good day all,
i was eating dinner w/ my granparents the other night and my granfather said he wanted a hadgun to keep in the house. fine w/ me as im a big fan of hadguns and shooting them. Im in a conundrum however because i wouldnt feel comfortable giving him one of my revovler as thier all medium or large frame .357s or. 44s.   I was thinking about giving him one of my glocks, but i think a revolver would be much safer for him to have becuase he is already familiar with how they function (he used to shoot revolvers alot)

he is eighty (well 79, 80 in september) and has arthritis in his hands. i was thinking i should get him a small framed .38 +p..any suggestions?  I was looking for somehting with a bbl of about 4inches, becuase im going to have it ported for him. it must be simple, depebdable and most importantly controlable.  Does anyone have any recommondations for grips....i know i like my big fat hogue grips, but im not 80 and dont have arthritis.  Before i buy him anything we're gonna go to the range and rent some different revolvers.

money is no object, im a college student and  i dont have alot of it but when my granpa said he felt like he needed a handgun i thought of all the good stuff hes done for me over the years and decided that getting him a revolver is the very least i can do for him. Im pretty sure ive got enough saved to cover anything he could reasonably use (ivory grips, and engraving excluded)

S&W 686

but then just about anything is better than a pistol.
i would get him a remington 870 in 20 gauge.

hey thats a great idea HK...i already have a winchester 1300 in 20gauge....hell if i put a knox spec ops stock on it it'd be super controlable.  damn....i can even throigh a spare eothech on the top and it'd be perfect! thanks much

I don't think a lightweight .38+P is the right choice.  I find they are too light and kick worse than a .357.  I would go with an old S&W model 66 or 65.  It's a K-frame and is rather light, but still pretty stout.  The original grips are nice, but you can get a set of Hogue wood finger-groove grips that will be much better.  I have Hogue rubber on mine, but I find them to be rather thin.  If you shop around you can probably get one for <$400.  MJD

watch out for those knox stocks.  they work great but if your not expecting them they can come back and whack you hard.  not a big deal but it's just something you have to learn how to shoot and get use to.  once you figure them out they work great.

if he wants a revolver i would suggest the ruger gp100.  he migt not feel comfortable with a shotgun for various reasons.  

eta: where in va are you and do you have any connection to dark sun surplus down in richmond?

Quoted: I don't think a lightweight .38+P is the right choice.  I find they are too light and kick worse than a .357.  I would go with an old S&W model 66 or 65.  It's a K-frame and is rather light, but still pretty stout.  The original grips are nice, but you can get a set of Hogue wood finger-groove grips that will be much better.  I have Hogue rubber on mine, but I find them to be rather thin.  If you shop around you can probably get one for <$400.  MJD

Yep, K frame Smith is the way to go.  Model 10, 13, 64, 65, 66, 67, 15, 19 doesn't matter which.  Only get Pachmyer grips.  I hate Hogues.

PRE_INTERNAL LOCK S&W's are fine, I like the Ruger SP101 and wear one daily on my left ankle daily. I'm 35, and arthritis is already setting in my hands, but I can shoot a full box of 125gr semi JHP full mags with no prob. Shotgun is a better idea though. I'd hate to catch a face full of 20ga birdshot from some pissed off old guy! Good for you for looking out for your grandfather by the way!!!!

well guys i called the grandad today and after teh idea of a shotgun came up i think we've settled on a shotgun and a revolver...im gonna build him up my old mossy 500 20gauge, put one of my spec ops stocks on it, throw an aimpoint on the top and be done with it.  he used to duck hunt all the time and is quite familiar w/ the operation of mossy 500, and said becuase of his "too many damn hours wating to shoot ducks" he'd feel quite comfortable using to defend himself if neccesary. When i told him id like to put a spec ops on it, i explained wht it was and he said "now what the f&*k would i want that for?" and then i said its just a good idea...so when i drop that off this weekend we're gonna shoot it abit so he can get used to the stock.

then we're gonna go to the gun stores in richmond soon and pick out his revolver. i think, because of the very usefll suggestions posted here and other info i've gotten, im gonna get him to look at the newer SW .357's w/ 5"-6" bbls, and the rugers of similar build. But being that im an irrational glock lover, im also gonna get him to take some of my glocks to the range.  if he shoots the glocks and likes them im going to buy him a g17L and then pt a set of meprolights on it for him.  But being my grandad is an old school kinda shooter, i have a feeling hes gonna want a wheelgun still in which case we will find a suitable revolver and then i will have it magnaported for him.

thanks for all the input gentlemen. i realy appreciate it as i take my grandprents well being seriously and if they felt they need firearms i feel im obligated to get them setup w/ what they could use.  I'll post a follow up w/ pics after i get the grandparents outfitted.  i do however live in richmond and would like to have a connection to dark sun surplus...i just dont know who they are.

Quoted: ... then we're gonna go to the gun stores in richmond soon and pick out his revolver. i think, because of the very usefll suggestions posted here and other info i've gotten, im gonna get him to look at the newer SW .357's w/ 5"-6" bbls, and the rugers of similar build. But being that im an irrational glock lover, im also gonna get him to take some of my glocks to the range.  if he shoots the glocks and likes them im going to buy him a g17L and then pt a set of meprolights on it for him.  But being my grandad is an old school kinda shooter, i have a feeling hes gonna want a wheelgun still in which case we will find a suitable revolver and then i will have it magnaported for him. ...and would like to have a connection to dark sun surplus...i just dont know who they are.

You're going to give up a little bit of trigger quality with the newer S&W's.  They aren't quite as smooth and crisp as the old ones from the '70s.  They're still better than most double actions on the market, but not as good as before.  Also be aware of the dang internal locks S&W is putting on them.  Just one more thing that can potentially fail.  A 4-6" 686 is a fine piece with a slightly larger (but more robust) frame than the old K-frames.  

Don't worry about Dark Sun.  They're a kitchen table dealer.  At least that's what I'm told.  I have tried to deal with them many times at shows and the only way they'll talk to you is if you wave a fistfull of cash in their direction.  Go to the Virginia Hometown forum and look under the important topics section.  You'll find a list of gun shops in the state.  My first stop would probably be DeGoff's if I was down your way.  MJD

highwayman,

good thinking abut the internal lock..im sure i can come across an oldish model w/o it. I dont  think that my grandad is too worried about trigger quality as i doubt he'll take it to the range much, but in a situatuion where he'd have to use it, a not so nice trigger on a revolver is better than the baseball bat he keeps in the closet.

im not to keen on the dealers who only pay attention when they smell money, so unless i have too use thier services  ill avoid dark sun surplus. thanks for the heads ups.

Quoted: im not to keen on the dealers who only pay attention when they smell money, so unless i have too use thier services  ill avoid dark sun surplus. thanks for the heads ups.

i sold a pistol and then bought one from them at a gun show last october.  i had no problems with them and found the guys behind the table to be knowledgable and polite.  

during my brief time in richmond i found the people over at southern or something like that to be good.  and the prices were good as most of their clientel is leo.  iirc they were down on 60 south of the city somewhere and right around where the state police have their hq or admin building.

Old town police supply supposedly has some good deals.  I remember a topic floating around the hometown forum a few months back where they had PD trade-in 870's for something like $150-200.  I've bought from Chesterfield Armament before.  They were knowledgable, and the transaction went smoothly.  The older guy with the beard was funny as well.  You might visit them if they have a shop.  

If Dark Sun isn't busy you might have good luck with them.  Everytime I've been near them they've had a large crowd of people by their tables.  Maybe they're just ignorant when it's crowded?  MJD

Have you given any though to getting him an old Rem 1148,model 11,or 1100 in twenty gauge?

They will be recoil or gas operated,and will punish him much less(he might even want to shoot it more than once)range time helps!!!

And get him a heavy 357(old mod 66,or 586,or colt trooper) when fireing +P 38 spl's it won't hurt his hands so much!!!

Make it a fun to shoot gun!!

God bless Grandpaw!!!


Bob

Quoted: And get him a heavy 357(old mod 66,or 586,or colt trooper) when fireing +P 38 spl's it won't hurt his hands so much!!!

or a brand new ruger gp100.  with a 4" tube they weigh in around 40oz empty.  that is some heft right there.