Racking a slide...Advice on helping customers (and others)

[MrSmitty]

Since I have been working at a gun store. I am noticing that a lot of women have a hard time racking most semi autos, my wife included. I know this is why S&W came out with their EZ line of guns, but they are larger than most concealed carry guns, so most people who could use them, don't like them. What started this was my wife was looking at her P32 and asking questions about it, I unloaded it and had her rack it to reload it....she couldn't. I tried showing her the "push-pull" method, but that seems lost on her, and others I've shown, am I doing something wrong? I know that for me it is easy, as I do it all the time. Any advice for me, and others? Any smaller .380 guns that are easier to rack? Am I doing it all wrong? On the plus side, she seems to like the idea of getting her a revolver, win-win....new gun!!

 

[eric001]

To answer part of your question, Walther has the PK380 that is extremely easy to manipulate the slide. I don't know if their other calibers are that easy.

**edited to add this: I sold mine off years ago, as it was a PITA to field strip and clean--needed a special tool to field strip.

A buddy of mine keeps really rough, almost sandpapery rough, tape on the top/smooth slides of his handguns to make them easier to grip and rack. Don't know that I'd want to do that, but it works for him.

 

[phylodog]

When I was still training new shooters I found that apprehension caused a lot of problems early on. Worried about hurting the gun or hurting themselves when they first get started. I would typically tell anyone struggling with this issue to try to rip the slide off of the back of the frame. Assuming they were placing the support hand over the top of the slide and gripping it with four finger tips and the base of the palm.

It was usually a technique problem rather than strength but if strength is a factor, having them bring the gun in closer to their torso usually provides better leverage and more available force.

 

[Malware]

for a small gun easier to rack try a Sig P238

 

[Hoosierdood]

I see a lot of inexperienced people grab the slide from the back with their index finger and thumb, while also griping the gun way too low on the grip.

If/when you see this, stop them, instruct them to get a proper grip on the gun, and take their support hand and grab the slide from the top with 4 fingers and the butt of their palm. In one motion, press forward on the grip with their main hand while at the same time pulling back on the slide with their support hand.

Haven't found a single person who couldn't manipulate the slide this way.

 

[bwframe]

 

[jwamplerusa]

Honestly, an optic against which you have a solid surface to push against the side of your hand largely eliminates grip strength on the slide as an issue.

Good technique with weak hand slide grasp, and push with the strong hand seems to work with many.

 

[cosermann]

Rack the Slide | Cornered Cat

Females and Firearms Series: A Proven Technique to Rack Your Slide Confidently

Racking Your Pistol Slide

Women's Firearms Training: Racking Your Pistol Slide from A Girl & A Gun

www.agirlandagun.org

 

[MrSmitty]

Thanks all! going to try this with customers.

 

[Ark]

I see a lot of inexperienced people grab the slide from the back with their index finger and thumb, while also griping the gun way too low on the grip.

If/when you see this, stop them, instruct them to get a proper grip on the gun, and take their support hand and grab the slide from the top with 4 fingers and the butt of their palm. In one motion, press forward on the grip with their main hand while at the same time pulling back on the slide with their support hand.

Haven't found a single person who couldn't manipulate the slide this way.

This. Even I struggle to use a two finger slingshot. 4 finger plus palm is way more contact area. Roll the gun and push with one hand while pulling with the other. Don't curl it toward the 180, just roll so you can grab it with a straight wrist. Very few people can't run a slide that way.

Plus, it's 2024, put a dot on it and grab that.

 

[Remington 90T]

Had to buy my wife a Beretta 30-32 Tom Cat, with the tip up barrel for her arthritic hand. works great for her.

 

[russc2542]

Not all teachers are the same, not all students are the same. I don't mean that to say you're a bad teacher but you're a guy. You think differently, you say things differently. You mean well but they hear other things. Have a female instructor listen to you instruct someone and give pointers.

Think about guys directions vs girl directions.

Prime example, when I was in high school I took physics and had a male teacher. At xmas, almost all the girls dropped (and they weren't dumb, like the guys, they were all probably in the top 5% of the class... and then there was me lol) but the guys did great. Talking to another science teacher at some point, turned out she used to teach physics and the opposite happened! Most of the guys dropped at the semester but the girls did fine. Same book, same material, just a different way of saying the same stuff. Both great teachers but obviously something about the way they explained the material was different.

As mentioned, it's technique and confidence. Went through the same with my wife, gone through the same with other female students. If they can't rack a slide with proper technique, they aren't pulling a 10+lb revolver trigger either. Once she learned the technique, my wife can rack everything from a tiny Taurus TCP to a huge Desert Eagle but struggles with DA triggers because that's 100% brute strength with teeny tiny muscles.