MY SR9 SLIDE IS HARD TO OPERATE

[woodsman1st]

Hi to all;
I have asked this question before elsewhere, and can't seem to get an answer. Hopefully someone here can answer it for me. I carry concealed for SD; I have a legitimate need to carry 24/7/365; so the question is important to me.

I am 75 and I have arthritis pretty badly; on many days I find the slide very difficult to rack. If TSHTF some day and I need to rack the slide in a hurry, (for whatever reason, a stove pipe, a tactical magazine change, anything) and I fumble it, or fail to fully rack the slide, things could get kind of hairy for me quickly.

My question: [/b]HOW CAN I MAKE THE SLIDE EASIER TO RACK? I have already done a pretty good fluff and buff; I am very pleased with the trigger; I have close to 1500 rounds through it now, so it's broken in about as much as it's going to.

If that question has been asked and answered before please excuse me; and direct me to the answer. With 89 pages of questions here, I felt it easier and quicker to ask than continue looking. So if someone has an answer for me, please post it.

Thanks
Ken

 

[ArmedinAZ]

The recoil spring on the SR9 is STIFF. There's a method of racking the slide taught (mostly to women) where you grasp the slide with your left thumb on the left side serrations and your fingertips on the right side of the slide, bring the back of the gun to your chest and while keeping you left hand tight to your chest you move the gun away with your right hand, racking the slide. When you hit the end of the slide travel you just let go of it and it goes into battery. I used this a lot with the SR9 because of the stiff spring and the stupidly sharp serrations that tore up my wimpy thumb and finger. There's a good video of it somewhere.

 

[mike7mm08]

The recoil spring on the SR9 is STIFF. There's a method of racking the slide taught (mostly to women) where you grasp the slide with your left thumb on the left side serrations and your fingertips on the right side of the slide, bring the back of the gun to your chest and while keeping you left hand tight to your chest you move the gun away with your right hand, racking the slide. When you hit the end of the slide travel you just let go of it and it goes into battery. I used this a lot with the SR9 because of the stiff spring and the stupidly sharp serrations that tore up my wimpy thumb and finger. There's a good video of it somewhere.

This is how I work all my semi autos. I am missing my left index finger and cannot get enough of a grip to pull the slide back. So I hold the slide and push the grip away from me with the right hand. Don't have to have the gun at your chest either works for me with the gun in any position.

 

[woodsman1st]

I appreciate that info guys; but I already rack the slide the way you both describe; and it is a help.
But on bad days, the cold, windy, rainy, snowy days, pretty much all of those days here in Idaho in the winter, the arthritis kicks in on my left hand (weak side, the one that holds the SR9) and it can hurt like the devil. Chances are that when my adreniline kicks in I wouldn't notice it; but it can make my grip real weak even with the adreniline kicking butt. That's why I'm looking for a spring kit like I put in my SP101. I could start hacking on springs; but not knowing how many coils to cut, or even which one to cut, I would probably just make it undependable. It seems like a lot of folks complain about this; but I have not been able to find a solution yet. I figure somebody out there smarter than me has solved this problem; at least I am hoping so.
But thanks again for the suggestion.
Ken

 

[tguil]

Not to be a smart a**. Why not forget the SR9 and just stick to your SP101?

I'm 67 and I have a few body parts that don't work quite so well with some of my "toys" anymore so I just change to different "toys". Maybe you should look for another semi-auto or buy another revolver.

You and I are both "classics". Maybe we should stick to "classic guns".

 

[ArmedinAZ]

Not to be a smart a**. Why not forget the SR9 and just stick to your SP101?

I'm 67 and I have a few body parts that don't work quite so well with some of my "toys" anymore so I just change to different "toys". Maybe you should look for another semi-auto or buy another revolver.

You and I are both "classics". Maybe we should stick to "classic guns".

Well the SP goes bang about a dozen fewer times right? The suggestion to forget the SR9 might be on the right track though. Of the 5 different semi autos I had when I had the SR9, it was by far the stiffest to rack. There are easier hi-cap 9mms out there, Rugers even.

Jeez Ken, at 75 you have legitimate need to carry 24/7? :shock: Time to ease up a bit on the married girlfriends maybe? :wink:

 

[woodsman1st]

tquil;
several reasons; 17 shots against 5; longer barrel; faster reloads; more accurate; faster double taps. I cant afford to buy firearms like I used to. Thanks for the comments.

ArmendinAZ;
These new "plastic" handguns are, in my old opinion, the ugliest damn things I have ever seen. They might be better than the old S&W 9mm; but at least they had some fine high class blueing jobs and wooden grips on them. And as far as those really ugly black long guns go,....nah I wont even go there lol. If I could find a nice old S&W 9mm I would trade the SR9 in a heartbeat. Regarding the "need"...married girl friends were always much too dangerous for me. lol
I will be moving back to AZ in a few months; we will be pretty close neighbors it looks like; my house is in Clarkdale. I love the hunting and fishing up here; but the cold and snow has finally gotten to me. It's time to move back to the nice warm dessert and fish the Verde River for those little tiny planters; The prospecting is better also.
Nice chatting with you both.
Ken

 

[sdoyl123]

Went out to the range today with my son and were shooting my SR9 and his P95DC. Both shoot great but there is a noticable different on working the slide. The P95 was alot easier to rack. I believe it holds 15 rds also, so you are losing only 2 rds. Just a thought.

Also, not sure if replacing the recoil spring to a lighter weight would help.
Hopefully somebody will answer that.
Hope this helps.

 

[woodsman1st]

sdoyl123;
Yeah, I agree with you. My soninlaw has a couple of P models and I noticed the same thing while shooting his. I believe a trade is in the making. However the old S&W 9mm was a darn nice handgun; best of all it had a nice bluing job and wood grips; a very good looking handgun; and as I remember it worked pretty good without problems. I think I am going to look for a trade with one of those; if I can find one in good condition.
Iowegan informed me that altering the recoil spring could cause some severe problems, as the SR9 was designed to operate with that stiff recoil spring. He knows a lot more than I do about these things; so i will take his valuable advice. But thanks for the thought; I was thinking along the same lines. So now I will either like what I have or trade it off.
Ken

 

[graygun]

I guess carrying L&L (manual safety ON) is out of the question?

 

[woodsman1st]

I have been a wheel gun man for many years and being rather new to Pistols, I was pretty uncomfortable carrying one in the tube with safety off; as opposed to wheel guns that have a bar of steel that prevents accidental discharges. But I soon got used to it: and now carry my SR9 with one in the tube and manual safety off. Why do you ask and how would manual safety on benifit me?
Ken

 

[kscott]

I guess carrying L&L (manual safety ON) is out of the question?

I think he does carried chambered. How I read it is that he is just concerned about having a FTE or need to reload where he would need to rack the slide.

Nevermind, I see woodsman beat me to address this. 8)

 

[woodsman1st]

kscott;
Yup, you read it right; 100%
It's a FTE and having to rack the slide while my mind may be frozen; and all fine motor skills have run away and left me with nothing but gross motor skills and wet pants. lol Kinda like buck fever only a tad more important lol.
Iowegan was kind enough to send me a note telling me that in his opinion nothing much can be done about the SR9s stiff slide. And without someone with his experience to advise me, I am not going to attempt cutting coils on the recoil spring.
In thinking about it, if I got a FTE or stovepipe, it would probably be faster to go for my BUG anyway; I never keep it buried deep.
ken

 

[tguil]

kscott;
Yup, you read it right; 100%
It's a FTE and having to rack the slide while my mind may be frozen; and all fine motor skills have run away and left me with nothing but gross motor skills and wet pants. lol Kinda like buck fever only a tad more important lol.
...........
In thinking about it, if I got a FTE or stovepipe, it would probably be faster to go for my BUG anyway; I never keep it buried deep.
ken

Ken, You most certainly don't keep your bug in your wet pants, do you?

Tom

 

[woodsman1st]

LOL tquil you bet I do; that way nobody will ever look there.
Thanks for the good chuckle.
Ken

 

[graygun]

I have been a wheel gun man for many years and being rather new to Pistols, I was pretty uncomfortable carrying one in the tube with safety off; as opposed to wheel guns that have a bar of steel that prevents accidental discharges. But I soon got used to it: and now carry my SR9 with one in the tube and manual safety off. Why do you ask and how would manual safety on benifit me?
Ken

I was thinking of it differently...that you might be carrying unchambered. I guess that's not a common practice.