Recomendation?

[V8 Thumper]

Hey guys and gals. I'm looking for a pistol recomendation for my mother. She's 64, all of ~maybe~ 5' tall and very tiny in build. She's in great shape (I hope to be even close to being that healthy when that age) and since earning my CCW permit, she now has an interest in a personal/home defense pistol for herself. My .45's and my brother's .40 are a bit much for her to handle with confidence, so I'm thinking something in 9mm or 380 maybe?

She lives in California, so she of course won't be carrying concealed.
What would you recomend? Semi-auto or revolver?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[jualdeaux]

J-frame .38.

[itschuck]

For a house gun I would go with a ruger sp101, the recoil wont be bad, they are about reliable as you can get and pretty accurate.
Also if you have the option of 38 special, 38 special plus p and 357 magnum.

If you are set on an automatic, then go with the mp series by smith and wesson. Adjustable backstrap in case you need a smaller grip. The trigger is nice and in 9mm its an easy weapon to fire.

Now off the wall here..have you considered a shotgun?? Not a 12 gauge but maybe a 20 guage?? A 20 shoots soft enough and a shotgun beats any hand gun for a house weapon.

[AZ Husker]

Most J-frames have a pretty wicked recoil for an older lady. I like a 9mm Commander for tamer kick. Glocks are good for this, but the grip will probably be too fat for her.

[bmcgilvray]

Smith & Wesson K-Frame .38 Special.

[retsupt99]

Any of the S&W snubbies (in .38), or a Glock-26 (9mm)...

[Agave]

I wouldn't recommend a J-frame for anyone that hasn't fired one and knows s/he can handle it. A K-frame with about a 4 inch heavy barrel with Hogue or Pachmeyr grips would be my choice.

[Ron]

I suggest a revolver for ease of use. Less worry about needing to rack slide, is their a round in chamber, etc. I agree that a S & W .38 K frame would be ideal because of relatively little recoil. Perfect for home defense for someone with no prior experience with guns.

[AzQkr]

Not much if any experience with handguns? Something for home defense?

I usually suggest a point and click revo, something like a older K frame thin barreled model 10 with a 4" barrel. They can be found for short money on the used market. Make sure it times okay and is mechanically sound, it will sit loaded for years ready to go.

Brownie

[pgrass101]

I second a full size revolver, K frame or GP100 in .38 special

[echobaby]

Ruger SP101

[friesepferd]

unless she is willing to practice (at least dry firing and malfuction drills) every week, will be at the range shooting a decent amount every month, and either takes classes or gets very good instructions... she needs a revolver.
I personally don't like them, I shoot slideguns myself, but I get a lot of practice. Ill secound most ppl here and say get her a jframe or kframe .38 or .357.
main problem with revolvers is that many ladies, especially older, find the trigger too hard to pull without REALLY pulling the gun off target. So have her try one first, maybe find one with a lighter trigger

[gilraen]

I suggest you take your mother out on a date. To a range.

Then you both will have a better idea what she can handle and what she can't, and she'll be better off in the long run, too.

[V8 Thumper]

I suggest you take your mother out on a date. To a range.

Then you both will have a better idea what she can handle and what she can't, and she'll be better off in the long run, too.

That's exactally what we've got planned. I live in the Phoenix area, she and my brother are comming to visit soon. While here, we're going to an indoor range that has a huge selection of rentals to try out to see what she likes and is most comfortable with.

Thanks all for the replies

[BikerRN]

I wouldn't recommend a J-frame for anyone that hasn't fired one and knows s/he can handle it. A K-frame with about a 4 inch heavy barrel with Hogue or Pachmeyr grips would be my choice.

I second that recommendation.

Some other options are:

Ruger GP100 3" or 4" (you can always load it with 38 Spl loads)
Glock 19
Any K or L Frame S&W in 38 Spl or .357 Magnum

Biker