Dr. Strangelove
New member
Due to some recent home invasions, one which resulted in the death of life-long friend of my parents, my father has a sudden interest in purchasing a pistol, specifically a 9mm. Great, I told him he can have my Ruger P89. He currently keeps a .22/.410 over/under loaded under the bed, and has a 20ga H&R which could be pressed into service. The home invasions referenced were not random, and my parents live in an area that does not lend itself to crime. I know it's possible, but we aren't talking about defending the Alamo here. For the most part, this is about making my dad feel better, and he's welcome to any gun I have. My parents are both 64 years old.
I don't like the shotgun under the bed scenario because my father has had two knee replacements and I question his ability to access it quickly. My mother, while being raised around guns and having respect but no fear of them, hasn't fired a gun in 50+ years. Dad served in Vietnam and has some combat experience, but as he admitted, that was 40+ years ago. He has very limited shooting experience since then. He was pleased that the Ruger functions for the most part like the Colt .45's he used in the army.
So we have the following firearms to choose from: (that are suitable for home defense, he can have my rifles also, but they aren't so good for close quarters)
.22/.410 break barrel
.20ga single shot break barrel
.12ga Mossberg 500 28" barrel
.22 Ruger MKII
9mm Ruger P89
Given their age, and the fact that my mom is the one likely to have to use the gun, since attackers are more likely to engage the male first, I'm curious what the board thinks would be the most appropriate. We will of course go to the range to see what they like the most.
Please refrain from caliber/gauge arguments, I'm interested in ease of use, not starting a discussion of "stopping power".
Also, while I am interested in everyone's thoughts, those from folks in my parents age group (64+) are particularly welcome...
I don't like the shotgun under the bed scenario because my father has had two knee replacements and I question his ability to access it quickly. My mother, while being raised around guns and having respect but no fear of them, hasn't fired a gun in 50+ years. Dad served in Vietnam and has some combat experience, but as he admitted, that was 40+ years ago. He has very limited shooting experience since then. He was pleased that the Ruger functions for the most part like the Colt .45's he used in the army.
So we have the following firearms to choose from: (that are suitable for home defense, he can have my rifles also, but they aren't so good for close quarters)
.22/.410 break barrel
.20ga single shot break barrel
.12ga Mossberg 500 28" barrel
.22 Ruger MKII
9mm Ruger P89
Given their age, and the fact that my mom is the one likely to have to use the gun, since attackers are more likely to engage the male first, I'm curious what the board thinks would be the most appropriate. We will of course go to the range to see what they like the most.
Please refrain from caliber/gauge arguments, I'm interested in ease of use, not starting a discussion of "stopping power".
Also, while I am interested in everyone's thoughts, those from folks in my parents age group (64+) are particularly welcome...
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