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August 28, 2013, 11:56 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: July 23, 2013
Posts: 2
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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
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August 28, 2013, 12:13 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
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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
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August 28, 2013, 12:27 PM | #3 | |
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Join Date: May 6, 2012
Location: Southeast Texas
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Slide to stiff for elderly customer
Quote:
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. |
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August 28, 2013, 12:27 PM | #4 | |
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Join Date: September 27, 2008
Location: Foothills of the Appalachians
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Quote:
Review his technique, and if that doesn't help, consider a revolver.
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August 28, 2013, 02:18 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: July 23, 2013
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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
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August 28, 2013, 02:52 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: September 13, 2005
Posts: 4,700
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Perhaps they need some breaking in, or smoothing out? Using a lighter recoil spring usually cause problems when more powerful ammunition is used.
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August 28, 2013, 05:37 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: February 25, 2013
Posts: 249
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You could make a custom slide racker that screws into the slide
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August 29, 2013, 08:30 AM | #8 |
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Join Date: April 25, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,309
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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 |
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Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
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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.
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August 29, 2013, 08:04 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
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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.
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August 30, 2013, 02:52 PM | #11 |
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Join Date: February 25, 2013
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Get the cocking handle from a semi auto shotgun and fit that to the slide
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August 30, 2013, 03:29 PM | #12 |
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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.
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August 30, 2013, 07:23 PM | #13 |
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Join Date: November 2, 1998
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Look up cornered cat (PAX) and read what Kathy has to say.
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August 31, 2013, 09:00 AM | #14 |
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Join Date: December 4, 1999
Location: WA, the ever blue state
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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.
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