# Semi with the easiest slide?



## qcdougn

My wife and I are new to shooting and bought a Stoeger Couger 8000 (9mm) as a starter handgun. We have fired approx. 1000 rounds through it and like it very much. However, my wife has a much harder time pulling the slide back than I do. Being a small lady, it's at the maximum strength effort level for her. But, she can do it.
So, my question to you more experienced shooters is.... Which handguns have an easier/lighter slide operation? I know the compact & subcompact guns will be less. But for an average handgun which ones are easier?...Glock, Sig, Beretta, S&W, Taurus, CZ, ect??


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## spanish073187

The glocks are not all that bad. They have plenty of surface area to grab and rack the slide with ease even on the smaller pistols.


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## cclaxton

It really depends on the model number and not the manufacturer. 
Walther PK380 for the 380 and very easy to shoot as well.
Walther PPS or PPQ for the 9mm, although there are a lot of 9mm's I haven't tried. 
You can always look to replace the spring with a lighter spring as well...within reason. 
The Custom CZ's have a lighter pull, but they have custom springs.
Glock's are not too bad and lighter springs are readily available. 

Be Safe, Get Plenty of Training.


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## Highground

I seriously doubt that a brand will significantly change how difficult the spring is to move. Best thing is probly to take her to a gunshow/store and have her try them out. If a full size 9mm is difficult, a compact could be more difficult, depending on what is hard for her. In my experience, the compacts have tougher springs and are harder to charge. 

Obviously, the smaller the caliber, the weaker the spring, maybe a .380 is in order? A revolver also solves the issue pretty easily. 9mm revolvers are less common, but can be found.


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## Bigdave24

Walther p5 has easiest slide to pull back I've seen. HKs have a lot of slide to grab. CZs have very little slide to grab.


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## Steve M1911A1

Kathy Jackson has a good suggestion about how a person with less upper-body strength, for instance a woman, can more easily rack a slide.
Click on: Cornered Cat - Rack the Slide


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## qcdougn

Thanks guys...all good advice on the springs and models. The best advice for now is the link to KJ's - Cornered Cat - Rack the Slide from SteveM1911A1. It will help to let her try other models at the next gun show also.
Doug


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## Shipwreck

couple of years ago, when my mother was 68, she wanted a gun. We tried several, and she had the same issue.

The Hk USP 9mm and USP compact 9mm were the easiest for her to work. The grip on the compact USP is a bit smaller than on the fullsize.

Also, the Bersa 380 worked for her. The HKs were a little easier, but more expensive. So, she bought a Bersa 380.


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## qcdougn

Thanks Shipwreck, I'll look at the HK's. I've been eyeing the Bersa Thunder for a while.


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## Shipwreck

Yea, the HK will work great if you can swing it. If a 68 year old woman can do it (she is 70 now), then your wife will be fine...


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## Yankee Station

Easiest by far! Sig P238


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## qcdougn

Yankee Station: My wife and I actually looked at and held one of these in the gun shop Monday afternoon. I agree 100% that this is by far the nicest and easiest slide to cycle... It was great... Therefore, even though it's only a 380 cal.... It is a very good chance this may be the gun for her. Thanks for your response.
Doug


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## cclaxton

qcdougn said:


> Therefore, even though it's only a 380 cal.... It is a very good chance this may be the gun for her.


Don't let anybody tell you the 380 won't pack enough punch. Use Magtech 85gr HP or Federal Premium HST/Hydrashock or Winchester T-Series ammo and they are powerful enough with 3-4 rounds and a decent shot placement. I personally don't think the more expensive stuff is worth the extra cost because you want to shoot enough of them to know they will cycle in your gun.

Also, remember the P238 is a Single Action Only...no second strike action and you have to load a round and put the safety up. When needed for use, set the safety off and fire.

Good Luck and have her get LOTS of training...not just shooting but training.


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## ronmail65

Maybe this post is completely out of context... but if racking the slide is a potential problem, then consider a revolver.


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## Steve M1911A1

Revolvers, especially double-action revolvers, have their very own hand-strength issues.
This is particularly true of the shooter's hands are small, or have a short finger-reach, or both. In such cases, a single-action semi-auto might be a better choice, notwithstanding the slide-racking issue.
My wife's hands are small. She cannot properly line a revolver up with her forearm's bones, and still press its trigger. Thus, the DA revolver is offset in her hands, and is thereby guaranteed to twist in her grip when she fires a shot. She shoots DA revolvers quite well, but finds doing it very uncomfortable.



(Jean and I will be away from 09/07 through 09/21, visiting our almost-new, one-year-old granddaughter at her new home in Providence, RI. We'll see you again on the 22nd.)


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## qcdougn

I didn't say she couldn't do it...But, easier would be welcome. No Revolvers wanted at this time.


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## qcdougn

Thank you for the information about the SAO, Safety Up and Training suggestion.


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## 60ratrod

i've had a couple of different semi's in the past couple of years ranging in caliber from .22 to .40 and as of yet my walther pk380 has one of the easiest slides to pull than the others that i have had. and i agree 100% with trying out several different pistols. when i was looking to get a new pistol i shopped around and tried several in my my hand (fit and feel wise) and the pk380 was the winner. if you have any ranges near you that sells guns as well, see if they have a rental program where you can rent a gun while at the lanes and see which one your wife likes best.


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## HK Dan

You might consider picking up a reduced power recoil spring. 9mm can go down to 8 pounds safely, though most guys stick with 11 or so. Factory on a GLOCK is 15. On the bright side, you'll also notice a faster shot recovery as a bonus.


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## jakeleinen1

Heckler and Koch

Bar none, hands down... Easy as HELL


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## Packard

I always understood that the more powerful was the caliber, the stronger the spring had to be. So a .22 would be a very easy gun to jack the slide back on.

A Beretta Tomcat has a flip up barrel that allows you to check the barrel without jacking back the slide. It is very small and a very marginal round however.

I would imagine that one of the mid-sized .380s would be reasonably light. I had a Walther PPKS but I have no recollection of how hard it was to pull back the slide. It simply was not an issue for me.

Another option (and in my opinion a wise one) is to have her engage in some sort of strength conditioning program. It will benefit her shooting in many ways and will make the slide easier for her to manipulate.

Some grip exercises and some shoulder exercises would do it. These exercises will enable her to shoot better too.


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## qcdougn

"Also, remember the P238 is a Single Action Only...no second strike action and you have to load a round and put the safety up. When needed for use, set the safety off and fire."

Thanks for bringing the SAO to my attention...I'm not sure I want to carry, Cocked & Locked! This sure is disappointing. I really like this model except for that...


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## qcdougn

Thanks for the advice...I will look at the H&K's.


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## denner

Beretta PX4 Compact is an easy one.


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## aero58

I have been following this to maybe get some help on an issue I am having. I recently bought a 9MM S&W Shield. I can slide it ok but pushing the button down to let it go forward is an issue. I am a smaller woman but feel I have enough strength to do this. I can do it easily with the magazine removed. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Shipwreck

aero58 said:


> I have been following this to maybe get some help on an issue I am having. I recently bought a 9MM S&W Shield. I can slide it ok but pushing the button down to let it go forward is an issue. I am a smaller woman but feel I have enough strength to do this. I can do it easily with the magazine removed. Any help would be appreciated.


Guns are what they are. Each brand has a different feel with the slide, slide release lever, etc. You really have to find one that works with you. NO real way to modify the Shield to make that easier, IMHO. If you start messing with slide stop springs, you can make it not work at all.


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## Steve M1911A1

aero58 said:


> ...I recently bought a 9MM S&W Shield. I can slide it ok but *pushing the button down to let it go forward is an issue*. I am a smaller woman but feel I have enough strength to do this. I can do it easily with the magazine removed. Any help would be appreciated. [emphasis added]


Releasing a pistol's slide over a full magazine can be difficult, if all you use is the slide release ("the button").
But there's another way to do the same job, and it may be much easier on your fingers.

Instead of using the slide release, just use your "strong-side" hand to hang onto the pistol, and use the other hand to grab its slide, pull the slide back just a little, and then let it go to run itself forward.
Of course, be sure that the pistol is pointed in a safe direction, through this entire procedure. And keep your finger off of the pistol's trigger, too.

Some people prefer to carry, or even to practice with, a fully-loaded pistol. To accomplish that, there are a couple of steps which you might add to the process.
This works whether you start with the slide closed, or open after the last shot has been fired.
Load the pistol's magazine. Insert it into the pistol. Now, either rack the slide (pull it open and let it close) or retract the slide a little to let it run forward and close.
If the Shield has a safety lever, put it into the "on" position. (If it doesn't, just be sure to point the pistol in a safe direction, and do not touch its trigger.)
Now remove the magazine, put the pistol down somewhere safe - or, better, holster it - and add one more cartridge to the magazine.
Finally, carefully replace the magazine into the pistol. Make sure that it locks into place.

Some experienced shooters like to tap the long back (flat) edge of the loaded magazine against the palm of one hand, before putting it into the gun. This causes all of the cartridges to slide back in the magazine, against the magazine's back wall and all into the exact same position.


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## win231

I've found the full size HK pistols to have the lightest springs. Otherwise, a D.A. revolver is a better choice for her. If the double-action trigger is too heavy, she can cock it.

Replacing the factory spring with a lighter one is a bad idea. It will cause malfunctions.


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## high pockets

win231 said:


> I've found the full size HK pistols to have the lightest springs. Otherwise, a D.A. revolver is a better choice for her. If the double-action trigger is too heavy, she can cock it.
> 
> ...


Good idea, if: a) she can safely pull back the hammer & b) she only needs to fire one shot, otherwise she'll be back to the same issues for a second shot.


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## aero58

Thanks everyone! I will try all of the above and see how I do.


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## CW

" ... Semi with the easiest slide? "


Peterbuilt with bald tires.


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## bkellyusa

I have the same problem with my wife. She can do it but it's a real workout. We recently looked at getting another gun for her and we looked at at least 15 different semi-automatics. Almost any popular .380 is easier to rack than a 9mm, at least all of the ones that we looked at, but the Walther 9mm we looked at was the best by far. It's not due to a lighter spring. They have some sort of piston driven system in theirs that make their guns, or at least the ones I looked at, much easier to rack as part of their design. We didn't buy any of them that day and instead we went home and later decided to get a .22 instead. The primary reason was to dramatic difference in cost between the .22 caliber rounds and the 9mm rounds (similar price in .380) but the ease of racking a .22 is also a big advantage. When we buy the .22 I think we might share that and use the 9mm for personal and property protection. Smith & Wesson even makes a real decent target pistol with the S&W Victory .22. We are also looking at 2 others but now we are concerned about pistol grip size so besides the Smith & Wesson Victory we are also looking at the Walther PPQ 22 with 5 inch barrel and the Ruger SR 22 with a 4 1/2 barrel. On paper it looks like we will probably choose the Ruger due to it's size and very good reputation but I am sure that you already know reading reviews can only tell you so much. You need to get the pistol in your hand to really know if it's the best gun for you.

Good Luck!


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## crewchief

22LRs have killed Grizzlys,,,, but for general self defence,,, I don't know if I'd bank on one!!! My wife is great with our MK III but she carry a little wheel gun in 38spl.model 37 smith...


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## bkellyusa

aero58.

Wow, I agree with you, the slide release on my M&P Shield is ridicuolaously difficult to use without pulling on the slide. My wife can't do it at all. I have to release the slide for her. It's the most annoying feature of an otherwise very competent weapon.


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## bambam

Yankee Station said:


> Easiest by far! Sig P238


Agree 100%. Very easy and very smooth.


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## VAMarine

bkellyusa said:


> aero58.
> 
> Wow, I agree with you, the slide release on my M&P Shield is ridicuolaously difficult to use without pulling on the slide. My wife can't do it at all. I have to release the slide for her. It's the most annoying feature of an otherwise very competent weapon.


The slide stop of the Shield is a prime example of why the overhand release (aka sling shotting) is preferred on some guns.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## GrumpyFatman

My wife has nerve damage issues in her hands. We tried the new Smith & Wesson 380 EZ. 

We thought this one would be the answer. My wife liked on this model a lot, especially racking the slide was perfect! But the grip safety required more pressure than my wife was able to muster.

We too ended up with the Sig P238. Both are .380 and worth a try.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk


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