slide racking and aging

charliek · December 9, 2017, 07:48 AM

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?

mehavey · December 9, 2017, 08:31 AM

Stand sideways (to gun's point of aim) w/ pistol at low chest level.
Grasp whole slide with whole hand and to shove rear....

FITASC · December 9, 2017, 08:48 AM

Push-pull method as explained on thecorneredcat website (by moderator PAX, aka Kathy Jackson)

Jim Watson · December 9, 2017, 08:52 AM

And if you need more help, cock the hammer first.

Skadoosh · December 9, 2017, 09:53 AM

briandg · December 9, 2017, 10:05 AM

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.

SonOfScubaDiver · December 9, 2017, 11:46 AM

Do you pull the slide back or hold it steady and push the frame forward?

briandg · December 9, 2017, 12:05 PM

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.

tipoc · December 9, 2017, 12:28 PM

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

larryh1108 · December 9, 2017, 12:32 PM

Agree with the above statements. The first thing should be cocking the hammer. That makes it 4x easier just by doing that.

tipoc · December 9, 2017, 12:36 PM

Yeah, what Larry said.

tipoc

T. O'Heir · December 9, 2017, 12:52 PM

"...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.

gc70 · December 9, 2017, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliek

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?

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.

Jim Watson · December 9, 2017, 01:12 PM

Quote:

You need to go to a lighter load and return spring

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.

JJ45 · December 9, 2017, 04:58 PM

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

Areoflyer09 · December 9, 2017, 05:04 PM

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.

WC145 · December 9, 2017, 05:27 PM

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.

Onward Allusion · December 9, 2017, 07:21 PM

Pachmayr makes a tool that is kind of like a jar opener. Slips over the front of the slide to give a better grip.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10...assist-polymer

There are other add-ons that let you rack the slide on the edge of a table or other level surface.

FunLarry22 · December 10, 2017, 11:29 PM

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!

ammo.crafter · December 10, 2017, 11:40 PM

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.

Areoflyer09 · December 11, 2017, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FunLarry22

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!

I enjoyed my 938 when it was around. I don’t recall it being easier to rack than other 9mms, but it’s been awhile and that wasn’t something I was paying attention to.

I will say that the Springfield XDE has a very easy to rack slide. Unfornately it also has an obnoxiously long DA pull. It’s not too heavy of a pull, but it travels further than I expected.

dontcatchmany · December 11, 2017, 09:40 AM

I have 8 semi auto handguns.

I have arthritis in my hands and my left hand (I am left handed) little finger and the finger next to it are somewhat crippled from debridement surgeries in 2003 due to infections.

Racking slides is not super easy, but the only slide that is difficult is a Shield 40 that I purchased a couple of months ago. At times I find it impossible to rack the slide back enough to engage the slide stop. I have had it racked back almost continually now for two or more weeks to try to weaken the springs. Yesterday (the weather is getting cold enough for me to have gloves on) I racked the slide several times with gloves on. The thickness of the cotton gloves seemed to give me better leverage to rack the slide and I could do it easily.

I guess the arthritis keeps me from being able to firmly grip the slide tightly and the gloves helped reverse that.

I also used to have a Sig P938 that I did not have a problem racking the slide.

The rest of my semis are larger guns than the Shield and I have no problem racking their slides.

Getting old (I am 69) is better than not getting old, but it does have its disadvantages.

briandg · December 12, 2017, 09:17 AM

Every time I see the title of this page upon first reading it I get the idea that racking the slide ages the gun.

I figure it out after a brief period of wonderment.

Life can be really amusing to feeble minded people such as myself. Have you ever wondered how traffic lights change? My dad said that the elves do it. I think that he was fibbing.

Lohman446 · December 12, 2017, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Life can be really amusing to feeble minded people such as myself. Have you ever wondered how traffic lights change? My dad said that the elves do it. I think that he was fibbing.

Lets go way off topic

Price bananas in a store once and then consider how far they are transported and how short of a shelf life they have.

On topic: I was thinking about this. I was likely shooting pistols since before I could - the rule had always been if I could operate a firearm safely I could shoot it but I had to be able to fully operate it. Now its been a long while but I put my hand on one last evening thinking about this. When I rack the slide my hand is WAY back and over the slide - the area between my thumb and first finger is basically against the rear sight. I push with my dominate hand. I've always been under the assumption that was how everyone did it. Maybe its not?

agtman · December 12, 2017, 10:04 AM

Quote:

* * * Have you ever wondered how traffic lights change? My dad said that the elves do it. I think that he was fibbing.

Nah, ... I have it on good authority that municipalities hire and train midgets for that duty.

They hoist 'em up into those lights to work 12-hour shifts, at which point the new midget arrives for duty in a city truck with a hydraulic ladder in back (called the Midget-Mobile). This occurs at 1- or 2a.m., when tax-paying folk are asleep - the reason almost nobody ever sees a shift-change occur.

When, occasionally, a particular traffic light ceases to function, it typically results not from a power outage, but because the midget inside fell asleep at the switch.

Once notified of the problem, the midget controllers at the City Street Division simply activate an alarm inside the light to wake the frickin' midget up, at which point proper functioning is restored to said light.

December 9, 2017, 07:48 AM	#1
charliek Member Join Date: May 18, 2011 Posts: 23	slide racking and aging 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?

December 9, 2017, 08:48 AM	#3
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	Push-pull method as explained on thecorneredcat website (by moderator PAX, aka Kathy Jackson) __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

December 9, 2017, 09:53 AM	#5
Skadoosh Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,016	__________________ NRA Life Member USN Retired

December 9, 2017, 10:05 AM	#6
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	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. __________________ None.

December 9, 2017, 12:05 PM	#8
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	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. __________________ None.

December 9, 2017, 08:31 AM	#2
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,896	Stand sideways (to gun's point of aim) w/ pistol at low chest level. Grasp whole slide with whole hand and to shove rear....

December 9, 2017, 08:52 AM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	And if you need more help, cock the hammer first.

December 9, 2017, 11:46 AM	#7
SonOfScubaDiver Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2017 Posts: 391	Do you pull the slide back or hold it steady and push the frame forward?

December 9, 2017, 12:28 PM	#9
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	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 __________________ 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. 4. Identify your target and know what is beyond it.

December 9, 2017, 12:32 PM	#10
larryh1108 Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 813	Agree with the above statements. The first thing should be cocking the hammer. That makes it 4x easier just by doing that. __________________ Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

December 9, 2017, 12:36 PM	#11
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	Yeah, what Larry said. tipoc __________________ 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. 4. Identify your target and know what is beyond it.

December 9, 2017, 12:52 PM	#12
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...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. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

December 9, 2017, 04:58 PM	#15
JJ45 Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2015 Posts: 908	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

December 9, 2017, 05:04 PM	#16
Areoflyer09 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2017 Posts: 300	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.

December 9, 2017, 05:27 PM	#17
WC145 Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2008 Location: Downeast Maine Posts: 1,836	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. __________________ "If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge or jury. Therefore what he must be taught to fear is his victim." - LtCol Jeff Cooper

December 9, 2017, 07:21 PM	#18
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	Pachmayr makes a tool that is kind of like a jar opener. Slips over the front of the slide to give a better grip. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10...assist-polymer There are other add-ons that let you rack the slide on the edge of a table or other level surface. __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

December 10, 2017, 11:29 PM	#19
FunLarry22 Junior Member Join Date: December 10, 2017 Posts: 1	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!

December 10, 2017, 11:40 PM	#20
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	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. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

December 11, 2017, 09:40 AM	#22
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	I have 8 semi auto handguns. I have arthritis in my hands and my left hand (I am left handed) little finger and the finger next to it are somewhat crippled from debridement surgeries in 2003 due to infections. Racking slides is not super easy, but the only slide that is difficult is a Shield 40 that I purchased a couple of months ago. At times I find it impossible to rack the slide back enough to engage the slide stop. I have had it racked back almost continually now for two or more weeks to try to weaken the springs. Yesterday (the weather is getting cold enough for me to have gloves on) I racked the slide several times with gloves on. The thickness of the cotton gloves seemed to give me better leverage to rack the slide and I could do it easily. I guess the arthritis keeps me from being able to firmly grip the slide tightly and the gloves helped reverse that. I also used to have a Sig P938 that I did not have a problem racking the slide. The rest of my semis are larger guns than the Shield and I have no problem racking their slides. Getting old (I am 69) is better than not getting old, but it does have its disadvantages.

December 12, 2017, 09:17 AM	#23
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Every time I see the title of this page upon first reading it I get the idea that racking the slide ages the gun. I figure it out after a brief period of wonderment. Life can be really amusing to feeble minded people such as myself. Have you ever wondered how traffic lights change? My dad said that the elves do it. I think that he was fibbing. __________________ None.