slide racking and aging

C

charliek

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I'm 81 and arthritic and am having increasing problems racking the slide on 1911s, There must be better ways to do it than gripping the rear. Any suggestions?
 
Stand sideways (to gun's point of aim) w/ pistol at low chest level.
Grasp whole slide with whole hand and to shove rear....
 
snap-the-slide-back.jpg
 
these examples are how I have always handled my slide. works for all of the problems I have because all of the muscles are involved rather than only two fingers.
 
Pretty much both at once. I set the thing exactly parallel to my chest, grab slide far back of the ejection port, and using both arms, just push towards center. Each arm uses half of the required work. each finger does equal work. the thumb isn't having to grip anything.
 
As said, with the gun held close to the body, hold the slide steady and press the frame forward to rack the gun. Use the same method to to lock the slide in place.

The other thing is to place the rear sights against a fixed object like a table top, fence post, shoe heel, etc. and push the frame forward.

tipoc
 
Agree with the above statements. The first thing should be cocking the hammer. That makes it 4x easier just by doing that.
 
"...and arthritic..." This is the key. It's basically the loss of the usage of one's hands. You need to go to a lighter load and return spring. And that assumes the arthritis allows you to shoot a .45 without being too painful.
Plus the Push/Pull. And being very conscious of where the muzzle is pointed and having you finger out of the trigger guard.
 
charliek said:
I'm 81 and arthritic and am having increasing problems racking the slide on 1911s, There must be better ways to do it than gripping the rear. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Define the problem more precisely. Are you having difficulty moving the slide in relation to the frame or in maintaining a grip on the slide as you rack the slide?

Several good techniques are mentioned above that help focus the force needed to move the slide in relation to the frame. However, an inability to maintain a grip on the slide is an entirely different problem that is rarely even acknowledged.

I was humbled with respect to slide racking when I injured the ulnar nerve in my left arm (thankfully now healed). Overnight, I lost grip strength in my left hand to the extent that I could not even squeeze the dog's soft plastic ball enough to make it squeak. When I went to the range, I thought I would use some of the great slide racking techniques to move right along. And I had plenty of force in my wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc. to potentially rack the slide of any of my guns. In fact, I had plenty of force to rip the slide out of my left hand's grip every time I tried to rack a slide.

If your problem is inadequate grip strength, you may need to take a different path. While not for 1911s, here are several types of products that shift racking force away from grip strength: a ring; a single wing, and; a double wing. The HK VP9 has "charging support" wings built into the slide.

tipoc's advice about pushing the frame after locking the slide against a fixed object is probably the best expedient method to overcome grip strength deficiency.
 
You need to go to a lighter load and return spring
Click to expand...

That's me.
I have .45 ACP guns, reloading gear, and components I don't want to retire or sell just because my hands aren't as good as they used to be.
So I load light. A Midrange Minor power factor load sets me up for IDPA ESP instead of CDP and a Major power factor load, about 85% of factory service ammo, should do to repel boarders.
 
Not trying to be a smart a--, BUT if it were me I would shelve the 1911 for a revolver. If I couldn't afford to buy a revolver, I would trade the 1911 in for one.

Why take a chance?...You are only giving up a round or two in capacity although mastering a double action trigger pull may also be a challenge, depending on the severity of the ailment
 
While maybe not a perfectly ideal solution, your difficulty recalled reading about the device below that is a stand that you push the gun against to aid in cocking it.

https://thecockbloc.com

Truly a terrible name for the product. Perfectly descriptive, but googling it could go terribly wrong very quickly.
 
Check this out - http://www.bamcollc.com/products.html - it was designed by a gunsmith friend of mine and his father. It really helps to overcome grip strength issues and increases leverage when racking a slide, I've tried it and it really works. Plus, it will work with just about any size pistol, including 1911s.

s800050190107779248_p2_i1_w640.jpeg
 
Thank you for all the above comments. I have a similar problem to the OP but find a lot of the suggested remedies ineffective because I also have weak fingers due to arthritis. I am looking for a small semi-auto in either .380 or 9mm that has an easy slide to rack. So far I like the SIGSauer P938. Does anyone have experience with this gun or suggestions for another firearm with an easy return spring? Thank you!
 
arthritic racking

I use a red dot..old eyes, so I removed the rear sight and replaced it with a one finger cocking lever. With the hammer back it makes cocking the 1911 a breeze.
 
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