TexasCHLforum.com

TGIF wrote:My wife decided she would like to get her CHL when I go to get mine. We figured out a method (thanks to YouTube) for her to rack the slide but she can't lock it open. I know we can see about getting her a smaller gun but she wants to know if she will be required to lock it open during the class. Can someone tell me if she will need to do that to pass the class?
Thanks,

Please refer your wife to The Cornered Cat, and let her read up on it without you hovering over her. My wife has hand/wrist issues too, and she barely has the strength to rack a slide. But she does carry a Glock 19, and that is what she qualified with when she took her CHL class.

The Cornered Cat is a website devoted to women who choose to carry a gun, published by a woman who carries, and couched in language that makes sense to women. She addresses all kinds of issues that many women who choose to carry a gun face (which we men don't usually have to deal with), including different ways to rack a slide, etc. She has also published a book, which I gave to my wife for Christmas this year. My wife loves the book and has been devouring it cover to cover.

Next suggestion, enroll her in a NRA Basic Handgun Safety class. There are plenty of instructors who offer this. If you live in DFW, particularly Tarrant County, I heartily recommend Crossfire Training, owned by our own moderator here, Crossfire. She and her husband do a great job, and they get a fair number of female students. Her husband Marty is very patient and kind, and he rewards his female students with lots of encouragement, hugs, etc. They love him, and he deserves it. But the best part is that he's not you, and I say this will all due respect. I love my wife without reservation, but it was difficult for me to teach her anything about shooting - not because I was tough or impatient, but because she felt like she was under a microscope and that made it hard for her to learn. But having Marty teach her took that out of the picture and she was able to relax and really enjoy the class. By the end of the day, she had shot everything from a .22 to a .41 magnum, with Glocks in 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, and 10mm in between.

She still has weak hands and wrists, but between the tools that she got from The Cornered Cat and the confidence that Marty gave her, she now has fun with her mens at the range. It is well worth it.

I know that another two of our moderators here, Compvest and her husband SRVA, both teach handgun classes, and they are down in Conroe. Both of them are very proficient shooters and they live to teach newcomers to the world of shooting.

I'm sure there are others, but the main thing is to encourage your wife from the sidelines, but get out of the way and let someone else do the teaching. It was one of the best things I ever could have done for my wife.

RPB wrote:

texanron wrote:I can't speak for all classes but the class I took not once did I have to lock the slide back.

Also, I was born with only 1 hand, and it's arthritic, you didn't say what pistol she has but:
I use Advantage Tactical Sights to rack the slide.
Models here http://www.advantagetactical.com/store.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I reviewed, wrote the company a thank you note, which they published here just above where it says "Ron in Texas" :
http://www.advantagetactical.com/reviews.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A grandmotherly person I know with 2 arthritic hands who can't rack a slide, carries a Beretta with a tip-up barrel.

I'm retired and not affiliated with any company.

RPB, I've seen you post about your vision and orthopedic issues before, and I've paid special attention to these sights because of it. When The Annoyed Woman qualified during her CHL class, she rented a Glock 19 that had these sights on it from the instructors - yellow rear and red front. It seemed like an interesting idea at the time, although I don't remember much about what the sight picture actually looked like... ...or maybe I didn't have the chance to test it. Anyway, I have a few questions....

1. Are these equipped with tritium vials? If not, are they visible at all in the dark?

2. Does the coloring seem to be robust enough to resist holster/handling wear?

3. Any issues with holster fit with these sights?

Thanks,

TAM