.22 pistol for my 83yo grandmother

[sivart-dod]

Hello everyone, after MANY years I have finally talked my grandmother into buying a handgun. There have been 3 kick burglaries in her neighborhood in the pas 2 months. She was worried about the kick of a larger caliber handgun so I suggested a small .22, Im looking for your opinion on what I should get her. My main concern would be that if its a SA .22 then it would jam and she wouldnt know how to resolve that problem, then on the other hand in the revolver section there cant be alot of weight behind the trigger and im concerned about the amount of rounds the revolvers hold. Once I get the gun for her, im going to take her to the range with me and teach her, she has never shot a gun in her life, its going to be great hahaha.

Your opinion would be much appreciated.

[The Annoyed Man]

Granny got a gun! That's awesome, man. I don't know that much about .22 caliber pistols, but I have seen cheap ones jam a lot. I see places like BassPro shops selling a lot of the Walther P22s. It has a 9 pound dbl action pull, which is fairly heavy, but the single action pull is about 4.5 pounds. They can be found for well under $300, so that seems like a viable alternative.

Ruger pistols might be another alternative for you. Coming in around $350, you have the Ruger MkIII4, and around $315 for the MkIII 22/45. The Ruger website doesn't say anything about the trigger pull, but these are single action pistols, so it shouldn't be too heavy.

Beretta makes the 21 Bobcat in .22LR for $325. It's a double action with a tilt-up barrel, but the Beretta website makes no mention of the trigger pull weight. Of the three, this one would seem the least desirable to me, but that's just my taste.

In fact, I wouldn't mind having any one of these myself just for plinking, but I would prefer either the Walther or the Ruger to the Beretta. The issue seems to me to be not so much whether or not you can teach her to shoot a .22, but rather whether or not you can make your grandmother comfortable with a pistol kept in a cocked and locked condition.

[Keith B]

A good option would be a .22 mag revolver like a small S&W or Taurus. Not hard to handle and easy to load!

[OverEasy]

Maybe you should teach her to shoot first, before buying a gun. Take her to a range where they rent guns so she can try a few. Or it might even be better to take her to one of the "Ladie's Day" type of things and let the women teach her to shoot.
My mother, 82, can't manage a semi-auto. She can shoot a S&W 38 special double action, but she can't cock the hammer. She doesn't have the strength in her hands. Teach her safety first!!!
Good luck, OE

[sivart-dod]

The issue seems to me to be not so much whether or not you can teach her to shoot a .22, but rather whether or not you can make your grandmother comfortable with a pistol kept in a cocked and locked condition.

That is one thing im going to have to work with her on, she has this thing in her head(as most non gun owners do) that when she gets a gun she can keep the gun and the ammo in two different locations in the house and still have time to find it and load it before anything happens to her. Ive tried to tell her different but you know how hard headed old ladies can be.

I showed her that news clip of the grandmother who held the intruder hostage by a 22 revolver until the cops got there, she got a kick outta that one.

I might just go for a revolver, I would rather trust with her aim then trust with her un-jaming capabilities, do they make speed loaders for a 22 revolver? thats probably the way to go.

Thanks for your help, I would still like more opinions though, anything could help.

Thanks!

[sivart-dod]

Maybe you should teach her to shoot first, before buying a gun. Take her to a range where they rent guns so she can try a few. Or it might even be better to take her to one of the "Ladie's Day" type of things and let the women teach her to shoot.
My mother, 82, can't manage a semi-auto. She can shoot a S&W 38 special double action, but she can't cock the hammer. She doesn't have the strength in her hands. Teach her safety first!!!
Good luck, OE

she does know how to load and unload my 12 gauge pump . I would hate to see her have to shoot it though. That is a VERY good idea about "Ladies Night" at a gun range, im not sure where to find one though, ill just have to look around. She just wants something small, easy to shoot, with no kick, and she likes the look of the revolvers. I know a 22 is a weak round, but at the same time, any logical person is not wanting to be shot regardless of what kind of round it is. The only worry would be if the intruder is on drugs and couldnt really feel anything.

[seamusTX]

OK. You asked for opinions.

First off, you are to be commended for getting your grandmother interested in shooting.

IMHO, a revolver is the best option for a beginner, someone who has trouble with arthritis or otherwise weak hands, or someone who is not going to practice regularly.

Revolvers are not infinitely reliable, but they are more reliable than semi-autos. You also don't have to worry about operating the slide or getting "slide bite."

Speedloaders are available for .22 revolvers, but using a speedloader may be as challenging as reloading a semi-auto.

Again IMHO, if six shots haven't solved the problem, it's not likely that another six will.

A .22 is good to start on; but I suspect that if you could get your grandmother to shoot a big, heavy revolver like a Ruger Redhawk in .38 Special, she could manage it. Redhawks are rather pricey ($4-500), but how much do you love your grandmother?

If trigger pull is a problem, a gunsmith can make it lighter. However, that opens the possibility of unintended discharge.

Taurus has similar revolvers at much lower prices, but I have no experience with them.

- Jim

[WildBill]

The Taurus Model 94 is a nine shot .22LR revolver. THE S&W Model 317 is an eight shot revolver. The S&W Model 617 holds ten rounds.

[sivart-dod]

The Taurus Model 94 is a nine shot .22LR revolver. THE S&W Model 317 is an eight shot revolver. The S&W Model 617 holds ten rounds.

I could afford to get her the Taurus right now, although Christmas is coming up so maybe I can talk the family into pitching in to get her the S&W whole package. The S&W 617 is a nice pistol, its probably a little too big for her though.

I do like Overeasy's idea about taking her to a range and renting guns to try out for her. Im just excited it turned a COMPLETELY anti-gun person into a believer!!

[Rex B]

Take a look at the Taurus in the lightweight frame, 9-shot DA

http://www.taurususa.com/products/produ ... y=Revolver" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

About $300 street price

Did not find a .22 magnum version, but that would be ideal.

[LarryH]

If anybody mentioned the Browning Buckmark, I missed it. It's also a worthy candidate.

[sivart-dod]

Take a look at the Taurus in the lightweight frame, 9-shot DA

http://www.taurususa.com/products/produ ... y=Revolver" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

About $300 street price

Did not find a .22 magnum version, but that would be ideal.

I think this one might be perfect for her, it is....a Taurus though, ill read some reviews about it before I buy anything.

Thanks for all of the opinions, it helped a lot. Next ill talk her into getting a CHL

[Rex B]

You will see some people complaining about timing issues, and about poor customer service.
Others report excellent customer service, and it appears the company is working on it.
But no one else makes a real equivalent.

[CompVest]

PM sent about PSC Women's Class etc.

[Shiner Bock]

If it were my grandma, instead of making the criteria a .22, I'd make the criteria a centerfire revolver with little to no kick. Maybe something like an old Colt .32 Police Positive.