I think it was Chuck H who talked about carrying a .25 Beretta and using the .22 for practice
I think it was Chuck H who talked about carrying a .25 Beretta and using the .22 for practice
For people looking for a conventional pistol with an easy slide to work, the new gas-delayed blowback Walther CCP has an extremely soft recoil spring. Just about everybody I've let try it has commented on that fact.
My wife's PK380 is just about the softest-shooting (centerfire) pistol I've ever fired, but I have to admit that the CCP has me curious. If she could switch to that, then she'd have a more effective caliber, I'd only have to stock one set of components for reloading, and my press settings would never have to change. That said, it's not just recoil she's sensitive to, but blast/concussion, as well, so who knows whether it'd work out.
We had an officer come down with guillan-barre, and ended up with long term nerve damage. He didn't have the grip strength to grasp the slide and rack it. We machined another dovetail on the slide of his Glock 17, in front of the rear sight, and then installed an SJC slide racker. We had to relieve the racker slightly to clear the rear sight notch. That solved the racking the slide problem. He still couldn't shoot worth a flip past 5 yards, but that was a nerve problem and not a gun problem. EGW also makes a hooked shaped racker.
A .25 is a poor choice for a grown man that can physically fight back and the ability to move, it's a poorer choice for someone who can't do either. While something beats nothing, someone that's disabled is better served with a gun that holds a lot of rounds that can reliably punch deep enough to do some serious damage. If your friend can adapt a 9mm semi auto to work, I think he'd be much better off.
"PLAN FOR YOUR TRAINING TO BE A REFLECTION OF REAL LIFE INSTEAD OF HOPING THAT REAL LIFE WILL BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR TRAINING!"
The one thing I really like about M&Ps is the ability to alter the trigger length with a forward set sear from Apex. For individuals that may end up with limited hand strength and limited dexterity (my father for instance has both after several hand surgeries), a competition level forward set sear can be just the ticket. The addition of a racking device and/or a large rear sight/MRDS can aid in racking ability. My father with limited hand strength and dexterity can get the slide back on his MRDS equipped Full size M&P9 with minimal issues. The extra leverage afforded by the MRDS is what helped him.
If your friend may only be temporarily incapacited (and I hope he is), giving him a loaded g17 and a spare mag may do just fine. If it's loaded when it's empty he should be able to reload from slidelock. Hopefully he has the thumb/grip strength to work the slide release.