Slide too stiff for elderly customer

PatriotGunsmith · August 28, 2013, 11:56 AM

An elderly man brought me 2 guns (Bersa Thunder380 and Ruger P90) his complaint was the slide is to stiff for him to load them . Is there anyway to lighten the pull? or lighter springs to use? any and all input will be much appreciated

g.willikers · August 28, 2013, 12:13 PM

Most folks don't actually know how to work the slide on auto loaders.
They go out of their way to make it hard.
Before messing with the springs and maybe creating reliability issues, show him this web video:
"Racking a slide with weak hands"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbayNc6D9HY

allaroundhunter · August 28, 2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatriotGunsmith

An elderly man brought me 2 guns (Bersa Thunder380 and Ruger P90) his complaint was the slide is to stiff for him to load them . Is there anyway to lighten the pull? or lighter springs to use? any and all input will be much appreciated

Okay, are you a gunsmith as your display name suggests?

Yes, there are ways to decrease the amount of strength required to rack the slide, but it won't be by much at all. It may be better. Instead I teach him the proper way (push-pull method). If that doesn't work then it is doubtful that changing the recoil springs will help.

**Tom Servo** · August 28, 2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Is there anyway to lighten the pull? or lighter springs to use?

Not really. The recoil spring provides resistance, and making that lighter will lead to cycling problems.

Review his technique, and if that doesn't help, consider a revolver.

PatriotGunsmith · August 28, 2013, 02:18 PM

Thank you all for your insight, and I didn't think there was anything I could do to get it as easy as he wanted, I just wanted to check if there was something out there. I will offer him a good trade deal and set him up with a revolver ... Thanks again for the input

SIGSHR · August 28, 2013, 02:52 PM

Perhaps they need some breaking in, or smoothing out? Using a lighter recoil spring usually cause problems when more powerful ammunition is used.

nanewt02 · August 28, 2013, 05:37 PM

You could make a custom slide racker that screws into the slide

Rifleman1776 · August 29, 2013, 08:30 AM

My wife, age 70, cannot rack my American Arms Walther style PX22; her Beretta 21A or my Ruger LCP.
She also cannot shoot the AA first shot with double action and the 21A is very difficult for her. She will cock first if time permits.
Age does bring problems. We may have to consider changing to revolvers and lose some of the concealability.

Jim Watson · August 29, 2013, 08:47 AM

If good technique is not quite enough, tell him to cock the hammer before racking the slide. The mainspring is part of the unlocking resistance.

**4V50 Gary** · August 29, 2013, 08:04 PM

I was helping an elderly female try to acquire a pistol. The DA trigger pull on a revolver was hard for her and her thumb wore out working the hammer. Besides, this meant firing would be very slow as it required manual cocking for each shot. The only pistol I found she could handle was the Glock. It didn't matter if it was the tiny 9 mm Glock 26 or the bigger Glock 20/21. At least she could rack the slide on a Glock. Your elderly friend may want to try one of them.

nanewt02 · August 30, 2013, 02:52 PM

Get the cocking handle from a semi auto shotgun and fit that to the slide

Onward Allusion · August 30, 2013, 03:29 PM

Teach him to push the frame forward instead of pulling the slide backwards. The movement is much more natural and all he has to do is hold the slide tight.

**4V50 Gary** · August 30, 2013, 07:23 PM

Look up cornered cat (PAX) and read what Kathy has to say.

Clark · August 31, 2013, 09:00 AM

I have made a 42 pound triple recoil spring for a 45acp Patriot and a 48 pound triple recoil spring for a 9mm Glock 19. Almost no one else can rack these. It is not the pulling strength that limits people, it is the grip on the slide. It takes some real squeezing to hang on to the slide.

I have plotted slide force being racked and allowing to return forward in my dual recoil spring 1911 Commander.
Notice how both friction an hammer cocking force cause a hysteretic loop in the difference between going back and then forward.

August 28, 2013, 11:56 AM	#1
PatriotGunsmith Junior Member Join Date: July 23, 2013 Posts: 2	Slide too stiff for elderly customer An elderly man brought me 2 guns (Bersa Thunder380 and Ruger P90) his complaint was the slide is to stiff for him to load them . Is there anyway to lighten the pull? or lighter springs to use? any and all input will be much appreciated

August 28, 2013, 12:13 PM	#2
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Most folks don't actually know how to work the slide on auto loaders. They go out of their way to make it hard. Before messing with the springs and maybe creating reliability issues, show him this web video: "Racking a slide with weak hands" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbayNc6D9HY __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 29, 2013, 08:04 PM	#10
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	I was helping an elderly female try to acquire a pistol. The DA trigger pull on a revolver was hard for her and her thumb wore out working the hammer. Besides, this meant firing would be very slow as it required manual cocking for each shot. The only pistol I found she could handle was the Glock. It didn't matter if it was the tiny 9 mm Glock 26 or the bigger Glock 20/21. At least she could rack the slide on a Glock. Your elderly friend may want to try one of them. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

August 30, 2013, 03:29 PM	#12
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	Teach him to push the frame forward instead of pulling the slide backwards. The movement is much more natural and all he has to do is hold the slide tight. __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

August 30, 2013, 07:23 PM	#13
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Look up cornered cat (PAX) and read what Kathy has to say. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

August 28, 2013, 02:18 PM	#5
PatriotGunsmith Junior Member Join Date: July 23, 2013 Posts: 2	Thank you all for your insight, and I didn't think there was anything I could do to get it as easy as he wanted, I just wanted to check if there was something out there. I will offer him a good trade deal and set him up with a revolver ... Thanks again for the input

August 28, 2013, 02:52 PM	#6
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Perhaps they need some breaking in, or smoothing out? Using a lighter recoil spring usually cause problems when more powerful ammunition is used.

August 28, 2013, 05:37 PM	#7
nanewt02 Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Posts: 249	You could make a custom slide racker that screws into the slide

August 29, 2013, 08:30 AM	#8
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	My wife, age 70, cannot rack my American Arms Walther style PX22; her Beretta 21A or my Ruger LCP. She also cannot shoot the AA first shot with double action and the 21A is very difficult for her. She will cock first if time permits. Age does bring problems. We may have to consider changing to revolvers and lose some of the concealability.

August 29, 2013, 08:47 AM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,529	If good technique is not quite enough, tell him to cock the hammer before racking the slide. The mainspring is part of the unlocking resistance.

August 30, 2013, 02:52 PM	#11
nanewt02 Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Posts: 249	Get the cocking handle from a semi auto shotgun and fit that to the slide

August 31, 2013, 09:00 AM	#14
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	I have made a 42 pound triple recoil spring for a 45acp Patriot and a 48 pound triple recoil spring for a 9mm Glock 19. Almost no one else can rack these. It is not the pulling strength that limits people, it is the grip on the slide. It takes some real squeezing to hang on to the slide. I have plotted slide force being racked and allowing to return forward in my dual recoil spring 1911 Commander. Notice how both friction an hammer cocking force cause a hysteretic loop in the difference between going back and then forward. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

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