Can't Rack Ruger EC9S 9mm

[WmMunny]

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?

[L-2]

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/newModelB...le/models.html
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product...rs?caliber=9MM
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product...+S%26W+SPECIAL

And .357Magnum revolvers can shoot .38Special, instead.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product...ber=357+MAGNUM

[Jim Watson]

This widget works
https://www.amazon.com/Handi-Racker-..._rp_0_8_i&th=1

[L-2]

Post_3 has a great idea and for sure, the cheapest, but most reliable thing to try, vs, changing a recoil spring.

[Jim Watson]

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.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by WmMunny

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

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.

[L. Boscoe]

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.

[throttleup]

Get a Ruger Security .380.

[WmMunny]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

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.

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....

[Jim Watson]

As he carries it with an empty chamber, that's a real problem.

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.

[WmMunny]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

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.

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..

[Jim Watson]

So he is not now carrying anything?

[smee78]

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.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by WmMunny

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.

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.

[FrankenMauser]

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).

[gwpercle]

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

[44 AMP]

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.

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.

[jar]

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.

[jetinteriorguy]

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.

[Jim Watson]

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.

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

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.

I used to do this until the time I drew the gun and the safety happened to become engaged while holstered. Luckily it was only during practice with snap caps. Ever since then I’ve just trained using the safety.

[44 AMP]

The lesson I learned many years ago (fortunately painlessly) is that if there is ever the possibility that you will need to use a gun without having the time luxury to think about each step is that it is important that the gun you have then, and the gun you practice with be the SAME, if not exactly the same gun, the same in their method of operation.

Defensive handguns are in that group for me.

In that sense, every DA revolver works exactly the same way. Semi autos are varied and if you vary the type you carry for defense, odds are high that when you do need it, the one you have won't be the one you know "instinctively".

IN my case, the lesson was taught to me by a pheasant....A friend dropped by, said he had seen a deer up the canyon, but all he had with him was his Browning Sweet 16 shotgun and some bird shot and he wanted to borrow a deer rifle....
So, I loaned him one, and went along, and he gave me his shotgun to carry in case we put up a bird.

Never did see any deer, but did flush a pheasant. Lined out headed straight away, a clout shot, so I mounted the gun, punched the safety off and fired.
Nothing...
actually repeated the process twice more before the bird sailed out of range, punched the safety OFF pulled the trigger,
nothing, not even a click. Chamber WAS loaded, I KNEW that since I did it...

The problem here was the safety. My shotgun was a Winchester model 12, one I had decades of experience with. So what I did, without thinking about it was what was the right thing to do for my model 12, where the safety is in front of the trigger.

Trouble was, I was using my friend's Browning, where the safety was behind the trigger. Acting on instinct (my training) was not the right thing to do for the gun I had in my hands at the time. I think that could be a very BAD thing using a pistol for defense. Pick one kind of operating system, and stick with it. Otherwise, Murphy can visit at the worst possible moment, if you get my drift...

[wild cat mccane]

I feel totally good with my decision to carry without loaded. He's not wrong about odds. I've never been convinced why people get so impassioned to state otherwise. Meh.

There is the VP9 wings attachment already posted from Amazon, grip taping the slide for purchase, but there are no DPM Systems like spring system out there for the LC9/EC9/PF-9. (https://www.dpmsystems.com/en-gb/e-s...eduction/ruger)

The answer is no. Nothing mechanically exists to lighten the pull weight for his gun. There are only grippy adding ideas.

[WmMunny]

OP here...

We went out in the woods along with his buddy who carries a Ruger LCP II .380-- the regular model, not the Lite Rack version.

Buddy invited my neighbor to put a couple of magazines through it-- which he did. And whaddya' know. He could easily rack and shoot it-- though he called it a squirmy little b****** (which in fact it is).

He said that gun is close enough to his EC9S that he could get comfortable with it. We plan to hit the LGS this weekend to see about picking one up-- hopefully they've got one in stock. And yes, he knows he'll need a lot of practice with it

One more thing guys--please save the rants about a .380 not being "enough" gun ;-)

[Jim Watson]

A .380 he can operate is better than a 9mm he can't.