


https://ruger.com/products/ec9s/models.html

https://ruger.com/products/lcr/overview.html
https://ruger.com/products/sp101/overview.html
https://ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/models.html
https://www.smith-wesson.com/products/revolvers?caliber=9MM
https://www.smith-wesson.com/products/revolvers?caliber=38+S&W+SPECIAL

And .357Magnum revolvers can shoot .38Special, instead.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/products/revolvers?caliber=357+MAGNUM
 
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Post_3 has a great idea and for sure, the cheapest, but most reliable thing to try, vs, changing a recoil spring.
 
I have done “spring tuning” for several full size guns but would not mess with the compound springs on a lightweight slide like LC9s… and, yes, I have one.
 
WmMunny said:
Any way to do that? Install a weaker recoil spring or (ugh) clip a coil off the existing recoil spring?
Click to expand...
How does he grip the gun when racking the slide? If he's using the "pinch and pull" method, I'd suggest he switch to the overhand method.
 
second the motion on the overhand motion. I am 86, shoot 45's several times a week, and can rack the slide on a new Les Baer 45 right out of the box, although it was all I could do using the overhand method. After they were shot 500 rounds of hardball, that loosened them enough for me to rack them without much trouble, still overhand. I can't rack them (I have 2) by the pinch and pull. If his gun has been loosened up by shooting a few hundred rounds, the overhand method will take him to the rest home, which I hope is far in the future.
RRA offers a rail that has a pull feature on it that may be available for his gun, that is another option.
 
Aguila Blanca said:
How does he grip the gun when racking the slide? If he's using the "pinch and pull" method, I'd suggest he switch to the overhand method.
Click to expand...
I've watched him and he does use the overhand method. While he has no problems with full sized pistols, he can't consistently rack the little EC8S back all the way to feed a round. As he carries it with an empty chamber, that's a real problem.

The suggestions that he switch to a revolver are good ones. I used to work in sales...and I'll see if I still have my chops....
 
As he carries it with an empty chamber, that's a real problem.
Click to expand...

So he is carrying a "half loaded" (Cooper) gun that he cannot load.

I don't usually fall in with the Get a Revolver, Dummy, crowd, but he is a prime example of a need for a revolver.
 
Jim Watson said:
So he is carrying a "half loaded" (Cooper) gun that he cannot load.

I don't usually fall in with the Get a Revolver, Dummy, crowd, but he is a prime example of a need for a revolver.
Click to expand...

Well no, he's not carrying a gun he can't load. That's why he talked to me when he realized the racking problem to seek a solution.

We discussed Cocked and Locked carry as one option-- and he rejected it. His reasoning was that since he's no longer deployed in Vietnam and given his age. activities and routines, the likelihood of an accidental discharge exceeded the likelihood of him needing to defend himself with the gun.

As he put it, "The race ain't always to the swift nor the battle to the strong-- but that's the way to bet."

Kinda' hard to agrue with that, I guess..
 
If he doesn't feel the need to defend himself to his fullest extent, then why carry it at all? He doesn't feel the need to carry condition one, but can't rack the gun and won't change to a gun he can work?

If he already uses the overhand motion with the gun pulled close to his body then I have nothing else to offer.
 
WmMunny said:
We discussed Cocked and Locked carry as one option-- and he rejected it. His reasoning was that since he's no longer deployed in Vietnam and given his age. activities and routines, the likelihood of an accidental discharge exceeded the likelihood of him needing to defend himself with the gun.
Click to expand...
Speaking as a 79-year old Vietnam veteran, my view is that your friend has things backward. When I was in Vietnam, I was surrounded by a company -- or at least a platoon -- of other men who were all carrying guns. Back here in CONUS, I'm on my own. The likelihood that I'll need to use my carry pistol for its intended purpose is statistically small but, if it happens, I will need it RIGHT NOW!

I won't have time to fumble with trying to rack the slide on a gun I can't handle. I mostly carry a 1911 of one sort or another. I carry cocked and locked, because that's the best -- the ONLY -- way to be sure the gun will be ready when I need it. As has been stated, your friend is carrying an unloaded firearm. You can parse the semantics all you want -- if there isn't a round in the chamber, the firearm is not loaded.
 
I can't seem to find one right now, but there is a company that makes hooked charging handles with a rear sight, that replaces the rear sight on slides with rear dovetails.
It still may not be enough to help rack a compact 9mm.

The slide could be drilled and tapped, for a ring to be attached to the back (sides) of the slide - like Clipdraw or "Slide Pull" style rings. Perhaps that could help. Perhaps not.

Otherwise, it sounds like it is S&W EZ time.

I enjoy my revolvers and carry one somewhat regularly. But I think this old feller's choice of a semi-auto is valid - so long as he can find one that he can operate.

People with limited grip strength and range of motion are often shoehorned into J-frame sized revolvers (just like women), but it usually doesn't work out. Snappy recoil, small grips, and long DA trigger pulls that are often heavy make for something they can't hold on to, something that makes them gun shy, and/or something they can't shoot without using both hands to pull the trigger.

"A revolver is the answer," is really never the answer any more.
It was bad advice 30 years ago, and it is even worse advice today.
Suggesting a revolver only be operated in SA, in order to avoid the long and heavy DA trigger pull, doesn't get much traction, either. If a person can't pull the DA trigger easily, they are likely to have issues cocking the hammer easily - especially if someone ends up shoving a shrouded hammer down their throat, with only a little contact pad to work with (such as with the S&W 638).
 
If you want to stay with a semi-auto check out the EAA MC14T , the easiest loading 380acp on the market . No slide racking , the gun is loaded via a tip up barrel .
The loaded magazine is inserted and a button pushed , the barrel tips up a shell is dropped in chamber and pushed back down ...the gun is now fully loaded and reasy to go . www.eaacorp.com
Looks like 13 round capacity and SRP only $569.00
This seems to be just the thing for those with limited hand strength

I believe Beretta made or may still make a similar design called Tomcat in 32acp and a Bobcat in 22lr ...
Gary
 
I've watched him and he does use the overhand method. While he has no problems with full sized pistols, he can't consistently rack the little EC8S back all the way to feed a round.
Click to expand...

I would not recommend messing with the springs AT ALL.
Compact semi autos are often a "tighter" balancing act than full size pistols and any changes to the spring set up could invite malfunction.

Have him try this slight change to his method, instead of pulling the slide to the rear, just hold the slide "in place" and push the grip forward.

For some people this makes enough of a difference.

The slide racker gadget is a neat idea but I wouldn't be paying $25 for a plastic widgit that I could make out of scraps I already have at home. And, you still need a firm surface to push against.

Using the edge of a table, or anything similar is a time proven method, and does work, with differing degrees of ease depending on the amount of "meat" in the face of the slide around the barrel. Some guns, which have square, flat faces on the front of the sights can use the method easily, just hook the sight on the edge and push the grip down. Not the best thing for the finish, but that's a minor concern, isn't it??

I see the Ruger in question doesn't have any flat spot on the sights to use that method, though...

Changing to a different gun might solve his problem, but each different gun can have its own issues.
 
I'm another 80 year old and on good days I have no issue racking one of my 1911s or even the Savage 1907 that has a spring like the coil springs on a dune buggy.

But the not so good days are becoming increasingly common.

I have the aids but they are only really useful at the range.

But my Ruger Security Lite Rack, Walther CCP M2+ and S&W Ezs are pistols I can handle even on the really not so good days.

The Security 380 has the largest standard cartridge capacity but the Walther CCP M2+ 380 is by far the most accurate and controllable and repeatable pistol I own at SD distances.
 
I have an LC9s I’ve been carrying for years, it’s loaded with one in the chamber and the safety on. He might look for one with a safety so it’s technically cocked and locked.
 
I couldn't make up my mind which of two pocket pistols, so I bought both, a Glock 43 and an LC9s. The Ruger has a safety which is engaged in the drawer, but when I put it in a holster, I take the safety off so both little guns have the same "stroke", draw, aim, pull.
 
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