Gun Choice for Limp-Wristed Wife

[bhk]

Dang it. My wife is 64, of slight build, but quite althetic. EXCEPT she has an EXTREMELY week grip and weak fingers. She cannot reliably pull the trigger on her SW 60 revolver any more (even after changing the springs in it). She usually shoots it with two fingers.

She cannot pull back the slide on most semi autos. When the Glock 42 .380came out, we thought we would give it a try. We rented one and it ran well for her (actually, she loved it). She can work the slide well. We bought one. It never misses a beat for me, but the one we bought jams (mostly failures to feed) for her at least a third of the time with a wide variety of ammo. I am a NRA certifed pistol instructor and am sure her grip is proper and as firm as SHE can make it. Classic case of limp wristing. She has also had this problem with my dinky Kahr P380, which is also way too 'snappy' for her.

We are kind of at a loss of what to do. She has started using a 'gripper' exercise tool to try to increase the strength of her fingers and wrist. This may help her with both her revolver and the Glock 42. We have also considered moving her to a .22 auto (maybe the new SW M&P Compact), but hate to go puny. Might be the only solution, though?

Any other hints/suggestions?

 

[rcmodel]

You might take a look at the Ruger LCR revolver.

I friend brought one by a while back and it had the lightest smoothest DA trigger I ever saw on a small revolver.

As for autos?
A heavier all steel gun with be more resistant to limp wresting then a small light one.

rc

 

[bhk]

Good suggestions. We will have to find a LCR we can try the trigger pull on.

I agree that an all-steel auto will offer more mass that might help with the limp writing. Problem is that most of them are in calibers that will not allow her to pull back the slide well and/or are single/double action in design, offering the first-shot double action she also cannot handle.

 

[WC145]

Consider one of the Kahr .380s, easy to rack, light, smooth trigger.

 

[Wishoot]

Another vote for the LCR. The trigger is superb.

 

[g.willikers]

Gas operated gun?
Diminutive stature or not, she would definitely look menacing with a Desert Eagle.
She might need suspenders to carry it.
Probably not the fashion statement she's looking for, though.

Make sure she's using the thumbs forward, locked wrist grip technique.
It gives good purchase for the trigger finger to work.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

A little gun has stronger springs and less slide to grab than a larger one. A striker-fired gun, without the additional tension of a hammer spring, is easier to rack than a hammer-fired gun. Slide racking techniques here: http://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

 

[bhk]

Consider one of the Kahr .380s, easy to rack, light, smooth trigger.

As I mentioned in my OP, she has the same limp writing problem with my Kahr 380 and the Kahr is far too snappy for her. She actually likes shooting the Glock 42. It just won't feed for her, though.

 

[bhk]

A little gun has stronger springs and less slide to grab than a larger one. A striker-fired gun, without the additional tension of a hammer spring, is easier to rack than a hammer-fired gun. Slide racking techniques here: http://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

Yep, you are correct about striker fired guns.. That is why we tried the Glock 42, being a larger sized .380. She has been taught the correct racking techniques and so far the Glock 42 is the only one she seems to able to get to work for her. There is no way she can operated the slide on a larger caliber. When I say weak hands/wrist, I really mean WEAK.

I will fire a few hundred more shots through the gun to loosen it up a bit. In the meantime she will work on wrist strengthening. She is highly motivated, so I think we may be able to get this to work in the end. This wrist/finger strengthening will also help her greatly with her revolver.

BTW, this gal really likes to shoot and is a remarkably good shot.

 

[Elkins45]

Two thoughts:

1) Since the rental worked for her, maybe you just need to break in the new one a bit more. Alternately, maybe you could arrange to swap your gun for the actual rental gun she used.

2) What about a single action revolver? They are designed to be easy to cock. I know it's not an ideal solution but maybe it might be the best one in this case.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Try working on the other end of the problem

A lighter recoil spring would help the functioning. (With the added benefit of easier racking of the slide)

The gun will not be unduly battered as long as no more stiff-wristed shooter uses it.

Lost Sheep

 

[bhk]

Two thoughts:

1) Since the rental worked for her, maybe you just need to break in the new one a bit more. Alternately, maybe you could arrange to swap your gun for the actual rental gun she used.

2) What about a single action revolver? They are designed to be easy to cock. I know it's not an ideal solution but maybe it might be the best one in this case.

I will spend a lot of time breaking in the new Glock. Kind of fun because it works perfectly for me. I will do this with live rounds and a few thousand times of cycling the slide by hand. This may help a great deal. Can't trade it (reasonably) for the rental gun as we bought the gun from a different dealer (for much less).

Yes, she can shoot her present SW 60 single action. She has her CCW, though, and we consider this a little dangerous for defensive purposes. It is fine recreationally though. Actually, my wife has, for some time, been shooting her revolver double action using BOTH trigger fingers simultaneously! She does this very actually and rapidly but, of course, needs a two hand hold to do this. Because this is less than ideal, we have been exploring other alternatives.

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

I'm working the same problem with my wife. I too bought the G42. Run that thing wet. I bought hers used so it already had a couple hundred rounds thru it.
Once I finally got her to get that weak hand wrist locked out, she's been much better.

For a range gun, my wife has very good luck shooting and operating my M&P9. It seems to be much more forgiving of less than perfect shooting technique.

 

[earplug]

Consider Beretta with a tip up barrel

I believe the Beretta 22 LR Minx or .32 ACP Tomcat would be worth a try.
The tip up barrel makes it easy to load.
If it works for her, they are better then nothing.

 

[Old Fuff]

If you can find one to try, see how she does with a pre-war Smith & Wesson K-frame .38 Military & Police revolver. The stocks may be too big, but you can get smaller ones, and they had both square or round butt frames.

These revolver have what was called a "long action" and one that has been cleaned up and tuned a bit will easily beat that on a Ruger LCR, which by the way, Ruger's engineers copied.

We had an elderly lady at one of our Arizona CCW training courses that was a carbon copy of your wife. She was unable to pass the shooting requirements until she tried my revolver. Second time with an unfamiliar gun she did.

 

[Zerodefect]

What ammo did you try in the Glock?

Corbon Powerball worked well for our womenz.

 

[krupparms]

I have started having problems with my hands as I have arthritis in my hands along with nuropathy. It has caused me to get rid of some firearms. I have had no problem shooting the SIGARMS P238 w/ 7 rd.magazine. It has not had any problems with function & I can rack the slide easily . Try one out if you can! It & the Colt .380 pistols are nice guns. I have owned both and like the SIG.238 a little more. The sights are great! And it just plain looks nice!

 

[kokapelli]

The early production G42 pistols did have some feeding problems, is it possible you have one of the early productin pistols?

I have tried to make my G42 jam with limp writing shooting one handed with either hands and have not been to cause a mis feed or a jamb of any kind.

 

[oneounceload]

Have you and her read Kathy Jackson's Cornered Cat website? She wrote it from a woman's perspective ans gives some tips and techniques that your wife might find helpful

 

[Tallball]

I was going to say something about the Tomcat also. It's only a 32acp, but might be easier to hold steady due to light recoil. And since it has a tip-up barrel, its slide doesn't need to be racked.

 

[TennJed]

I believe the Beretta 22 LR Minx or .32 ACP Tomcat would be worth a try.
The tip up barrel makes it easy to load.
If it works for her, they are better then nothing.

This is what i would suggest (although the 22lr is the Bobcat, not the Minx)

 

[viking499]

If you like the LCR trigger after you try it, you might look at one in 22 WMR. They say that the 45 grain Hornady round is very good for a WMR cartridge.

 

[JohnKSa]

You might try one of the SIG P238 pistols. I believe that at least one of the P238 variants comes with a steel frame. The heavier frame should have a beneficial effect on both reliability (in terms of limp-wristing problems) and recoil. The slides are fairly easy to work.

 

[tarosean]

We are kind of at a loss of what to do. She has started using a 'gripper' exercise tool to try to increase the strength of her fingers and wrist. This may help her with both her revolver and the Glock 42. We have also considered moving her to a .22 auto (maybe the new SW M&P Compact), but hate to go puny. Might be the only solution, though?

Why go smaller??? smaller will only exacerbate any issues.
Personally I would go to the largest gun she can comfortably operate..

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Well, you could make her a sling and give her a pile of rocks for her birthday!

My Great Aunt Minnie was one heck of a slinger in her day!