I always thought it was common knowledge that you could chamber a round just by using your sights on your jeans one handed.
As for arthritic folks, the shield EZ is the way to go. Pick your flavor on 9mm or 380. It was supposedly designed for that reason.
You cant go wrong with a shield
Not to mention, some “easy to rack”, also have an easy to load feature with it as well, the magazine spring feels softer - but I don’t know if that ever leads to a round not chambering. On the lil Ruger LCP 22, I’ve not had that problem.
Yep, the S&W EZ, including the 9mm version, is both extremely easy to rack and load magazines.
The EZ I bought for my niece had a button on the mags that could be pulled down while loading. It was the easiest to load I have ever seen.
I’ve seen several articles listing good pistols for Senior Citizens, but sadly none of those pistols are on the approved list for purchase new in California. When I whined about that to a local dealer, I learned there ARE such guns on the approved list, but they are more expensive than the ones usually suggested: The Staccato HD C3.6 and Staccato HD C4X. Difference between the two is an extra half inch of barrel length on the C4X, used for a compensator to get back on target more easily after each shot.
Ruger SR1911 Lightweight Commander-type in 9mm, S&W M&P EZ 9 and .380, S&W M&P Equalizer. Of these my Ruger SR1911 is my favorite.