One of the things that I have always been just jealous as hell about is the seemingly effortless way professional trainers and shooters rack the slide on a semi-automatic pistol, especially when they rack it back and lock it. There, I’ve said it–my secret shame.
I have watched these guys do this for years. I’ve watched YouTube video after YouTube video, and I’ve practiced until I’ve bled–all over my gun. I can rack a slide, but it doesn’t seem to be that smooth effortless looking movement I see on my screen. Hanging the slide on the slide lock feels awkward to me.
Well, sometime in the last week or so I ran into an article by Kathy Johnson, oh she of The Cornered Cat fame, in which she is speaking to females who have problems racking the slide on a semi-auto. For women, this is not an unusual problem. I’ve heard some of this in various place before, but never in the depth she goes into it. I’ve not had a lot of spare time, but I have had some time to experiment a bit, and the part on locking the slide back works! The concept is so simple I can’t believe I never stumbled onto it myself. I’m still having to work out some of the fiddly parts (Thumb goes exactly where?), but I believe this will be a major improvement for me. None too soon either, because those damn twinges in my knuckles are probably the family history of arthritis starting to show up. I’m going to need all the help I can get.
Who says an old dog–even one of the wrong sex–can’t learn a new trick? Heck, I may even learn to catch the ejected round in the air some day.
Hold the slide and push the frame away from you. Pulling the slide towards you while holding the frame seems harder to me. Now if you want to do the locking thing, then you gotta get the mechanics just right.