My mom (72) lives in WV, and I worry about her a lot. She's coming to visit me and I'm planning to take her to the range out here. She's never fired a gun in her life. I truely would like to buy her something... even if it got shoved in the nightstand and never moved. I was thinking about something similar to a GP100. That's all the range here has to rent; not sure what a S&W equalivent is. I figure a .357, 3.5-4" barrel, loaded with .38's, should suffice. Luckily my cousin lives relatively close to her and I'm sure there's somewhere he could take her to practice. Luckily she is still in good health and has the wits about her to understand just what the hell is going on. Unfortunately her dog is big..... huge actually, but more than likely will just lick the hand of anyone who comes in. Even she admits that.

So should I just let her try a .22 and be happy?

Let your mom determine what she can handle. Start her off with a 22, then gradually move up the power scale to 38's and maybe even 357. I used to let women shoot everything they wanted, as far up the power scale as they could go, then go back to the 38. After shooting the hardenkickenloudenboomers, they generally felt the 38 was the right combination of power and mild recoil, especially in a K-frame with rubber grips.

Whatever guns you let her shoot, make sure they feel good in HER hand, not yours. If a gun feels too small, too big or too awkward, she won't shoot it well. The joy of revolvers is the wealth of aftermarket grips available for them. Let her try as many samples as possible, then go with whatever grip she likes the best. If she's in good health, a 38 or even a 357 should be no problem. One of my former students liked my little Rossi 720 in 44 Special so much, she went out and bought her own. She shoots it right well, too!

The S&W equivalent of the GP-100 would be a 686, but there are plenty of choices. Even a 3-inch SP-101 would serve well, the chunky little beasties soak up a lot of recoil when shooting 38's, but a full-charge 357 in the SP is still quite a handful, and not for the beginner or the faint of heart.

Plenty of hearing and eye protection! That FITS!

Then relax and shoot reactive targets at relatively short ranges.

Geoff
Who notes discomfort with the hearing protection is his wife's biggest problem with shooting.

A 72-year old lady who has never fired a handgun in her life should be introduced to handguns in a gentle manner. A double-action .22LR revolver would be an excellent starting point, very simple to operate and understand, very little muzzle blast or recoil.

After a session or two with the .22 she can be introduced to .38 Special in a similar handgun without anything new to learn, and evaluate how much tolerance she has for recoil, etc.

Some ladies have difficulty with double-action trigger pull. She may need to have some dry-firing sessions to build the skills needed to control that.

Short ranges with full-size silhouette targets, emphasizing realistic self-defense in the home, etc. I have taught several ladies to shoot over the years and most have done pretty well with point-shooting as compared to aimed fire. She will need to understand aiming, but point-and-shoot exercises can be very good training and help to build self-defense skills.

A few hours discussing applicable state laws regarding the use of deadly force in self-defense is essential as well. While I doubt that many prosecutors or grand juries would proceed against a 72-year old woman involved in a self-defense situation in or around the home, there are legal and moral boundaries that need to be clearly understood.

Let your Mother be the one who decides if she wants a gun.

Then, if she does, you should offer sound advice. That said, a .357 with a 3 1/2-4" barrel sounds a bit too much for a person as described.

OP, I am sure your motives are pure, but some people don't like, want, or otherwise desire any association with guns.

And if a gun is simply going to remain in a drawer it serves absolutely no purpose. Some people cannot accept the legal and moral consequences of firearms ownership/use. No one should be forced to do something they don't want to do.

My Mom is 88 years young and sharp as a tack, still lives alone, and drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee. (I incorporate the Jeep in the descrition intentionally; she's not a little old lady.) If I ever suggested she buy a gun or even keep one in her house she would surely have me committed with the suspicion I had some kind of mental episode.

Be safe.

Be safe.

Either way it is going to be a major decision.

An inexperienced shooter of her age is more likely to have a gun stolen, taken from her and used on her than they will be to fire it in self defense.

She will probably say she has never needed one in 72 yrs so she does not need one now.

As you know, you cannot legally give her a gun since she lives in a different state. As we all know, it happens all the time. If something were to happen and the gun fell into police hands, they will track it back to you. If you get her a gun, it might be wise to do the paperwork in legal form.

This said, I would get her a nice 38 spc like a S&W model 36.

Find a 3" Model 31-1 or something along those lines and have it shipped to an FFL in her state. Not much recoil at all and better than a .22.

Or just gift her a pre 1899 Krag sporter. People without gun experience generally can shoot a long gun much better than a handgun. It's not a "gun" under the GCA '68 so it can cross state lines without problems. You can even mail it. She can hang it up on the mantle or something until she needs it.

I'd go with a 351C or another 22mag. You get 7 inches of penetration in ballistics gel with the .22 magnum.
You are somewhere between a 22LR and a .223, with the good velocity and penetration combo. (let alone the almost total lack of kick from the revolver in 72 "Years Young" hands)
Good Luck

For home defense I suggest a shotgun. Choose a size that is appropriate for the shooter. Use buckshot. Doesn't need to be super-high-power but it needs to be buckshot. A .410 pump using 2 1/2" shells with 000 buck should be easily managed but still seriously effective.

No matter what you choose shooting with your folks is great.
Enjoy!

i suggest starting out with a .22 caliber revolver then go up to the .38 caliber revolver. you have got to make her first time is a comfortable for her as possible.

When my mother was still alive and my brother and I were both active police officers we used to get her the small cans of pepper spray. One for her night table, one for her coat pocket and one for her pocket book. Get the ones that you have to lift up a cover to get to the button. That pepper spray is really good stuff. I have gotten hit with it several time while we were breaking up bar fights and it is really incapaciting! Easier to use than a gun for an older woman. If you want to see how well it works, buy a can at your local gun shop and squirt a little on a napkin and touch it to your nose!

Ray (lobogunleather) has it right on! Well done sir..
Randy

IMHO; a GP100, as you suggest, is both too heavy and too high of a caliber for a newbie at any age.

The drawback of a (most any) .22 revolver is the standard super-hard trigger pull. So I wouldn't recommend that either. Especially if a little old lady had arthritis at any level.

I'm an instructor and I start the kids out with a ruger Mk II or III (standard, not target) and work up from there. From my experience, many pistol shooter never progress beyond the .22 from an "I'm comfortable with it" perspective.

Also, I wouldn't recommend anybody start out shooting a GP100 or 686 due to the weight. If you were going to start out in .38, I would strongly recommend a K frame with a 3" or 4" barrel, or possibly a J frame with a 3" barrel (but only in .38 out of the J frame).

Just my .02.

__________________
But then, what do I know?

The 32's are also easier to load with stiff hands.

Thanks everyone. She's not afraid or against firearms; just never used one. She always felt 'safe'. She may very well change her mind about even going to the range. Pressuring or scaring her into anything isn't my intention. Her choice and I'll leave it at that.

Start low and work your way up. If the trigger is hard to pull or it kicks a lot, she ain't going to like. My mom currently has one of my full weight J-frame .38 specials, but I don't think she particularly likes it. She definitely didn't like the lightweights, and she can hit stuff with the current gun. I've been thinking about switching her to a .32.