Do you buy handguns in anticipation of old age?

As for weight, well, light-weight guns are now my enemies. I want more steel, to damp recoil. The day may come, when weight becomes a problem, but for now, I want plenty of steel. I retired my aluminum-alloy-framed P229 in 2015, and am about to retire my polymer-framed G19 pistols. My G17 pistols hurt less, so may stay awhile.

My dad gave me his N frame S&W in .357. He's still alive - in his late 90's - but there came a point when he couldn't even lift a gun that heavy, let alone shoot it.

I use to be in LE and carried a .41 Magnum. I left LE and went to ranching.. I carried a 10mm 1911 & had a 6" Model 28 hanging from the gun rack in my pickup.
I moved back to town17 years ago an started carrying a .45 cal revolver. As time and situations have changed I have evolved back into 45 Autos.
I carry a Colt Defender .45 now. I don't need the blast, recoil, and horsepower I did back when.
I have a wide variety of guns that are going to my Son and Grandson. They each have .22 LR and 300 H&H Rifles, 22 LR and 357 Mag handguns already and will get more in the next couple of years and the rest when I take a dirt nap.

Gifted my Ruger SBH and S&W Model 29 to my sons for Christmas in 2016, along with 450 rounds of the .44 Magnum ammo. My old wrists don't particularly like the heavy recoil these days, so am downsizing to .357, .327 Federal, and 9mm.

Probably will give them my CW45, SR45, and R1 1911 one of these days soon, and even my .357 wheelguns (have 4 of those still)

I'll turn 65 in a couple weeks and have no plans to replace my heavy hitters with softer shooting guns.

Now, I do reload and do not care to shoot a steady diet of 427 Chevy big block busting ammunition any more. I have soft recoil recipes for all my heavy hitter hand guns. I do drag out the full power 460 S&W Magnum ammunition once in a while when I feel like vaporizing a gallon milk jug filled with water (who needs Tannerite).

I plan on retiring this year. Shoot, buy, trade guns will be my hobby.

Guns are like money. There is no such thing as too many/muchbof either.

I am doing nothing in anticipation of old age. I am already there at a relatively young age. I still regularly ride my motorcycle, but my big-bores (and I have plenty) are no longer pleasant with my bad joints. So 90 percent of my shooting (and concealed carry) is with 22 LRs, semis of a variety of makes and models and Smith revolvers. I have not yet liquidated the larger calibers I enjoyed, for the last 43 years, but they are only rarely shot.

BOARHUNTER

Handguns? My largest bore handguns are 44 Magnum S&W 29 and a Ruger Super Bleckhawk, I still shoot them. About 10 years ago my hunting buddy in W. Virginia died off and I sort of quit hunting after that. My hunting rifles just sit in the safe, the grandchildren, now about 13 seem to have an interest but I no longer like shooting the 7mm Rem Mag and a few other hunting rifles. On the range I am comfortable all day long with 308 Win, 223 Rem and a few others. I'll turn 68 next month so I figure I'll shoot what I like to shoot. Once I am dead my wife can mete things out to kids and grand kids. I figure Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera).

Ron

I didn't see just a plain "No" as an option. If that was there that would be my choice.

How old is "old" ?
When I reach a point where I'm buying guns based on my physical abilities then...well what's age got to do with that? I've known men and women of all ages with disabilities, diseases, and conditions that have effected their abilities in one way or another. That can happen at any age, but to me, not yet.

The only plan I have is to shoot bigger bore handguns.

I haven’t. By happenstance I have a couple that should serve me well when and if I get feeble, but that was never a motivation for buying them.

In handguns I started out with big bores .41/.44/.45's & evan a .475 in the old Elmer Kieth tradition, migrated to the mid bores 9mm/.38/.357 more due to ammo economics than anything and also really learned to appreciate .22lr. Now I find I enjoy those mostly and figure if I maintain any reasonable shape they'll work just fine. As a few have mentioned seeing the sights is more the challenge as I age. TFO sights help but I have a feeling red dot type optics will be in my future. I love them on .22 rifles and am thinking I might be trying one on a Glock 9mm before too long. In rifles, 10/22's, 5.56 AR, a target .308 and most recently a .450 Bushmaster Ruger American for deer. I like short, light carbines for carrying and ease of transport. The new 9mm Ruger PC Carbine has really caught my eye and seems ideal for a lot of my shooting. I'll most likely be getting one I think.

No, I don't think you can keep a firearm in nursing home.

PabloJ said:

No, I don't think you can keep a firearm in nursing home.

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It'll be fun to try though. I'm betting I can.

Since I'm in my old age, yes I'm buying for my old age. When I'm gone I suppose they'll get it all sorted out.

I am 70 and have nasty arthritis in my hands. Also my eyes aren't as sharp. But I still shoot a 44 mag and .357 one in awhile. I just limit my round count. I recent won a couple matches ( one 9mm pistol and one small bore rifle) so I still hold my own against the kids. I do prefer milder rounds now and may have to quit shooting some stuff soon.

I have more trouble with 38+P in my Airweight than full bore 357 max in my Dan Wesson and even the 3030 Contender seems more controllable than my 38!

PabloJ said:

No, I don't think you can keep a firearm in nursing home.

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Well I figure I can stash one somewhere. Somebody might need killin'...like an abusive employee.

I still love moving earth and taking game with the 454 and 480, I like shooting smaller caliber revolvers as well, but at 63 even if my wrist are a little sore the next day, I still enjoy the big bores more than the smaller bores. But I am buying as many small bore revolvers today as well over 40 cal these days. I like to compromise and the 45 Colt ruger bisley with ruger only loads is my preferred shooting revolver today.

In my opinion guns are the only investment I have ever made that never went down, they all are worth more the more I shoot the hell out of em, please tell me there is an investment I'm missing that I can invest in,, use the shot out of,, and be guaranteed it will be worth more than I bought it for!

That's what I thought,,

im now in my low 60s and, except for a taurus 38 snubbie that i quietly had for 35 years, got into shooting rather late after early retirement at 58 from an overseas career. so i started feeding my habit when i was already close to “old age.” my favorite range guns are either rimfires or cowboy-loaded 45lc out of a ruger blackhawk or bond arms derringer both fitted with large rubber grips. my single shotguns are 410 or 20ga. i only shoot 38 wadcutters out of my snubbies. im selling off some guns that i bought in haste during the obama scare.

a friendly word to all the younger guys: age accelerates. when you are properly consumed with raising a family and building a career time moves slowly. the day that you retire, time floors it.

tipoc said:

I didn't see just a plain "No" as an option. If that was there that would be my choice.

How old is "old" ?
When I reach a point where I'm buying guns based on my physical abilities then...well what's age got to do with that? I've known men and women of all ages with disabilities, diseases, and conditions that have effected their abilities in one way or another. That can happen at any age . . .

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It depends on how well some people age, that's for sure. Accidents, injuries, and what you mention definitely can age a person before their time.

Due to my semi-wreckless youth and my job, I'm a bit creakier at 52 than office workers my age that can hit the gym on a regular basis. Then there is my brother that is a year younger than me, but looks 10 years older than me due to three decades of rotating shift work and long hours of working in petro chemical plants. In stark comparison, my employer is 70 and healthier than either of us.

Those are all things that we do as we age and as life wears on us. Like finding that iron sights on long guns don't work for you anymore. Or that your wrists can't take the banging of some caliber like they used to. So there are scopes or red dots on my long guns and other folks will go to other things. But that's normal and a part of life. The op asked about something that isn't normal. Do I buy guns in "anticipation" of getting old. Meaning, has my taste in guns and calibers changed because of what I may not be able to do 10 years from now. Well I can't really do that can I. Diabetes or a stroke may effect me down the road but how and why should I buy a gun now because maybe in 8 years I'll be in a wheel chair and have folks feeding me apple sauce. How could I do that? I buy guns based on what I need or want. That changes over time. But I really can't try to guess ahead.

Been self-treating attritus in the knuckles of my left hand. Lots of massage, eat chewy's! For attritus.

Just compleated my G License annual test, still shot the max score. Still, beat my 55-year-old Son! At 82 still confident carrying my Glock 19 4th Gen. And one thing I really am happy about. Have no trouble driving at night!

I'm in my mid 50"s. By the time I'm in my old age there'll be too many new guns available to make that decision now. Just in the past week or two Ruger announced a number of new guns, and Sig announced a new micro-carry gun.

Is there some prohibition against old people buying guns where you live? So why not just wait and buy what you need when you need it?