Considering a revolver for my mother (and dad)

[Lefty Red]

What ever revolver you get, just stick to the 110gr FXT bullets. They expand a tad more and are not really that much "harder" to shoot than the 90gr ones.

The Lite 90grs basically turns your 38 into a 380. But I understand the draw in a light weight snub, but there is no benefit from actual people shooting them.

Either the 110gr or the 110gr +p will work. Would choose the +p in a 2" barrel and the standard velocity in a longer barrel.

Might get lynched, but a Taurus or Charter Arms is not a bad gun. Not something I would shoot daily or hinders of rounds. But for someone just to have, and not have a lot of money into, they work. I just picked up a Charter Arms Undercover 38 for $175 used (to be read shot ten round through) it's tight and works as a pocket pistol for me. Buddy just got a Taurus 605, 5 shot 357 that is standard weight. Heavy enough to soak of the minimal recoil from wadcutter loads so his gun shy step daughters shoot it. It was $200 lightly used.

Would I rather have a SW or Ruger? Yes but the price is right and the other work too. And for something they probably won't be shot after they get it, just as good and cheaper.

Also, I would load up with wad cutters if recoil is a problem. My light weight Undercover was said used but same step daughter and they liked it a lot too, with the wad cutters in it.

Lefty


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[Lefty Red]

First boxes are the Hornady 110gr FXT loads that I use in the winter time. I like the +p version, seems well liked by Jello Junkies over the standard velocity load. I really can't tell a difference in the recoil, but can with the noise. I think that scares a shooter more than the recoil. They are like $24 for 25 rounds. The ballistic tipped FXT bullet keeps hollow point from being clogged, is their claim to popularity. They don't seem to open up allot compared to higher weight bullets, but they are suppose to keep their velocity high enough out of short barrels to open up at around .50". Works for me!


My other go to load is the cheap Remington UMC 125gr SJHP +p offering, usually found at every Wal Mart around. The Semi Jacketed bullet expands well since it acts like a soft lead bullet. Jello Junkies claim it gets clogged up and doesn't expand but flattens. Well, if it is bigger in the Bad Guy compared to when it started, then it has expanded! I use this for summer carry so the Jello Junkies don't scream about four layers of denim. If used in a 3" or more revolver, then it's would be my EDC load for a 38. I'm searching for the 158gr 357 Mag load with the same type of bullet for the K6s. The Jello Junkies say it "flattens" out to around .65"! From a 2" barrel even! I think I got the 38 load for around $35 for 100.


And my around back up, reloaded DEWCs with a max charge of your favorite powder behind it. Surprising light recoil and very accurate at self defense ranges,


Lefty

[Lefty Red]

Adam,

No problem ... just a little pet peeve of mine ... since your new at this, it is good to learn the right way ... a striker fired gun, would be hammerless ... some revolvers are "bobbed" or "spurless" which is just cutting the spur off from a regular hammer ... an "enclosed" or "shrouded" hammer is tucked inside the frame ...

This is a hammer with a "spur"



The top gun has an "enclosed" hammer, the rest all have "spur's" and are double action (DA) which means by pulling the trigger, your pulling back the hammer with your trigger finger, until it is back far enough to release the sear, than the hammer falls ... boom, but can also be shot single action (SA) where you normally use your thumb to pull back the hammer, then you squeeze the trigger, and ... boom ... the bottom four are all DA/SA revolvers from top to bottom ... all made by Ruger ...



LCR 1 7/8" barrel
SP101 3 1/16" barrel
SP101 4.2" barrel
Security Six 4" barrel
GP100 MC 4.2" barrel

The bottom three would make great "house" guns ...

One is each please!


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[jetinteriorguy]

Get them a nice full size revolver such as a S&W model 15 or comparable Ruger and shoot 148gr wadcutter target loads. Like shooting a .22 recoil wise but a very respectable SD round. Also very easy to be accurate enough even for people to be proficient with who don't do a lot of shooting. When I say accurate enough I mean at typical SD distances.

[marlin39a]

Take a look at S&W 10. I've got a 3" heavy barrel that just fits the bill.

[mcdaniel.mac]

I hate the suggestion of a revolver for someone with low hand strength or arthritis. If they can't pull the slide back on a semiautomatic, then how will they manage to make hits with the double action trigger? If you're going to tune the whole thing to reliably work with a power pull, maybe, but that's a lot of work.

Something like a hipoint carbine or Sub 2000 is a better choice. Side charging is pretty easy, the trigger isn't fantastic but it's manageable, and with a $65 red dot it's super easy to shoot. Another $40 will put a decent flashlight on it so they can see what they're aiming at in the dark.

[Bigslug]

I hate the suggestion of a revolver for someone with low hand strength or arthritis. If they can't pull the slide back on a semiautomatic, then how will they manage to make hits with the double action trigger? If you're going to tune the whole thing to reliably work with a power pull, maybe, but that's a lot of work.

Something like a hipoint carbine or Sub 2000 is a better choice. Side charging is pretty easy, the trigger isn't fantastic but it's manageable, and with a $65 red dot it's super easy to shoot. Another $40 will put a decent flashlight on it so they can see what they're aiming at in the dark.

THIS: I'd set them up with a good shorty semi-auto 20 gauge and give them a few hours tutorial on loading, unloading, and running. It does not sound like they're likely to put in much effort with whatever they end up with, so make sure that's something that they can operate with a minimum of programming and stand a good chance of hitting what they're aiming at. Much as I like a good wheelie, handguns of any kind take a fair commitment to be effective with. Doesn't sound like the commitment is there.

[Petrol & Powder]

adam mac84, you've received a lot of good input. You said they didn't want a long gun but I think you would do them a favor if you could bring them around to that idea. If they're amenable to a shotgun - I'd go with Bigslug's suggestion. A handgun is never my first choice for a home defense weapon. A gun used for home defense doesn't need to be concealed and it doesn't need to be carried for long periods of time. A shotgun is a more effective firearm and a long gun provides a better potential to hit your target. Depending on the design, I might go with a pump gun over a semi-auto because I don't like the idea of storage with a loaded chamber and some semi-autos have a more complex manual of arms for that first round if the chamber is empty.

If it has to be a revolver and not a shotgun, then I'd go with some 4" barreled 38 Special revolver with a hammer. An old model 10 with a tapered barrel wouldn't be too heavy, is easy to learn/use and is about as simple as it gets. I'm not sure what would be "too much" recoil but a full wadcutter would be my starting point for practice and may even end up being the final choice as well. After that I would probably go with the Speer Gold Dot 135gr, Short barrel load which has a good track record in 4" barrels as well as snubnose guns. The 135gr bullet is easy on the shooter and even more so out of a 4" gun.
I'm with Lefty Red, a S&W or Ruger would be great but a Taurus would fill the need just as well. An old Taurus model 82 would be inexpensive and reliable.

The big issue is their mindset. Are they prepared to use deadly force if needed? This question needs to be settled before they go any farther.

[Petrol & Powder]

If it's going to be a new revolver, my vote would be for a 4.2" SP101. I think that would be the best compromise between barrel length, overall weight and grip size.
For a used revolver, I would look for a 3"-4" K-frame like a S&W model 10, 15 or 64 and find the BEST set of grips that your mother is comfortable with.

[jmort]

I would look at a .38 Special Ruger LCRx with a hammer.
I let my daughter pick out a gun and after much searching, that is what she wanted.
It has a great trigger.
Now the ammunition we ended up with was a 148 grain wadcutter after trying a few different options
She can hit the mark with the wadcutters. Any more juice was a no go.
More practice and she may step it up, but for now, that is the deal.

[Lefty Red]

I would look at a .38 Special Ruger LCRx with a hammer.
I let my daughter pick out a gun and after much searching, that is what she wanted.
It has a great trigger.
Now the ammunition we ended up with was a 148 grain wadcutter after trying a few different options
She can hit the mark with the wadcutters. Any more juice was a no go.
More practice and she may step it up, but for now, that is the deal.

Can't remember what gun rag guru stated it, but this quote always stuck with me, "a wadcutter through the eye is better than a Black Talon in the foot!" As you can tell, it was awhile back.


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[rondog]

Pretty hard to beat a good ol' basic well-used S&W Model 10 .38 Special police trade-in. NO frills and NO tricks to operate, and recoil isn't a killer. Those have been ventilating bad guys for generations.

[Walkingwolf]

Can't remember what gun rag guru stated it, but this quote always stuck with me, "a wadcutter through the eye is better than a Black Talon in the foot!" As you can tell, it was awhile back.


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I carry wadcutters as my primary load, though mine are a tad warm compared to factory.

[wbrco]

Mom (75 with bad rheumatoid arthritis) can shoot a Taurus M85 DAO that I did some polishing and installed Wolff springs. But definitely light loads. She uses both hands. Dad and I taught her to aim for the middle and squeeze hard.

You'd be surprised what Grandma's can do when they've got a little adrenaline helping them out.

Now if I could get dad to stop messing with laser sights on his lcps and do the same thing, just aim for the middle and squeeze...

[35remington]

The concern for an elderly person not being able to pull a DA revolver trigger is, in my experience, quite unfounded. My nearly 90 year old dad is much more frail than he used to be, yet he has no difficulty whatsoever pulling the rather stiff DA trigger of my stock 638.

A full size or K frame 38 is easy for him to shoot DA and is in fact more easily accomplished than the j frame. I recommend a medium frame 38 revolver with no reservations about the ability of either of my parents in shooting it.

While I acknowledge the desirability of a long gun in a barricaded situation, in any other scenario the user is subject to a disarming attempt. Answering the door with one is impossible while the revolver can be kept discreetly nearby yet ready to employ. In a home invasion scenario the handgun has more possibilities for immediate employment as well and is easier to keep nearby as opposed to lugging a long arm around with you.

At times a gun in a closet or elsewhere in the house is the same as having no gun at all.

[fecmech]

I'm with Bigslug on the 20 ga auto. I would never recommend a pump for inexperienced shooters or shooters that don't practice with them. As far as handguns get something that they will practice with, decent K frame Smiths come to mind in .22 or .38 spec. Practice and familiarity are the big thing IMO. I've taken friends to shoot with handguns and put some pressure on them with turning targets that only face them for 2 seconds. It's amazing how often they miss a man sized target at 10-15 feet!

[Walkingwolf]

I'm with Bigslug on the 20 ga auto. I would never recommend a pump for inexperienced shooters or shooters that don't practice with them. As far as handguns get something that they will practice with, decent K frame Smiths come to mind in .22 or .38 spec. Practice and familiarity are the big thing IMO. I've taken friends to shoot with handguns and put some pressure on them with turning targets that only face them for 2 seconds. It's amazing how often they miss a man sized target at 10-15 feet!

The auto will soak up some of the recoil, my dad always kept a 16ga double loaded in the house. A very simple gun to operate, but only two shots, which is better than none. I have not heard about too many people getting their long gun taken away in home invasion. In fact it seems to turn badly for the criminals. Seems I remember a woman defending her home with Hi Point carbine, and just recently a son defending his home with an AR.

There is also the option of getting a dog, and helping with the protection training. Start with a puppy, work on their manners first, then using a sleeve teach them the "attack", or "get them" command.

[Blackwater]

A lot of opinions have been rendered, and most would beat not having anything at all. If it were me, I'd get them one of the newer SxS 20 ga. doubles with 20" barrels and exposed "rabbit ear" hammers, and get them a couple of boxes (25 rd. boxes) of buckshot, and maybe a box of #4 shot. I think they double is much easier and surer and faster to load or reload than any magazine fed repeater would be for them. If they're not conditioned to shooting, the shotgun would be the ONLY thing I'd really consider. .22's aren't the most reliable things, especially if they sit around, uncleaned and collect dust, as most non-shooters will let them do. Then, if they have arthritic hands (something I'm becoming familiar with myself), it'll be a real chore to clear it and get back to shooting. And that would be a VERY bad time for such to happen.

A double is the simplest gun in the world to operate. You just turn the lever aside, and it breaks open. Drop 2 shells in and close it. Then push the safety forward or cock the hammers in the case of a "rabbit eared" gun, and you're in business. Those hammers on a hammer gun can be cocked using the whole finger and palm, and in a breakin situation, you do NOT want to have problems making the gun ready. Store it loaded, if no small children are around, and all you do is pick it up, cock it, point and pull the trigger. I don't think anything else would be as fast in action or as sure. And most ANY shotgun will be more effective in stopping an aggressor than most ANY handgun. Rifles might penetrate more than would be good or safe. So .... I'd get them the SxS double. A used Stevens 311 is a solid and reliable gun, or I can't remember the make just now, but one of the European companies is importing a "sawed off" (made that way actually) 20" hammer gun. Those things are STILL as simple and reliable as a gun can be. The old PH's in Africa didn't use double rifles for no reason! And the instant selection of a 2nd shot could be critical in a bad situation. I doubt many people would miss twice in a row, though I know it does happen occasionally. A good 'smith should be able to make the cocking and trigger actions easy enough for weak hands, and yet, still be strong enough for reliable function and firing. The 20 ga. won't kick nearly as bad, and especially for your Mom, would probably be more effective. People don't shoot guns they're scared of very well, nor guns that kick too much.

And a 20 ga. is more deadly at closer ranges than a .50 S&W magnum! It'll do anything that needs to be done at self defense ranges, and do it VERY well. If you don't believe it, go shoot a 20 ga. at a hunk of some kind of meat - anything will do. If that doesn't impress you, and convince you of the superiority of the shotgun at close ranges, I don't know what could. Police carry shotguns for a reason. Just MHO, of course, and the main #1 rule of any self defense situation is to "have a gun." There are no wrong answers, but some are clearly better ideas than some others.

Her hands may be petite, and your Dad's larger, and this tends to indicate 2 different guns would be best, if handguns are used. Grip size and fit makes a lot more difference than many really want to think it does. FWIW?

[rfd]

revolvers make for about the best in-house super handy firearm. they always work if the ammo is center fire.

my choice for the reasonably qualified elderly is a 3" SP101 .357mag but loaded with standard .38spl rounds.

[CIC]

Sounds like you have lots of good advice. My recommendations would be the SP101 with 38s or a SW 642/442. I think the trigger on the SW makes it my preferred choice.