Has anyone done any modifications to their Smith and Wesson Shield as far as making it easier to rack?
(I have a cousin who not only has old man eyes, but is getting old man hands 
)
many thanks fo any and all help and advice.
Marcus64
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I donāt make know what mods would make it easier, without affecting reliability. Has your cousin thought about trading it for a Shield EZ?
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Huh!?! hadnāt even thought of that!
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Iāll go after @45IPAC advice.
If trading or purchase is not an option you can go with lighter recoil springā¦but you have to be sure it wonāt affect pistolās reliability.
I cannot advise anything about Shield, but I did change spring at M&P9 with a lower weight and racking is much easier with 100% reliability.
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@Marcus64 - the Shield EZ is internal hammer and the regular shield is a striker fire. The 380 and 9mm EZ Shield are very easy to rack. I showed some firearms to some older ladies and the only ones they could rack and be happy with was the .380 EZ shield. I have the striker fire shields and like them alot.
As far as eye sight goes, I put night sights on one of my Shield 9 and I really love it. Great when there is lower light around. My next purchase might be a pistol with a red dot. That is supposed to be easier for folks with eye issues.
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I shot an S&W EZ 9 and loved shooting it.
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The EZ sounds like a good option. Another option would be to modify the slide on the current Shield to accept a sturdy red dot site. Have seen people wrack slides with the heel of their hand on the red dot so no offhand grip strength required. Would likely also help with the old eyes too;)
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The Shield 9 has a stiff recoil spring. It will get easier. The EZ is a good idea, and I think there is a decent on the market right now even with all of the gun sales.
That being said, I think the EZ is a good concept, but I think most people could rack the slide on the standard shield easily with good form and not babying the gun.
The shield is a hardy beast that can handle it. Just rack that sucker.
Iāve heard somewhere that pushing the grip while holding the slide helps a lot of people with racking issues. Never the less, I think it will get easier with some time on the range due to spring break in and range time.
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There are ways to modify how heās racking the slide that might make it easier for him to rack it. Talk with an instructor in your area for a hands-on explanation/demonstration.
The EX is a great option as well. I know a lot of people who have that gun and they all love it.
The only reason I hesitate to send people right to the EX is that if something happens āin the wildā so to speak and they have to use someone elseās gun, Iād rather they knew how to rack a standard slide.
Let us know how it goes!!
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When I got my Shield, I bought a lighter ebay recoil spring for mine. Just before I went to the range, the spring came apart. 
I have since cleaned and racked it many times over, the rails inside are showing some wear now and it is easier to rack than before. It is still harder to rack than my G17 and my SD9VE.
I also put about 300 rounds through it. From what I can tell, some have said after about 1000 rounds it gets easier.
I donāt plan to get a ebay recoil spring again.
Funny fact, my shield .45 is easier to rack than the 9mm. Iām sure thereās a math reason for it, just a fun little fact.
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LOL
Live and learn