Defensive Carry banner

Bedroom pistol for Mother-in-law

4K views 35 replies 23 participants last post by  MLittle 
#1 ·
My father-in-law passed earlier this month, and my Mother-in-law has asked me to find her a pistol that she can sleep with at night. She has an old 22mag single action revolver, but she is not stong enough to pull back the hammer easily. Gun is pretty heavy. She keeps it in the underwear drawer during the day.:blink:

Factors to consider:
*72 years old, petite.
*She will probably not practice shooting.:embarassed:
*Semiautos are not being considered.
*House is very humid due to no central air.
*Teenage Grandchildren and their friends visit the house daily, but it is a rural community and pretty much everyone has guns in their homes.
* Does not want a watchdog.:confused:

*My first thought is to stick with 22mag in a double action revolver. A 3-4 inch barrel would probably help with pointabilty and accuracy and reduce some of the recoil. Oh yeah, and a trigger lock.
*I am not sure if there is a more suitable revolver caliber between 22mag and 38 special.
*I prefer a youth 20 guage for home defense, but I think that would be way too much for her. 410 not enough?
*The gun needs to be relatively in expensive. I will be cleaning it when I visit twice a year or so, but it will probably be cosmetically damaged from rust pretty quickly. Maybe Taurus or Rossi?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.:yup: Thanks, Mike.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
A stainless revolver in .38 cal. is going to be your answer.
A 2 in. barrel would be alright, but a 3-4 would be better for a house duty pistol.
The stainless will help stave off rust.
She doesn't even have a window AC in her bedroom for @ night when sleeping, or when it gets too unbearable???

Charter Arms,Rossi on the low end of price, S&W and Ruger on the upper level.
Look for a used Stainless in the S&W/Ruger catagory, and you may only pay $25-75 more than a cheaper one, and when she no longer needs it, you would have a very nice keeper to remember her by.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DanielC
#7 ·
If she has trouble pulling back the hammer, can she pull a DA trigger? I think more secure storage is indicated, if children are present. Are you ever too old to enjoy a bit of practice?
 
#8 ·
If she can't pull the hammer back on a .22 SA revolver, does she have the strength to work a DA revolver?

If that is a possibility, I'd look for a Smith Model 64 with the police DA-only factory mod. Thousands of them out there, and 2" and 4" denominations. See what J&G Sales might have in stock. Light .38 wadcutter loads make nice holes and are effective at the ranges your grandma will encounter.

Otherwise, I'd suggest a .22 magnum revolver like the Taurus 94.
 
#9 ·
At close range, a 410 would be enough. Based on the parameters, I would be looking at 410 options first. A snake charmer or a variant like that was the first thought, but you have to cock the small hammer. I think a pump would be a better option for shotguns. Another thought is to look at lever action rifles. Outside of that, 22 semi auto rifle may be an option. Many are rock solid and she could just leave it loaded with HP's until the cleanings.
 
#10 ·
A glock 19 or some other similar platform is about the only thing it sounds like she is capable of pulling the trigger on.

May be better off just to get her a German Shepherd.
 
#16 ·
Yeah that's tough. I'd have the same concerns about da triggers and da/sa hammers. I'd be thinking maybe a SA pistol (light trigger) but clearly an 18lb spring aint gonna cut it... I think you're on to something with the youth shotgun.... Or Joe's idea- can she operate a charging handle on a 10/22? .. And one of those butler creek folders :) Those handle like a bb gun and you can unload it in a hurry.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Given the conditions you specified I would think the Taurus M94(.22LR) or M941(.22Mag) would not be a good choice. I don't find the trigger pull too bad but the average person thinks the triger pull is tough.

Maybe you could consider the Ruger BEARCAT. Ruger® New Bearcat® Single-Action Revolver Models It's a light .22LR.

Though not stainless but much less expensive is Heritage Arms. They run under $200 in most retail Big-Boxes. I have one with a 3.75" barrel and bird's head grip. It's light and easy to use. It also comes with both .22LR and .22MAG cylinders. Blue Finish - Heritage Manufacturing, Inc They also have a stainless in a 4.75" barrel and a more traditional six-shooter look. Silver Satin Finishes - Heritage Manufacturing, Inc

Another stainless option is the Taurus PT-22. The mag takes 8 rounds. It has a tip-up barrel. So tip-up the barrel, insert a .22LR, push the barrel down and you're ready to go. The trigger pull on this is MUCH lighter than the M94/M941. Also this is relatively easy to carry in a pocket.
Taurus International Manufacturing Inc
 
#18 ·
I'd seriously look at a .38 revolver. Use light loads if necessary but that will still outperform a .22 cal. A Ruger SP101 with either barrel length would be fine. However, I'd equip it with a Crimson laser sight. The advantage is that simply lighting a BG up can end the problem, plus offset her lack of range time. With a decent trigger job and some Wulff springs, the SP101 can be down to about 7 lbs. DA pull, 4 lbs. SA pull. It's easy to do the trigger work yourself with the right tools and abrasives.

Store the gun in a quick-access safe or box, not with a biometric code but a 4-digit keypad. She can press that in the dark easily and have her gun is seconds, yet still be safe around the children.
 
#24 ·
OK..... you asked for opinions.

I went out trying to find a good .22 revolver , with normal revolver design, to use to train my 2 grandkids on revolvers. OH MY GOD >.... the trigger pulls on most of the newer revolvers were absurd that I found. Nothing they could do. Heck, I'm a strong revolver person, and I couldn't believe the trigger pull on those guns, waaaay beyond my .357's, etc. One of my grandkids is 15 and no slouch either.

I found an older Charter, and bought that, and the trigger pull, etc. is manageable for them.

So, I think the recommendations you are getting on obtaining a .38 for her is good advice. Believe it or not, I think the trigger pull would be a lot more manageable for her.

Now, if it was my mother in law, I would have put blanks in her gun..... she was dangerous as it was without a gun.
 
#25 ·
.22 pump action gallery gun? I dunno... Just throwing that out there.

Fairly short butt stock, easier action to pump than a shotgun, and pretty accurate. She'd have to be pretty dog gone frail not to be able to work the action on a .22 pump.

Much easier than having to use the strength of a single thumb to cock a single action pistol and a much lighter trigger pull than on a double action revolver.

Doesn't even have to shoulder it. Tuck it in under her armpit between her bicep and ribcage if necessary for good stability and better weapon retention if in close quarters.

And, if I'm not mistaken, it was the preferred rifle of Anne Oakley, so she should get a kick outta that! :hand9:

You can pick up Rossi model 62's or Stevens model 49's for around $250 - $300
 
#26 ·
I agree with Gasmitty. J&G has several choices and some decent prices. I'd go with the .38 DA, or the smith air weight 5 shot, definitely wouldn't get her anything mechanical. Revolvers are fail proof. There are a couple of things to consider for her though. At her age the stress of getting the gun out is enough to potentially cause a medical issue, second, a cordless phone next to her bed with speed dial LARGE buttons for PD so she can hit the dial button and let it be answered so a call goes out quickly, and as was suggested above an alarm that is audible for a deterrent. Stick a BIG sign in the yard etc. Re-enforce her bedroom door for when she is sleeping with a good dead bolt to buy time if it was to ever come down to it (God forbid) just make sure you have a key. Kick up some 180 degree motion lights 4 corners. These are peace of mind issues as well. My grandmother is 89 years old. She keeps a shorty 12 gauge pump by her bed and a hammer under her pillow....:confused:. Easy to use but it will fit in an underwear drawer ;). Even if she doesnt shoot the perp. Racking one off will scatter them in most cases. Her philosphy on it was, "well, its easier to pay for them to fix my wall than to buy a tombstone"...That is NO JOKE...She's frail but I believe she would eat the house up and make her own door way with it if she felt like it. :)
 
#31 ·
.410 out of a pistol, or .45 long colt for a 72 y/o frail woman who can't cock the hammer on a .22 mag revolver...

Yeah, I'm thinking that's not gonna work out too well.
 
#33 ·
Taurus still makes a 38 snubnose, hammerless for about $350.If regular 38 ammo is to much recoil for older hands,they make a low recoil ammo. here's a link to where you can see a picture of one.Taurus 850 Revolver - TheGunSource
Personally,I sleep with a 25 acp pistol(Tangfolio), under the pillow at night,clip holds 7 rounds,Now I also CCW a Walther PPK/S 380 and a (NEW) SA 1911A1
45 acp with 5" barrel.Being that I am an old duffer with health issues,I got some real good information from reading this site.Now when I leave the house my wife carries the 25 acp clipped to her smock pocket, and she is 73 yrs old 98# soaking wet,with a bad right arm,but she can handle the 25. Another thought would be like a small derringer. A small Biometric handgun safe to be close to her bed for storage during the day and for child safety, when the grandkids come to visit. In my household there is no small children,or grandchildren. I'm sure there are others on this site that can give you some real good information,as for m, I hope this helps. LOU
 
#34 ·
A gun for MY Mother-in law? Thats easy...a squirt gun ( for my safety ) For hers, probably a short barreled .22/.22mag with 8 or nine shots with a good trigger. Maybe even a .32/.32mag. Both revolvers. Forget something you have to jack a slide on or worry about safeties.
 
#36 ·
I'm with oneshot........if you are not going to practice on a regular basis stay away from autoloader pistols. If it was my mother, I'd recommend a stainless revolver. If she is small, frail and can't handle a large one I think something like the Ruger SP101 in 357 mag would be a wonderful choice. I wouldn't however recommend that she carry or shoot 357mag rounds; instead stay with a 38+p loading like maybe a Speer Gold Dot 135gr load. This is the round designed specifically for law enforcement use. In the SP101 (27 ounce, 5shot) revolver, they are not unpleasant to shoot. If she can handle a larger revolver you can't go wrong with the stainless Ruger GP-100 with a 3 or 4 inch barrel. They weight in at around 37 oz, have a 6 round capacity and shooting those 38spl+p is like shooting a 22 revolver. Hardly any recoil at all. Don't get per a pistol, they are too complicated to handle for a "non-shooter". You have to learn to clear jams, reloads......just too much for someone not into firearms.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top