Found this video and thought it was worth sharing.
Racking a slide the traditional way (with two fingers) hurts! It takes all the strength I have and after a few times hand fatigue makes it even harder. A two finger grip on the slide just sucks. I don’t think my hands are that weak either. It’s just awkward grabbing the slide with two fingers.
My Ruger LCP is the worst because its so small. Theres almost nothing to grip. My wife can’t rack it at all.
I don’t like carrying with a round in the chamber. So racking the slide quickly is a must. I’m switching to this new method in the video.
Trying to figure out the easiest way for my wife. Racking is such a critical skill to check that the gun is empty, clearing jams, and of course loading a round. Has to be fast and easy.
2 finger method is called a slingshot in this vid. He also does the tap and rack military style method.
My wife still likes the method in the other video.
It’s funny that the smaller guns like the Ruger LCP are sold to women. Great gun for a purse. But they are so darn hard to rack. There’s almost nothing to grab and they kick harder. A LCP is not a fun plinking gun. 30 rounds and that’s it for me. Really beats up your hand. Great little conceal carry and thats it.
A larger frame semi is much easier to use.
The page at Cornered Cat on manipulating the slide, may be of interest.
The act is difficult for those with weak hands, but choosing a different pistol, and or a different recoil spring setup, might help.
I don’t think I have weak hands, and I have difficulty sometimes, particularly during disassembly sequences that require you to hold the slide, “just so” while you do something else like popping out the slide stop.
Is there a reason you don’t like carrying with a round in the chamber? Having to rack the slide seems like a pretty big obstacle if you ever actually needed the gun – it’s one more thing that can fail, and requires both hands and not a little strength besides. Would a revolver or a DA/SA automatic be a more comfortable choice?
I worry about an accidental discharge. Every now and then I read about somebody shooting themselves in the thigh or stomach. Can’t happen if theres not a round in the chamber.
I have a small S&W revolver that can be carried too. Not as small as the Ruger LCP but its not bad.
I’ve read that it helps having a holster that covers the trigger guard. That way it can’t snag on your clothes and fire. I think some of the accidents were people carrying it in a pocket or waistband without a holster.
I will eventually get confidant enough to keep one chambered. It’s still pretty new to me and I’m figuring it out.
I carry an LCP and I keep it in a pocket holster. The trigger is always covered and it always has one in the chamber. The stiff trigger, covered by a holster, is really safe.
I would think that condition two would be safe with regards to the trigger being covered or uncovered. It would take a pretty hefty snag to cycle a double action pull. I’ve carried that way without incident.
You can rack the slide with one hand by placing the sight on a desk, table, or other surface and pushing against it. Use either the front or rear sight, depending upon what surface shape is available. This is taught in many pistol combat courses. If a gunfight doesn’t end in the first few shots, and you are wounded in one arm or hand, you need to know how to operate the pistol with your one good hand.
A bit off topic and likely not what you are looking for, but it is an effective way to cycle the slide of a pistol.
A pistol carried for self defense without a round in the chamber is just a rock. As noted above, sometimes shit happens quickly, and you may not have time or the spare hand to rack one in.
Say someone grabs you. You fight them off with your weak (offside) hand, while reaching for your gun. That’s the time to start shooting their kidneys, not try to get loose and try to rack the slide. Goes double when there’s two or more thugs on you.
If you carry for protection, you need to practice many possibilities. I strongly urge everyone to attend a defensive pistol class as soon as, or before, you carry a gun. There’s a lot of smart people with good information to share that might just save your life.
Get some training. Use your head. Slow down, and stop playing with guns, and you won’t shoot your foot.
Trained, responsible pilots rarely crash their airplanes, and trained, responsible gun owners rarely shoot themselves. If they do, it’s because their finger pulled the fucking trigger at the wrong time. GUNS DO NOT “GO OFF”. People ignore their training, the basic rules, and mishandle them and pull the trigger.
As you saw, arrogance is not safety. Annual training is not safety. A badge is not safety.
Paying attention to your weapon, and your actions, and keeping your finger off the trigger will keep your piggies happy. And safe.
Yeah, I think the vast majority of shot-self-in-balls accidents are due to some chucklehead not using a proper holster. A good retention holster that covers the trigger guard is quite safe, even for guns with no manual safeties such as Glocks.
I don’t often carry a handgun, but when I do, it’s a 1911 in condition one. I’ve never felt apprehension about an unintentional discharge, since before anything can go “bang,” the gun has to be withdrawn from the holster, the thumb safety has to be toggled, the grip safety has to be depressed, and the trigger has to be pulled. All of those things can be done in half a second with practice, but it’s pretty much impossible to do them accidentally.
