Best home defense gun for my 82 year old father?

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  • Frank_N_Stein

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    Nov 24, 2008
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    Beech Grove, IN
    While talking to my dad today he told me that he wants me to help him pick out a gun for home defense. He has experience with firearms from being an avid shooter as a youngster and some experience while a pilot in the Navy, but he hasn't ever carried a gun for self-defense or had one in the house. With the current state of affairs in the US, he wants to buy a gun for home defense, but I don't believe he will carry it outside of the house. So, with that being said, what gun would you recommend for him to keep around the house? I think a handgun would be best for him because of the ease to move about the house with it. Any specific recommendations for handguns? He has shot my Glocks in the past, but it has been a few years since we have gone shooting together.

    For the Ft Wayne area people, what is the best gun store/range to take him to try out different handguns to see what he feels most comfortable with?
     

    Bigtanker

    Cuddles
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    Aug 21, 2012
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    Osceola
    The Shield EZ 380 is a real winner. My dad who's in his 70's really likes it. Recoil is very manageable. It's a 7/8 size pistol so getting a full grip is easy. The slide is REALLY easy to rack. Mags are easy to load. There's even a rail for a light/laser.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
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    Dec 7, 2011
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    Speedway area
    While talking to my dad today he told me that he wants me to help him pick out a gun for home defense. He has experience with firearms from being an avid shooter as a youngster and some experience while a pilot in the Navy, but he hasn't ever carried a gun for self-defense or had one in the house. With the current state of affairs in the US, he wants to buy a gun for home defense, but I don't believe he will carry it outside of the house. So, with that being said, what gun would you recommend for him to keep around the house? I think a handgun would be best for him because of the ease to move about the house with it. Any specific recommendations for handguns? He has shot my Glocks in the past, but it has been a few years since we have gone shooting together.

    For the Ft Wayne area people, what is the best gun store/range to take him to try out different handguns to see what he feels most comfortable with?

    Can he still manipulate the slide on a Glock...???
     

    cjcycles

    Plinker
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    3   0   0
    Mar 18, 2018
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    Ft Wayne
    I would say keep it simple

    Glock 19/17/34
    CZ P10 F/C
    S&W 357/38 revolver

    I like dealing with Wrigley’s just north of Sams on Lima. Sportsman’s warehouse may have some options too.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Tombs

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    Jan 13, 2011
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    Martinsville
    AR pistol with a brace.

    11.5" or 10.5" with a red dot sight.

    It's going to be shorter while shouldered than holding a pistol at arm's length.
    Throw a larger latch charging handle on it if he has difficulty with the standard latch. He can rack it off the edge of a table if necessary.

    It's also going to be lightyears easier to aim and shoot with than trying to mess around with a pistol.
     

    ratames

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    Try taking him to a range that offers rentals and let him try a few out. Let him see what feels good in his hand and what he is cofortable shooting.
     

    Frank_N_Stein

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    Nov 24, 2008
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    Beech Grove, IN
    The Shield EZ 380 is a real winner. My dad who's in his 70's really likes it. Recoil is very manageable. It's a 7/8 size pistol so getting a full grip is easy. The slide is REALLY easy to rack. Mags are easy to load. There's even a rail for a light/laser.

    That's a gun I mentioned to him. I will definitely have him check it out.

    Can he still manipulate the slide on a Glock...???

    He's old, but he's still in good shape so I think so. We'll see when I take him to the range to try stuff out.

    I would say keep it simple

    Glock 19/17/34
    CZ P10 F/C
    S&W 357/38 revolver

    I like dealing with Wrigley’s just north of Sams on Lima. Sportsman’s warehouse may have some options too.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Thanks. I was going to have him check out a couple revolvers since he is old school and carried one while flying.

    AR pistol with a brace.

    11.5" or 10.5" with a red dot sight.

    It's going to be shorter while shouldered than holding a pistol at arm's length.
    Throw a larger latch charging handle on it if he has difficulty with the standard latch. He can rack it off the edge of a table if necessary.

    It's also going to be lightyears easier to aim and shoot with than trying to mess around with a pistol.

    I'll recommend it, but I don't know that he wants to go with that platform. Thanks for all the replies.
     

    ECS686

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    Dec 9, 2017
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    My wife has Lupus and has issues with working slides on almost every semi auto. She has zero issues with the S&W 380 EZ when she shot one. She became really fond of it. Si I 3rd ir 4th that make. And they are in 9mm whih is slightly peppier


    Good Luck
     

    Clay Pigeon

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    Aug 3, 2016
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    Summitville
    I went through this with my 80+ year old father a few years back. He thought he could still rack a slide and when I said show me, his body just couldnt do what his mind thought it could still do. He was not happy but I got him to roll over to an old S&W 38 and he could open, reload, close and fire it...
    Just remember hes 82 and most are not Jack Lolane at that age, try not to embarrass him and put him in a firearm that he can easily work if the time comes to need one.
    I kept reminding my dad that having a automatic as protection he could not protect mom with it. His last few years a revolver was in his night stand...
    Good luck with your dad....
     

    KG1

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    The S&W EZ line is definitely something to look into. Just need to make sure to get a really good feel for the grip due to the grip safety. That's one thing I don't really care for but otherwise they are really easy to rack and load.
     

    KellyinAvon

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    Is an Uzi off the table? Seriously a S&W K-frame with .38sp (if a Model 19 or 66) seems like a good choice.
     

    Karl-just-Karl

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    I know it is not a traditional pistol, but I'll second the suggestion for a PDW.

    FX-9, Scorpion Micro or something similar in 9mm.

    I have recently added this option when introducing Newbs to shooting at the range. It is truly amazing to see what someone unfamiliar with handling firearms can do at close range with a red dot and brace. They have all walked away feeling like champions.
     

    Slapstick

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    I'm with the S&W shield E-Z line in either .380 or 9mm. The slide a just a tad easier to manipulate on the .380 than the 9mm but both are surprisingly easy. Loading the mags are a breeze. We sell a lot of them to the older crowd or those that have difficulty manipulating the slides and loading the mags due to a physical problem. I have yet to see a person who couldn't work one. Worth checking out.
     

    4651feeder

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    Having gone thru similar experience few years back, I found a simple dbl action revolver with exposed hammer & short barrel to be most acceptable. Found a snub nose or short barrel best for concealment in whatever location they chose to store it. .
     

    KittySlayer

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    Jan 29, 2013
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    Not preaching to the choir but a conversation to have with him is who decides when he may no longer be capable of safely having a weapon in the house. Kind of like the conversation of when to take the car keys away from your elderly parent. Never an easy conversation but better now than later. Things to think about:

    • Onset of dementia in the future. Being a 100 miles away who is going to evaluate mental health on a regular basis?
    • Depression, particularly if a health issue or lifestyle issue comes up and potential suicide.
    • Grumpy old man syndrome where he shoots anything that moves be it a thug, neighbor, or mailman.

    Sorry to be a Debby Downer but when I saw the header these things popped into my mind right away having just spent some time thinking about my dad on Fathers Day.

    For the Ft Wayne area people, what is the best gun store/range to take him to try out different handguns to see what he feels most comfortable with?

    Might try this place in Roanoke, which is really close to Fort Wayne. They have an indoor and outdoor range and I believe they have rentals. Been to the range a couple times and have bought a couple magazines so my experience with them is limited.

    https://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/

    Freedom Firearms also has a range onsite.

    Largest firearm dealer in Northeastern Indiana-Freedom Firearms

    There are some other range options around so finding one close to him that he enjoys will make it where he might get some practice/training in. For instance the couple of indoor ranges above allows him to shoot from the bay and use the target hanger to send his paper downrange. If he is older and less mobile walking through a field at an outdoor range to hang targets downrange may not be as enjoyable.
     

    DocIndy

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    The Shield EZ was the way a coworker went for his girlfriend who has some nerve damage in her hands/arms. He went .380, but I would recommend going 9mm for the ease of finding ammo. My friend had a heck of a time finding some FMJ at a reasonable price and the JHps he found were really salty.
     

    Kirk Freeman

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    Mar 9, 2008
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    My 82 year old father carries a Ruger Police Service Six that Bill Ruger gave him (not really, joke about how long he has had it). No vision issues and no hand problems. Does have a minor problem with elbow (off hand) but I taught him a few exercises to treat it.

    Dad is fan of Kramer leather.
     

    firefighterjohn

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    Also went thru this last year with my 84 y.o. father. Saw what he SAID he would use; his old 12 GA pump and a old .380 brick of a pistol he had never shot. OK, sorry Dad, neither of those will work. He's still strong but has some hand shakiness. The 12 GA had too much recoil and was hard to rack a followup round. He couldn't even pull the slide on the .380 and was too shaky. Took him to the range with a variety of mine for him to handle, aim, shoot, and test recoil. After going thru them all, he liked my BCM RECCE 16 the best. He liked it being lightweight, 4 points of contact(compared to shooting a pistol), quick aim of the red dot and was easily hitting steel at 50' or less. He made up his mind right then and there! He was sold, that's what he wanted, something just like that. We went out the next day and he got a nice Saint Victor/Romeo 5 combo and feels comfortable shooting it. I set him up with a sling and light to be ready for home defense. Every time I visit, we go over basic operations...yep...still got it down pat. Everyone's different and needs to try them out for themselves instead of being TOLD what is best for them. He's comfortable and confident with it so I know he would use it if needed. I feel better knowing that too. Good luck with whatever your Dad feels most comfortable with.
     
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