My mother is 83 and has pretty significant arthritis. She's not exactly wheelchair bound, but spends most of her time in one.
Last week she begged me to take her to the gun store to buy a gun. The only gun she could reasonably work (on hand) was a Ruger LCP II. She bought it. I took her to the indoor range. She cannot chamber a round. She cannot load magazines. She cannot break it down to clean it. She can, however, put a full magazine into a 2 inch group at 15 yards. (I cannot.) Since she is mentally acute, I decided she was G2G. If all she can do is shoot an intruder in her home, that's good enough. I will perform cleaning tasks. We also got several pocket holsters and a few velcro strips. We put them in handy locations in her apartment, and she moves the gun she she moves. Mostly, it's in a holster on the right hand arm rest of her wheelchair. If I can find a Beretta 86 I will buy it for her.
June 02, 2017, 09:47 PM
Expat
Good for Mom! She does sound GTG.
She feels protected. Good work son.
June 02, 2017, 09:51 PM
Rinehart
You are doing your best to look after her-
When my mom was still around I went through the same process. Mom had shot guns many times over the years but never had much experience with semi-autos. Revolvers she knew well. She probably would not have been able to chamber a round on a magazine-fed pistol.
So we went with a revolver and practiced and got her comfortable with it. (Did the same process with my former-liberal wife).
Having confidence that she could defend herself if necessary was a big morale booster.
You are being a good son.
June 02, 2017, 10:27 PM
Fredward
If I could have found an old break-top H&R in 38 S&W-it would have been perfect. Oddly enough, during out visit someone tried to open her sliding window. The "push" was stopped by a dowel rod and the alarm going off. I woke (At 2PM) to see the arm being pulled away from the window.
Good neighborhood in Surprise, AZ.
June 02, 2017, 10:52 PM
MitchbSC
Hardware aside, it also sounds like she has the decision made to shoot intruders dead without hesitation. Unlike those moron bounty hunters at a TX auto dealership.
They don't think it be like it is, but it do.
June 02, 2017, 10:59 PM
Rinehart
It's also worth mentioning to double-check all of her windows and doors as well as outside lighting.
On my mom's house (my dad passed away some years ago) I replaced all of the outside lights with motion sensor types except for the front door light. On it I put a timer that I programmed for just after dark and off at sunrise. I didn't want to make the yard a friendly place...
On her sliding door we had a rod as well as those locking pins you drill through inside door and first side of outside? The pin has a chain that hangs down when you pull out the pin to move the door. Otherwise, they would have to break glass on sliding door/window in order to open.
In my mom's case she had a medium sized dog that also provided her company and warning.
Does your mom have a dog?
June 02, 2017, 11:03 PM
Sailor1911
Sounds to me like you had better let her know it's you coming in the door!
Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.
“If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016
June 02, 2017, 11:05 PM
Rey HRH
How come when I saw the title and learned it's your wheelchair bound 83 year old mother, I got the mental picture of her with camo paint on her face and her saying, "that tactical enough for you sonny?".
good for her and you. I hope she'll never need it but, at least, it's there for her to use.
"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.
June 03, 2017, 02:00 AM
RaiseHal
There are several semi automatic pistols that have tilt up barrels that make loading and unloading easy and safe, extremely helpful in cases of limited hand mobility.
It's a shame that youth is wasted on the young --- Mark Twain
Anyone who is not a liberal by age 20 has no heart; anyone who is not a conservative by age 40 has no brain---Winston Churchill
June 03, 2017, 07:44 AM
V-Tail
quote:
Originally posted by RaiseHal: There are several semi automatic pistols that have tilt up barrels that make loading and unloading easy and safe, extremely helpful in cases of limited hand mobility.
In the past, I thought about one of those for my wife, who has just a touch of arthritis in her hands that make it difficult for her to hold the slide tightly in order to cycle it.
Then, I thought about clearing a malfunction. Don't these still need the "rack" step of "tap, rack, bang?"
In our case, it turns out that the question became an academic one, as SWMBO went to the gun store and fondled a bunch of things. She expressed a preference for the steel-frame version of the Ruger LCR revolver, so that's what we have for her.This message has been edited. Last edited by: V-Tail,
הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
June 03, 2017, 09:59 AM
Aglifter
An FN 57, or a single-action revolver with a quick draw hammer installed might also work
A PMR 30, with a slide racket installed could also be a good idea
June 03, 2017, 10:03 AM
229DAK
^^^
I thought that too, did she try a revolver?
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
June 03, 2017, 10:11 AM
Balzé Halzé
Excellent. One of the many reasons why I'm firmly against training requirements or any requirements that require anyone to demonstrate so-called "competency" for CCW.
I know you didn't say Grandma would be carrying outside of the home, but I personally don't believe any of those deficiencies you noted should prevent her from doing so should she feel the need, at least not by her government.
~Alan Acta Non Verba NRA Life Member (Patron) God, Family, Guns, Country
Men will fight and die to protect women... because women protect everything else. ~Andrew Klavan
June 03, 2017, 10:27 AM
Paragon
I'm thinking ruger revolver for a NY reload.
Stash some loaded mags for the other one. Just teach her to do a tactical reload anytime she shoots. Hopefully, she won't shoot it dry and won't need to drop the slide. If she DOES shoot it dry, than grab the revolver, or other gun.
I have thought about this myself, with my elbow tendon issues.
NRA Basic Pistol Instructor NRA Range Safety Officer
June 03, 2017, 10:53 AM
Sig209
That's not necessarily ideal but definitely better than nothing.
I second the idea of getting her a .22LR revolver. S&W 317 a smallish 8-shot...
.22LR is not the ideal SD caliber but for some situations it is arguably the best option. This may be one. My concern is if her arthritis continues to worsen she may not be able to properly / forcefully grip the higher recoiling .380 or do any immediate action if she has a malfunction.
That's super you are helping her with this.
-----------------------
Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
June 03, 2017, 12:34 PM
Fredward
Yes, we tried a number of revolvers. She can't even work an LCR in .22WRM. She was okay with a Glock 19, but was concerned about the size and weight. I will consider the Beretta Cheetahs on a future visit, but my first choice in a Cheetah is the 86, which is discontinued. I do have a Tomcat I could take out next trip, though. Good idea.
June 03, 2017, 12:42 PM
jbcummings
Granny got her gun!
Good for her! My wife is basically blind in her left eye, but she can out shoot me a good part of the time. I can sysmpathize. I clean all her guns for her too.
———- Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.
June 03, 2017, 12:53 PM
TigerDore
quote:
Originally posted by Fredward: ... She can, however, put a full magazine into a 2 inch group at 15 yards. (I cannot.)...
I can't either; that's pretty amazing. You're a good son.
.
June 03, 2017, 12:55 PM
Kenpoist
You did good getting her shooting.
If she liked the Glock 19 and needs something different in the future, maybe get one and add a slide racker.
June 03, 2017, 01:12 PM
oldRoger
Fredward; In my experience rimfire revolvers have much stiffer DA springs than centerfire. I would add a nice .38 to your mother's collection, a 4" S&W M19 would be top of the line for the purpose. Load it with some semi-wadcutters. Target type full wadcutters are good but harder to load. My wife is 84 and she has the same problem with semi-autos, I bought her a S&W 3913 because it is easy to rack, I think she could rack it but she insists she can not. She has no problem with DA/SA revolvers.