Arming an Older Woman

[g.willikers]

There's a fairly new training facility near you in southern Ohio.
Can't think of the name, but a web search should find it.
The type of gun your Mother will be able to handle will change dramatically, after getting good instruction.

 

[justplainpossum]

I love my .45, but it is tough to reassemble (keeping the slide back long enough to get the slide catch in the notch). She needs to know how to fieldstrip it, clean it, reassemble it, and how to clear a jam. If that is too much for her, a .357 with .38 special rounds is a fun gun to shoot. And don't forget the hearing protection and a good gun safe or lock.

The important thing is, take her to the gun range and have her try, more than once, any gun she wants. She needs to feel comfortable with it. If you can find a woman instructor, all the better! It can get kind of intimidating when it's only guys behind the counter. And check the shelters; they are full of big, wonderful dogs who would love to be her buddy and protector.

 

[Schwerms]

Thank you to everyone for your responses! "Cornered Cat" is now at the top of my must watch list. I am certain I can give her the training she needs- its more a matter of finding a sidearm she feels most comfortable with. Sadly, a flood took my 22 pistol out of the equation. She'll cope with 9mm, though. The thought of a long gun in the hands of a scared woman makes me worry - I know how easily a muzzle can be swung in a struggle. In my mind, I'm pretty much sure Momma needs a pistol. Range time will tell, though... If I'm not confident in her ability to put rounds on target after a few hundred shots, a low recoil shotgun may be in order (don't judge- ammo is precious these days!). Thanks again, guys!

 

[JimmyR]

I am certain I can give her the training she needs

With all due respect, I would consider having someone else train her. Most of the people I have dealt with, including my own experience, seem to gain more from instruction given by an unrelated professional as opposed to a family member. Your results may vary, but you might want to consider whether or not your mother might benefit more from an "outsider" training her.

 

[stephen426]

How strong is your mom? The reason I ask is I recently went shooting with a female friend of mine (25 years old). She is very petite and had difficulty manipulating the slide on my semi-autos. While she was able to do it, it was a real struggle for her. A wheel gun is probably the best option if your mom's hand strength isn't up to the task. I would recommend that you have the trigger worked on since most revolvers have long heavy trigger pulls. Most people recommend against cocking a double action revolver in a self defense situation since the trigger is so light in single action. A small 5 shot revolver is probably ideal, but make sure it has nice grips on it. My friend had a .38 special revolver that kicked quite a bit and hurt her hand when she shot it. To be honest it hurt my hand too. While the gun had rubber grips, it didn't cover the back of the grip and the frame of the gun recoiled directly into my hand.

The other option is to go with a little Beretta with a tip up barrel. I bought my wife a Beretta Tomcat in .32 since she isn't able to rack the slide on my semi-autos. Semi-autos are much more efficient for concealed carry since they can be much slimmer than revolvers (no cylinder). For the same sized gun, the semi-auto will have a longer barrel which gives higher velocities and better accuracy. For the same size, semi-autos typically hold more rounds and reloads are much easier to carry since they are flatter. While revolvers can be loaded very quickly, most people can reload a semi-auto much faster.

If hand strength isn't an issue, a good option might be the Kahr P9. I personally carry a PM9, but the small size only allows me to get 2 fingers on the grip. That makes it harder for novices to shoot well. Another good option may be a sub-compact Glock such as the 26 if she hands are big enough to hold the fat grip.

Best of luck to you and your mom. A few things to possibly consider doing immediately:
- Already mentioned above but... Change locks.
- Buy her some pepper spray such as Fox Labs.
- Get a monitored alarm system.
- Install a CCTV system in her home.
- install arrive way alert system such as http://www.drivewayalert.com/?gclid=CILn4ojk6rYCFUyY4AodbzwA4g
- Create a "safe room" with a reinforced door, strong locks, and good hinges.

I am not crazy about getting a aggressive dog since she may not be able to handle it. Besides, dogs can always be poisoned or shot.

Hope this helps!

 

[Husqvarna]

Watchdog doesn,t equal aggresive per say.

Just get one that barks alot or a big one for deterance.

 

[Merad]

While I haven't ruled out a wheel gun entirely, I am leaning more and more towards a double stack semi-auto, chambered in 9mm.

IMO that's probably a really bad idea. Many young women that I've helped have trouble with the slides of semi-autos, so my confidence that an older woman could manipulate them reliably would be very low. There's also the possible issue of the forearm/wrist strength needed to shoot a semi-auto without causing limp-wrist induced malfunctions.

Unless she's just great with the semi-autos I would encourage her to get a shotgun if this is for home defense, or a revolver if she plans to carry.

 

[Evan Thomas]

How strong is your mom? The reason I ask is I recently went shooting with a female friend of mine (25 years old). She is very petite and had difficulty manipulating the slide on my semi-autos. While she was able to do it, it was a real struggle for her.

Many young women that I've helped have trouble with the slides of semi-autos, so my confidence that an older woman could manipulate them reliably would be very low.

And this is why it's worth finding a professional instructor who has experience training women, rather than assuming you are equally qualified to teach a female friend or relative to shoot. Operating the slide on a semi-auto is a matter of technique -- many men get by with brute strength, but there is no reason any woman who is not actually disabled can't learn to do it. If you're doubtful, read the article, "Rack the Slide," at The Cornered Cat.

 

[22-rimfire]

This actually is an interesting topic with issues to be addressed that work for her. 61 is not that old, not really, unless she is really tiny and sickly.

If she was willing and she sounds like she's interested and willing, I would bring a cache of firearms for consideration and education purposes. Those guns would include, a Ruger 10/22 rifle. They are a great quick pointing little rifle as they come from the factory. I have a feeling she might like the little 10/22 to stand in the corner of her bedroom or where ever. A 22's not optimal, but certainly can be effective as a defensive tool. A shotgun is obviously a more powerful choice.

I think after she shoots some of your guns, she may have a better idea of what she likes and doesn't like (revolver vs semi-auto, etc.). If she intends to carry a handgun concealed, I would suggest that she have two guns; one for self defense (in and out of the house) and a larger gun for home defense that is easy to shoot.

My personal leanings would be that she have a pump shotgun at home and a smaller concealable handgun. I would probably go with a revolver. But if she likes a semi-auto, I think a 9mm or 40 S&W are good choices.

 

[Merad]

And this is why it's worth finding a professional instructor who has experience training women, rather than assuming you are equally qualified to teach a female friend or relative to shoot. Operating the slide on a semi-auto is a matter of technique -- many men get by with brute strength, but there is no reason any woman who is not actually disabled can't learn to do it. If you're doubtful, read the article, "Rack the Slide," at The Cornered Cat.

I've gone through that very article with every woman that I've helped, and most still have had difficulty. Edit: By difficulty I'm not saying that they can't do it, but it's not something that they're usually able to do smoothly or easily.

The thing is, most people have enough trouble remembering to do a simple tap-rack-bang drill under pressure. Turning the failure to fire drill into "tap-remember the technique to hold the gun and punch the grip forward so that you can rack-bang" is not likely to end well.

I generally am not a fan of revolvers of home defense or carry. But IMHO anyone, male or female, who is not 100% comfortable manipulating the slide of their pistol is better off with a revolver instead of a semi.