Age old question. What CCW for elderly

[Bmlove]

I'm 68, male, fairly fit and currently shoot the following:
SAXD 4" 9mm
Smith and wesson 38 special snub k frame
Various 22- cals.

I am going to be getting my CHL this summer and the guns I have are to heavy for me to carry. Add this to the fact that my hands are developing a bit of arthritis, I'm looking for a good conceal gun. I wanted a light 357 so I could shoot multiple ammo but it hurts the hands too much. Have tried the smith m60, ruger sp101, and just too much for me to handle. You guys have been great in answering questions in the past and I respect your input. So I'm asking for a little input now for some recommendations on the best gun for an elderly man to carry. Ok, not that old but starting to feel it. Also sight is not what it once was either. Gun will need some good sights. My 9mm has some fine three white dot.


Thanks in advance

 

[wly1942]

I can identify with your problems. I am 70 and too have some arthiritis and general loss of hand strength making it difficult to rack a slide. I just got my CHL license and in preparation for that did a lot of research on a good conceal gun. It had to be relatively light weight and one that I could rack. I finally settled on a CS9 and one of the main selling points was the decocking lever gave me something to grip when I rack the slide. The 3 dot sights were fine but I added night sights anyway. I am carrying it in a Crossbreed Supertuck holster. It is extremely comfortable and just the right size. I also have a 5906 which fits the same holster but it is just too heavy. I am afraid I might drop it trying to draw it. I hope my experience will help you make a decision that is right for you. Getting old is no fun but it sure beats the alternative. Good luck.

 

[feralmerril]

A "pop gun" might do. Sorry, couldnt resist. I am there myself at 72. If I am going to have to actualy carry that sucker I want a fairly light gun. Generaly a .38 special is usualy a little lighter and I think will do the job. I have always been highly interested in packing guns most my life and have a good number of them. While I have some large caliber revolvers when I carry one it seems my lighter .38s get the nod.
Heavy guns are heavy all the time. Just how often might you actualy use a defense gun? Likely never, but if you do need to I doubt you wont be noticing recoil. A model 36 or one of most any J frame in 2 to 3 inch will do the job. If you want less recoil I would look at a .327 mag. They tell me they are pretty effective with less recoil than a .38 special.

 

[Hack]

I've got a couple that I use for conceal carry:

S&W Model 60 2 1/8". Yeah, it really stings shooting .357 Mag, so I load it 'down' with .38 Special +P. I carry two speed loaders for a total of 15 rounds. This has become my regular carry weapon when I'm out riding my bicycle on the various bike paths in my area, replacing the M686+ 2.5". It fits nicely in my handlebar bag, ready to grab if the need ever presents itself. I don't have difficulties with gripping the gun, or pulling the trigger in DA. You might consider reducing the spring to get a better DA trigger pull. IMHO, there is nothing simpler and more reliable, than a DA revolver. Well, perhaps my Thompson Contender. But follow up shots are not as quick. And it's difficult to conceal a 14" .45-70 barrel...

The other 'go to' CC pistol is a Kimber Ultra CDP II. Small, accurate, .45acp stopping power (Federal 230gr Hydra Shok) I carry one or two extra magazines, depending on how I have it concealed.

I know what you mean about getting the arthritis. I'm 62, and can feel it creeping into my fingers/knuckles. And shooting .357 magnum out of a J-frame is not my idea of a pleasant range session either. However, in a life or death situation, I don't think you will ever feel it. And, statistics have shown, in most of those situations no shots are ever fired. But, 'times they are a changin'. The bad guys have stepped up the violence levels. Simple robberies have now become robberies/batteries/homicides. And, as in nature, the elderly are easy targets.

Be safe out there.

 

[Gunslinger808]

I gave my mom who's 82 a snubby loaded with wad cutter ammo.
It's light enough to carry, small enough to keep in her purse, and with the 148 grn wad cutter is easy for her to handle.
Granted it's not the best combo for defense, but it's better than being unarmed.

 

[trapper704]

A little 38 snubby in titaniam, in inside waist band holster works great for me. I used to carry a 357 the same way. But as I got older the 38 feels better. I can still put all 5 shots in a paper plate at 20 yds, and have a strip of 5 more in my pocket. I'm 66 had a heart attack and lost a disk in my back. Sooooooooooooooo if that dosen't get met out of trouble, I'm in too deep anyway.

 

[rwsmith]

Model 19

The model 19 is a k frame .357. You don't want to shoot a lot of .357s with it but it sounds like you don't WANT to shoot .357s in it, anyway.

 

[nachogrande]

OLD GUY CCW

I know only too well what you're going through. doing a re-load, forget about, no more fast draw, no more heavy recoil. forget about 357's, 40's and 45's. also forget about grip safeties or basically any safety with hand issues, you have enough problems. extra wt ='s less felt recoil, so if you can manage a bit heavier gun and dao trigger pull the sp 101 in a hammerless 38 spcl is good imo. I know I fumble with ultra micro semis and the ultra lite snubby 38+p's hurt too much, but I'll deal with it if still alive. I'd advise find something that is big enough for you to manipulate and as heavy as manageable to reduce felt recoil, while still being able to conceal. 9mm has good power and an all steel kahr has wt and a small enough size to easily conceal with minimal recoil, as does a stainless sig 239 in 9mm. I'm sure there are others.

 

[Iggy]

A S&W Model 12 if you can find one. .38 special air-weight has the benefits of a K-frame snubbie and the weight of a J frame.

 

[jaykellogg]

You could look at the FNH five seven. Felt recoil is very very light but the gun is expensive.

 

[Joe Kent]

Iggy is very much on target with his advice of the Model 12, big enough for a comfortable grip , smooth enough mech. for attaining a good trigger pull and light enough for comfortable carry. The only downside ,in my mind, is a little large for pocket carry. Unfortunitely, there is no free lunch. In my 64 years I have and have carried many different revolvers and pistols and K-frames have been at the forefront of holster guns and J-frame Centennials have been the favorite for pocket carry.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

There has been some good suggestions but me being me I have the best one. I have a bunch of carry guns but I like to carry my Kahr PM9. It is light has good sights and is accurate. They also make a CM9 that is cheaper but I don't think you would notice the difference. They were not making the CM when I bought mine. I pocket carry and the Kahr works good for that. I think it has a very good trigger but it has a long pull. The pull is very smooth but after a little getting used to I really like it. I would like to point out that what ever gun you decide on make it a gun that you will carry. You may take several try's to find the right one, it did me. Don

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Bmlove:

I turned 57 this year, and have arthritis in my hands and wrists. I have several recommendations for you for concealed carry, as well as for home defense (aka "night stand gun"):

1) 432 PD: .32 H&R Magnum, J-frame, Centennial style (concealed hammer). This is a 6 shot revolver in a lightweight frame. You can also shoot .32 Longs and even .32 ACP out of it in a pinch (accuracy would probably be lousy). This is my go-to gun when my hands are so bad that I can't handle anything else. Marry it up with a lasergrip and you have an excellent concealed carry (CC) piece. They are no longer being made, but can still be found for sale on the used market. [1st photo: top, right hand corner]

2) Model 64: .38 Special, K-frame. My favorite one has a 3.0 inch barrel with Bianchi "Lightening" grips that shroud the hammer. Best of all, the front sight was pinned in place, so I could change it to a HiViz fiber optic front sight. I find the neon green color works best for me. You can find it in barrel lengths of (inches): 2.0 (somewhat uncommon); 3.0 (can be hard to find): 4.0, and 6.0. The barrels are either tapered ("pencil") or "bull" or heavy barrel. Mine, pictured below, has the 3.0. inch heavy barrel. My late Mom had a Model 64 in the 4.0 inch heavy barrel (police trade-in). It is hard to go wrong with a K-framed S&W. The downside is the size and weight of the piece. [2nd photo: top]

3) Sigma 40F: .40 S&W semiauto, polymer framed, S&W's copy, er, uh, version of the Glock. This is the original version of the Sigma, with an unusual, but not loooonnng like the modern iterations. Softest shooting .40 S&W I've ever shot (the frame flexes on recoil). It's big (no bigger than a Colt's Government Model, however), but not heavy due to the polymer frame. No safeties to worry about, original sights are plastic, so racking a slide could be a problem (I replaced mine with steel night sights). You can usually find a good deal on these on the used market as most would rather have a Glock, or something else. Sorry, no photos.

4) H&K P7 (PSP): 9mm, all steel, single stack magazine (8 rounds). There are several different versions of these "Squeeze cockers" (it has, in essence, a grip safety on the front of the grip). Mine is the original PSP version made for the West German Police trials. Very accurate, low perceived recoil because it sits so low in your hand. To me, this is a great semiauto for those of us with arthritic hands. There is no slide release (you squeeze the front grip for that). Also, there aren't huge numbers of these in circulation, so many are completely unaware of this gun and how it operates. There are several documented instances where a criminal got one of these away from the legal user (civilian and police), and tried repeatedly, and unsuccessfully to use it against the owner. Downsides: expensive; no longer in production; heavy; can be difficult and expensive to find holsters for it. Upsides:a really cool gun; very reliable, very accurate, and for some odd reason, it is, at least for me, an excellent gun for those with diminished hand strength due to age, and/or injury. I used this gun twice to qualify for my CHL (shot a perfect score both times).

I hope this helps.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[Jdavis]

I am with Hawkeye10 on this one. The Kahr PM and more economical CM pistols are top quality, light to carry, simple to operate, and easy to conceal. Factory sights are excellent however, I added a Crimson Trace Laserguard to allow quick target acquisition for my aging eyes. I recommend them highly and carry mine regularly.

 

[mg357]

What about a S&W Model 36 it has a short barrel and can handle a variety of .38 special ammunition. The sights can be painted with bright color nail polish or model paint so that they can be easily seen crimson trace laser grips can be put on the revolver as well.
.

 

[cmort666]

I gave my mom who's 82 a snubby loaded with wad cutter ammo.

That's an excellent choice for a number of reasons:

• An Airweight (or lighter) J frame is light and easy to carry.
• A revolver with an action job (smoothing rather than lightening the trigger pull) is relatively easy to shoot while still being safe to carry.
• Revolvers are quite safe for less skilled users, being easy to clear in ONE step rather than multiple steps.
• While .38 Special target wadcutters don't have the power of other defensive loads, like the 158gr. LSWC-HP +P, they're easy to shoot, even from light guns, and cut a nice clean hole, which promotes blood loss.

An older person, or a smaller statured woman can do much worse than a J frame revolver for self-defense.

 

[snubbyfan]

I'm not all that old but my neuropathy does cause compromised hand and wrist strength. I've found that a 442 with a Pachmayr Compact grip and a leather owb holster with molded in retention works for me. +p ammo should suffice for self defense if .357 magnum is a bit too much to handle. I load my 442 with Federal Hydra Shok 110 grain jhp.

 

[NYlakesider]

I'm 68 and just retired my decades carried full sized .45 from CCW daily carry. It was getting too heavy and uncomfortable. It was moddied by me and I put thousands of rounds threw it and was very dependable and accurate but was time to change.

As I now live miles outside the city, for casual carry I slip a SW.380 Bodyguard in a Desantis holster in my pocket. For more serious carry l now have an XDs.45 with an IWBH for leaving my rather safe/sane area.

Both guns have been shot a bit and as of now quite dependable. Believe it or note the XDs is an easier gun to shoot. Both have serious combat loads in them. The .380 with its light weight does kick around more than the .45 .The .380 also kicks harder than my 640 shot with +P loads, but the .380 is so small that it's so easy to stick in your pocket.

 

[OFT II]

I'm 68, gonna turn 69 in August. I've gotten away from most all steel guns and favor ones with aluminum frames. My usual carry is either a Colt LW Commander in 45 acp, a Model 469 in 9mm or a Model 12 with a round butt and 4" barrel.

 

[Doug M.]

I have seen some pretty savvy folks refer to the 43C and maybe 351C as "old man guns". Not perfect, and low on the ballistic scale, but better than a pencil and sharp words. You want something you can shoot well, and often enough to maintain proficiency. In a mid-bore, something easy to carry and shoot in terms of ergonomics, with .38 special WC target ammo is a good choice.