The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old March 8, 2010, 10:56 PM   #1
Newton24b
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 10, 2009
Posts: 974
ergonomic features

why is the accepted tedius response to
"i/wife/gf/hand injured person cant work the slide on my semi auto pistol, or work the DA mechanism of my revolver, and have issues with the thumbs when pulling the hammer back"

always "get a semi auto pistol in a weaker cartridge to allow use of a gun with weaker slide springs (although smaller size of slide is never considered) or to get a revolver in say 32 mag?

lots of people can accurately and comfortably shoot high powered handguns all day, although many of these people have physical issues that preclude easy, safe, convenient operation of the semi auto slide, or the da mechansim of a revolver.

Why isnt even a 4th tier accessory company interested in making a product that lets these people use their current weapon, and not just force them into buying handguns in chamberings that most "experts" call suicide rounds?
Newton24b is offline  
Old March 9, 2010, 12:13 AM   #2
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 26, 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,649
Quote:
lots of people can accurately and comfortably shoot high powered handguns all day, although many of these people have physical issues that preclude easy, safe, convenient operation of the semi auto slide, or the da mechansim of a revolver.
Kind'a yes and kind'a no.

Recoil isn't much of a problem for my arthritis most of the time, but I can't always simultaneously grip and work a semi-automatic slide, especially if there's a fired cartridge case clogging up the works.

A hook of some sort, (hold the gun in one hand; slip two fingers through the hook handle, and pull,) that I could use to work the slide as needed would be a help. I use a small plastic thumb gadget to help load cartridges into magazines.

That saidâ„¢, I doubt a hook would prove much use in a gun fight.

I have a hunch the problem for an awful lot of people is recoil. The only bright idea I've ever had pertaining to that is a hydraulically dampened slide. Everyone I've ever mentioned that to has given it a thumbs-down.
__________________
No tyrant should ever be allowed to die of natural causes.
Standing Wolf is offline  
Old March 9, 2010, 12:22 AM   #3
w_houle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 29, 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 1,391
My google-fu must be weak, but wasn't there some mercury filled guide rods going around for a bit?
__________________
How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?
w_houle is offline  
Old March 9, 2010, 12:22 AM   #4
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,931
The problem is that nothing is free. "Free" in the engineering sense.

If you want a small, light gun, in a relatively powerful caliber you have to pay. You pay in reduced leverage which can mean a heavier trigger, especially in revolvers where you have to turn the cylinder and cock the hammer with the trigger pull. You pay in increased recoil. You pay in heavier slide springs or added complexity--and added complexity tends to go hand in hand with decreased reliability.

At some point you just can't balance enough of the variables and something has to give.

People with hand strength issues can go to larger (or full-sized guns) which are easier to operate and have less felt recoil due to better ergonomics and added weight, but that's generally not an option for concealed carry guns.

Or they can go down in caliber if they want something small that's also easy to shoot and operate.

It's not that makers are ignoring a market, it's that at some point you run into practical limits that can't easily be overcome.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old March 9, 2010, 06:15 AM   #5
mega twin
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 15, 2006
Posts: 434
would a beefed up pt22 type design work in larger calibers?
mega twin is offline  
Old March 9, 2010, 09:40 AM   #6
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 26, 2002
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,649
Quote:
The problem is that nothing is free. "Free" in the engineering sense.
Oh. Hadn't thought of it that way. Reality never ceases to surprise me.
__________________
No tyrant should ever be allowed to die of natural causes.
Standing Wolf is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:48 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06653 seconds with 10 queries