Elderly shooters

[doddg]

What’s everyone’s opinion on elderly person pistol options. Something simple, reliable, economical and not too much recoil. I’m thinking 38 spl revolver.

Interesting read.
Just turned 70 last Sunday & arthritis has been my growing friend, especially the last 2 years.
This past summer I started having trouble with my trigger finger during a range day.
I've always known the clock is ticking..
I can't even make a tight fist w/o pain in the past year.
I wonder if I'll still be able to enjoy the hobby in 5-10 yrs?

My recommendations:
- 4" barrel revolver
- metal frame, the heavier, the better for recoil
I don't consider a snubbie to be arthritis-friendly.

The Ruger LCR hammerless series in .38 special claims less recoil & a better trigger.
I have found that to be the case, especially considering it's a 13.5 oz.
You could get the 3.6 oz heavier LCR .357 magnum, 17.1 oz, & run .38 specials through it for even less recoil.
I was skeptical of Ruger's claims, thinking it was just sales hype, but I immediately could tell the LCR worked better for me than whatever snubbie I was using at the time.
I also have a 6 rd Taurus 856 hammerless weighing in at 22 oz.

6 round revolver for home defense: SW 64-5, 38 sp, SS w/4" barrel.
Sweet trigger & sweet recoil, as God intended a revolver for arthritis sufferers, haha!


5 round light CC revolver: Ruger LCR .38 sp 14.4 oz.
Note: ignore the 11.2 oz SW 340 PD underneath: brutal recoil, haha!


6 round 22 oz CC revolver: Taurus 856 .38 sp (I now have the hammerless).

 

[DadSmith]

What’s everyone’s opinion on elderly person pistol options. Something simple, reliable, economical and not too much recoil. I’m thinking 38 spl revolver.

My mother and father both carry 5 shot 38 snubnose. One is a Ruger LCRx the other a Taurus Model 85.
I suggest Federal Gold Metal Match 148gr wadcutters. They have very light recoil, accurate, and have good penetration from a 2" barrel.

 

[thompal]

And pin the grip safety or get a slip on grip that holds it down. I hate grip safeties

There's no thumb safety. With a single action trigger, disabling the only safety is a recipe for disaster.

 

[04FXSTS]

Just turned 76 and carry an assortment of handguns depending on my mood and where I will be. Usually a S&W 413 TSW, S&W 65-4, S&W 4506, Ruger 345 or Ruger P-95 in 9mm. I still shoot IDPA almost always with a S&W 625-8 moonclip .45auto. I do have one "fun gun" I don't shoot a lot but really enjoy is Ruger SRH in 454 Casull.
I will admit I loaded some .45ACP pretty hot for the 2021 State IDPA match and 200 or so rounds and my hands hurt for two weeks. I had a scale problem and they run 230 gr at 975 fps. Don't plan on doing that again. Jim.

 

[MrSmitty]

The oldest gun I have is.......oh....you're talking about us old guys, not old guns.....

 

[Mij]

What’s everyone’s opinion on elderly person pistol options. Something simple, reliable, economical and not too much recoil. I’m thinking 38 spl revolver.

shogun, only because you asked for an opinion I’ll give one. First read the rules, (then follow the suggestions).

Second, welcome to the best and most knowledgeable and informative website on the “State of Indiana“ gun knowledge available.

Third, to best answer your question, you can’t get more simple than pulling the trigger, reliability is in the gun, economics is in the deal for the gun and your ability to make the deal. Recoil is in the shooters ability and strength coupled with training, mindset, and adrenaline level at the time of pulling the trigger.

Let these folks know specifically what you want, I’ll absolutely gar-run-tee u get the best answer to your question.

Good Luck, Merry Christmas and welcome to the forum.

by the way I’m 73.

 

[warren5421]

All I can say is if you can still shoot .38 spl your hands are not that bad. I carried a 1911 in .45 ACP for 69 years. Today it hurts to much to touch of anything above a .32 ACP so I carry a Colt 1903. 2-3 to the pelvic puts the bad guy on the ground where one to the head stops all movement. A S&W or Colt in .32 long is a good lite wheel gun that can also get the job done.

 

[doddg]

All I can say is if you can still shoot .38 spl your hands are not that bad. I carried a 1911 in .45 ACP for 69 years. Today it hurts to much to touch of anything above a .32 ACP so I carry a Colt 1903. 2-3 to the pelvic puts the bad guy on the ground where one to the head stops all movement. A S&W or Colt in .32 long is a good lite wheel gun that can also get the job done.

My arthritis has amplified in the past five years and in the last year seems to have quickened its pace.
You describe where I’ll be too soon, whether it’s 5 yrs or 25 yrs.
Until then,

 

[Amishman44]

For my 80 year old mother, who likes to take walks along the county road they live on, a Ruger LCR in .22 lr was the choice for her...light, easy to handle, pull-point-n-shoot, and very mild recoil. With the right grip, manageable! When something is better than nothing (we didn't even bother to explain the differences in ballistics between a .22 lr and a .38 special) as the feeling of having something was more important. Too many words can be worse than 'there ya go.'

 

[JTKelly]

What’s everyone’s opinion on elderly person pistol options. Something simple, reliable, economical and not too much recoil. I’m thinking 38 spl revolver.

Ask some people your own age who shoot, what they shoot. Ask people who KNOW, not kids who just THINK they know.

 

[kjdoski]

As much as I love round guns, any revolver is going to have more recoil than a semi-auto because of lack of reciprocating slide. When I hear people suggest revolvers for folks with limited hand strength, I wonder if they've ever seen folks struggling with the heavy DA trigger on most revolvers. This goes double for most .22 revolvers, which tend to have much heavier triggers than their .38 counterparts.

I LOVE the Ruger LCR, but at 57, not 75, if I shoot it with anything except target wadcutters, the arthritis in my shooting wrist gets to be downright gnarly. Was out shooting my new Python today (4.25") and shot one cylinder full of 125gr 357 Mags and those will be up for sale shortly.

The S&W EZ was specifically designed for folks with reduced hand strength. The older .380 versions are VERY soft shooting, and most are being bargain basement cleared out to make way for the Equalizers. The EZ in 9mm is not as forgiving, had a new shooter in one of my courses a while back who loved how easy it was to rack the slide, but did NOT like the recoil (there's no free lunch - lower spring weight = faster/snappier recoil).

If you're bound and determined to go with a round gun, get something in the 3-4" range, all steel. I'd look for a nice used older S&W, as the actions on those tend to be pretty nice, and DA triggers are easy to manipulate.

 

[Bassat]

Just a few thoughts on growing older and guns. I am approaching being an 'elderly shooter'. With a bow to that, I have re-organized my gun collection. First off, I've had Keltec P32 for 20+ years. It weighs 6 ounces and has NO exterior controls except the mag release. Butt-simple and deadly w/73gr Fiocchi ball ammo. I'm keeping that. Secondly, I got rid of the Mossberg 590. Too big, too heavy for a guy with heart problems and bilateral shoulder issues. I did have a 1911, but sold it in favor of something with fewer controls, and more capacity. My house guns are now Sig P320 full size, and Glock 21, both with lights. No grip safety, no thumb safety and 18/14 rounds respectively. The Glock 21 is a dream come true: 14 rounds of 230gr HST, and nearly imperceptible (for a .45) recoil. My wife's night stand gun was a Rossi .44spl; she hated 1911s. She finds the G21 way more controllable than the old wheel gun.

I would suggest a full-size striker fired 9mm, .40, or .45 ACP for home use for the elderly. Small guns have lower capacity (mostly) and more felt recoil. Both my P320 and G21 have recoil that is way more manageable than any pocket semi-auto, or light weight small frame .38spl.

 

[mousegun87]

What’s everyone’s opinion on elderly person pistol options. Something simple, reliable, economical and not too much recoil. I’m thinking 38 spl revolver.

38 special revolver medium frame will be a soft shooting platform. But capacity is limited and the shooter must overcome heavier DA trigger pull or have strong enough thumb to cock the hammer. What about the M&P Shield EZ available in 9mm and 380 acp. For more capacity look at S&W Equalizer.

 

[trader]

I'm a senior and i have a twisted left hand from having R/A. Racking a slide is a major issue as my grip strength in my left has is so weak. Plinking, i hold gun with left, rack with my right. i did just buy a new gun i can rack with my left. a canik rival which also has a place for a slide racker on both sides of the reddot mount. i can rack it with the deep cuts on the front of the slide, not easy but can. the rackers will make it easy for me. maybe old, but i still love shooting steel.