Defensive Handgun for 80 Year Old Grandmother

[David the Gnome]

Over Easter weekend I was visiting with my grandparents and my grandmother (who is 80) told me she wanted a handgun to protect herself at home. I've been doing some research to find a light recoiling gun she can use to defend herself and I'm not coming up with much. I thought a 22mag double-action revolver would be ideal since there's no slide for her to deal with, but it's next to impossible to find one of those for any kind of reasonable price. There are plenty of single-action models in 22mag but I don't want her to have a gun that requires anything of her other than to pull the trigger.

The only gun I've come up with is the Beretta 21. It is small and light and can be had in 22LR and 25acp. It has a tip-up barrel so she doesn't have to rack a slide and recoil should be little to none so that won't be a problem. I'm not wild about a 22 or 25 for self-defense but if that's all she can handle then it's better than nothing.

I was also looking at the Beretta Tomcat, which can be had in 32acp. This would be far better for self-defense than the 21 would, but I'm concerned the recoil might be a bit harsh for her.

Your thoughts or suggestions?

 

[comn-cents]

Stay away from 25's.(bad rep for stopping) Go for a S&W 317 revolver. in 22lr. If she is not familiar with semi's and she has a jam then what? Revolvers rarely jam. I'm doing the same with my wife, not really a gun person.
If you want to stay with a semi go Walther p22 and add a white light & laser to the rail. Put the red dot on what ever you need to destroy and pull the trigger.

 

[ar15chase]

Heritage Rough Rider revolver 22 is a nice affordable gun, about 200-250 new around here. I worked at Academy for a short stent, and sold a bunch of them.

 

[batmann]

The Beretta's are pretty small and can be hard to operate for someone not familiar with firearms. I also recommend a revolver.

 

[David the Gnome]

If the S&W 317 didn't have an MSRP of over $700 it would be an excellent choice. The Heritage Rough Rider would also be fine if it weren't a single action. My preference is for a revolver but there just aren't any quality revolvers chambered in 22LR for any kind of a decent price anymore.

 

[ar15chase]

You might try to find an H&R sportsman. I have seen them for about $300 in the past.

 

[David the Gnome]

Does anyone have any experience with the Taurus Model 94? It comes in both 22LR and 22 Magnum and can be had for around $350. That's more like what I'm looking for and it's still affordable. We're not talking about a range gun here or a gun that will see high round counts, just looking for a gun that my grandmother can use in the event someone breaks into her home.

 

[Jim March]

She's 80. Yikes.

OK, my recommendation will be oddball, but since this is HOME defense rather than CCW (confirming what you wrote!?) then what you need is something like a Browning full-size 22LR auto in the aluminum frame.

It's big, yeah, but it's light, it has a light slide spring (easy racking), a light trigger pull and holds at least 10rds of 22LR. Load it with CCI Stingers and it'll put a serious hurt on, esp. since with minimal practice she'll probably be able to dump the whole mag in some moron.

S&W used to make a large light .22 like that, and I think Beretta has one too. The polymer-frame Ruger equivelent is out of the running as the slide spring is hell on wheels. You want something with a real mild racking action.

IF she can fire a DA wheelgun, then something like a steel 8-shot 22Magnum J-Frame makes sense. But I'll bet you anything a DA trigger isn't going to work out, unless by some miracle she's managed to avoid arthritis. At age 80 that's very unlikely but hey, it does happen.

Actually, for home defense, the ultimate would be a Ruger Charger!!! Seriously - rip that silly bipod off, slap a laser on it, put a 30rd banana mag on 'er and have her shoot from the hip two-handed. Granny can seriously screw somebody up, hell multiple somebodies, with next to zero recoil and no trigger strain at all.

 

[David the Gnome]

Lol, the charger would probably be a good choice. I've got a Ruger MK III I wouldn't hesitate to give her but, like you said, the slide is really hard for ME to rack, let alone her. I've got a 10/22 I wouldn't mind giving her but I don't know how useful a rifle would be in the close confines of her house.

 

[no1_gun]

What about a simple 38special? Forget the hot +P loads! Get a Taurus 85 or S&W J frame. The recoil on standard velocity 38 spec in a small revolver is very mild. Something bigger like a model 10 with a 4 inch barrel would be easier to control. A simple trigger job to make it easier for her to pull the trigger and have better chance to hit her target. Sights on these mouse guns (Beretta 21) are almost nil and on the revolver you customize the sights or stick whats on it.

 

[relee]

The most important parameter is what she can handle. If it can happen (physically) take her to a range where she can rent and try a .22, .38, etc. and try to find out if she would be ready to use it in an H/D situation. If not don't go that route. Get a nice can of pepper spray and a Taser or two. A large dog has convinced B/G's to try a different address more than once. Point is if not able mentally or physically to use a firearm then it will just give a false sense of security....Best of luck in your search!

Bob

 

[45_Shooter]

I honestly would push her in the direction of a light recoil long gun like a youth model 20 ga. first. Likely she's not going to have to move about the house if she hears a bump in the night right? So have her get on one side of the bed, lay the shotgun across it pointed at the door.

If she's set on a handgun, then I'd go with a medium frame .38 with high profile target style sights like a S&W model 15. It's simple, easy to use and easy recoiling.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Sorry to be late to the discussion, but let me add that the Beretta Tomcat is NOT a good option. Recoil isn't terribly pleasant for a person who is on the frail side and maybe arthritic. If a case fails to eject, there is just no way to clear it quickly and she will basically possess a rock at that point. That is the problem with tip up barrels, regardless of caliber.

This is based on trying to get my 72 year old mom to make a Tomcat her carry gun as she has troubles racking the slide on her Glock 26. She can handle the recoil better on the Glock and the Tomcat and shoots it better, in part because of the longer sight radius.

 

[Mark Milton]

When I moved out, I left my grandmother a Taurus .44 magnum with a six and a half inch barrell for home defense.

Within two months, she stopped a home invader in his tracks by pointing it at him through the back door, which has a good size window in it, and telling him to get his @$$ down the road before she shot throught the door and blew his @$$ away.

He fled. There were poop smears on the back porch though where he apparently had an anal leakage down his trouser leg.

She is about 4 foot 9, by the way.

As soon as I could, I went to the flea market in Johnson County and bought her a four inch model 66 and put pachmayer gripper grips on it and loaded it with .38 hollowpoints.
She is 82 now....

 

[Catfishman]

In my experience youth model 20 gauge shotguns have a very heavy recoil.

Heritage Rough Rider revolver 22 is a nice affordable gun, about 200-250 new around here.

This is a single action.

I being a cool-aid chug-a-lugger suggest a used Glock 25. Or any medium sized .38 special and have someone handload some lower recoil rounds.

 

[RickB]

My grandmother kept a Webley Mk. I, loaded with Canadian hardball, on the nightstand. You would NOT have wanted to be looking down the wrong end of that granny's gun.

 

[Webleymkv]

If it's a gun strictly for home defense, one of the short, double barrel "coach guns" in .410 would seem like a good idea to me. Utter simplicity, light recoil, and a good deal more power than a .22. If you're dead set on a handgun, you may consider a medium frame .38 Special like a S&W Model 10 loaded with light 148grn Wadcutters to reduce recoil.

 

[Hook686]

I agree with the revolver idea. My 80 year old mother cannot rack a slide on a pistol. A 22 LR is about the maximum recoil she can deal with also.

 

[Prince55]

A nice used .38 Special revolver with standard velocity rounds with a
small frame for a woman's hands.

 

[Van55]

There are a lot of ASSumptions being made here about what granny can or cannot handle. Take her to the range and let her shoot various calibers.

I'm guessing that she could probably handle .38, and if she does a LadySmith revolver would be an excellent choice.

But as Pax is wont to say, let the choice be HERS.