What would I have to do to make the slide easier to pull back?

You can push with the hand holding the pistol grip while pulling back on the slide with the other hand. That's the way I teach the women in my life to do it.

You do not do anything to the gun or the springs to make the slide cycle easier. The springs are balanced to make the pistol function properly.

You either work up your wrist strength, learn the tricks of use, like was suggested above, or trade for a revolver.

Another trick one can use is to hook the end of the slide below the barrel against a table top or other solid surface and push the pistol into it. That was part of the one hand operation drill we did in case we were wounded and had to continue the fight.

To what semi are you referring?

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