gun recommendations for aunt

[Electricboy]

my aunt has an ex that has been harrassing her and is getting an emergency ccw from the sheriff. she has an old .38 that is huge(to big to conceal) and a .380 that i have trouble working the slide.

i need an idea of a pistol that a not so stong woman can operate. she has shoulder problems, but was able to operate my taurus pt92 fairly well. but it does not have a decocker which i think she should have due to hand strength.

i'm guessing 9mm but if she could operate a .40 that would probably be better.

thanks

[Vacaville]

.38 snubbie revolver. Very small, no slide to operate and almost the power of the 9mm. Ruger, S&W, Charter Arms, and Taurus all make decent models. The airweights weigh as little as 13 oz.

[maxicon]

Is she mechanically minded, or a gun person who will shoot regularly?

If so, there are lots of choices - she just needs to find something that fits her well and she can work the slide on.

If not, she needs a revolver. Inexperienced shooters with semi-autos run a lot of risk of things going wrong - safety on, round not chambered, jams, etc. Revolvers are simple, easy to load, unload, and verify, and are less prone to jams, limp-wristing, etc.

For something small, a S&W J frame is hard to beat. For carry, one of the light weights is great (442, 642, whatever), but aren't as much fun to practice with. For control and a bedside gun, a steel J frame is pretty perfect.

If I had to set up my wife with an emergency CCW gun, I'd use my 642 with laser grips without hesitation.

[Rivers]

The Ruger SP101 is a very manageable 5-shot revolver. I'd suggest the .357 version and run with either .38 or .38 +p if reducing the recoil is necessary. The SP101 is a heavier frame that tames the recoil significantly. Not so heavy to be a problem for CCW but heavy enough to take the bite out of nasty recoiling. Built like an tank and stone reliable.

[WokMaster1]

take her to a range with rental guns & let her pick what works for her. Then practice, practice, etc. Good luck.

[Electricboy]

thanks guys

[tgriffin]

Big second for Ruger SP101 in .357 (loaded with .38). Heavy to soak up recoil, but not unmanageable. Plenty concealable. Get the laser grips. Get a decent trigger job done on it. Above all, get her to practice practice practice.