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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:02:05 PM EDT
[#1]
My wife is a frikken Amazon and it was tough for her to rack the slide at first. It takes practice. Most try and just use the strength in one arm to rack, holding gun tight and then just using the strength in the opposite hand to rack. Tell push with one hand and to pull with the other.
Alternatively, she can just put the front of the slide to the rear sight on the edge of a table or counter and push down. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:03:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me.
Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:03:48 PM EDT
[#3]
You need to get her a .22... or a revolver ;)
she'll become more confident in how to handle larger firearms as a result. Just sell the .22 after she becomes more comfortable, or keep it, since we all know you can never have too many .22s. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:04:46 PM EDT
[#4]
Did you show her this way?
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:09:35 PM EDT
[#5]
Quoted: Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me. Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. Good advice. Bad advice. 99% of the time, woman can't rack a slide on a semi-auto because they do not have the muscles and coordination to do it. It's a training issue that is EASILY corrected. I've seen plenty of older arthritic women that with simple training and an hour of experience had no problem racking a slide on 9mm and .45 semi autos. When you think of it, what's harder, racking a slide on an 16lbs spring you can use both hands on, or pulling a 12 lbs DA revolver trigger with one finger.  |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:37:23 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me. Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. Good advice. Bad advice. 99% of the time, woman can't rack a slide on a semi-auto because they do not have the muscles and coordination to do it. It's a training issue that is EASILY corrected. I've seen plenty of older arthritic women that with simple training and an hour of experience had no problem racking a slide on 9mm and .45 semi autos. When you think of it, what's harder, racking a slide on an 16lbs spring you can use both hands on, or pulling a 12 lbs DA revolver trigger with one finger.
Great advice here. My GF bought a Ruger LCR based on everyone's recommendation and ended up trading it in for a semi-auto because she just couldn't become consistent with the longer trigger pull. If she didn't shoot at least once a week it was almost like starting over for her. She can take a few months off from shooting a semi and still get center of mass shots her first time out again. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:38:04 PM EDT
[#7]
Very good advice here –– http://corneredcat.com/Rack_the_Slide/ from an accomplished female shooter and instructor.
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:42:17 PM EDT
[#8]
The Corned Cat is a great book someone on the xcrforum turned me on to my wife. And as mentioned above, the website is great too.
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:53:07 PM EDT
[#9]
My wife is a small women about 4-4 100lbs an she can rack the slide on every gun we have or had with ease, But one a Browning Buckmark. She also has no problem shooting a s/a ruger .357 but she has a hard time pulling a trigger on a taurus .38
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Posted: 2/26/2012 12:59:51 PM EDT
[#10]
At the range. AAR to follow. Thanks for the replies!
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Posted: 2/26/2012 4:39:33 PM EDT
[#11]
Thanks again for all the replies!
She shot off-the-paper low due to diving with recoil anticipation, and had trouble with the trigger (Long, heavy DAO) so her hands got tired quickly. You could see as she squeezed rounds off, her hands would get shaky right about the time the hammer broke. I think I'm going to be glad that she wants to join me on the range, but I will get her with an instructor for some 1 on 1 as soon as I can. I'm not a very good teacher and coupled with my being her husband, I know that I will cause her to be frustrated and tire of the whole ordeal. She will do well, I know she will. She had never been a shooter before we met, and her willingness to be a part of the sport is paramount to me, so I'm going to do my part. Once she gets professional instruction and can get comfortable with the basics, I believe she will enjoy shooting even more. :) |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 4:46:12 PM EDT
[#12]
Good idea with the instructor. My wife will fight with me about any idea where I oppose her (mostly home improvement stuff), but if someone else says the same thing, it's gospel. Get someone else to show/tell her.
If she still lacks the physical strength to rack a slide, what about a tip-up barrel design like the Beretta tomcat family? And then carry condition 1, anybody can disengage a safety and fire single action. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 5:56:39 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me. Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. This is so true. Please have her go to these two sites, corneredcat.com and thevicki.com Kathy Jackson and Victoria Willheit will change her life. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 5:59:49 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me. Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. Good advice. Bad advice. 99% of the time, woman can't rack a slide on a semi-auto because they do not have the muscles and coordination to do it. It's a training issue that is EASILY corrected. I've seen plenty of older arthritic women that with simple training and an hour of experience had no problem racking a slide on 9mm and .45 semi autos. When you think of it, what's harder, racking a slide on an 16lbs spring you can use both hands on, or pulling a 12 lbs DA revolver trigger with one finger.
This. Also make sure she is using an overhand grasp of the serrations and not the retarded sling shot method. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 6:28:23 PM EDT
[#15]
Have her hold it out in front of her, lock her arms while holding the gun in her strong hand and slide in her week hand,
then have her "roll" her shoulders so she pushes with her right arms and her left arm comes in. My wife has no problem doing it this way
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Posted: 2/26/2012 10:12:11 PM EDT
[#16]
It helps also to cock the hammer, if it has one exposed, before racking the slide.
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Posted: 2/26/2012 10:41:38 PM EDT
[#17]
You're right to call BS, because it is. She's just not gripping it, probably because she's afraid she'll get her hand caught in it or something. If a 10 year old girl can do it, an adult woman certainly can barring medical issues or injury.
Having her learn to disassemble and reassemble it first might help, just from gaining familiarity in how it operates. |
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Posted: 2/26/2012 11:03:23 PM EDT
[#18]
Here's wisdom learned the hard way.
Let your wife be in control of her handgun experience. She obviously needs something she can operate. Saying, "honey we need to find you an instructer" can be interpreted as something less than your intent and I'm confident you mean well. Sounds to me like a trip some gun shops is in store. Let her decide and you kind of look over her shoulder. Treat it like a trip to the dress shop. She'll ask you what looks good. 
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Posted: 2/27/2012 12:25:57 AM EDT
[#19]
BUT, BUT Jesse Abbate can do it honey, then you put on the Panteao Production DVD
 . Different muscles and different mind set. Take it slow. Let her decide what firearm she would like and feels comfortable with. There are different types of techniques to rack a slide and what ever you do don't criticize her or make fun of her, because it's just going to make things worst. Leave her alone for awhile with the firearm unloaded and no ammo near by and let her figure it out sitting next to her in the couch, while you watch Jesse Abbate on DVD 
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Posted: 2/27/2012 1:22:13 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Very good advice.
Very good advice here –– http://corneredcat.com/Rack_the_Slide/ from an accomplished female shooter and instructor. |
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Posted: 2/27/2012 3:22:55 AM EDT
[#21]
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Posted: 2/27/2012 3:35:46 AM EDT
[#22]
Lots of good suggestions above, but I bet she can rack the slide on a Sig232.
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Posted: 2/27/2012 9:08:51 AM EDT
[#23]
Great posts.....also I'd add that fear of a firearm can hinder many women's grip or manipulation. Strength training will help, but I find in a few cases it was all about leverage...ie: push pull motion.
But as most stated already have someone else train her....
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Posted: 2/27/2012 9:59:32 AM EDT
[#24]
When I had my wife start shooting semi autos, she swore up and down that she couldn't work the slide. She'd make it about halfway, then give up. It was entirely a mental block. She ended up getting pissed off at it and she did it easily...then it clicked what she'd been doing wrong, and she never had a problem with it again.
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Posted: 2/27/2012 2:48:31 PM EDT
[#25]
She's too weak in the hands, that's for sure.
She understands what I'm getting at when I mention an instructor for her, so no worries there. She handles pistols with a baby grip. If I could convince her to get as mad at it as she gets with me, then it's a non issue.
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Posted: 2/27/2012 2:55:55 PM EDT
[#26]
My wife couldn't do it well either till we got her a Walther PPQ. No she has little to no issue.
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Posted: 2/27/2012 5:39:34 PM EDT
[#27]
on 1911's have them cock the hammer first- minimziing the resistance of the mainspring- then rack the slide- much easier. most of the small blowback pocket autos have very stiff recoil springs- irony is often many people give ladies 380's !
also with a traditional guide rod in a 45 pushing the lower portion of the muzzle against a table or ledge will chamber a round. the heavy trigger pulls of revolvers work against the lady who can't rack the slide due to hand strength issues -hard to pull heavy triggers too. training with another woman is much better than with a man especially a significant other. |
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Posted: 2/27/2012 6:47:35 PM EDT
[#28]
Quoted: on 1911's have them cock the hammer first- minimziing the resistance of the mainspring- then rack the slide- much easier. most of the small blowback pocket autos have very stiff recoil springs- irony is often many people give ladies 380's ! also with a traditional guide rod in a 45 pushing the lower portion of the muzzle against a table or ledge will chamber a round. the heavy trigger pulls of revolvers work against the lady who can't rack the slide due to hand strength issues -hard to pull heavy triggers too. training with another woman is much better than with a man especially a significant other. I have the exact opposite experience, me and my wife had a blast when I taught her how to shoot, she shoots great with me but gets nervous shooting around other people
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Posted: 2/27/2012 7:38:18 PM EDT
[#29]
She did it! I just handed it to her and said "Rack it."
Well, she did. :) She still needs practice, and may find a "better" way to get it done, but with barrel downrange and finger off the trigger, and with much effort, she locked the side back. 
She will get better. The links posted earlier were very helpful! |
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Posted: 2/27/2012 7:41:57 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
SWEET! She did it! I just handed it to her and said "Rack it." Well, she did. :) She still needs practice, and may find a "better" way to get it done, but with barrel downrange and finger off the trigger, and with much effort, she locked the side back.
She will get better. The links posted earlier were very helpful!
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Posted: 2/27/2012 9:57:45 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted:
Word of advice, have someone else, friend, instructor, someone other than a spouse teach her firearms, too many dynamics going on trust me. Second, consider getting her a revolver, there are many people that cannot rack a slide, not just her. THIS is very good advice. There are a few things that YOU as husband CAN NEVER teach your wife. Let someone else teach her how to handle a pistol. PLEASE trust me on this. . |
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Posted: 2/27/2012 11:51:27 PM EDT
[#32]
10 year old girls don't have boobs. Adult wemin do. Nor do wemin have the same musculature men have. The fiancee couldn't rack anything beyond a full size 9mm until one of her gfs showed her the coke bottle grip. Now she can rack Desert Eagles & 3" 1911 .45"s. She also can't always drop the slide from the slide release, so she has to use the "slingshot" to drop the slide on some pistols.
I couldn't understand why she hated .40" but liked 9mm until one of the gun show smiths took her shooting; he promptly noticed she was tucking her non-dominant thumb behind the backstrap. He had her shooting 180 gn factory 10mm in Glocks by the end of the day. Find an instructor who has SUCCESSFULLY taught wemin before. Give your wife one sexist instructor for an hour & she'll never shoot again. The amount of sexism your wife will have to put up w/ to shoot is amazing - see some of the comments in this thread. Gig 'em, backbencher |
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