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Thread: Wife's hands

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    NW Oregon, where palm trees grow
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    920

    Default Wife's hands

    Well it's the time in our lives when our hands have grown weaker. Wife now has arthritic hands so she now has a hard time cycling her K9 or her PM9. She's had surgery done and is now going for therapy. She's tried different other pistols like a Glock 43, Ruger LC9 and some others. They all have a stiffer recoil spring then her K9. I think that's because she may have a Lady Kahr recoil spring, no longer sold by Kahr in her K9. She's carried hers since 1998. I've ordered a lighter spring from Wolf but it wont be here for about 30 days (pandemic)
    I don't think this will do the trick but we'll try.
    Has anyone here suffer from the same hand issues and have come up with a solution. Cutting coils, another after market brand etc.

    Thanks for reading this, John

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
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    Central Floriduh
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    Default

    My friend is going through the same thing. Hard to get him to the range anymore as it is not a fun experience for him anymore. He has now gone to a snubby and a poly judge to avoid racking a slide. Best wishes to your wife on her recovery/therapy.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    138

    Default

    A recoil spring with much less strength is likely to transmit a lot more recoil to the shooter's hand, especially in a light, short grip PM9. Have you considered a LakeLine charging handle? (https://lakelinellc.com/shop/kahr-9mm-charging-handle/) Kahr sells similar units. (https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/ka...arging-handle/) I have never seen one, but it is vaguely similar to charging ears that come on HK VP9s. I have one and I think this would help someone whose problem is gripping the thin slide, but who has the basic strength to retract the slide for loading. If you try this, let us know how it works for you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    NW Oregon, where palm trees grow
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by finpro View Post
    A recoil spring with much less strength is likely to transmit a lot more recoil to the shooter's hand, especially in a light, short grip PM9. Have you considered a LakeLine charging handle? (https://lakelinellc.com/shop/kahr-9mm-charging-handle/) Kahr sells similar units. (https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/ka...arging-handle/) I have never seen one, but it is vaguely similar to charging ears that come on HK VP9s. I have one and I think this would help someone whose problem is gripping the thin slide, but who has the basic strength to retract the slide for loading. If you try this, let us know how it works for you.
    I didn't know there was such a thing for Kahrs. My question is since wife carries iwb appendix carry, will the wing dig in to her skin. On the the S&W Shield, I haven't been able to locate one to look at. I think it may be bigger then a standard Shield because of the EZ internal hammer and spring vs. the shield striker system

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    138

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jg rider View Post
    I didn't know there was such a thing for Kahrs. My question is since wife carries iwb appendix carry, will the wing dig in to her skin. On the the S&W Shield, I haven't been able to locate one to look at. I think it may be bigger then a standard Shield because of the EZ internal hammer and spring vs. the shield striker system
    If the inside of the charging handle is a problem for her, there are holsters that have a layer of material between the rear of the slide and the body. It would also be possible to diminish and smooth the body side edge of the charging handle. On a VP9 the wings are separate units and I removed the body side wing, leaving the outside wing, because I thought it would be better for carrying. When I decided that a VP9 was too big for carrying compared to a smaller double stack, I replaced the inside wing and it now serves as a house gun. At about $40 for the Kahr charging handle, if this works for her, it is the cheap way to go. I think I may be talking myself into getting one for my MP9.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Posts
    322

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jg rider View Post
    I didn't know there was such a thing for Kahrs. My question is since wife carries iwb appendix carry, will the wing dig in to her skin. On the the S&W Shield, I haven't been able to locate one to look at. I think it may be bigger then a standard Shield because of the EZ internal hammer and spring vs. the shield striker system
    The EZ is indeed bigger than the Shield. In fact, the EZ has very little in common with the standard Shield, other than both being plastic modified Browning style handguns produced by S&W. Most of the size difference is the 1/2" longer barrel and 1/8" wider slide.

    It may be though that S&W has found the best solution so far for arthritic hands. Besides the easier slide manipulation, it's also much easier to disassemble and clean. As much as I like my Kahrs, you gotta hand it to S&W for innovation.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    southern New Hampshire
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    Default

    For an easy-to-rack pistol (click to see Lightfighter discussion), I concur with those recommending the S&W Shield EZ line, in either .380 or 9mm. The EZ .380 is super-friendly both to rack and to fire. Downside is that it's rather large, which might be a problem for carry. But try them, as if their slides are still too heavy, probably EVERYTHING will be, and you'll know you need to look into more exotic solutions (like maybe Beretta tip-up barrels).

    I recall racking the Glock 43 slide to be very similar to the Sig P365. So if the Glock 43 recoil spring is too heavy for her hands, my guess is the Sig P365 and most other compact 9mm pistols will be too. If a bigger pistol is an option, perhaps try a full-size 9mm like the Sig P320. The heavier full-length slide may allow setting it up with extra-light springs. I believe some competition shooters do that, so after-market recoil springs in various weights are available (but only for the full-length slide, not the compact).

    Compared to the usual modified-Browning tilting-barrel system, rotary barrel pistols like the Beretta PX4 Storm and Grand Power K100 are said to have lower recoil and allow much lighter recoil springs. But I've never used any of those myself, so I'm not sure.

    In smaller .380 pistols, the Sig P238 is very friendly to shoot, only modestly larger than a Kahr P380, and it's slide is MUCH easier to rack than the P380, although still heavier than the S&W EZ .380. If you like 1911-style SAO pistols, the Sig P238 is very nice. Downside is it is stupidly expensive, often $650+, and really only available in that one size format, no choice about slide or grip length.

    The new Ruger LCP Max double-stack .380 is worth a look. Slide spring weight is moderate, definitely much less than Kahr P380. Good sights, good grip; but I haven't shot one yet. Trigger is mediocre, but probably ok; to me it feels sort of like a weirdly long Glock trigger. Length of trigger pull seems similar to Kahr, perhaps slightly shorter, although IMO the Kahr trigger pull is smoother and better.

    Rumor is that Sig is working on a new .380 pistol based on the their P365. I love the P365 (and XL), so that's interesting to me. But I have no idea if this new .380 is supposed to just be a P365 chambered in .380, making it large for a .380, sort of like the S&W EZ but double-stack. Or if it will be something smaller, like the Ruger LCP Max. Or whether it will ever actually come to market at all, of course!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    southern New Hampshire
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    9

    Default

    Sig announced the P365 .380 ACP. Turns out, it really is just a P365 in .380, exact same frame size as the 9mm.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    NW Oregon, where palm trees grow
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    920

    Default Went and bought one

    Quote Originally Posted by finpro View Post
    A recoil spring with much less strength is likely to transmit a lot more recoil to the shooter's hand, especially in a light, short grip PM9. Have you considered a LakeLine charging handle? (https://lakelinellc.com/shop/kahr-9mm-charging-handle/) Kahr sells similar units. (https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/ka...arging-handle/) I have never seen one, but it is vaguely similar to charging ears that come on HK VP9s. I have one and I think this would help someone whose problem is gripping the thin slide, but who has the basic strength to retract the slide for loading. If you try this, let us know how it works for you.
    Thanks finpro,
    I bought one of those Lakeline units. But it won't work for us. It's too small to grip, has sharp corners that hurt her fingers when pulling back the slide and digs jnto her skin when holstered.
    DSC00074.jpgDSC00073.jpgDSC00076.jpg
    Found this item on Amazon

    https://www.amazon.com/Handi-Racker-Safest-Pistols-Green-Compact/dp/B01BFMD9U4

    On that same Amazon page it shows some slide rackers for Glocks that look if they could be redesigned for Kahrs

    I also found 3 Lady Kahr recoil springs from days gone by in my stock pile. FYI I also ordered a reduced spring from Wolf that's rated at 18#. The lady Kahr springs are lighter

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    southern New Hampshire
    Posts
    9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by finpro View Post
    Have you considered a LakeLine charging handle? (https://lakelinellc.com/shop/kahr-9mm-charging-handle/) Kahr sells similar units. (https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/ka...arging-handle/)
    That sounds worth trying. If the problem is not enough grip strength causing her hand to slip off the slide too early when racking, that extra bit sticking out the side might be enough for her to hold on. I guess the arthritis is only in her fingers and not her wrist, if she SHOOTS the PM9 just fine!

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