revolver research for arthritic father.

[Double-O-Dave]

Forgot to mention that my "grandpa" (i.e. geriatric) house gun is a 625 in .45ACP. I have it set up with a fiber optic front sight and Crimson Trace laser grips. It is very accurate and reasonably soft on the recoil due to the mass of the pistol. It's counter-intuitive, but when your hands are stiff and painful with arthritis, a bigger gun with the big fat .45ACP slugs in the full moon clips are actually easier to manipulate.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[photoman]

That's a good point Dave. My 5" 625 is a real powder puff to shoot with 185gr target loads. The action is super smooth and light too. Would be very easy to manipulate for someone with reduced hand strength. I would probably recommend a 3" or 4" gun though as the 5" is a bit front heavy.

 

[firecop019]

yeah, he plans on carrying it. how much though I don't know. i told him to see if he can find the new night guard .38. i thought that might work for him with the pachmayr compac grips and the xs sight. but i think i'll have him take a look at the 640 and the 686.

has anyone had a chance to shoot the new night guard series?

 

[arfmel]

Have him keep an eye peeled for a 2" Model 12 38 Special. Lightweight but with a larger grip and can be given a better action than the J frame guns.

 

[Spotteddog]

F/C,
I think the reason your finding so many helpful hints is due to a lot of us either having the affliction,
or being old farts,
or both!
BTW good on ya', for caring about helping you Dad age gracefully...

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Originally posted by firecop019:
yeah, he plans on carrying it. how much though I don't know. i told him to see if he can find the new night guard .38. i thought that might work for him with the pachmayr compac grips and the xs sight. but i think i'll have him take a look at the 640 and the 686.

has anyone had a chance to shoot the new night guard series?

I don't think he'd be too happy with the Night guard - not enough mass to soak up recoil. I agree with the others that a K frame would probably do better for him. Hard to go wrong with a Model 10. Jack Weigund (SP?) can install a dovetailed front sight for you at a reasonable rate, and you'd still be out less than the cost of the Night Guard.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[firecop019]

-he has a model 10 and likes it but it has the 6" heavy barrel and is just too heavy to carry. he said something about the barrel being removable but I haven't been able to locate a shorter barrel for it. i asked smith & wesson but i didn't get a response back.

 

[photoman]

A Model 10 or 64 with the light barrel might be the ticket. I know my light barrel Model 64 (4") is very handy and quite a bit easier to handle than my heavy barrel 4" K frames.

I guess it's a process of finding out how light to go without causing arthritic pain.

The 4" light barrel Model 12 is another combination but it might be too light.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

S&W M60, S&W M640, S&W M649 or Ruger SP101 all in .357 Magnum. The S&W revolvers weigh 23oz and the Ruger weighs 26oz. If you load then up with .38 Special +P ammo I'm sure your Dad will find them a lot more comfortable to shoot than your 12oz .357 Magnum.

 

[walnutred]

Originally posted by firecop019:
-he has a model 10 and likes it but it has the 6" heavy barrel and is just too heavy to carry. he said something about the barrel being removable but I haven't been able to locate a shorter barrel for it. i asked smith & wesson but i didn't get a response back.

What M10 6" heavy barrel revolver does he have? I have a 15-3 I might be interested in trading. It has the 4" tapered barrel.

 

[photoman]

I don't think there is such a thing as a 6" heavy barrel Model 10. Maybe he has a K-38?

 

[firecop019]

I know it's a model 10 and it's a heavy barrel. It could be a 4" model though, it's been a while since I've looked at it. It's his bedside gun right now.

He wants something small, he has a back problem and can't where a belt. He wants an automatic, I keep trying to steer him to the revolver because that's what he knows.

 

[Spotteddog]

F/C,
If it's possible to do so at a gun shop in his area, have him try racking the slide on some of the blow back operated semiauto's. He may find, regardless of his perceptions at this point of what he thinks he wants, the slide extremely difficult to operate? Especially with compromised joints in his hands and the reduced gripping strength that usually accompanies it. In the end, you'll need to get what he feels best about. But trying before buying, will keep him from disappointment with something he finds difficult or impossible to operate.
Good Luck!

 

[Dude]

Lately, I've been looking into guns for my arthritic mother-in-law and trying to think this topic through. I've put some thoughts together about guns for arthritics in this article:
A Guide to Handguns for Arthritics, Carpal Tunnel Sufferers, and Weak Wristed Shooters

Right now, I'm thinking a simple full-sized, full-weight, revolver with comfortable grips and a somewhat weaker caliber would probably be the way to go.

 

[Spotteddog]

Agree Dude!
Heavy barrel 3" K in .32 or .38.

 

[Bat Guano]

Another vote for the idea of a Ruger SP-101. The stock grips feel much better (than they look!) and the gun has enough heft to absorb recoil well without being excessively heavy. A 3" barrel helps, and in my daughter-in-law's case, hand strength was a definite issue. I dehorned it, cut the mainspring down as many coils as I dared, and it worked out very well for her. I don't recommend wadcutter loads for SD but going that low IS an option.

We have two of these little 3" guys in the family, and if I weren't very well set in that department I would get one for myself.

There is a lot to be said for a K frame in this regard as well; they can be very, very smooth, easy to shoot, well balanced (and usually fairly cheap). My daughter has one of the J&G imports with square butt and light 3" barrel, and I kick myself all the time for not getting one when they were advertised.

Don't think many semiautos would work out well. My wife had carpal tunnel operations, and for quite a long time couldn't rack any of them. The Ruger P90 .45 is probably the easiest to rack of any, though.

 

[Centurian77]

22 mag.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Firecop:

One of my grail guns was a H&K PSP - either the P7 PSP or M8 version. I was finally able to get one of the West German police trade ins last year. One thing I never expected is that it is the only semiauto that works well for me. My grip actually gets better with each shot. With the exception of the heel butt magazine release, and the trigger, everything is operated by the squeeze cocker which is big and easy to manipulate. Recoil is very gentle and accuracy is excellent. Something else for you to consider for your dad.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[firecop019]

Against my advice, he went ahead and bought one of the compact autos from Taurus. It's a nice gun but he found that the takedown was a bit challenging. I'm hoping now that the M&P compact line comes with a frame safety he'll find some sucker to sell it to and buy one of those seeing as he is so bent on getting an auto. Takedown is so much easier on those.