Glock Slide Racker (5 Best Charging Handles)

There are a lot of reasons why adding a Glock slide racker to your pistol can be helpful.

Anyone suffering from Arthritis can attest that “racking” your Glock slide can be difficult.

Whether you are older in age or have smaller or arthritic hands installing a slide racker (charging handle) onto your Glock slide can make a world of difference in real-world scenarios and at the gun range.

What is a Slide Racker?

A slide racker is a nifty tool that attaches to the back of your Glock where the vanity back plate (striker retention plate) is installed.

The Slide racker makes the Glock much easier to rack regardless if you are chambering a round, clearing a jam, or performing a safety check.

Glock pistols are a challenge for some due to the block-like nature of the slides and minimalist serrations for gripping.

Glock Slide Racking Tips

There is actually some technique involved in racking your Glock slide. Before you buy yourself a slide racker try these tips for easier Glock slide operation:

1. Keep the Glock close to your body. You will have more leverage the closer the pistol is to you.
2. Grip the serration either with all fingers over the top & your thumb/palm on the side closed to you or else you can use your 3 middle fingers on the left slide of the Glock and thumb aiming forward.
3. The key is to get as much skin contact with the slide as possible. This is basic physics where you are increasing the overall surface tension.
4. Never “ride the slide” forward when racking your Glock. Pull back firm and deliberately then let it go. This will also prevent malfunctions such as failure to feed or double feeds when chambering a new round.

If racking the slide is still challenging for you, now is when purchasing a slide racker can assist with easy and positive slide cycling.

How to install a Glock Slide Racker

Installing a slide racker is simple and the same process is for the majority of Glock models.

The following steps to install your slide racker will apply to the following models:

• Glock 19 / P80 Compact
• Glock 17 / P80 Full Size
• Glock 26/27 / P80 Sub Compact
• Glock 43 / P80 Single Stack
• Glock 22
• Glock 20
• And more

Step 1 – Remove the slide from your Glock and turn it over on a flat surface.

Step 2 – Push back and down on the firing pin area until you hear a click.

Step 3 – Push down on the Glock slide vanity plate so it pops out at the bottom.

Step 4 – Line up your Glock racker and push in the pins with a punch or any type of tool to get the racker to sit over the springs.

Step 5 – push your slide racker all the way up until it sits in place. You can now reattach your slide and your racker is good to go!

Easy as pie your new slide racker is now correctly installed on your pistol.

Best Slide Racker (Charging Handle) for Glocks

There are a handful of various styles, brands, and types of slide rackers to choose from on the market.

Glock, as usual, has a ton of options due to their widespread adaptation.

3D Gun Builder got our hands on some of the most popular, easy slide cycling rackers available for a plethora of Glock models.

Here are the five best slide rackers for Glock pistols we tried:

The Tango Down Vickers Tactical Slide Racker is (no pun intended) hands down one of our favorite Glock slide rackers.

If you like the OEM look of your Glock this is the way to go. The design is very minimalist and adds two small serrated wings to the rear of your pistol’s slide.

Tango Down originally developed the Vickers Tactical slide racker for the Glock 43 but due to demand, they developed the product for the Glock 17/19/22/23/26/27/34/35/41 models as well.

We found the Vickers racker very easy to use without being too bulky or creating issues with holstering/drawing.

When it comes to both affordability and compatibility the Zoekim Speed slide racker for Glock is hard to beat.

The Zoekim is compatible with every Glock model from Generations 1 – 5.

The price comes in around $15 – $20 on Amazon and (like Amazon always does) ships quickly to your door.

The Zoekim Speed racker does not feel quite as polished and clean as the Tango Down Vickers but it is nonetheless a great option for those not looking to break the bank.

Looking to add a bit of flare to your Glock’s slide?

The Carry Slide Racker by Springer Precision is calling your name. The polished aluminum finish is both lightweight and functional.

Springer Precision’s slide racker works for the majority of Glocks except for the Glock 42/43 single stack variants.

The price is affordable and it slides perfectly into your pistol’s striker retaining plate on the rear of a Glock slide.

There is no other way to put it than NDZ’s slide racker plates are cool.

They come in every style from flashy to minimalist and also have a variety of custom engraved options.

NDZ Glock rackers will work with GEN 1-5 and Glock models 17, 17L, 19, 19X, 20, 20SF, 21, 21SF, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 29SF, 30, 30SF, 30S, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 & 45.

They are also surprisingly cheap for the amount of work NDZ put into the overall design and durability (including stainless steel reinforcement) of this aftermarket slide racker.

We like to refer to the Recover Tactical Slide Rack Assist as the big hoss.

If you are not concealed carrying and don’t mind a larger addition to the rear of your Glock slide you may want to consider Recover Tactical.

This is one of the largest slide rackers we tested and while it may not be the prettiest it certainly may be the best option for those with small or arthritic hands.

Conclusion

Regardless of your smaller-sized hands, arthritis or other physical limitations shooting is a fun and accessible hobby for everyone.

Note: If you utilize concealed carry holsters you will want to verify that your slide racker does not catch on your clothing or the top part of the holster.

So if you are feeling limited by your ability to rack your Glock’s slide, grab a quality drop-in racker from one of these brands.

Do you have a Glock racker that you personally love? Let us know in the comments below.