Self defense recommendation for handicapped shooter

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Also, the SIG P238 and this Browning 1911esque .380 ACP with the plastic frame are said to be easy to rack.
I can attest that the P238 is very easy to rack. If you can find the all-steel HD model (I think they're discontinued), the weight helps with felt recoil. I know it's a cliché, but it "shoots like a .22."
 
I can't speak for the lady, but if I have the fortune (or misfortune, I suppose) of living to near-uselesness, I will be damned if I do it unarmed.

Not sure I would agree that being in a wheel chair is "living to near-uselessness".
My point is to consider various self defense options, not necessarily a firearm.
 
My mother doesn’t have arthritis but she is in her 70s. She doesn’t have the hand strength to comfortably work a model 10 (old one, very smooth) for more than a few shots.

Both she and my wife find S&W 380 EZ much easier to manipulate, and Sig P238 better still.
 
I don't know why I seem to forget about the Sig P238. As others have said they are easy to rack and pretty easy to shoot.

A funny story for you. I was out shooting my Sig P938 and was handed a Sig P238 and about ripped the slide off it. :rofl: The 238 is way easier to rack than the 938 is.

Here is another suggestion if she does want a revolver. Go with one chambered for 32 H&R Mag or 327 Mag but load it with 32 Long. The 32 Long is still a decent self defense round but won't have the recoil of the 32 magnums or 38 Special.

Again, no matter what here health issues are, let her pick out what works best for her. And since she is disabled and in a wheel chair, maybe find someone that can help her train to defend herself using various methods.
 
I'd go with a steel framed gun.
My 65 year old wife loves shooting my Ruger SP101 with a 3.2" barrel instead of the Snubbie.

My elderly mother would have issues holding onto a heavy pistol for an extended period of time, such as pointing it at an intruder while waiting for the police
 
Pretty much makes me think of the 6-shot .327 LCRx or LCR which would allow firing softer shooting .32 magnum or .32 long. A better trigger pull and better defensive ammo than the rimfire alternative. No limp wristing worries, either.

Even with LRN a 32 Long would still be better than a 22 rimfire with about equal felt recoil.

The you tube channel Gun Sam has several videos on the 327 LCR using 32 Long ammo. One test got some expansion with 32 Long lead hollow points.
 
My choice, were I in a similar circumstance would be a Model 10 or 64 (or similar revolver) shooting 148 gr wadcutters. Recoil is negligible, and most people can shoot them much better than a small revolver, yet they conceal pretty well.
 
While not optimal, I recall Mas Ayoob mentioned that some old folks with limited hand strength for semis could manipulate a single action revolver. Before one spouts cliches, this falls in the category of better than having nothing or something not usable. The Ruger Bearcat or if the weight isn't too much, the Single Seven in 327 magnum. The former can have some high speed loads and some of the specialized 22 LR SD loads like Punch. The latter can handle very mild 32 SW Longs, and 32 HR magnums which are not trivial.

Just a thought.
 
i like the suggestions of a single action revolver. in fact my late mom and late aunt were each gifted a heritage roughrider 22lr revolver loaded with six cci stingers when they were in their 80s and america started down its current path. neither one was a gun person but they both easily got the hang of it. i forget which one smilingly told me that she felt like annie oakley.

as we know, a firearm isn’t the be all/end all of security. concurrent with their roughrider each apartment got a once-over with a better door lock & lights, an alarm, and phones in both the bedroom and living room. they had good neighbors too.

not ideal but, in their world, touching off six stingers at in-room distances in extremis would have not have been a wasted effort and gave them comfort in their last few years.
 
i like the suggestions of a single action revolver. in fact my late mom and late aunt were each gifted a heritage roughrider 22lr revolver loaded with six cci stingers when they were in their 80s and america started down its current path. neither one was a gun person but they both easily got the hang of it. i forget which one smilingly told me that she felt like annie oakley.
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not ideal but, in their world, touching off six stingers at in-room distances in extremis would have not have been a wasted effort and gave them comfort in their last few years.
Even better would be to get them each a .22 WMR cylinder for Christmas or their next birthday.
 
EZ 9.jpg I became handicapped a few years ago and couldn't rack the slide on any of my autos. Recoil was horrible on the small frame revolvers so I went looking for something else.

The S&W EZ 9 was the easiest gun to load and to fill the magazines. Recoil was much less than the revolvers or my older autos. Accuracy is very good and the sights are easy to see.
 
While not optimal, I recall Mas Ayoob mentioned that some old folks with limited hand strength for semis could manipulate a single action revolver. Before one spouts cliches, this falls in the category of better than having nothing or something not usable. The Ruger Bearcat or if the weight isn't too much, the Single Seven in 327 magnum. The former can have some high speed loads and some of the specialized 22 LR SD loads like Punch. The latter can handle very mild 32 SW Longs, and 32 HR magnums which are not trivial.

Just a thought.

A good thought, which makes me think to just get a DA/SA revolver that can be thumb cocked.

Another thing to think about is hand on the grip to hammer spur reach. Some guns are easier to thumb cock with the firing hand if needed. Gun size, hand size, hammer design, etc.
 
This should have been asked in a broader group since it is about handicapped self defense and there are a lot of discussions on adapting firearms for people with challenges handling a firearm.

There is also help to be had from [email protected]
 
Even better would be to get them each a .22 WMR cylinder for Christmas or their next birthday.

thanks, but too late now. that said, 22lr was comfortable and confidence-building, but 22wmr was too much intimidating flashbang for the shooter for too little result.
 
I am also big on revolvers. If you really want to suggest a revolver for your EX the Airweight is not a good idea. IMO if you really want a J frame I would have her try shooting one of the steel J frames. The additional weight will mitigate the felt recoil. Its possible if she can't pull the trigger easily she might be able to use it SA do you would need a M60.

2 years ago I was vert ill and lost a lot of my strength. My normal carry was a M442 but I could not shoot it back then because of the recoil. I switched to my M640 and got much better results.

The above suggestions of a S&W EZ in .380 is probably a very good choice if she can use it.
 
The ultra lightweight frames of the J frame can be pretty punishing in recoil for someone with weaker hands. My wife has arthritis in both hands and she cannot shoot a small 38spc revolver comfortably. Carry is easy, but shooting causes pain.

Her current carry options are a NAA mini in 22 mag and a very old Colt Police Positive in 38 S&W (not Special). The 38 S&W is very tame on recoil even though it is not much bigger than a J-frame. If you are set on revolvers, I would recommend a Ruger LCR in 327 Mag. The 327 is similar to 9mm ballistics wise and other 32 caliber loads will fire in it if the recoil is too much.

https://ruger.com/products/lcr/specSheets/5452.html

Semi-autos have become much better for weak hands in recent years compared to revolvers. Older tip up barrel pistols like the Beretta 84 Cheetah don't need slide manipulation to work. As well as the Beretta Tomcat. The S&W EZ pistols and the Walther CCP are both pistol lines purposely marketed to shooters with weak hands. And have features that make them easier to rack and shoot.
 
If you can find a new or well-taken care of used tip-up Beretta, that may be a route to take. No racking is needed and the ones that I’ve shot were reliable. They were made in .380, as well as smaller .32, .25 and .22 versions if recoil is also a concern.
.

This. But if a revolver is a must,
then a Ruger LCR or Colt's
new Cobra or King Cobra (3").
 
Any 32 H&R or 327 revolver. With the right (and still viable defensive ammo) they are as soft shooting as a 22 or 22 mag. No slide to worry about, no limp wristing, no worries about stance or grip, no FTE problems, no magazine issues. LCR 327 would be my top choice for reliability and trigger - YMMV.
 
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