So, racking slides...

[jeremiah12]

Brass Stacker, Slide Pull came yesterday. Quick to install; wife can rack the slide.

Now, if I can get her to stop being gentle with the guns (and car doors - close the darn thing!) ...

Well, I will order one now. It looks like it would be easier on arthritic hands and it will only get worse.

I wish I could get my wife to stop releasing the gas filler lock on my truck when she drives it. It is in the same place as the brake release in her truck. I gave up some time ago because it was not going to happen. She has put up with me for over 30 years so I can live with that.

[jeremiah12]

Solution: Revolver.

You're welcome.

Solution, wife chooses the gun she wants.

[movie zombie]

Solution, wife chooses the gun she wants.

amen, brother, amen!

[Asphodel]

We're hoping she's not trying to rack using her thumb and index finger from behind the slide, pinky down. Won't work. Also, I can't see why the size of the caliber is going to make a difference in how the slide operates....

First I must say that racking a slide is about leverage, not strength. It she isn't pulling against some rigid surface ( a locked elbow and wrist, or elbow braced on ribs if absolutely necessary.) If she's holding it too far away from her body, it won't work. When I got my first Glock, I couldn't rack it five times in a row either or work the slide release. Was almost in tears from frustration. I had to practice (dry fire with snap caps) on the sofa for a week and build up some muscle in the right places. I still remove the slide kinda funny, but it comes off. Hands that type for a living have great flexibility and stamina but not so much strength.

When I rack semi automatics, I grip the slide between the base of my palm and my finger tips. In order to do this, I need the gun at a 45 degree angle to my body, which means I turn slightly to the right, to keep the muzzle down range. When I'm tired, I might brace my right elbow to my body for extra stability and leverage. It may not look perfect but you do what you have to do, to get the job done. And they rack every single time and damned quickly. I do it this way not because I'm so dainty and girly, but because I'm older than God and my hands and wrists are cranky.

Please, please stop "getting" her a gun. Let her choose one she can comfortably operate. You can be in the car listening to the ball game while she does this. The best place to do that is River City Gun Exchange, they have about every handgun around and they're real good about letting potential buyers handle them. Don't go there on a Tuesday morning or a Saturday, they're mobbed. I like 2 pm on Thursdays and it's worth taking an afternoon off. It's really best if she tries everything that looks interesting, selects a gun with the help of a competent salesperson and pays for it her own very self. They're mostly ex-cops there, they like women shooters and they won't sell her something that isn't right. She does this all by herself. It creates a lot of ownership and pride in her selection. And if she's anything like me, she'd die before saying she bought something she really couldn't handle.

If she won't do it alone, buy me lunch or coffee and I'll go with her. You can give final approval just before the credit cards come out.

The best solution is to put here with a competent instructor and an assortment of available guns, who can diagnose and correct the situation. PM me and I can tell you some who sells instruction time in 2 hour increments for a very reasonable price. You can both have a lesson once the racking problem is solved. Again, you sit in the car and listen to the ball game while the racking diagnosis is going on. Really.

PM me with some choices of weekend mornings at Sac Valley and I'll look at what she's doing, look at the guns, try to rack 'em myself and if all else fails, I can rustle up an instructor for a 15 minute freebie.

Thank you , Bonnie.

Its true enough, a lot of men just simply 'don't get it'

These men tend to be reasonably knowledgeable about the 'striking power' of various pistol calibers, in terms of 'threat neutralisation' and mag capacities lest one face multiple assailants.

The thing they tend to overlook is practical comfort level with a handgun, and the fact that the person herself is 'the weapon', and the handgun, whatever variety it might be, is a 'tool' in the hands of the 'weapon'..

If a light-frame 32 revolver is the one which she can handle and fire comfortably, so that she will feel good about doing enough practice, practice, and more practice, to become capable of using the weapon effectively should it ever be needed, and to have the 'muscle memory' developed to deploy the weapon, fire, and hit where intended, then that one is the practical, effective weapon for her.

Consistent practice, and the development of that 'muscle memory' is the real key to effective self-defence. It is extremely difficult to do that practice, and develop that 'muscle memory' with a handgun which 'doesn't fit' or is even slightly difficult to operate.

In a real 'self-defence' scenario, its probable, reasonably certain that the assailant will have the advantage of surprise. The only chance one has, once the decision is made that there is no realistic choice other than to present a weapon, is to have the 'muscle memory' to draw and present it without having to think about any of the steps in handling the weapon......a developed 'instinct', so to speak......

I can tell you from first-hand, practical experience, that making the decision to fire, or to refrain from firing, is a very, very grim and tough decision to make, under the stress of a situation, and there just isn't time for any other consideration......it really is a terrible emotional trauma, actually, 'adrenaline world' is not a nice place to be in.

A 1911A1 in 'condition one', or 'cocked and locked' is the optimal weapon for those who can handle it, but not everyone has the wrist strength to practice, practice, and practice, with the 1911A1.

There is quite a fad, these days, for any of quite a variety of 'spray and pray' 9mm semi-autos, which carry more rounds than do the 1911A1 and any revolver......many cycle reliably, some may not, particularly in an un-knowable potential situation in which one has no choice but to fire from a position in which something may be touching the slide enough to slow its cycling 'just enough' to cause a feed failure, or one is unable, for what ever reason, to have a sufficiently firm grip on the weapon to resist recoil. A possible example of this could be a situation in which one is diving for cover and is unable to get into a 'correct' shooting stance.

If one is likely to be in a situation where one may need to effectively engage in self-defence, survival depends far more on one's skill with a weapon, than the model of the weapon, assuming the weapon is adequately reliable.

A light 32 revolver, if it 'fits' the user, and the user is willing to invest the time in becoming 'excellent' in its use, is far more likely to be an effective self-defence weapon than is any larger handgun which feels 'clumsy' to the user, and with which the user does not develop the 'instinct' to draw and fire with reasonable accuracy.

If one is to make the choice to carry a weapon for self-defence, there is much to learn, about staying alive in an 'armed violence' scenario.

One example has to do with developing an 'instinctive' ability to 'read one's position' and identify potential threats, as the only real way to 'win' in a gun-fight is to find some way to avoid actually getting into the gun-fight in the first place.

Another bit of 'real world' training has to do with learning 'drop and roll' on a hard concrete surface, and, whilst doing so, draw and present the weapon.....this is not easy, but seeking cover or becoming a smaller, more difficult target, very rapidly, can make an important difference.

A light 32 revolver is a good choice for someone who is just starting out on the learning-curve. Upgrading to a 38/357, after one is well skilled with the 32, is reasonable, but starting with 'too much gun' is counter-productive.

If, however, one's 'assailant' is likely to be Mr Wild Boar, or Mr Mountain Lion, even the 1911A1 is barely adequate. Learning to handle the 41 or 44 mag takes a lot of time and practice........plenty of women can handle those, accurately, but it does take some serious devotion to practice to 'come up on the learning-curve'.

Selecting a self-defence handgun is one of the most terrible responsibilities one may ever have........if ever its really needed. Everyone I've known has tried carrying several varieties, at one time and another, as each has its advantages and disadvantages. Its a completely 'individual' thing, and it may take a while to find the optimal choice.


Added on edit, a 'real world' example:

In one of our San Jose 'second Saturday' newbies' events, a woman of a 'mature, but not elderly' age-group, and of what might be called a relatively 'delicate build' brought in a 9MM Glock pistol, explaining that she had made the decision to arm herself for self-defence, and had accepted a gun-store clerk's recommendation as to the best handgun to purchase.....the 9MM Glock.

She had practiced handling and dry-firing it until she felt that she was comfortable with it, and wanted some practical instruction in firing it. It jammed for her, but not for anyone else. Observation demonstrated that she did not have sufficient wrist strength to hold the Glock firmly enough against recoil for it to cycle reliably.

It is quite obvious, when considered, that many people, not only women, but some men as well, simply never have the occasion to develop hand/wrist musculature.......these are people who are quite capable in their own fields, being academics, artists, and in other fields, such as legal and secretarial work, in which hand/wrist strength is simply not a factor. (and this is not limited to women......quite a few men will have feed failures with the 1911A1, from 'limp-wristing' the pistol.)

Fortunately, this particular woman was able to learn about the practical reality of a semi-auto pistol, relative to her hand/wrist strength, in safe circumstances at the range, rather than in a real self-defence situation in which she would have one shot, and then a jammed handgun. I provided her with a Smith revolver in 38, using very light range loads, which she could handle, after a bit of familiarisation fire. Even the 38 was a little bit 'too much gun' for her, tho, so we brought her a light 22 revolver, to which she said, 'now, one like this is what I really need'.

The 'moral of the story' is that the gun-store clerk, apparently, 'just wanted to make a sale'. If he had taken a close look at that person's wrists, and asked about her experience with handguns, he should have known better than to sell her a 9MM. A practical handgun for that person might be a Smith or Colt DA revolver in 22 magnum, which she could handle, and could, at least, disable an assailant, or cause enough pain to take the assailant's mind off the crime he had in mind to commit. (a 22 mag, hollow-point, at close range, may not have the 'stopping power' of the 45ACP or the 357, but neither is it 'wimpy'.....try the 22 mag on various objects and substances at close range, I think you'd be impressed......I sure wouldn't want to be hit by one of those, anyway.)

Unlike hunting, in which one has an ethical responsibility to do a 'humane kill', it may not be necessary to actually kill a human assailant, to end the threat condition.

cheers

Carla

[movie zombie]

and once again our very own Carla nails it!

[kentactic]

Solution, wife chooses the gun she wants.

Assuming she's not very knowledgable with guns that's a terrible idea. Her only determining factors will be look and feel. Neither have much importance in picking a pistol for self-defense.

When I selected my first pistol I looked at what the experts used and I bought it. If I was going to be a roofer I'd have the boss tell me what style hammer I need. I wouldn't go to home depot and start dry swinging hammers to see what feels good. I don't even know the requirements for the tool yet.

[kentactic]

Reread the above and imagine it was directed at you about replacing a broken piston in your car's engine (assuming you are not a mechanic and know nothing about engines).

With proper help from the right instructor, you can learn. You will not learn from someone who is yelling and screaming my way or the highway.

Some people, both men and women, find racking slides to be difficult. Given time, instruction by patient, knowledgable instructors, and practice, they can learn if they have the desire to want to learn. They loose the desire when others tell them they have to do because this is the gun I want you to use. They gain the desire when they decide this is the gun I want and I will figure a way to learn to use it properly.

When I purchased my G17, I could not rack the slide due to muscle weakness and nerve damage resulting from a stroke. I still have the stroke related issues but I did work on strengthening the muscles a little more and practiced over and over. I also have arthritis. I can now rack it quickly. Of course, to all the know-it-alls at the range, I do it wrong. These are the same DB that have no problem picking up my firearms without first asking but go nuts if I do the same to their firearms.

My theory behind this approach is that she will get pissed off and try her hardest to rack it to prove you wrong. Its risky but it could work. The goal here is to get her to just use the muscles she has. Palm the slide and rack it already...

[jeremiah12]

Assuming she's not very knowledgable with guns that's a terrible idea. Her only determining factors will be look and feel. Neither have much importance in picking a pistol for self-defense.

When I selected my first pistol I looked at what the experts used and I bought it. If I was going to be a roofer I'd have the boss tell me what style hammer I need. I wouldn't go to home depot and start dry swinging hammers to see what feels good. I don't even know the requirements for the tool yet.

First, read carefully what Carla wrote, she nailed it.

Secondly, anyone who is depending upon a SO for all of their gun knowledge likely will not develop a desire to learn more. Often the SO has the attitude of its my way or the highway.

Third, it is great to look at what the experts used, but even the experts disagree. And many experts say get a gun that matches you and works for you, not the one that works for me.

I grew up with long guns. For most of my life, my home defense weapon of choice was my Winchester .30-30. It was given to me as a present from my mother when I was 12. I will not part with it because it has saved my life more than once.

Shortly after my wife and I moved into the house we bought, we were awakened to an intruder that had broken in through the front door. I grabbed my trusty lever gun. The BG could not run fast enough when he saw the barrel pointed at him. My wife told her dad and he bought me a snub nosed .38 because that was the perfect home defense gun. I shot it at the range twice and hated it. It did not fit my hand and it was not accurate. It has not been fired in over 20 years.

I finally decided a while back to check out handguns again. I did my own research. I went to a LGS that let me hold many different guns. I like the way Glocks fit my hand. I researched more and decided on a 9 mm. The ammo is relatively cheap and the recoil is light. I will go out and shoot a lot. I can purchase after market sights to enhance my accuracy. The gun is like the AK of the handgun world. It can be fired underwater, it can be buried in sand for 5 years, dug up and fired without cleaning, and it can be abused in other ways and it still functions. Imagine what it will do with proper care and cleaning.

After 4 range sessions of 500 rounds each, I now hit where I aim at, both one handed and 2 handed.

Does this mean I will stay with my 9mm as my home defense handgun? No. I am already researching about stepping up to a more powerful round. That will be a year or 2 down the road as I have a kid in college.

I was reading last night from another expert, it is better to start with a .22 and work up so you do not learn the flinch reflex. This is an NRA expert that teaches CCW classes. He is a Marine vet that teaches classes specifically for baby boomers wanting to qualify for their NV CCW. The class for people who have never handled a gun before or who have little gun experience use exclusively .22s and show how they can be effectively used for self-defense. Then if students want, they can work up to .25 and .32. A third class lets them handle .380s and 9mm.

So, you can get your SO the gun you want her to have and it will end up sitting in the closet unused, or you can let her select the gun she chooses herself and it will get used. Then she will get bitten by the bug and she will then buy another, then another, then another, and then will need her own gun safe. It will have to be 3x larger than yours, just look at her shoe collection.

And so what if looks are part of the equation. For us guys, looks matter also. Most would not buy a gun if it was in a color they perceived to be a feminine color. Most of us like the macho colors.

[kentactic]

First, read carefully what Carla wrote, she nailed it.

Secondly, anyone who is depending upon a SO for all of their gun knowledge likely will not develop a desire to learn more. Often the SO has the attitude of its my way or the highway.

Third, it is great to look at what the experts used, but even the experts disagree. And many experts say get a gun that matches you and works for you, not the one that works for me.

I grew up with long guns. For most of my life, my home defense weapon of choice was my Winchester .30-30. It was given to me as a present from my mother when I was 12. I will not part with it because it has saved my life more than once.

Shortly after my wife and I moved into the house we bought, we were awakened to an intruder that had broken in through the front door. I grabbed my trusty lever gun. The BG could not run fast enough when he saw the barrel pointed at him. My wife told her dad and he bought me a snub nosed .38 because that was the perfect home defense gun. I shot it at the range twice and hated it. It did not fit my hand and it was not accurate. It has not been fired in over 20 years.

I finally decided a while back to check out handguns again. I did my own research. I went to a LGS that let me hold many different guns. I like the way Glocks fit my hand. I researched more and decided on a 9 mm. The ammo is relatively cheap and the recoil is light. I will go out and shoot a lot. I can purchase after market sights to enhance my accuracy. The gun is like the AK of the handgun world. It can be fired underwater, it can be buried in sand for 5 years, dug up and fired without cleaning, and it can be abused in other ways and it still functions. Imagine what it will do with proper care and cleaning.

After 4 range sessions of 500 rounds each, I now hit where I aim at, both one handed and 2 handed.

Does this mean I will stay with my 9mm as my home defense handgun? No. I am already researching about stepping up to a more powerful round. That will be a year or 2 down the road as I have a kid in college.

I was reading last night from another expert, it is better to start with a .22 and work up so you do not learn the flinch reflex. This is an NRA expert that teaches CCW classes. He is a Marine vet that teaches classes specifically for baby boomers wanting to qualify for their NV CCW. The class for people who have never handled a gun before or who have little gun experience use exclusively .22s and show how they can be effectively used for self-defense. Then if students want, they can work up to .25 and .32. A third class lets them handle .380s and 9mm.

So, you can get your SO the gun you want her to have and it will end up sitting in the closet unused, or you can let her select the gun she chooses herself and it will get used. Then she will get bitten by the bug and she will then buy another, then another, then another, and then will need her own gun safe. It will have to be 3x larger than yours, just look at her shoe collection.

And so what if looks are part of the equation. For us guys, looks matter also. Most would not buy a gun if it was in a color they perceived to be a feminine color. Most of us like the macho colors.

I just scrolled all 9 pages on my phone. I didn't see a screen name with "Carla" in it.

I think your selling woman short by saying they must be materialistically engaged to get interested in guns. I was bitten by the bug through shooting and the desire to become a better shooter. Picking out a cute gun had nothing to do with it. Also I see no point in filling up safes with guns. Theres so much to be mastered on guns that buying 10 different handguns would just hinder both your wallet and your skill progress. Its good to be familiar with all different platforns but there's no need to fill safes. I own three guns. I've owned many different guns. Just never at the same time. I work with a gun. If I find flaws then I upgrade to a better gun. I'm basically content with the ones I have now until further notice. I shot my safe full of guns through my three guns in the form of ammo. I'd be much less skilled had I spent that money on more guns.

[LittleOldLady]

I agree Movie Zombie and Carla, I have lots of experience with lots of firearms (long and pistol).
I can shoot pretty much anything anyone puts in front of me. Some I will not at this juncture because I break too easily any more.

I will say it again, I have over fifty years with firearms. I personally prefer semi-auto handguns but to each their own. I have had and shot both six-guns and semi-auto.

Since I am older and petite, 115 lbs, soaking wet, I chose a very small 6+1 .380 semi-auto because guns get heavy heavy heavy and I wanted something small and light.

Some real world experience which will forever remain between my family and myself I will impart this tidbit, which is still first and foremost in my thoughts over 30 years later:

It does not matter what 'size/caliber' you use, it is the assailant looking at the muzzle and sees a cannon no matter what is pointed at them.
One has to have the mindset and the intent to use deadly force.
It is the persons demeanor and stance and the willingness to 'take' someone out even if it is at the cost of their own life and safety that makes the difference in a confrontation.

As a sidebar to another post:
I took a woman who had never shot before out. She was eager to learn spent an hour or so with the basics, I loaded up my 9 shot a few rounds.
Then I stood by her and let her wail away. She could not hit the broadside of a barn, but that was not the point.
The grin on her face was priceless.

.357 next with .38's then on to the .357 magnum.
More laughing and grinning.

Then after a few other various handguns she wanted to try the black powder .44 pistol. Outright guffaws ensued. Then on to the .50 caliber black powder rifle.

I think it is all up to the pupil and the teacher to determine which handgun to approach first by being observant and picking the correct one to start with.
I had an apt pupil that was timid and never shot before, by the end of the day she was all enthused to find a gun for herself.

[cgsvt]

When I bought my first semi-auto, a CZ75B, I had to demonstrate at the gun store that I could safely handle it. I couldn't rack the slide for anything! Every man in that store came over to give their advice, just trying to be helpful but I was getting increasingly embarrassed and flustered. Finally after struggling for about 10 minutes I was somehow able to get it racked so that I could at least take the damn thing home. Then I just sat at home with the gun and practiced handling it, with no one criticizing me, no one standing over me telling me I was doing it wrong. I just had to figure it out on my own. The next challenge was loading the magazine... the first few went in easy but I broke every single fingernail trying to get the last few rounds in. Solved that problem with an uplula, which ALSO took a good deal of practice to get the hang of but I can load the entire magazine now in about 10 seconds.

Now my CZ is my baby and I can rack the hell out of the slide. Eventually I bought its big brother, a CZ97B, and have no problems racking that slide, either. I will say the safety demonstration for that gun went much more smoothly!

[xsefan]

Strong hand on the pistol grip other hand over the top of the slide. Thumbs close to the body. Wrists locked. Have her use her shoulders to push. This will use the upper arms and back to rack the slide. From the elbows down joints should be locked

[jeremiah12]

I just scrolled all 9 pages on my phone. I didn't see a screen name with "Carla" in it.

I think your selling woman short by saying they must be materialistically engaged to get interested in guns. I was bitten by the bug through shooting and the desire to become a better shooter. Picking out a cute gun had nothing to do with it. Also I see no point in filling up safes with guns. Theres so much to be mastered on guns that buying 10 different handguns would just hinder both your wallet and your skill progress. Its good to be familiar with all different platforns but there's no need to fill safes. I own three guns. I've owned many different guns. Just never at the same time. I work with a gun. If I find flaws then I upgrade to a better gun. I'm basically content with the ones I have now until further notice. I shot my safe full of guns through my three guns in the form of ammo. I'd be much less skilled had I spent that money on more guns.

I apologize, Carla's screen name is Asphodel.

I am not saying woman have to materialistically engaged to get interested in guns. I am saying anyone has to get emotionally engaged to get interested in anything. Humans are emotional creatures. Men are just as bad as we claim women are. Look at the average car magazine or gun magazine. Look at all the Cerakote options for guns. Look at the thread about pink guns in this forum. Personally, I would own a pink gun because it would ensure that all the range warriors, including one particular RSO at the range I shoot at would keep his hands off of my gun. Color means little but if given a choice I have preferences.

You are emotionally engaged by a desire to master the 3 guns you have and to find the perfect gun. You said if you find a flaw, you upgrade to a better gun. That is all emotions because no group of experts will ever agree what is the best gun. It is an opinion. Opinions always include emotions and feelings.

You are emotionally invested in your guns your way. Try to push that onto a non-gun person who does not share your personality, and you just may turn that person off of guns. They come away with the idea that there is too much to learn, I will never be perfect, etc.

My guns are old friends to me. I buy them and shoot them. I have fond memories of shooting. I learn their idiosyncrasies. I learn to shoot them very accurately.

As a man, I will tell you, I was turned off of guns for a long time because I was told all the time I was doing things wrong. When I was young I was not supposed to shoot left handed even though I was a lefty. I would be told all the reasons I had to learn to shoot right handed because guns were made to be shot right handed. At the youth competitions my father made me go to because it was his thing and he was yelling at me the whole time I was doing everything wrong, I always won doing things my way and not his. I would then say I guess my wrong way is working, no body can beat still. The minute I turned 18 and I was no longer under the court ordered custody arrangement, I told him to F off.

So good luck in forcing your way onto someone whom you really want to encourage to use a firearm. Start by getting a gun they are unsure of and say well, you can rack the slide, you are just doing it wrong. Me, I would say F you and walk out.

I was lucky, the LGS I purchased my Glock did not require me to do the safe handling demonstration. I have purchased 3 handguns at 3 different LGS and not one has required I do the demo. I signed the paper. I ask one owner and he said nobody has ever been visited in this area by the DOJ over this so we just ignore it.

It took me a couple of hours before I could rack the slide once. Pick any skill that you do not know and I know, and let me teach it to you. I can do it in a way to humiliate you or I can do it in a way that slowly builds your confidence. I can set you up to fail immediately or I can set you up to succeed.


LittleOldLady gives a lot of good wisdom:

Some real world experience which will forever remain between my family and myself I will impart this tidbit, which is still first and foremost in my thoughts over 30 years later:

It does not matter what 'size/caliber' you use, it is the assailant looking at the muzzle and sees a cannon no matter what is pointed at them.
One has to have the mindset and the intent to use deadly force.
It is the persons demeanor and stance and the willingness to 'take' someone out even if it is at the cost of their own life and safety that makes the difference in a confrontation.

I have had some real world experience myself that goes back as far as 40 years. I rarely talk about it and only a couple of family members remain who know the details (I lost my mother 2 years ago).

A single .22 can kill an adult male instantly, shot placement is more important than caliber size.

Most assailants see a cannon when they see a muzzle pointed at them.

Assailants are less willing to die for their cause then you are.

Taking another life is not easy, you have to have that mindset and be prepared to do it before the situation happens. The time to ask can I is not when you are in the situation. That microsecond hesitation is the difference between you living and you dying.

It is nothing like the movies. It is nothing like what is demonstrated in the typical gun self-defense class.

Make sure your goal is to get out alive rather than to kill the BG. If you get too focused on killing the BG you might miss the opportunity to get away safely.

Even if you have hunted before, taking a human life is nothing like killing an animal. Ask our vets that return from war with PTSD.

Finally from LittleOldLady:
I

think it is all up to the pupil and the teacher to determine which handgun to approach first by being observant and picking the correct one to start with.
I had an apt pupil that was timid and never shot before, by the end of the day she was all enthused to find a gun for herself.

SO are often the worst teachers. Men are often not good teachers for women because we have this thing called a male ego. When it comes to things that are supposed to be manly, we know better than women. Some men mellow with age and get over this. This ego thing interferes with our ability to teach some women. They pick up on it and shut down whatever we say. Others pick up on it and get the attitude of I will show you, I will do it and become better than you to prove you are wrong.

So again, what is wrong with the person whom the gun is for selecting the gun. You yourself said you selected your first gun. You researched and made your choice. Why should the wife or girlfriend not be able to do the same thing?

Deep down, the answer is we are afraid she will not make the choice we would have made. Unfortunately, she has to go through the same learning curve you went through. Unfortunately, she is not you. In this day and age, why the heck can we not get the gun we want in the color we want? Everything else we get a choice of colors. It would just add to personalization and create even more pride of ownership.

I find it interesting that the majority of experts have never been in a situation where bullets have been flying towards them and they had to actually use a firearm and possibly even take another life to come out alive. Yet we will follow their advice blindly.

[jeremiah12]

When I bought my first semi-auto, a CZ75B, I had to demonstrate at the gun store that I could safely handle it. I couldn't rack the slide for anything! Every man in that store came over to give their advice, just trying to be helpful but I was getting increasingly embarrassed and flustered. Finally after struggling for about 10 minutes I was somehow able to get it racked so that I could at least take the damn thing home. Then I just sat at home with the gun and practiced handling it, with no one criticizing me, no one standing over me telling me I was doing it wrong. I just had to figure it out on my own. The next challenge was loading the magazine... the first few went in easy but I broke every single fingernail trying to get the last few rounds in. Solved that problem with an uplula, which ALSO took a good deal of practice to get the hang of but I can load the entire magazine now in about 10 seconds.

Now my CZ is my baby and I can rack the hell out of the slide. Eventually I bought its big brother, a CZ97B, and have no problems racking that slide, either. I will say the safety demonstration for that gun went much more smoothly!

You were invested in that gun because it was your gun. You did not have a SO hand it to you and say this is your gun, learn to use it. Also, once you became familiar with the baby, you bought the big brother.

We do not introduce children to shooting by starting them out with a .44 mag. We start them with a .22. Why should anyone expect a gun newby to master the fundamentals with a .357 mag or a .38 snub nose when they are difficult to use. Master the fundamentals with something easier to use then step up.