It goes without saying that if you are going to use a firearm, much less carry one daily for self-protection, you need to be able to handle the basic operations and maintenance of the weapon.
You should be able to aim and fire the gun effectively and accurately. You need to know how to draw your weapon from its holster. You need to be able to load the firearm and also clean and lubricate it after use.
And you need to be able to rack the slide.
The problem with that last one is that some pistols are especially difficult to rack, and many adults who want to carry firearms and should carry firearms for protection don’t have the wrist and/or arm strength to be able to do it.
That, of course, means that they can’t get many pistols back into action after reloading.
Sure, there are solutions that the market has provided to help people who have difficulty with racking the slide. I personally know someone dealing with arthritis in his hands who absolutely loves his Smith & Wesson Shield EZ precisely because he can still rack that slide and make use of this pistol unlike his other pistols.
Still, there are practical ways to make racking the slide more easily accomplished without having to make another firearm purchase if you don’t want to, and Caleb with Patriot Training Center shows us an effective way to do that even if you don’t have much wrist or arm strength. You can watch his video below.
Now, I can tell you from personal experience, that this racking technique works and works well. My wife, who has trouble racking a pistol that I have using any other technique, can rack that pistol using Caleb’s technique.
So, if you or anyone that you know has difficulty racking the slide on your pistol, hold off on considering changing to another daily carry firearm just for that reason. Try Caleb’s racking technique, and see if it solves your problem.
It very well might.
