I know it's been asked many times.

I've tried a 442 with apex kit. Can't pull the trigger. Too much recoil. She doesn't like or understand semi autos. 22s have pretty heavy triggers.

I'm going to try a sig 250 and hk p2000sk with lem but again she doesn't like or understand semi autos. Is there any revolver that she can pull the trigger on? Any suggestions for a purse gun are appreciated. Needs to be simple to operate.

Look at the Kimber K6 6 shot 357 can get it in the DAO like the 442 or with a hammer. But a fantastic trigger pull and use 38 loads.


James

Beretta Tomcat or Bobcat. The tip up barrel means no slide to rack. If she can work the trigger, that is.

Shield 380 EZ if you can convince her to try an auto.

I bought my mother (83) a Shield EZ .380.

She loves it.

When I was dealing with this issue for my wife, Randy Lee of Apex suggested buying a S&W 520 with a 7-shot titanium cylinder, in .38 Special.
He put in an Apex action, lowering DA trigger pull to about 5 pounds.
It’s heavy enough that recoil is not bad.
Full disclosure though: she’s hardly shot it, or anything else, for quite a while. I still think it’s the right handgun for her.

quote:

Originally posted by giuseppepepperoni:
I bought my mother (83) a Shield EZ .380.

quote:

Originally posted by 1KPerDay:
Shield 380 EZ if you can convince her to try an auto.

That'd be my advice for a "little old lady" gun.

But the other aspect besides "Which gun should I get for my Mom?" is "Does my Mom actually want a gun?" If she's not willing to learn, practice, and potentially use it if necessary, it won't do any good. It's not just a talisman that will keep evil at bay if it's kept somewhere in the house.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by giuseppepepperoni:
I bought my mother (83) a Shield EZ .380.

quote:

Originally posted by 1KPerDay:
Shield 380 EZ if you can convince her to try an auto.

That'd be my advice for a "little old lady" gun.

But the other aspect besides "Which gun should I get for my Mom?" is "Does my Mom actually want a gun?" If she's not willing to learn, practice, and potentially use it if necessary, it won't do any good. It's not just a talisman that will keep evil at bay if it's kept somewhere in the house.

I agree with all of this. The 380 EZ is very easy to use. Revolver with exposed hammer she can cock is another option. Failing that if she's unwilling to learn something as simple as a semi automatic is having a handgun really something she wants or is appropriate for her?

This is kind of my suggestion, except I would go with the beretta 84/85 variant that has the tip up barrel. Again, no need to rack a slide. .380 is a good caliber. And it’s a steel pistol that will mitigate recoil.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Beretta Tomcat or Bobcat. The tip up barrel means no slide to rack. If she can work the trigger, that is.

I know you said no semi autos. But I'm with these guys on the 380 EZ. My lady neighbor lacks hand strength. She can manage the slide, recoil, and trigger just fine.

I also read that you don't want an auto but I cast a vote for the Shield 380 EZ.

They are EZ to use. My wife has one, loves it.

I will look into these. Thanks.

Understanding is not necessary.
Will she practice alone? Probably not.
Will she practice with you? Hopefully.

Hand her a loaded P320, P365, Glock, S&W, PPQ, etc. Instruct her on how to aim and squeeze trigger. 10-17 times. As W.W. Greener said, if the peril has not passed by then, hastily reloading the handgun probably won't do any good. She doesn't really need to know what all the buttons and levers and slides and gadgets do. Just aim and squeeze.

For what purpose? Home defense, carry, range fun?

Any gun she was interested in should be handled in-person. Her arthritis and limitations are unique to her.

I'm older than mom and have arthritis in the hands/fingers and other joints. First, the amount of degradation can vary by day.

Second, arthritis doesn'g get better over time. It's degenerative. If something works marginally when tried, it may not work as well later. Try to plan ahead.

Third, what's suitable for me or somebody elses mom may not be suitable for her. You're going to have to work with her and make that determination.

While the Shield EZ has a "light, crisp trigger" would it be safe for HER? Depends on the severity of the arthritis. Unique to mom.

Without more info, I'd be inclined to go with a .38 Spl revolver. Start with one that has a good, smooth, fairly light trigger to start with. Plan on the possibility of making it better by having action work done. Use full wadcutters (per Mas Ayoob). Different grips can be selected, if necessary. Depending on the purpose, consider a 3" rather than 2".

My 75 year old mother like her LCP much more than a snubby. She also wants my KSG are shooting it with mini-shells.

Ruger, is this a carry gun, or home defense. If she's not going to carry it (or purse carry it), I'd look for an ex-cop S&W model 10 or 64 (stainless version of the 10.) Bigger and heavier than the snubbies, so the weight will take up the recoil. Since it's used, the previous use may have smoothed out the trigger.

This may go against the grain, but out of 2" barrels, .38 is pretty anemic. Out of 4" barrel it can be acceptable. And, of course, you can get .38 rounds in everthing from puff ball wadcutters to near .357 velocities.

Another vote for the Shield 380EZ. It comes with or without a safety. A totally separate question as to whether a gun is appropriate for her, will she practice, etc.

BUT, if she wants a gun, a Shield EZ with no safety is no more complicated than a revolver to operate once loaded. I suggest a holster to keep the trigger covered, and then it's "remove from holster, point, pull trigger".

As for loading, the Shield EZ is very easy to rack the slide, and even easy to load a magazine. But that's for practice. For use, she's not going to be reloading.

It will be for carry mostly but if she gets familiar with it, I'm sure it will be her go to HD weapon as well. I appreciate all of the suggestions so far.

Two thoughts, FWTW. My mother seems to feel like she really gets slapped with recoil with revolvers, so finding the right grips to suit her may be an issue. Also, if she really wants a revolver, perhaps the best bet is to talk to a local gunsmith (or one you're familiar with, anyway) about a revolver that takes the best trigger job while still firing reliably.

I wish I could recommend a good revolver based on my mother's experience, but she wound up being really happy with a Beretta 86 Cheetah that I found for her.

How about a Ruger LCR X in 327 magnum? Several cartridges of lower power available for practice and a hammer for single action if desired.
My Grandmother had an old 32 S&W revolver and she liked it.