Pistol for someone that is recoil sensitive

[Dakotaranger]

I'm getting closer to getting my mom to get her permit, even if it's for putting a deer down when she travels. It just takes a while to change mindsets.

Here's the problem mom has a bad back and has a hard time grasping things at times. The recoil from my 1911 was way to much for her.

I'm thinking a .38 Special revolver would be good enough to put a deer down if she ran into it, but she would need something heavier than usual just to negate (to a point) the recoil.

Any suggestions?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

Does she have enough grip to grasp the slide and operate an auto?
or the desire to learn the skills needed for an auto? I ask these questions because auto's are a bit softer shooting the revolvers.

[Dakotaranger]

She does, but sometimes due to the fracture she had in her hand her hand doesn't always function as smooth as it should.

[SIXTO]

In a auto, I'd go with a 9mm. Which one... I'd find the heaviest chunk of steel I could find. Its basic physics, the more mass in the pistol, the more recoil its going to absorb. You mentioned 1911, there are 9mm ones out there if you like that platform.
In a revolver same thing... maybe a GP100 loaded with .38

[Dakotaranger]

GP100? Is it a Smith or Taurus?

[SIXTO]

Sorry, Its a Ruger. Its a strongly built revolver. It comes in 6" 4" and I think a 3" barrel lengths, and its easy to modify the grip and trigger pull to suit her needs.

[Dakotaranger]

That sounds like what I'm looking for.

[MNBurl]

Yep a medium sized K or L frame Smith or like gun from any of the major mfgs with a 2 to 3 inch barrel.

My Smith Model 15-4 would work perfectly for her.

[chiefs-special-guy]

Or maybe a SW model 10- she could get a used one for not too much, and they are just great- heavy enough for minimal recoil, smooth triggers, no slide to rack, etc. I think the Ruger idea is also good. The trouble with autos for some ladies is the slide, and the autos with tip up barrels are all blowback guns I believe, so they lack the punch to humanely kill a deer or what have you.
Good Luck and God Bless

[pogo2]

I agree with Sixto above that your best bet is a heavier gun shooting moderate ammunition, if you want to minimize recoil. I'd go with something in all steel, either a 9mm semiauto, or a .38/.357 steel revolver shooting .38 special ammo. Avoid frames of aluminum or polymer, which lighten weight.

Here is a S&W K frame model 66 with 2.5 inch barrel and rubber grips, for example. The gun weighs 32 ounces and shooting .38 ammo is a breeze, with very little recoil:

[rocky]

does Taurus offer the recoil reducing grips (gripper I think ) for smaller revos? Some type of rubber grip should help reduce felt recoil too.

[ccw9mm]

If for concealed carry, a Ruger SP101 revolver in 3" bbl loaded with .38spl might do the trick. It's a relatively heavy revolver, enough to counter much of the typical .38 recoil, yet it's small enough to pack. There are also a variety of grip choices, for adjustment to someone who has "grip" issues or preferences.

[Harold Green]

I’m curious, do those of you who are recommending short-barreled revolvers like the S&W Model 66 or the Ruger SP101 own and shoot them? Have you compared the recoil generated by these to the recoil generated by, say, a 1911?

The reason I ask is because I’ve owned a S&W Model 19 (the carbon-steel version of the Model 66) with a 2.5-inch barrel for over thirty years. It was my main carry gun up until I was subverted to the dark side and started carrying a 1911 about ten years ago. Using .38 defensive loads (110-125 grain hollow point ammo) the recoil from the S&W isn’t that much less than the recoil from the 1911.

I know .38s are the intended ammo, but just by way of comparison, if you step up to .357 defensive loads the recoil is markedly worse (and sharper) than a 1911. Back in the day when I used to practice with the S&W on a regular basis using full-house .357 ammo, it used to bloody the web between my thumb and trigger finger, after shooting about a box of ammo, on a fairly regular basis. This wasn’t with the skinny little factory grips Smith used to sell them with, this was with a set of larger grips (similar to Uncle Mikes boot grips) I whipped up and put on the gun before after-market grips were more generally available.

I’m not sure what the best solution is to finding mom a mild-recoiling gun, but I’m concerned that a short barreled revolver might not be a good solution. You might want to take mom to a local range and rent one for her to try before you buy one. As suggested earlier, a Taurus revolver with their Ribber grip may be worth looking at, if you opt to go with a revolver.

I’m quite curious to see what you come up with for a solution to this problem, because I have a similar problem I need to solve. My wife shattered the joint at the base of her right thumb as a child, and it’s starting to get arthritic. I’m having trouble finding a gun with mild enough recoil that she can shoot comfortably. I’ve started her out with a Walther P22, just so she can start shooting and get some practice, but I’d like to set her up with a larger caliber gun for self defense.

[SIXTO]

Thats why I went with the GP100 intstead of my usual sp101 suggestion.

[katmandoo122]

OK, I'll prolly get flamed for this, especially from Sixto, but I'd go with a Hi-Point 380 or a Hi-Point 9mm with Compensator. Both can be had for less than $150. The 380 is the lightest recoil gun I have ever fired and the one I have used had 0 FTF or FTE in 400 rounds.

You can check em out here: http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com/handguns.asp

People here will bash the Hi-Point, but nearly everyone who does is someone who heard of someone with a bad story or someone who was at a range when they saw bad things.

Here's a forum of actual owners:

http://www.hipointforums.com/

They also have a no questions asked lifetime warranty (lifetime of the gun, not the owner).