Gun help for my grandmother - Page 3

ccw9mm · November 27th, 2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joker581

What I do not know is what kind of gun is best suited to a little old lady with arthritis in her wrists and a lack of upper body strength.

Check out the U.S. Concealed Carry Assn web site. It's got some good material on self defense for seniors. There's a fee, but many of the articles are very well written.

I'd suggest a revolver, for all of the obvious reasons including: ease of handling; ease of reloading; management of recoil, assuming not a snubbie; simple cleaning and maintenance; affordable ammunition. A reasonably heavy revolver with a 3" barrel should suffice. Something like the Ruger SP101, or a Smith Model 60. The snubbies will be a handful, in terms of managing the recoil/rise. If it's going to be concealed, then anything larger than 3" barrel is going to be tough to have in the pocket. That means OWB, IWB or purse will be the likely spots, though on the body is going to be safer (since it cannot be snatched nearly as simply as a purse or bag). If concerned over the hammer snagging on something, Smith makes several smaller revolvers with shrouded or hammerless designs, but they're very light and will have quite a lot more recoil/kick than a larger model.

Hearing what I've heard so far, I'd suggest: Ruger SP101 .357mag 3" bbl, or S&W Model 60 .357mag 3" bbl. Possibly, opt for a longer barrel, but not if she's ever going mobile with it. Outfit with a good grip, fit to her hand, one that's easy to shoot and helps her confidently manage it during shooting. Add in three/four speed loaders for spare ammo. Practice with and carry a decent .38+P round, such as the Federal Hydrashok 129gr JHP +P, or the Remington Golden Saber 110gr SJHP +P. Moderated kick in a heavier .357 revolver, but sufficient power to stop a BG. Drop down to straight .38spl if the recoil/kick in that specific gun is too hot with the +P.

dawei · November 27th, 2006, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joker581

My grandmother has decided to get her CCL and start carrying. She came to me for advise on what to get, and I am at a loss.

My carry gun is a Springfield TRP, and while I have a ton of gun knowledge, almost all of it is in fighting rifles and shotguns.

She is 76 years old, slightly frail, and to my knowledge has never fired a gun in her life. In fact, I think she is slightly afraid of guns.

I know that generally a .38 is the recommended minimum, but I think that may be too much for her to carry and shoot comfortably.

I was thinking maybe one of the j-frame .22 magnums might be good for her.

Any imput on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

If it were for my grandmother I'd get her a J-fame S&W® or Taurus® Ultralite Revolver in 32 H&R Magnum. More power than the 22 Mag, (in fact very close to 38 Special); & only about half the recoil of a 38. The S&W® would have to be used. For the Taurus® look here: http://www.taurususa.com/products/pr...egory=Revolver

frankmako · November 27th, 2006, 11:24 PM

get a beretta with the tip up barrel. that will work better for her. eazy to shoot. for the cal you could go with the 32 and/or the 25 acp. 25 acp in hand is better than two 45 acp back home.

nicneufeld · November 29th, 2006, 12:25 PM

I would lean towards a revolver because of the simplicity. Cleaning is easier, malfunctions less likely, and overall its a very simple sort of gun for people to understand who don't invest enough interest to really learn a lot about guns. And I would definitely get one with the full hammer (as opposed to the hidden or spurless hammer) because she may want the option of single action shooting, especially in practice. My wife never likes to shoot double action and if our S&W was DAO, she probably wouldn't practice shooting with it.

I have a Bersa 380 as well, and I love it, but I'd personally stick with a revolver for anyone who is interested in what I'd call "casual self-defence"...ie, they aren't going to be drilling regularly and tearing down and cleaning their gun constantly. YMMV, cheers!

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November 27th, 2006, 11:24 PM	#23
frankmako Distinguished Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 1,889	get a beretta with the tip up barrel. that will work better for her. eazy to shoot. for the cal you could go with the 32 and/or the 25 acp. 25 acp in hand is better than two 45 acp back home.

November 29th, 2006, 12:25 PM	#24
nicneufeld Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 207	I would lean towards a revolver because of the simplicity. Cleaning is easier, malfunctions less likely, and overall its a very simple sort of gun for people to understand who don't invest enough interest to really learn a lot about guns. And I would definitely get one with the full hammer (as opposed to the hidden or spurless hammer) because she may want the option of single action shooting, especially in practice. My wife never likes to shoot double action and if our S&W was DAO, she probably wouldn't practice shooting with it. I have a Bersa 380 as well, and I love it, but I'd personally stick with a revolver for anyone who is interested in what I'd call "casual self-defence"...ie, they aren't going to be drilling regularly and tearing down and cleaning their gun constantly. YMMV, cheers!