Is my search even possible?

[wildhair]

Taurus revolver....

or a 20g pump action shotgun

870 or 500 20 Gauge pump. Doesn't require a lot of practice, ammo is easy to find, and you can hunt with it.

 

[addictedhealer]

Gp100. You and your brother throw in hundred a piece. Semi auto is asking for trouble, he just wants it to point and pull. Doesn't need any added features, revolvers scream simplicity. No mags to deal with nor safeties and slides. Revolver all damn day long.

 

[esrice]

I'll recommend a different approach.

Take the $300 and spend some or all of it on a live-fire training course with a borrowed gun. There are many opportunities offered on INGO in the Tactics & Training section.

Consider the $300 an investment in figuring out what kind of gun he can run well enough to defend himself. It'll also keep him from buying the wrong gun the first time. He'll even save money by not buying a laser.

 

[Gunslinger45]

just wanted to toss this link your way: they have Gen 3 and Gen 2 glock 19's for the same price ($399) Not bad as these guns are used, but probably have seen very live ammo.

HK Specialist - Product Display

 

[mikefraz]

With shipping and transfer fee, that turns into $450 real quick.

 

[I Love Bourbon]

"Revolvers are simple, problem free and they always go bang, there's no user interface other than the trigger and in a high stress situation that's enough to worry about. " Revolvers are NOT problem free and that is said with experience. I had a Ruger SP101 lock up on me and the only solution was a gunsmith. My choice is a Glock and this is my reasoning, dirtbags travel in groups and attack that way. It has become very rare for just one to break into a home, which is the purpose for the gun in this case. A Ruger P95 (I use a Glock), when loaded, is a point and shoot and will have less recoil than any revolver, simply physics.

I completely disagree, the instance of a revolver malfunctioning is exceedingly rare, you can limp wrist it all day and it will still function as designed, try that with an autoloader. An autoloader is no more useful that a rock if the user isn't competent-experienced-confident if it malfunctions, the OP stated that he wouldn't be carrying it and IIRC probably wouldn't practice/train/shoot much, that's a recipe for disaster in anybody's book. I stand by my statement and in this instance with the info provided a revolver is the best choice.

 

[snowwalker]

I completely disagree, the instance of a revolver malfunctioning is exceedingly rare, you can limp wrist it all day and it will still function as designed, try that with an autoloader. An autoloader is no more useful that a rock if the user isn't competent-experienced-confident if it malfunctions, the OP stated that he wouldn't be carrying it and IIRC probably wouldn't practice/train/shoot much, that's a recipe for disaster in anybody's book. I stand by my statement and in this instance with the info provided a revolver is the best choice.

You can disagree, but the OP said his dad was RECOIL sensitive, that excludes a revolver. If the dad is just going to buy it and put it in a drawer without learning to use it, it is best for him not to have it at all. That is a disaster in the making, period.

 

[Noble Sniper]

Cleaning............. thats what he has sons for

 

[I Love Bourbon]

You can disagree, but the OP said his dad was RECOIL sensitive, that excludes a revolver. If the dad is just going to buy it and put it in a drawer without learning to use it, it is best for him not to have it at all. That is a disaster in the making, period.

LoL, You're making my point for me!

 

[BJones]

ESRICE has it correct. Have Dad take some training first, so that he knows what he is getting into, then let him decide what he thinks he should use as self defense. $300 is a pretty low budget. Spent another $100 or so and get something that is proven to be easy to shoot and reliable. Many good guns out there, so dad needs to be exposed to several and shoot several before making a decision and parting with his money.
$300 is not the only cost, next is ammo, holsters, conealed carry permits and so on. This is a BIG decision for Dad, help him make a good one with education and exposure to different weapons.

 

[Destro]

S&W model 10

this, all day long.

 

[Fordtough25]

My wife chose the S&W M&P because she liked the feel of the grip and the slide was easy to rack. I would never recommend a J frame to a beginner or person who is inexperienced, I agree that they are a handful to shoot. Like already said a full size .38 or a full size 9mm is the way to go for softer recoil and ease of use.