View Single Post
 
Old 01-27-2017, 02:13 PM
Mister X Mister X is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 414
Liked 2,249 Times in 1,032 Posts
Default

Federal and Hornady both make "low recoil" defense ammunition. He might try those. I think there might be a standard pressure gold-dot short barrel and Federal Nyclad are always come highly recommend. Any standard pressure .38 special round would likely be fine and would be infinitely better than a .22

My mother is in her 70's(with pretty weak hands) and uses them in her airweight J-frame. She doesn't practice much and when she does, it's never more than a few cylinders at most before she has had enough. Someone suggested she get a .22 because that would allow her to practice more and shoot better. She asked me about it and I told her to stick with the .38 special. The reason being is because civilian self-defense scenarios almost always takes place at extremely close distances. Probably even more so with older individuals due slowed reaction times, less visual acuity and mental awareness. At point blank range, just about anybody should be able to handle a .38 special and in a defense situation, you would want an adequately powerful round. A standard pressure .38 special is adequate IMO whereas a .22, although better than nothing, really is not. My moms plan in the event of a home invasion is to lock herself in her bedroom and get in her walk in closet with door closed and call 911. Anybody that gained access would be 3 feet away at most. She sometimes carries(in her purse), especially when traveling. She is mostly concerned with protecting herself against potential muggers, car-jacking attempts or some kind of physical assault rather than thinking she is going to get in an some kind of across the street gunfight with gang members. I pointed these things out to her and she agreed it made sense to say with the .38 special.
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post: