Tough decision to make

[bmcgilvray]

I'd be certain to have the .22 rifle hole in my arsenal plugged before I'd go for the handgun.

Hey Bark'n, what sort of Winchester bolt action .22 rifle do you have?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[TWO GUNS]

I would take the Ruger 10/22

[peacefuljeffrey]

Since I'm already planning to eventually get myself a .38 snub, for pocket carry, that's clearly what I would take. I have no real need or desire for a .22 rifle.

[peacefuljeffrey]

But if that Taurus is pretty much it (I'm thinking it's probably better for HD, and it's certainly more carryable, for SD/CCW) on her part, I think I'd go with the 10/22.

If that Taurus was all she had around for potential SD use, and she was at all willing to trade it away as payment for a job, leaving her with nothing for SD, then she's clearly not the type who would even be of a mind to use a gun for SD in the first place, so you would't be taking the gun right out of her hands or anything...

Anyone who would give up their last useful self defense gun pretty much deserves to be left defenseless. After all, that's a pretty stupid thing to do unless you're maybe using it to buy food because you're literally starving. And even then, you should just be using the gun to shoot yourself some food, anyway.

[rabywk]

I'll bet she has more guns and a better grouping than most of us on the board.

P.S. I took the snub-nose

Good Choice

[ppkheat]

Let's assume the widow doesn't know much about guns or personal defense,(we'll overlook stupidity as a reason, and just say she's naive) and she has only two guns and she could be bartered out of both of them leaving her essentially disarmed. We as gun owners/instructors/pro2A/etc are aware of the predicament that she's placing herself into. The opportunity exists for us to explain her vulnerabilities to her and share our knowledge about the importance of personal defense. Though she's not "our responsibility" but the widow of a good friend, should we:

1. Simply keep our mouths shut, offer her money or labor for a fair trade, take the guns and never look back?

or

2. Be up front and advise her of the importance of self defense and encourage her to keep at least one gun, with training, in her household for her own protection if she so desires?

In other words, give her the information and opportunity to clearly see BOTH sides of the issue of her personal defense and make sure she is well-informed beforehand.

[LastManOut]

Understand, if she WANTED to get all the guns 'out of the house', as my wife's grandmother did a few years back. I would help her. She was not the type to go for the weapon for her defense, or inclined to learn safe gun handling.

The situation here is the widow was actively involved in shooting and hunting with her husband, who was also a collector and a handyman-gunsmith. I have already bought from her her late husband's reloading press and supplies. So no, I wouldn't be leaving her defenseless. She keeps a loaded handgun within reach in the home.

[ppkheat]

I'm glad to hear that she is a "shooter" and likely to defend herself if needed.
The scenario I posed better fits a "what-if" type of question that any of us could be faced with in dealing with a neighbor, relative, or co-worker's surviving spouse. Actually I've already faced this type of scenario twice in my life. I think it would be interesting to see which option we'd chose. Personally I'd be sure that the widow, in the situation I described, fully knew that she'd be disarmed if I bought both of her guns. Unless she was adament of ridding her house of all guns, I'd advise her to take some safety/training courses and keep a gun for self-defense.
BTW, in your case, I'd probably choose the Ruger .22, only because it would fit in better with the group of guns I already own.

[LastManOut]

I picked up the Taurus 85ss Thursday. I had to wait for Penna.'s PICS to go back on-line. Nice and clean!

[aznav]

Does she have any other deceased husbands?