Grandma's .22

[spinmove_]

Solid choice.

And as counterintuitive as it sounds, a G34 isn’t that heavy and with no backstrap or with a hump reduction might fit smaller hands and it shoots very softly with gamer power 9mm.

Large, slow slide is nice. Also easier to rack.

My wife used one to requalify for her CCW.

Except if Grandma can’t keep her wrists from flopping about like wet noodles, it’ll have a hell of a time cycling and she might not remember how to do malfunction clearance in the heat of the moment. With a revolver, she can just pull the trigger again.

I experienced this first hand while AI’ing for a local small time training company running a CPL class. An elderly gentleman had a hell of a time getting semi-autos to cycle. HK, Glocks, Berettas, you name it. He had some hand strength issues and couldn’t seem to keep his wrists stable to save his life. We could effortlessly get him through basic drills on the line with K frame and he was able to roughly get the same quality hits with it as he was with a G17.

[JCN]

Except if Grandma can’t keep her wrists from flopping about like wet noodles, it’ll have a hell of a time cycling and she might not remember how to do malfunction clearance in the heat of the moment. With a revolver, she can just pull the trigger again.

I experienced this first hand while AI’ing for a local small time training company running a CPL class. An elderly gentleman had a hell of a time getting semi-autos to cycle. HK, Glocks, Berettas, you name it. He had some hand strength issues and couldn’t seem to keep his wrists stable to save his life. We could effortlessly get him through basic drills on the line with K frame and he was able to roughly get the same quality hits with it as he was with a G17.

I usually go down on recoil spring weight when the shooter is going to rob mechanical energy from the system.

[coldcase1984]

@Bergeron, what are the ages and physicality of the brother and mother in the first post?

[Malamute]

Has anyone here worked with the Ruger standard 22 auto pistol as a geezer gun? I was considering getting one for mom as a house gun, relatively simple, reliable, easy to shoot, soft springs and easy to cycle the bolt, has the bolt racker things available to help cock the bolt.

She aged out of being able to handle one, I didnt end up getting one for her, but it may be a workable item for some other people.

[1Rangemaster]

A lot of questions here…
My mother, God bless her, had a .22 High Standard Sentinel revolver that she was able to operate until she passed. She had the hand strength to work the DA pull. A few years before she died I took her to an indoor range, put up a B27 at about 4 or 5 yards, and told her it was a threat. She went through all 9 rounds and put them basically in the center. OK then…I thought she would be all right if someone(s) broke in. Attitude does count for something.
An “auto” would be ok if the elderly operator will shoot it every month or so, IMO. Even a .22 is fine, IF they know what to do in case of a FTF-tap, rack and assess. I’d lean toward a revolver if the hand strength is there. If not, the .380s mentioned might suffice if there is some regular practice.
I’m most familiar with the Glock line; a G42 with a Tango Down slide plate for manipulating or a G44 if the person will work with it.
That said, I’m sitting here with a .22 rimfire 317 in my pocket; “geezer home gun” until I can’t work the trigger. Then I’ll revert to a G44 in an ankle holster or fanny pack.
I hope something is found that works.

[Bergeron]

@Bergeron, what are the ages and physicality of the brother and mother in the first post?

The brother is 40s, and while not strong, he can handle the EZ9 easily enough- his big challenge is to consistently grip the gun high enough for reliable grip safety deactivation.

The mother is late 60s, and less strong than the brother. She could work the trigger of the Taurus .38 well enough, but the EZ9 was just not happening, and even the EZ380 was a bit much for manipulations in ways that the Taurus was not.

I like the idea of .32s, but looking around on Lucky Gunner, the .32 that's out in the world that I can buy seems like it would be about the same recoil as 148 grain, 700 fps .38 wadcutters. My own mom uses a LCP .22 as a small gun- but she shoots a double-stack Para .40 as a primary. Does the LCR have less of a trigger pull than the J-frame, when both are in their rimfire variations? I do like the idea of the LCP in .22, though.

[SCCY Marshal]

Regrettably, a Hi-point .380 carbine with a no-fuss red dot would also work surprisingly well, so long as it could be proven to be reliable.

If you do end up looking at these, toss me a PM. I've personally put roughly 5k rounds through a sample of three, know of about 2k more in other hands, and have some simple set-up advice if needed. All ran like tops, by the way.

Going back to the 380 EZ, do you have the ability to try out one of the Performance Center pimped-out models? The blingy gold grip safeties stick out a bit more and tend to be a bit easier to reliably engage. Which may be less aimed at you with a possible Sig workaround than letting others know that the grip safety and flat trigger do add up to a rather different gun worth comparing to a base model.

[coldcase1984]

Beyond the Lite-Rack LCP, all the Ruger Mark .22 pistols since the beginning are SD worthy for all ages.

I got my wife a .22/45 Lite with w.a VQ Trigger that is very handy for her.

The all-metal Mark I 5.5-in. Bull Barrel I got at the Rod & Gun Club at Beale AFB in 1978 would be a great cudgel if you run outta BBs.

I personally wish Beretta would revamp the good ol' Model 72 (beloved by Mossad, feared by terrorists) with a 1911 safety and mag release.

I inherited mine from my late mom and been thinking about getting the longer bbl threaded for my approaching dotage.

BTW I've seen more than a few folks rendered defunct via rimfire; First as a crime reporter for a few years outta college, then a cop for nearly 30 years now.

If you're trying to equip a vintage loved one who's living alone but can't handle a bigger pistol, don't discount rimfire arms.

[1Rangemaster]

@Bergeron , is the lady going to carry? That brings up a question of how(?) Certainly a Ruger Mark something .22 can be carried, but the manual safety is small, and the carry gear would have to be thought about.
All of us here-me especially-can get wrapped around gear/guns, but there's more to the situation.
If the lady is willing to shoot say once a month, that would be very good.

[Moped]

Am I the only person that finds a .380 with a blow back action, to have a harsher recoil than a 9mm? I have several .380s and find them to not be pleasant to shoot for an extended time. Those include a Walther PPK/s, a Beretta 81 clone and a Ruger LCP Max. The Max has the least felt recoil of those three and the Walther has the harshest.

I’m not sure I could recommend a .380 to someone that is recoil sensitive. A .32 S&W long, .32ACP or a 38 with standard pressure rounds or reduced recoil loads (Hornaday makes such a round) would be the way I’d go.

A Beretta Tomcat with its tip up barrel and.32ACP FMJ or LRN, might be the perfect pistol for this application, if the trigger is decent.