Quote:
TXAZ
84 year old Dad wants me to get him a gun
My dad thinks he wants a small pistol. He lives in a large Texas city and becoming more concerned with crime. He used to be a pretty good shot in 1960 and he still gets around reasonably. I'm not too worried about the cost (and this won't be a straw Purchase...I'll find it and take him to the LGS).
we took him to shoot 2 years ago and he was fine. He is not frail but a 16 year old could easily overpower him.
Have any of you found a easy to use pistol (semi or revolver) that might be appropriate for my Dad? Or do you know the right questions to ask? I'm not sure I'm all that objective in this one.
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Whatever you get for him, your father should be the one picking it out. If he drives, it sounds like he still got it. So, some other questions to ask...
- Does he have any type of arthritis?
- How is his physical strength?
BTW, regardless of what some here might recommend there are definitely some bad choices for older people. Here are just some considerations - not saying they're bad choices for everyone but for most old folks in their 80's:
- NAA Mini - yeah, single action tiny bugger that requires small nimble hands/fingers to cock & shoot.
- 12 ga shotgun - always recommended by the experts because of all the myths surrounding it. It isn't the end all of home defense. It's heavy and unwieldy inside a house unless your dad is planning on carrying it on him and barricading himself at the first sound of a weird noise.
Have your dad carry on him in and around his home if possible. He will always have his weapon with him. Look into revolvers with lighter/smooth triggers whether they be new or used. A 22LR snub revolver that your dad can shoot easily is better than the 45ACP that he can't rack or shoot.