Guns for the elderly/arthritic/etc.

[BN]

Has anybody had any experience with the Ruger Charger? http://www.ruger.com/products/22Char...eets/4923.html

[LSP972]

I share your opinion on the LCR but I wasn't talking about myself and my preferences. I say "more manageable" because I've seen people who needed both index fingers to pull the trigger on a stock J-frame be able to pull the trigger on an LCR with just one. This isn't a subjective opinion, just an observation.

Fair enough.

.

[StraitR]

Has anybody had any experience with the Ruger Charger? http://www.ruger.com/products/22Char...eets/4923.html

Bill,

I have a friend with one, but I don't think I've ever seen him shoot it. That said, they should have standard 10/22 reliability since barrel and stock length are irrelevant to the design.

ETA: If one was going with a rimfire pistol, that's a great suggestion based on it's 52 year old proven track record. The 25 round magazines are a bonus as well. Sprinkle in some Mini-Mags or Stingers.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Speaking of 22LR - while as mentioned I have adequate strength, I have in repetoire a Buckmark and Ruger SS Bearcat. The Buckmark has been reliable, racking it is easy and the trigger is light. Recoil is non-existent and the soft grip is comfortable. It has a nice fiber optic front sight. The Bearcat is single action of course but easy to cock and shoot.

Certainly, I know all the Internet arguments about 22s and stopping power. I don't buy the guys who think they will shoot a stream of 22LR into the head of moving targets or the folks who think that the average bad guy will stride through a stream of 22s to get to you.

I do think that having a gun is a deterrent in the context of home defense and being shot will probably turn a bad guy around. Elmer Keith said a 22 is small until it is pointed at you.

If I got to the point that I needed them, I would keep them hot and ready to go.

The Buckmark is fun to shoot at steel matches. I shot it, Outlaw, at IDPA once. I could use it. Reloads are a touch slow given the narrow magazine profile.

I don't have experience with the 22s that are similar in appearance to service guns. That might work but it is an empirical question.

I prefer a person to shoot a person as compared to waving a frying pan or golf club.

[Tamara]

Cost. Most of the older and infirm are on fixed incomes, and are probably not going to be able to buy a thousand dollar gun let alone optics. Ammo cost would be a serious consideration too. Realistically, $500 for a single gun package is probably the upper limit of most in this demographic. When it comes to long guns, I think we are talking more like a Ruger 10-22 with a 25rd magazine if we are going the long gun route. I have seen some fine defensive work performed with .22lr pistols and rifles against multiple assailants in a number of civilian shootings over the years. They are just so easy to shoot well with their minimal recoil and blast.

Agree wholeheartedly with this post.

It's also worth remembering that very few of these folks are going to become pistol-forum.com members. I usually find a pretty good willingness to take the store's one-on-one 2-hour basic "Intro to Handgun" course, and then you see them once a month or less. This usually isn't a hobby implement they're buying, like a golf club or a 10-speed, but a piece of emergency gear like a fire extinguisher or cigarette-lighter-powered tire pump.

[David S.]

This usually isn't a hobby implement they're buying, like a golf club or a 10-speed, but a piece of emergency gear like a fire extinguisher or cigarette-lighter-powered tire pump.

I've been trying to wrap my mind around a couple friends unwillingness to train with their shiny new gat. Somehow this analogy just clicked with me and put it all in perspective.

Thanks as always for your wit.

[StraitR]

A great Ballistic Radio episode with Dr. Sherman House on the validity of 22lr for HD.


The .22 Caliber Rifle For Home Defense? (Podcast – Season 2, Ballistic Radio Episode 57 – April 13th, 2014)

[Chuck Haggard]

I don't know if they're niche guns, but they are little guns. The OP somewhat touched on this, that some of the typical recommendations for the old are similar to recommendations you'll see for women or the small statured. There is a lot of "get the little gun" stuff, because people are small or weak. Little guns are not an advantage.

I don't know know about you, but I don't want to shoot a little gun. They are hard to shoot. Something like a small duty size handgun like a G19 or P2000 would be a whole lot easier to shoot. If you've got it as a home defense gun, there is practically no reason not to go for the full size gun, as long as it fits your hand. I understand a 1911 may be heavier than some may want, but a G17 or M&P9 is pretty light and a whole lot easier to shoot than a pocket pistol.

The LC380 is not exaclty little, for a .380, especially compared to the LCP and such, and since the LC380 was kind of designed from the get-go for this low recoil/easy to handle role.

[Chuck Haggard]

A great Ballistic Radio episode with Dr. Sherman House on the validity of 22lr for HD.


The .22 Caliber Rifle For Home Defense? (Podcast – Season 2, Ballistic Radio Episode 57 – April 13th, 2014)

Doc Sherm, Claude and I have talked about this at length.

I note that every single .22 rifle shooting I've ever worked has been a homicide. .22 rifles are very easy to shoot very well under stress, and .22lr tends to penetrate more than deeply enough to get the job done when center hits are made.

[Tamara]

Doc Sherm, Claude and I have talked about this at length.

I note that every single .22 rifle shooting I've ever worked has been a homicide. .22 rifles are very easy to shoot very well under stress, and .22lr tends to penetrate more than deeply enough to get the job done when center hits are made.

Like I've mentioned to you before, if the distance is much over 15-20 yards, I'll take a reliable .22LR autoloading rifle over pretty much any centerfire pistol ever made.