Handgun for Elderly neighbors

[cigars]

If they both have the same gun, and in .22 lr - that's a great solution.

I only suggested that because I have one. It's actually one of my favorites because it's so easy to use and 22LR shouldn't be discounted for home defense, especially for older folks. I wouldn't want to get shot with it.

 

[Alexx1401]

So we've basically boiled it down to a Ruger SR-22. If they each had one at 10+1 then that would be a serious amount of hurt coming at some perp. Remember, bleed em' out....

Wife bought one of those, the compact version, years ago and still to this day loves the little pistol. it was her EDC pistol for a long time before she got an LCPII in .22. I of course am not wild on the caliber choice but, she loves the gun, so she will shoot it and practice with it. So the old "the gun she will at least have with her and can shoot beats the better one I wish she would carry"

 

[American123]

I only suggested that because I have one. It's actually one of my favorites because it's so easy to use and 22LR shouldn't be discounted for home defense, especially for older folks. I wouldn't want to get shot with it.

I wasn't being sarcastic. .22 lr for two typically weak handed/wrist old people would be good. Plus - with redundancy in them both having one is that they can share knowledge about it. Practice with 1 becomes proficiency with the duplicate.

 

[Red98422]

I'm fairly anti revolver for those with weak wrists and arthritis issues.

nowadays revolvers have ridiculous triggers and stiff actions, where a semi should only need to be pulled and squeezed and rounds go down range.

I don't see where complexity has anything to do with the equation unless you are counting for a reload with an empty chamber... something which shouldn't happen in any home defense scenario. In that case the semi still wins as I have watched people with Carpal tunnel attempt to reload a revolver.

so all things equal, both types of guns loaded in proper holsters With rounds already chambered...the semi wins for ease of physical use...and capacity...and reload speed....honestly it doesn't even seem like a competition anymore.

since the release of the 380ez I feel there is finally a good and viable option for those of limited physical ability to actually have a solid and reliable defense gun that beats out a revolver in nearly every category.

 

[Red98422]

@tdawg if you need to borrow something to show them I do own a model 19 pinned 4" S&W that I could lend if they wanted to try a wheel gun.

the double action on that is about as good as your going to get realistically outside of customshop or modified guns

 

[American123]

I'm fairly anti revolver for those with weak wrists and arthritis issues.

nowadays revolvers have ridiculous triggers and stiff actions, where a semi should only need to be pulled and squeezed and rounds go down range.

I don't see where complexity has anything to do with the equation unless you are counting for a reload with an empty chamber... something which shouldn't happen in any home defense scenario. In that case the semi still wins as I have watched people with Carpal tunnel attempt to reload a revolver.

so all things equal, both types of guns loaded in proper holsters With rounds already chambered...the semi wins for ease of physical use...and capacity...and reload speed....honestly it doesn't even seem like a competition anymore.

since the release of the 380ez I feel there is finally a good and viable option for those of limited physical ability to actually have a solid and reliable defense gun that beats out a revolver in nearly every category.

Fair, valid points. Even as a semi guy, reason I say revolver is because unless they are going make some deliberate practice - their proficiency will be next to 0 and the natural tendency I find for people with close to 0 proficiency is to put their support hand/thumb gripping their primary hand behind the slide. Out of the last 7 people I've helped go from 0 to basic understanding, they all attempted initially to shoot that way. 1 shot would leave the barrel, they would injure their hand and impair the loading of the next round and it would just not be good.

If they are going to practice and aren't just buying a talisman, than that concern is moot.

 

[Red98422]

Fair, valid points. Even as a semi guy, reason I say revolver is because unless they are going make some deliberate practice - their proficiency will be next to 0 and the natural tendency I find for people with close to 0 proficiency is to put their support hand/thumb gripping their primary hand behind the slide. Out of the last 7 people I've helped go from 0 to basic understanding, they all attempted initially to shoot that way. 1 shot would leave the barrel, they would injure their hand and impair the loading of the next round and it would just not be good.

If they are going to practice and aren't just buying a talisman, than that concern is moot.

Thank you for your insight! That is not something I have thought of, I'm usually on the physical limitations side of things as my lady has severe carpal tunnel with failed surgeries.

that does bring an interesting point...at what point specifically does training bypass the revolver for use? This being a legitimate question I'm not certain where that might be..weekly? Monthly? annually? Now I'm curious as this seems to be a significant portion to the equation.

obviously more training is always better...dang always something to keep in mind

 

[American123]

Thank you for your insight! That is not something I have thought of, I'm usually on the physical limitations side of things as my lady has severe carpal tunnel with failed surgeries.

that does bring an interesting point...at what point specifically does training bypass the revolver for use? This being a legitimate question I'm not certain where that might be..weekly? Monthly? annually? Now I'm curious as this seems to be a significant portion to the equation.

obviously more training is always better...dang always something to keep in mind

I don't think it is a frequency thing as much as a depth of understanding, once they get it, they got it. For example. I haven't ridden a motorcycle in a few years, but I could still hop on one and drive no problem based on my previous experience. For them, if their well of knowledge is drop of water on the pavement, they'll have nothing to draw from. They need a deeper well of understanding, that comes with some deliberate instruction and practice, training frequency is nearly irrelevant beyond the initial knowledge and skill development.

The last guy I helped was basically exactly as OP described. He had shot rifles growing up, even served, but his practical knowledge of pistols was next to 0. He asked me the same questions as OP's neighbors. I took him to the range and we started him with 1 .22 lr cartridge and the Ruger mark 2. My standard practice is to show them how it works and then oversee 1 fired round. They feel very comfortable when I explain that after the 1 and only shot. The gun is just a fancy paperweight, and we build from that confidence boost to make the session successful. His instinct was to hold the gun as I previously described, I showed him the manually reciprocating of the slide and told him that he shouldn't but any part of his body he liked in the way of that. He understood, and even a few times tried to grip it that way again, but remembered my visual example and verbally stated each time catching himself, "oops cant do that." By the end of the trip he was loading the mag, handling the mark 2 proficiently and putting accurate shots on target. He even tried the Glock 17 for several rounds before calling it a day.

Maybe the blind acid test. If I had to hand a gun to a random person who had no firearms knowledge beyond pull trigger and point at bad guy, it would be a double action revolver.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Blunderbuss.

 

[Alexx1401]

Thank you for your insight! That is not something I have thought of, I'm usually on the physical limitations side of things as my lady has severe carpal tunnel with failed surgeries.

that does bring an interesting point...at what point specifically does training bypass the revolver for use? This being a legitimate question I'm not certain where that might be..weekly? Monthly? annually? Now I'm curious as this seems to be a significant portion to the equation.

obviously more training is always better...dang always something to keep in mind

"Training" as far as how a pistol works, assuming say the person wants to carry it with a safety on? This can be done any time anywhere. The shooter does not need to even shoot, they can practice with the empty pistol until it comes second nature to them. If they want to use a pistol with a safety for carry, or if they plan on keeping a safety on the pistol at home? Then of course they should practice handling the chosen gun till they can do it without thought. Many autos have no safety, many of those that do they do not need to be left of for gun that is at home for protection. In this case there is nothing to worry about not remembering. Its still point and click. Most autos are also FAR and away easier for a new shooter to master accuracy with. Most new shooters take a good while and a lot of practice to shoot a D/A wheel gun in D/A mode and still hit what they want to shoot. FEW D/A wheel guns come with a nice butter smooth action.
Now if some are talking about failure drills? This too is super simple to practice any time. Don't need to be at a range to learn to handle the gun till it's second nature. Plus get a good pistol that is proven and this will not be a problem anyway.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'm fairly anti revolver for those with weak wrists and arthritis issues.

nowadays revolvers have ridiculous triggers and stiff actions, where a semi should only need to be pulled and squeezed and rounds go down range.

I don't see where complexity has anything to do with the equation unless you are counting for a reload with an empty chamber... something which shouldn't happen in any home defense scenario. In that case the semi still wins as I have watched people with Carpal tunnel attempt to reload a revolver.

so all things equal, both types of guns loaded in proper holsters With rounds already chambered...the semi wins for ease of physical use...and capacity...and reload speed....honestly it doesn't even seem like a competition anymore.

since the release of the 380ez I feel there is finally a good and viable option for those of limited physical ability to actually have a solid and reliable defense gun that beats out a revolver in nearly every category.

I was at the old Gun Broker in Happy Valley and the elder customer was totally overwhelmed by the operational complexity of all shown autopistols. Both me and the owner were pretty impressed that he realized this about his particular shortcomings and walked out with a well used S&W model 64 and a single box of blammo.

 

[DirectDrive]

So we've basically boiled it down to a Ruger SR-22. If they each had one at 10+1 then that would be a serious amount of hurt coming at some perp. Remember, bleed em' out....

Well, that 22 probably won't stop a determined perp but at least it's a noisemaker.
Hopefully they will never be in that situation.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well, that 22 probably won't stop a determined perp but at least it's a noisemaker.
Hopefully they will never be in that situation.

IF it goes off. Even the very best popgun is unreliable when stuffed with ill suited ammo and who knows what those neighbors would get their mitts on over time.