Mouseguns?

[JamesKelly]

Are there other pre-WWII arthritic Geezers out there looking for a concealable , reliable something to shoot comfortably and often? The only thing I see is a S&W J-frame .22

There’s a lot of info on .357, .45ACP, etc, in police-type situations. I have read more than once “you can get used to recoil”. When I was 50 I enjoyed silhouette shooting with my .44 mag. At 60 I bought a 13 oz 38 spl S&W 342. It was comfortable enough to shoot for maybe 40 rounds, better grips might have helped. Now something has happened to me (perhaps related to the date on my driver’s license) and the S&W has gone from uncomfortable after 40rds to downright painful at the first shot. Not a problem in a defensive situation, but surely does inhibit needful practice. Perhaps lower velocity target wadcutters would help recoil somewhat, if not alleviate that 15lb DA pull. At the moment my own solution is a SIG 232, lovely gun in .380. Eventually I’ll find ammo. Should I chance to live another decade I wonder how it will be trying to pull that slide back? Guess I’ll head to the gym now. Even so, time marches on . . .

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MitchellCT]

Look into a Steel S&W J-Frame with 148 grain LSWC loaded to about 750FPS.

Heavier gun will be easier to shoot, and wad cutters will make nice holes.

[pgrass101]

You can go with a .32 ACP I would try the Beretta Tomcat first it has a tip up barrel so you don't have to rack the slide to chamber the first round.

My second choice would be a Kel-Tec P-32 which is about $100 cheaper than the Beretta. It is lighter and would have slightly more recoil.

The lightest recoiling .32 ACP is a Walther PPK/S around $600 it is the heaviest

I would go with a centerfire round over a rimfire, because of rimfire ammo has a higher FTF rate than center fire .

Here is a search for .32ACP on Davidson gallery of guns

[EW3]

I used to knock Kel-Tec here after having a bad experience with a P3AT, but I recently picked up a P-32 and have been VERY impressed so far.

Recoil is soft for such a small gun and out of 200 rounds or so fired so far, I've only had 2 FTF, which I think was from limp wristing. I also like that the slide locks back after the gun goes empty; very few semi-auto mouseguns do this.

The Ruger LCP .380 is also an exellent gun, but I sold mine due to .380 becoming so scarce and expensive.

The .32 ACP can be found online for $11-12 a box of 50 FMJ.

[REVMAN]

Love the Keltec and Ruger .380s

[Sledzep01]

What you need is a Sig P238, Smoothest shooting of all the new ..80's out there. Plus it looks like a mini 1911!



Sled

[maddyfish]

+1 on the Beretta, the tip up barrel is just the cure for aging hand and worries about not being able to rack the slide. They also make a 22 and 25 cal versions if you can deal with those calibers.

[NoNameMan]

For what it's worth, the FN five-seven has VERY little recoil and the magazines go on forever. It may not be the right gun in this case but it's worth a look if the OP isn't only interested in sub compacts.

[Ox]

I love those ppk/s.

[Cericko]

I've got a FN Five-Seven, Beretta Tomcat, and a Ruger LCP. Of the three for ease of use, recoil, and concealability, the Ruger wins hands-down! I use it as my back-up and wear my Glock or Kimber as my main. I agree that 380 ammo is more difficult to acquire but a few boxes is all you really need.

Although the Tomcat has the tilt-up chamber for easy loading, it "feels" much heavier in my pocket than the LCP. I suggest you visit a dealer and try many.

[skysoldier29]

You might want to consider a ported pistol. Id imagine that it would have very managable kick to it in a 9mm or something. Might want to look at something like the Glock 19C.

[gottabkiddin]

You can go with a .32 ACP I would try the Beretta Tomcat first it has a tip up barrel so you don't have to rack the slide to chamber the first round.

My second choice would be a Kel-Tec P-32 which is about $100 cheaper than the Beretta. It is lighter and would have slightly more recoil.

The lightest recoiling .32 ACP is a Walther PPK/S around $600 it is the heaviest

I would go with a centerfire round over a rimfire, because of rimfire ammo has a higher FTF rate than center fire .

Here is a search for .32ACP on Davidson gallery of guns

Yup, that Beretta Tomcat would be the ticket for ease of use. I think it has the flip up barrel making the slide rack not a factor. I have a PPK in .380 and it's got some kick. I guess it's mainly due to the blow back action, but it's about 20oz and it'll lock back on the last round, making the recharge much easier while practicing. The .32 PPK should be a pleasure to shoot.

[Doc Holliday]

Stay away from the Kel Tec P3AT. Good little gun but it is painful to shoot much.

If I were to have trouble working the slide on an autoloader due to medical conditions I would probably go with a small wheel gun rather than the .32 Beretta.

[DIXIETWISTER]

Well you could get a walther p-22, load them up with cci stingers and practice head shots....it beats a rock.

[Will B. Droopy]

Hi James,

I too have problems, even at my young whipper-snapper age of 54yrs [and in good health], with my 15oz Smith snubby when shooting almost ANY factory .38spc ammo (even NON +P), so I feel your pain.

My first shot is usually my last shot, since I feel that nerve damage may set in if I fire a second shot! So I practice only with my wife's 23oz Smith stainless belly gun. No problems at all there: still kicks like a mule (for me, anyway!), but no pain. (.44mag shooters may laugh at us recoil sensitive shooters, but I have thick skin!)

Also, I would like to recommend the double action Beretta Model 21 in .25ACP (I can hear the snickering already ). Comfortable to shoot, but still kicks some due to its small size and weight. While .25ACP is obviously not in a league with a .380 or a 9MM, you sure can get a lot of shots off in rapid succession at close range with it. The only issue with the Beretta is that, with a round in the chamber, you DO have to use the manual safety, since the firing pin floats if you do not, so dropping it on a hard surface could be a very bad thing...

With everyone into raw firearm power for self defense, one may legitimately 'gaffaw' at the above suggestion of using a .25ACP, but sometimes we have to compromise in life.

I think Taurus may also make a 9 shot snubby in .22LR, which would be a very good choice too (I have one of their 9 shot 4" 990 models, and it shoots/works like a dream).

-Bill