Best handgun for arthritis

[Subotai]

I know a girl who wants a handgun for self-defense. She has arthritis in her hands. We had her shoot an airweight S&W .38 and the recoil hurt her hands. She could pull the trigger and the hammer back okay. Another .38 revolver's trigger was too hard to pull. She tried multiple semi-autos and can't pull the slide back. So, she probably needs a .22 LR or Magnum revolver. Any recommendations? The lighter the trigger pull the better. And also, do you know if local dealers have your recommendation in stock? We didn't find anything at Discount Gun in Santee.

[wu_dot_com]

a .22 is semi auto or revolver is her best bet.
i personally would recommend the MK3 or 22/45 if she can pull the slides back. (turners have a steady supply of .22s)

magnum is not a good idea. most magnum is DA/SA and the DA trigger is usually no less than 8lbs. plus, the recoil from a light magnum will not be manageable, while a heavy magnum will be to heavy which is also not manageable.

[Coded-Dude]

yep, i would agree with a .22 as long as she is able to place her shots were she wants she should be okay....

[Ripon83]

22 Semi Auto and don't be afraid to ask a gun shop with a good smith to try and make the trigger pull a little lighter for her. The 4 inch S&W, Ruger, and depending on her hand size maybe even a 1911 version 22....the later is an easier trigger manipulation for her.

[Subotai]

Yeah, she can't pull slides back. So it has to be a revolver.

[Coded-Dude]

S&W 617 in .22 is a double action revolver and has a 10 round capacity

[Sky_DiveR]

If you can find a Beretta 21A Bobcat (22LR), a 3032 Tomcat (32ACP), or a Model 86 (380ACP). Those would be a good semi-auto choice for her. They all have a tip-up barrel, so no working of the slide to chamber a round. Just flip a lever and the barrel pops up. I believe the Tomcat is the only one still on the roster but you still occasionally run into the other two on the used market.

I know some people that have arthritis or weak hands and that's what they use.

[Subotai]

She tried one of those flip-up ones, she could get it open but had to use two fingers to push it. It could work, but she prefers the revolvers. The 617 looks pretty good. I read online that it's trigger pull is a little strong, but she did pull the trigger on an airweight .38.

[Bill Steele]

I would not recommend .22 for defense.

I think something like this: http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/70265

Running some .38 +P JHP will be managable with this revolver's weight.

The SP101 is smaller and about 9 oz lighter, more concealable, but the recoil will be a little more stout, much less than an Airweight, but still more than the GP100.

[wu_dot_com]

She tried one of those flip-up ones, she could get it open but had to use two fingers to push it. It could work, but she prefers the revolvers. The 617 looks pretty good. I read online that it's trigger pull is a little strong, but she did pull the trigger on an airweight .38.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_764931_-1_757775_757751_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

how about this one, the S&W Model 625 JM.

45 ACP 6 rounds so she will have plenty of stopping power over the .38 yet w/o the 357 recoil.

it weights of 40 oz is good for recoil absorption, and the 4" barrel wont give the nasty muzzle flip of the snub noise.

the performance center trigger means that the DA/SA will be butter smooth and light

the 979 price tag is the only down side. but IMO this is actually cheap for a quality revolver that fits all her needs.

BTW any hammerless DAO revolver will have 10lb DA trigger pull. being sub 20 oz also dont really help with recoil management. if she can hold up a heavier gun w/ longer barrel w/o issues, i would recommend her to try something heavier for HD. if she need a carry piece for personal defense, then a pocket gun w/ a trigger job is the only way to go. on the other hand, i would highly recommend her to also get a pouch for the gun to prevent AD.

[ripro75]

Have her try .38spl wadcutters too, preferably not in an airweight.
Also, like said above, a 45acp revolver.
Another one would be .32 long, can be shot out of a 32 h&r like a S&W431 or 432, or a Charter

[cineski]

My dad has severe arthritis. He's had two knuckles replaced. His biggest problem is racking the slide. The best gun for him is a 1911. He can handle shooting it just fine as well as rack the slide. Could not pull the trigger on any revolver. He's also fine with Glocks.

Have her try a Glock 19 or Ruger LCR. The LCR trigger is very nice and easy. I've never shot one, though. Just pulled the trigger. The Glock 19 is pretty easy to shoot.

[scarville]

She tried one of those flip-up ones, she could get it open but had to use two fingers to push it. It could work, but she prefers the revolvers. The 617 looks pretty good. I read online that it's trigger pull is a little strong, but she did pull the trigger on an airweight .38.

If she can pull the DA trigger on an airweight (>=12#) the she can probably handle the DA on the K and L frames which generally run <12#. Make sure she can work the cylinder release too. For some reason that seems harder for beginners than the trigger. There is a technique that makes it nearly effortless for right handers and almost so for lefties.

Can she handle the 38 recoil in a larger frame?

[BigRich]

See if you can get her to try pulling back the slide on a Ruger P95. They have a relatively light recoil spring as the slide weight is well balanced. The gripping surfaces are also well sized and shaped. When I was in the retail gun business that was always where we ended up with situations like yours. Rimfire revolvers tend to have even heavier trigger pulls as the hammer spring has to be heavy enough to deal with the rimfire priming. This is even more so in the 22 mag revolvers. If you lighten the hammer spring you can experience light strikes and low reliability. The Ruger P95 platform has low slide effort and low recoil impulses plus a decently shaped grip.

[Kelvrick]

I don't understand why an an airweight hurting her hand means she can't find another 38 revo.

Anyway, in the same line as the 45acp revo, how about a 9mm revo? Gotta find one though.