Elderly and the LC9

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I second the opinion for a good full-size .22LR semi-auto handgun.
I've been told by people who have had guns pointed at them that the bore of any gun looks HUGE when you're looking down it.
Load it with good quality high-velocity solids.
 
Yeah, lc9 sounds like an absolutely terrible idea. Even if you you ignore the relatively punishing recoil, the crappy trigger means you'll want A LOT of practice getting used to it. I've taken 300 pound 6'6"+ shooters to the range that hated the lc9 and were constantly working on accuracy but were excellent with my m&p full size.

I own a lcr 22 and its an absolute kitten. Definitely recommend that, or AT THE VERY MOST the slightly heavier lcr 357 shooting nothing but neutered 38spl loads. Still far less recoil than the lc9, more comfortably shot (rubberized grips are way better than the pencil thin lc9 backstrap) and a way better trigger.
 
FWIW:

Well, I'll play the "Devil's Advocate" here I guess, but in my experience my Ruger LC9 has been absolute excellent.

First I don't expect the LC9 to be a "target pistol", so I practice from 7 yards or less, and from that distance I have absolutely no problem keeping 'em all in the center mass of man sized target.

I keep reading how crappy the trigger on the LC9 is, but FOR ME, it's just fine. I like a heavy trigger pull for a pistol used as my self defense choice and carried in an iwb holster. The heavier trigger reduces the chances I'll shoot myself in the butt in a crisis when adrenalin would be raging but is not so heavy I can't be accurate with it using just a point and shoot style..

The 9MM pistol I carried iwb before I got my LC9 was a very nice HK P2000sk (V3), but the Ruger LC9 is smaller, slimmer, easier to carry concealed, and I prefer it to the sk now.

Pretty soon I will have my Boberg XR9-S, so I'll have another 9MM pistol to consider for concealed carry self defense.. Even if I decide to replace the LC9 with the Boberg (the Boberg is smaller) I won't sell it, it's just too good a pistol, in my estimation.

I think the Ruger LCP in 380cal. is excellent, and the performance and characteristics of it's big brother LC9 is excellent as well..

And, at almost 70 years old I don't find the heavy trigger of the LC9, or recoil to be a problem at all.

No offense, just making conversation.

Jesse
 
My wife thought she would like the LC9 and after about fifty rounds through it, has decided it kicks too much. I encouraged her to try a good quality .380 this time around.

Smaller hands, smaller skeleton and muscles probably mean smaller caliber.
 
I forgot all about this thread!

Thanks to everyone for the tips, they are all very helpful. I'm off Mayan Rivera this weekend and all next week but I will be shooting with her the weekend I'm back in county. I'll update everyone on how much she hates the LC9 and what she decides to do.

Thanks again
 
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but one possibility is going with something like the bersa thunder 380.... their concealed carry model is almost exactly the same size and weight as the LC9, but shoots a weaker round and has less recoil. I know everyone hates weak rounds and needs a .454 casull or bigger to stop a crazed felon, but a .380 that she can actually shoot and enjoys practicing with will be a lot more useful than a 9mm she hates IMHO.
 
I would consider a Sig P238 in .380. My wife has found this weapon to be a soft shooter, and the biggest part... she is able to rack the slide. I breifly considered a tip up barrel model when we came across the P238. A autoloader is useless if she doesn't have the hand strength to operate the slide in case of a malfunction or even simple unloading.

Besides, everyone knows that Granny carries a double barrel!
 
When my wife got her CCW permit last fall we got her an LC9. She likes the size and the recoil doesn't bother her. She doesn't like to carry with a round in the chamber, but she can't rack the slide back, its too stiff. She gave me the LC9 back and took one of my wheel guns, a stainless Colt Comando in .38 spl. It's bigger and heavier for her purse or glove box, but she can shoot it all day, and hit what she shoots at. So now I have been known to leave my .357 at home and carry the LC9 in a Nemesis pocket holster. It's a win-win, I guess.
 
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If i were in that situation I'd trade the lc9 in for some 22. That trigger on the lc9 won't help her at all. Even if she was able to control recoil from it, she'd have to practice quite a bit with that loooong heavy DAO trigger and is practicing alot really what she's goin to do? Just a thought.
 
A lot of people who haven't thought about how recoil works think bigger gun = more recoil. I think it comes from the general trend of bigger guns to carry more powerful cartridges. I was watching an episode of NCIS:LA where two agents went undercover as husband/wife to a range, and she looks at the medium-frame 6-shooter and says "that looks a bit much" so the RO hands her a snub-nose instead. Sigh.

As to your meemaw, try a duty pistol in 9mm, it might work better. A CZ-75 might be a nice thing to try, I know my Mom liked it a lot better than my XDm .40.
 
Can she rack the slide? If not the rest doesn't really matter unless someone else is going to chamber the first round then leave it at the ready for her.

If I had a grandma anymore I'd probably be leaning to a DA .22 revolver or a .22 caliber autoloading rifle next to her bed. I prefer the Marlin 60 but there are other quality choices.
 
Well, she got a chance to fire the LC9 and she hated it. Shocker!. She could rack the slide (after I taught her the push and pull method) and had no problem with the trigger. It was the recoil that she hated and only fired 2 shots. However, she did like shooting the S&W 422 and insist on having one or something similar. Hopefully shooting the .22 will help her build the confidence to move up to a better (for sd) caliber. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.
 
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