Suggestions for gun for mom

[watchcollector1968]

Mom let her CCW permit expire because she cannot shoot anymore. She wants to get it back, but needs a gun she can fire.

She started years ago with a Glock 19 and was very very good with it. However age has caught up with her and she can no longer operate the slide...and when she shoots it, it hurts her and bruises the snot out of her hand.

She also has a SW Chiefs Special that must be close to 40 years old with a glassy smooth trigger...however she now has difficulty even pulling its trigger and the recoil (even with oversize rubber grips and full wadcutters) is just too much for her now.

I have tried to come up with ideas, and dont know if any of them are doable...so I will post what I have been thinking, and really want some serious input from members here on whether they are good or bad ideas, and what are your ideas?

First off, she is an experienced shooter...so no need to consider simple operation based on "first time gun owner"...she is familiar with many action types.

First I had thought of maybe a Ruger 22 pistol? Chambered and safety on if this model is safe to carry that way?

1911 style 9mm with a steel frame...maybe its heavy enough to dampen recoil? Although slide operation could still be a problem.

Medium size 380, like the PT58 (I think thats the model number) Taurus or Beretta version? As I recall these can be cocked and locked...double action pull is just not an option for her.

She is 76 yrs old, very active and travels to Texas quite a bit and just is not comfortable traveling without a gun she is confident in being able to use and control.

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[reddog1]

Ruger .380 LCP

its tiny, and very easy to chamber a round.

http://www.ruger.com/products/lcp/index.html?r=y

 

[watchcollector1968]

Thanks for the suggestion, very much appreciated. I do have an LCP and the lt wt makes the recoil too much for her anymore.

I am thinking along the lines of medium frames in lighter calibers so that recoil is not a factor.

Also something with a single action trigger would be preferred.

Ruger .380 LCP

its tiny, and very easy to chamber a round.

http://www.ruger.com/products/lcp/index.html?r=y

 

[jej]

Personally, I would consider working on the .38. Her grip/trigger finger will improve a great deal with exercise. Dry fire is good exercise.

I have seen folks her age make remarkable improvements in strength and flexibility with exercise, assuming she does not have a medical problem barring the effort. Shooting single action [can she cock it OK?] might be a solution. Find milder .38 rounds - even the weakest will still beat a .22lr. If that still won't cut it, maybe move to a heavier, but still compact .38 like a Ruger SP101. There is very little recoil when you shoot one with .38 specials. You can really tell the difference between it and an alloy J frame. Probably get the model with the hammer so she can single-action the thing.

A good book on the strength angle is Strength Training Past 50 by Westcott and Baeschle. Probably available in the local library.

I have a Ruger .22 auto. I do carry locked and loaded in the field, in an OWB holster. I have no idea if that is safe for CCW carry. Not much recoil, of course, and not much impact on live targets larger than rabbits.

Edit - you posted that she can single action while I was doing my post. That works. An SP101, in .38/357 with a three inch bbl? If that is still too much, and you must go the .22 route, either a used SP101 in .22 [hard to find] or an S&W equivalent. I don't know the model numbers for the Smith. Is it s 617?

jej

 

[Iwant1]

How about a Walther 22. I've never felt the slide tension on one, but it can't be too much..Size is good for CC and no recoil.

 

[Zombie]

something in 22 or 22 mag, or maybe the bersa 380 or somethin. Heavier frame little larger but easy to work with. Slide shouldn't be too much for her I wouldn't think.

 

[Glocktogo]

Beretta makes a .380 with a locked breach and a tip up barrel called the Model 86 Cheetah. It can be fired DA, or carried cocked and locked like a 1911, so you can start with a short, light trigger pull. The grip is hand filling to help soak up the recoil. It's a straight blowback design so the recoil is what I would call moderate, but the gun weighs 23 ounces and the grip is large enough that recoil shouldn't be a problem. Overall, it should be a great gun for someone with limited hand strength since they should never have to retract the slide manually and it can be carried cocked and locked. The same gun is available as a Browning, but they're hard to find with the tip up barrel

Here's a couple of links to the Beretta: http://www.ozarkguns.com/Beretta/Pistols/berettacheetah.htm

http://www.berettaweb.com/Beretta 80/Beretta 86.htm

 

[bulbboy]

The tip up barrel that Glocktogo suggested would be a great idea to explore.

 

[watchcollector1968]

Thanks for the Beretta suggestion...I think that would be perfect for her!!!

 

[Hawgman]

Kel-tec has that new .22 mag out. Full sized grip, holds 30 rounds! It would make a big dent in some bad guys day. Recoil would be pretty low. Has about a 6 inch barrel, or so it looks in a picture I saw. I would think it would be easy to rack the slide. If the price is low enough I might have to get one just to play with.