I am teaching my niece to shoot so she can get her CCW permit. I’m using a Glock 42 .380 to teach her with. She is 69 years old and is having problems racking the slide and releasing the slide due to some hand problems. I was wondering if anyone here had ever used a Sig Rose in .380. I read somewhere it had lighter springs in it to make it easier to rack but I don’t know how much easier it is. Also, her thumbs are double jointed and she is having a problem with the slide release and has to use two hands to release the slide.
So, my questions are: Are the springs light enough to make racking the slide considerably easier for someone with some double-jointed fingers and hand strength problems? I think the slide release is the same as my 365XL so I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be as big of a problem for her.
If you want lighter springs just to do function check/training, pick up a used S&W EZ or Equalizer in .380. They make good entry level pistols to start becoming familiar, and some close range (3-5 yard) target practice. It would make a good option for CC in instances of close proximity threats.
As I pointed out in my intro, my mother is 70. She trained a bit on the 9mm EZ, and couldn’t hit paper, but the important part was to get the mechanical fundamentals down. When she shot the Shadow Systems MR920 Combat, she consistently hit paper in and around center mass with one stray. The distances were 3, 5, 10, and 25 yards, where the only center hit in the B zone occurred. It’s a Glock 19 clone and is one of the most (if not the most) flat shooting 9mm pistols in existence, and comes with a blacked out rear and hi-viz tritium front. She had no problems operating the slide or any of the controls. One very strong piece of advice that they also recommend is to put at least 100 rounds through it before reporting issues. I had failures to feed and eject early on, but it wore in after that initial 100 rounds.
Regarding this, I’ve talked to an instructor in the past, and she told me to just use what works. If the release cannot be manipulated with your thumb then slingshot it. Since I am ambi, there are some I have that when I am training lefty need me to use my left index finger (1911’s and 92’s) to handle the slide lock/release. My current carry is a P226/229 clone with a manual safety and a built-in decocker, so I just slingshot that one or it decocks it.
Not for function checks. Because of her grip strength and hand problems, she can’t easily rack the slide. So, if she has a malfunction of any kind or has to load or reload with a closed slide, it takes her a long time to rack the slide. She kind of appears to be fighting with the pistol. Plus, if the slide is open, she can’t operate the slide release on the Glock 42 because it is pretty flat against the pistol and double-jointed thumbs aren’t helping any. Either one takes her a long time. So, I’m trying to find a gun that has an easy slide to operate and an easy to operate slide release.
So far, she hasn’t had a problem with accuracy. At 5 yards she took out the whole center of the targets but the time it takes to rack or release the slide is way too long. I’m looking for something she can operate easier. So far, the accuracy is good for only shooting 3 sessions. Note: She has never shot a gun in 69 years until a few weeks ago. I was also thinking about the Sig for the manual safety.
My mom had the same issues. I would probably recommend the EZ or a Browning Black Label. You could also suggest a .38 revolver.
To handle the slide open/close debacle, if she can pull the slide all the way to the rear and release it, then it just becomes a training issue. The slide should lock open when the magazine is empty, so loading a new one she would just slam it home, pull the slide to the rear, and let go. In a malfunction scenario, she is going to have to pull the slide to the rear after releasing the magazine anyway. As long as the slide can reasonably be manipulated to check clear, or make it ready to go, then everything else is window dressing.
In a defensive and high adrenaline scenario, no one is making sure they are hanging their mouth correctly and covering every single count of their training regiment.
Get her the lightest springs you can find for both the slide and trigger. I have similar issues with my hands due to arthritis and hand injuries. If she’s not already doing it, have her grip the slide and rack it by pushing away on the gun with her strong hand rather than racking the slide with her weak hand
Not really. Because of the weakness in her hands she has to put the grip of the gun in a position on her leg or the shooting table to be able to pull the slide back. She has to get the gun in a certain position that will allow her to be able to pull it back. That, along with having to use two hands to release the slide is why I’m looking for a different gun for her to carry. That is why I was asking about the Sig Rose which from everything I understand it was built specifically for women.
That is the first thing I tried with her, but she still has problems. Because of hand operations and being double-jointed the Glock could possibly be too thin for her to get a proper grip on the slide, but I can’t tell.
I’ve been trained by the best but I’m not an instructor - If she was my sis, I would give her the option of trying out different guns and different grip sizes, including revolvers
It wouldn’t be fair for me to give her a pistol that she can’t operate properly. She has already been in two incidences involving a gun and now she is somewhat worried that something else is going to happen and she wants to get a CCW license. I’m not going to tell her that life isn’t fair. She already knows that. I’m trying to find a gun that she can operate the way people are supposed to so she can protect herself properly.
That is what I’m trying to do but I need some help with the easiest ones to operate properly. I don’t know which guns have an easy to operate slide or release for a woman. I can operate any of them, but she can’t. If she were ever to need it, I wouldn’t want her trying to do anything that she can’t do quickly and easily.
I was hoping to hear from some of the women on this forum, but they don’t seem to stick around too long. They may have some ideas.
You could also look into the Walther PDP F. It’s another one specifically designed for women and smaller hands. My first was the PDP FS. It’s still very easy to manipulate compared to others.
My better half started with the EZ .380. She’s got one or two more and sold the EZ. I think it has been replaced by the Equalizer, but don’t quote me on that. I say used, because of that and it may be better to get something easier to work with on the fundamentals and then figure out if the overall function of it will meet her needs. I would also highly recommend (again) the MR920. They have since changed the trim names and they are somewhat premium (though, not Zev or Taran premium).
I had the 365 Rose 380, it is easier to rack but when releasing the slide do not use your thumbs, sling shot it. The “release” isn’t a release, it locks the slide back.
I have the PDP-F 4” and you could rack the slide with your teeth!
I don’t know if there is some kind of mechanical reason not to use the “slide lock” to release it, but she still has a problem operating the slide on the glock 42. I don’t know if it is so thin that she has a problem closing her hand on it or what, but she has a real problem with it.
I will try the Walther and the EZ and see if she can operate one of those. Thanks.
Not really. It’s only a lever holding the recoil spring under tension. Obviously, clean and lube your firearms, but it shouldn’t degrade the performance to just forego the lock altogether and just pull the slide all the way to the rear to release it.