I have a friend and customer that is wheelchair bound and has very limited ability/strength in his hands and arms. He is a gun person though and is capable of shooting. He’s gone through about 4 handguns trying to find a DA/SA that he can operate. I hate to see him keep buying guns that don’t work out. He does not want a striker gun unfortunately. I’ve recommended the Shield EZ and he’s just not a fan. I know he ideally needs to get into a shop and rent, but between covid and his wheelchair it’s not easy for him. So, question is... recommend an easy to operate DA/SA handgun..?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dry-fly,

He went through 4 DA/SA guns, already. What are the makes/models, and what exactly is he having difficulty with?

I don't much care for the shield EZ, either...just didn't fit my hand well. The Beretta 92 slide is pretty easy to rack, IMO, and the controls are also large and user-friendly. It's not the world's best carry gun, but it could be a great fit for your friend and his intended use.

Might want to look at a .380.... I've found that folks with weak hands that can't rack a 9mm can usually rack a .380.

You probably can’t answer this for him, but if he’s willing to put up with double action for the first shot, why not DA for all of them? And if so, then the SIG P250 would be my recommendation. There is a limit to how easy the slide will be to cycle manually without going to a lighter recoil spring, but my P250’s is at the easiest end of my guns’, and the trigger pull weight is only about 6 pounds.

That of course assumes it’s possible to find one. They were never very popular, though, and don’t seem very highly priced in the Gun Broker ads.

I have a FNP that is easy to rack the slide and the DA pull isn’t bad. It was my first polymer I ever bought and I shoot that gun better than my CZ’s or Kahr’s. Speaking of CZ’s you can count them out for your friend. Because of the way the slide is inside the frame and not the outside the slide has less real estate to grab onto for racking. I just got a PO7 and that gun is tight and not easy to rack and the slide release is almost a two hand operation.

Thanks for the comments guys. Racking the slide is what he has the most difficulty with. He’s got some odd taste sometimes.. the ones he’s bought that I recall are a Black Label Browning 1911 in .380, one of those funky Arex Zero things, even a Beretta Tomcat. He’s kinda all over the place with his selections, but he’s open to suggestions. I know he would probably like to stick to 9mm if possible. He currently carries a S&W .357, but keeps .38’s in it. Thanks again

I own a SIG P239, P226 and P220....of those the P239 in 40 SW would be my choice. Especially with set of Hogue grips on it...very easy to hold, good size, good round, very reliable and easy to shoot.

I would also recommend the CZ P01 (alloy frame) or CZ P07 (composite frame)....with the latter having an outstanding trigger, easy to manipulate, and reliablity.

Good luck.

One of the forum members mentioned how the CZ line of pistols have frames that are hard to rack. I have to agree, but the funny thing is I have a friend who has arms/hands that are sort of deformed and he has trouble with a lot of my pistols. For some reason he can rock and roll with my old CZ-75.

I am not sure about the current Beretta 92 compacts but I have both the L + M models and they are very easy to rack.

Does your friend like any of the HK line (except the HKP2000sk: Mine is a pain): I always found their slides the easiest of all to rack. After years in the military, sports and LE the wear and tear has caught up with me and every once in a while I am having trouble racking slides.

If he does find a pistol he likes and is comfortable with but has a strong slide, would your friend be open to using a slide assist such as the Handi-Racker- Tool?

Something like a Beretta 92 for a couple reasons.

-The locking system is easier to overcome IMO
-They are generally smooth out of the box
-The safety levers can act like “charging aids/ears”
-Make sure he is manually cocking the hammer in a DA/SA first also as this can add a fair bit of needed force to overcome.

Honestly and I know this wasn’t what was asked but a nice DA revolver would probably fit the Bill.

While I never owned one I did rent one once, and would second Sigfreund's suggestion for a SIG P250. Racking the slide takes noticeably less force for handgunners experienced in different racking forces...and the trigger pull is actually quite good.

Also, while I've never handled or shot one, among it's many favorable qualities, the Boberg / Bond Arms Bullpup platform is widely reported to be both easy to rack and have a decently smooth DAO trigger pull, albeit with both a long pull and reset...for those willing to invest in the uniqueness of the gun as well as it's higher price tag.

Or, perhaps a well maintained used DA gun that is already broken in might have the qualities he is looking for.

Is there some reason the S&W he now carries no longer works for him, or does he just want a semi-auto?

Thanks again for the suggestions. I think he just wants more capacity in an auto over the revolver he has. The P250 and 92F sound like good options. I seem to remember a transfer I did for a dude awhile back... it was an HK P30, super easy to manipulate now that I think about it. I don’t remember if it was new or well broken in though. Any thoughts on it?

I am greatly impressed with the Beretta 92 after installing the Langdon Tactical “Trigger Job in a Bag”(TJIAB). The slide is easy to manipulate, the double action pull is light and smooth, and the reset is amazing. Not a small pistol, but the compact might work. Also not inexpensive, but they are available from www.langdontactical.com.

I have a P30 and the 92’s are noticeably easier in my opinion.

Very good guys.. sounds like he needs to check out a 92F.

Springfield Armory XD-E. Single stack (8+1 and 9+1 mag) but super easy to rack, DA/SA where decocker can also be used as a safety and pretty soft shooting also.

If he can deal with the grip size, then the Beretta 92, as mentioned. Very smooth slide operation. A DAO trigger may even be better suited to him but the DA/SA versions are everywhere.

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Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
If he can deal with the grip size, then the Beretta 92, as mentioned. Very smooth slide operation. A DAO trigger may even be better suited to him but the DA/SA versions are everywhere.

I would argue that DA/SA makes far more sense then DAO for this gentleman. Since racking the slide is the issue at hand, a DAO firearms doesn’t alleviate the need to do this to chamber a round and also prevents you from manually cocking the hammer to release some additional force that would need to be overcome with the hammer at rest as it would always be with a DAO.

Just my opinion. I might be missing something.

While not as easy to find, would a Beretta 86 work?

I ask because I’ve never operated one of those tip-up barrel models before but I believe they eliminate the need to rack the slide at all. While .380 isn’t the ideal SD cartridge it’s better than a gun he can not operate and there are some pretty good loads for .380 now. And it’s DA/SA.

Good suggestions folks, thank you