My father has been searching for a handgun to have around for my mom to use in case of ..... whatever. His permits are ready to expire and he wants to get something soon.

 

Mom is 72....healthy, lucid and spry, but is weak in the hands due to arthritis. She does not have the hand strength to work the slide on a handgun. He first tried a Taurus 22/22 mag revolver and she could not handle the DA trigger pull. 

 

She is a lefty and wants an ambi safety. 

 

I think that the perfect gun for her is a Mossberg .410 pump or even a S&W 15-22, but he thinks a handgun is the way to go. 

 

She is also seriously recoil averse. .38 spl out of a S&W Model 10 is too much for her. 9mm out of a Beretta 92? She called it viscous! He thinks the way to go is a .22 LR loaded with stingers. 

 

He is now thinking of the Ruger sr22 and having the gun ready for her to get to, round chambered with the safety on. I fondled one today and it does look to be perfect for his/her needs.

 

He thinks the M&P is too big & he does not like the paddle mag release on the Walther.

 

Anything to be aware of? Any other ideas?

 

Of course, training her to be proficient with the gun will be the real issue.

I think the SR22 is a fantastic idea in this case. My wife hates guns but when she reluctantly shot my new SR22 at the range, she really liked it.

She now refers to it as her gun. It stays loaded with CCI Stinger ammo and she is quite competent with it. It is very easy to rack the slide as well.

IMO you should use solids for SD. The 22 isn't a great penetration to start with and ammo like Stingers compound that problem. A solid will penetrate better and if it hits something it can't will stop or ricochet off in another direction.

 

Remember, if forced to use a small caliber for SD, don't fire one shot and see what happens. Fire 2,3, or more depending on the number of assailants. This increases your chance of hitting something vital or at least lowering the bad guy's blood pressure a bit.

If the DA pull on a revolver was too much, she will probably feel the same of the DA pull of the SR22.

 

The only options I can think is a Beretta Cheetah, which is a big metal frame .380 with a manual safety, or maybe a 1911 in .380(?). The Beretta is a DA/SA and the 1911 is ofcourse a SA only. I think the biggest challenge will be overcoming that DA pull.

 

If my only choice for a SD round was a 22lr I would prefer the 22lr revolver. Not that it would be any more effective, but it would significantly increase the reliability of the round.

 

What about a S&W 63 or 317? Both can be fired SA because they have the large exposed hammer.

For self defense I would be concerned about the reliability of a .22. They sometimes don't go bang every time the trigger is squeezed.

Good points, all. Thanks.

 

Do they make a reduced recoil 20 gauge buck load? I keep going back to the Mossberg pump option for her.

I couldn't find any low recoil 20 gauge ammunition while there is a wide selection in 12 gauge.

 

Check out this article in Shooting Illustrated "The Mighty 20 Gauge" for some of the trade-offs:

 

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2013/3/18/the-mighty-20-gauge/

Get a dog.

I would think a 38 spl with 148 DEWC loads would be about the same as 22LR.  

I would think a 38 spl with 148 DEWC loads would be about the same as 22LR.

 

T Bill, you know that's impossible as long as gun weight is the same. Do the math.

For self defense I would be concerned about the reliability of a .22. They sometimes don't go bang every time the trigger is squeezed.

Exactly. Too many instances of FTF/FTE. I would do 9mm at the very least.

 

However if you must do 22, then I would do a S&W M&P 22 compact. My cousin has one and loves it.

My SR22 is a nice reliable little gun but the trigger is pretty awful.  I put a Laserlyte on mine and it's a fun shooter.