Is the slide rusted closed? Buy some break free.
It depends on how you want to carry. I Like my Sig .45 for home use and I have a little Kel Tec 9mm that can be concealed in the palm of your hand but it doesn’t have the best quality although it’s never misfired. Here’s a few cool links to peruse:
http://www.mouseguns.com/pocksize.htm
http://www.outdoors.net/site/features/feature.aspx+Forum+Firearms+ArticleCode+1698+V+N+SearchTerm++curpage+1698
I had a friend look at it and he had no problem opening the slide but I couldn’t do it at all. However, break free might just help since it hasn’t been fired since the 80’s. It will be used for home safety plus I have a shoulder holster for concealed carry if I need to use it beyond the shooter course.
Thanks for the links. I think the S&W 342PD has my name on it!