A pistol for my Mom.

[gamestalker]

IMO, if she is struggling with a M10 trigger pull, she certainly won't be able to handle the slide on an AL, no way.

I think the 8 or 9 lb. trigger on the M10 is going to be quite a bit easier to handle, than a narrow slide that requires significantly more strength in the fingers and hands to manipulate, there just no way an AL will be the better option over a wheel gun.

When was the last time anyone took the side plate off of the M10 and cleaned the internals up, that might help?

GS

 

[Pyzon]

You are facing a difficult decision for both of you, and I hope you find a solution.
I have a question for you that always bugs me in situations like this, and I struggle with my 94 year old Mom with this stuff as well, as they come from a time when folks could be trusted:

Have you done all you can to make it as unlikely as humanly possible that Mom will never have to use her pistol in self defense ?

What I mean is, how good are the locks on her doors and windows, how serious is she in making sure they are closed and locked as much as possible ?

How well lit is the area around her home and especially outside her doorway ?

Is the lighting directed out away from the doorway and not into her eyes ?
Is it motion detecting ?

Is she able to refuse to answer the door when a stranger knocks or rings ?

Does she have a neighbor or other helper and 911 programmed into her speed dialer memory ? Is she willing to call 911, even if she may be possibly overreacting ?

Are you or someone else close enough to be of help ?

Obviously, my point is to make the gun a tool way down the list of priorities, but there to be safely applied when absolutely needed.

 

[MedWheeler]

Averageman, when I asked about "charging the weapon", I certainly wasn't referring to the Model 10.

You brought it up when you said in the OP you were considering both an autoloader, and something in .22, and that racking the slide to chamber a round (which is what is actually meant by "charging the weapon") might be an issue.

So, is it safe to assume that, if she does end up with an autoloader, it will be stored "charged" for her?

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

My Wife, her Mother, and a half a dozen members of our local CCL Support Group have the same problems with hand strength, racking the gun, actuating the levers, pulling stiff DA triggers, etc. For some reason the "experts" keep recommending smaller guns fur smaller/weaker people and this is the wrong direction to go - smaller guns usually have stiifer springs and smaller levers and catches and operating them, loading them, and manipulating them is even harder for the weak ones than a larger gun.

The standard recommend default gun from "Internet Experts" is a DA revolver - usually a snubbie. For compromised shooters it is my experience that even if they shot snub revolvers well 10 years ago this platform will be the hardest for them to gain proficiency with and usually frustrates them to the point they give up trying to hit stuff beyond 6' - 10'. Snubs are not great for arthritic, weak hands or recoil sensitive types.

Long story short, we have saved many shooter who are older and weaker now with the Glock 42 and refurbished Colt 1903 Pocket Pocket Hammerless pistols in .32 acp. The .380 version of the Pocket Hammerless begins to get a little "snappy" and I find that folks with limited hand strength due to age also tend to be recoil sensitive to a higher degree.

For a modern pistol for older folks, folks who are recoil sensitive, or can't operate stiff slides and tiny mag releases and slide locks one can hardly beat the Glock 42 as a starting point...there are other pocket sized guns that run well in compromised hands but they tend to be bigger and heavier not smaller and lighter.

VooDoo

 

[gunlaw]

I gave my 82 year old mom an H&R in 32 S&W. It's a double action revolver and she handles it just fine. You might have to look around a little to find one but it sounds like a good replacement for the 38. 100g bullet should be more effective than a 22.

 

[HexHead]

For some reason the "experts" keep recommending smaller guns fur smaller/weaker people and this is the wrong direction to go - smaller guns usually have stiifer springs and smaller levers and catches and operating them, loading them, and manipulating them is even harder for the weak ones than a larger gun.

For a modern pistol for older folks, folks who are recoil sensitive, or can't operate stiff slides and tiny mag releases and slide locks one can hardly beat the Glock 42 as a starting point...there are other pocket sized guns that run well in compromised hands but they tend to be bigger and heavier not smaller and lighter.

VooDoo

I was talking to my gunsmith about this the other day. People that don't have the hand/wrist strength to rack a slide, aren't going to be able to handle the recoil of a pocket 9 or little tiny .380 either. So even one with a light slide like the Walther CCP (I handled one the other day and it's a true piece of crap) is still going to be more gun than they can handle.

Vickers Tactical makes extended slide releases and mag releases for the G42. My wife has the slide release on hers and it's a very nice improvement.

 

[hso]

I would be very concerned if she cannot use the double action trigger of a Model 10 that she would have the hand strength of the DAO autos mentioned much less the strength to cycle the slide.

OTOH, if there is a good rental range nearby she may find that she has enough strength for an auto (SA or SA/DA or DAO). There's really only one way to find out. BTW, if she locks onto the slide and pushes the frame forward and through her grip she may find she has little trouble chambering the first round in an auto. Alternately, there is a grip enhancer for Glock available that mounts to the rear of the slide making for a solid grip.

 

[crankyoldlady]

Being able to rack the slide is important.

More important will be her ability to clear jams and operate the contols in the dark.

 

[Tallball]

Here is my daughter's favorite. She is ten years old and can shoot it just fine. It is a 32 H&R magnum, but she normally practices with 32 S&W long. Her hands are large for her age, but still not very strong. This one is easy for her to cock and fire; the hammer and trigger are light. Some revolvers she can barely cock and can't manage to fire DA. Her hands are the size of an average adult woman, but noticeably weaker because she is only ten.

 

[Tallball]

This is her (my daughter's) favorite semi-auto. Her mom and grandma don't care much for them, but she thinks they're neat. I don't get a lot of time on my Browning Buck Mark, or this Colt model 1903 32acp if I take her to the range with me. This Colt fires from a locked breech, so the spring isn't nearly as strong as a blowback spring. She can rack the slide easily, and the recoil is extremely gentle.

 

[SC Shooter]

If racking the slide is a problem, try a Walther PK 380. They were designed to rack easily and it might just solve her problem.

 

[Teachu2]

Real world - she doesn't need to rack the slide. She needs to pick up the gun, point it, and make it go bang. Once is probably all she'll get or need. After that, the BG will either be leaving rapidly or have her disarmed.

Any gun that she can hold, point, and fire beats all the ones she can't. She doesn't need to field strip, clear jams/misfires/spiderwebs, activate a laser or light, rack the slide, or bake a pie. Hold, point, fire.

If she can't do that, every time, she probably shouldn't have a handgun. A 20ga sxs coach gun?

 

[jdavis123]

If your mother can handle the weight of her K-frame S&W, I agree with those that recommend getting a good action job done to reduce the DA pull weight.
A good gunsmith can produce a DA pull I the neighborhood of 6 lbs and glass smooth without changing the springs. The smoothness of the trigger pull will make the perceived weight of the pull seem less.There are not many auto loaders that can match that. It sounds as if she has been shooting revolvers for years and is accustomed to them. I would have her to stick with what she knows if possible.

 

[Averageman]

Well I'm going to look at a smaller auto with a tip up barrel as suggested.Any particular models and brands suggested would be greatly appreciated.
The problem seems to be that although she has strength in her arms and hands the long heavy DA pull is too much for her now.

I will stop and look at a beretta tonight.

 

[David4516]

+1 for tip up barrel, this is a great feature wish more pistols had it.

Tallball's suggestion of the old Colt 1903 sounds like a good idea too.

I've seen several people say Keltec P32 or Ruger LCP. I would disagree I think the triggers on these guns are just a difficult to pull, and recoil is very snappy.

Any particular models and brands suggested would be greatly appreciated.

I'd go with Beretta in .25ACP (should be more reliable than .22LR). I don't have any first hand experience with with their current model (the DA/SA one) but my wife and I both have older single action Berettas (model 950 "Jetfire"). Mine is blued, hers is stainless.

I still carry mine fairly often, but my wife's pistol has been collecting dust since she got a Glock 42. Both have been very reliable, with every brand and weight of bullet I've tried, with one exception: the Fiocchi rounds with the nickel cases and the XTP bullets (don't know if it was the ammo or the gun but I couldn't make them work). Here is a link for them on midway, I'd avoid this stuff like the plague:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/14...d-hollow-point-box-of-50?cm_vc=ProductFinding

My current carry ammo is the Winchester "white box" 50gr FMJ but I've also carried Hornady 35gr JHPs in the past.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I was recently looking for an auto for my 21yr old daughter who has the same issues with slide manipulation, recoil sensitivity, and trigger pull- almost gave up when I stumbled upon the SIG 250c-380-b. Mid-sized with a nice hand-filling grip, virtually no recoil, light, smooth trigger, easy to rack, locked breech operation- and 15 (!) rounds of .380 on tap so reloading is highly unlikely to be necessary. SIG barely even mentions this model in their catalog and my local dealer had never heard of it, but Gander Mountain had them in stock last time I looked. Got one for her and now I want my own....

Oh, please forget the 1903 Colt- you need to have a Kung Foo grip to chamber a round in the .380 models and the recoil is snappier than most 9-mils due to the blowback action, Im afraid Tallball is mistaken, these are blowback pistols.....also awkward grip safety, impossible to manipulate safety catch, and ammo-sensitive. Hands down one of the most beautiful and least fun to shoot guns I've ever owned. Now if you could dig up a Remington Mod.51 it might be a different story....

 

[jrmiddleton425]

Have your mother try using her WHOLE hand, rather than just fingers, to cock her revolver single-action; the motion is as if you are brushing crumbs off a table.

It will reduce pull from about 12 pounds, down to about 3 pounds.