[CreekFisher]

Aside from the .25 chambering, are there any other pistols with that feature? (From Taurus or not) My mother has weakened arthritic hands after years of hard work, so racking a slide is practically impossible for her. So that feature would be amazing for her. It opens up a few more options. Otherwise its a nice revolver for her (I fell in love with a Taurus .38 special at the local range, so I wouldn't be upset with her having something like that)... I'm lost lol help this little boy find a gun for his momma. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks everyone
CreekFisher

Ps- I know it ultimately comes down to what she would like. But I am trying to find a gun or two to show her that she can pick from. She is tiny (4ft 11in) so big guns with recoil won't work.

 

[Montkun]

Beretta makes a model which is almost exact to the steel framed Taurus PT-22. I believe it's called the Bobcat, and is offered in the same calibers. Considering how picky they can be with ammo, and how stiff the DAO triggers are, I would recommend a revolver or a derringer for your mother if her hands are weakened from arthritis. She'll have an easier time cocking a hammer than she would clearing a jam in any of those tiny rimfire semi-autos. But if semi-auto is more your thing, I would personally recommend the Walther P22, which actually has a very nice pull on the slide to load. Much more accurate at longer ranges than the PT-22 is, and has interchangeable parts such as the back-strap and front sight post, adjustable rear sight, and can be found with a factory laser as well. There's also a 5 inch threaded barrel available as well for competition shooters, a sports a SA and DA mode of function instead of DAO.

 

[CreekFisher]

Awesome thanks!

CreekFisher

 

[Rossi]

I'm wondering why they don't make larger calibers with the tip up barrel, like 32 acp or something. The tip up barrel is nice because it makes a great single shot when teaching kids, but it's be nice to have something with more stopping power.

 

[jimb1972]

I would definately look at revolvers, if it dont go bang you just pull the trigger again. One of my favorite pistols is an old Rossi, it has a better trigger than my Taurus and they are very reasonably priced.

 

[jimb1972]

I'm wondering why they don't make larger calibers with the tip up barrel, like 32 acp or something. The tip up barrel is nice because it makes a great single shot when teaching kids, but it's be nice to have something with more stopping power.

I am not sure, but I think the Beretta Tomcat might have a tip up barrel, and it is a .32acp. Yep just looked it up and the Beretta 3032 has a tip up barrel.

 

[Rossi]

I am not sure, but I think the Beretta Tomcat might have a tip up barrel, and it is a .32acp. Yep just looked it up and the Beretta 3032 has a tip up barrel.

Great! Thanks for the research and info. I knew Beretta made the Tomcat, but didn't know it was available in .32.

 

[JFootin]

The reason we don't see tip up barrels on higher caliber pistols is because it can only work with strait blowback guns.

 

[chuck_in_texas]

The reason we don't see tip up barrels on higher caliber pistols is because it can only work with strait blowback guns.

Exactly!!!!! That was my first lesson with my 22PLY. I couldn't rack the slide back without putting on leather gloves and REALLY pulling hard.

Until I learned here on the forum that it's a blowback and that's WHY you need the tip up. Now I'm a happy camper with it.

 

[Rolo17]

Beretta also has made a 380 I'm a tip up barrel called the cheetah 86.

 

[GreenWolf70]

I just went through this last year with my 80 year old neighbor. She had a Beretta with the tip up barrel in .25 Auto and a Charter Arms .38 Special Snubby. After I cleaned them for her I asked her if she had ever shot it and she said no. She had bought the thing in France because it was "just so damn sexy". I asked her to try racking the slide, flipping the safety on and off, pushing down the barrel release and pulling the trigger. She had a very hard time doing that and afterwards asked me to sell it for her. Her Charter Arms revolver on the other hand she could do everything with ease, including pulling the trigger through in DA. The plus was she had shot that pistol a lot and was very comfortable with it and it was usually the pistol she carried with her. The little Beretta had been kept in her bed headboard, no reason she couldn't keep the Charter Arms there at night and still carry it with her during the day.

If you are looking for something for an elderly lady with arthritis, I would look first at Taurus's little revolvers in either .32 H&R Mag or the newer .327 Federal Magnum. Both can shoot the .32 Long if recoil is an issue, and both have loads more powerful than the .38SPL with less recoil, if it is not. JMHO

 

[elPescador]

To be clear...from experience,not hear-say.

Any semi-auto may encounter a jamb....I know you are aware of this.
When seconds count,and arthritis is an issue, a revolver is best in my opinion.
DA/SA revolver or DAO. It must be a dependable one,and have a smooth trigger
action, likened to a Smith snub [J-frame].
If money curtails an expensive gun like Smith, there are dependable and sweet
Taurus like the 605 models.....tough and accurate for snubs....easy on the finger.
[steel frames] That's if she can shoot .38special with no problem.
If .38special is too much...I heartily recommend a .327FedMag, and have her shoot
.32H&Rmagnums in it.....almost NO recoil.....but ammo price may be an issue, maybe not.
I don't know your wallet....or your re-loading capabilities.

Back to square one.
If you trust a semi-auto for defense.....She has limitations from arthritis.....
and a tip up barrel appears to be a solid answer....
a Beretta model 3032 is one sweet kick-azz choice.
The trigger is a long pull...like the PT-22....
The Beretta is a DA/SA where the Taurus is a DAO
I have never noticed any problem [kids,grandkids, etc] that the long trigger
pull took more than a round or two to get used to.
Even on our new Poly PT-22 you never notice the long trigger.
A tip up barrel is an awesome solution for arthritics....
Not hear-say !
Experience. FWIW

 

[CreekFisher]

Thank you everyone. I think that a nice revolver will be in my mothers future. Hopefully she likes it. I just have to take to the range and let her play with a few

CreekFisher

 

[JR]

The Model 86 Beretta was discontinued a few years ago. It is a single-stack, blow-back, .380 ACP pistol. They are often found in Pawn Shops, on-line Auction Stores, and in the used section of gun stores. The gun, itself, is almost duty-sized, with an alloy frame. It is soft-shooting, quite reliable, and accurate.

The 3032 Tomcat has had a checkered history in durability. Today's stainless version is much better than the blued version in that respect. It is also a single-stack gun, almost pocket sized, with a tip-up barrel in .32 ACP.

My wife is afflicted with early-stage RA in her hands. Thankfully, medication has arrested it prior to significant damage. When it was first diagnosed, she wasn't happy firing her usual favorites. She had been a serious adherent to the "starts with .4......" school of shooting prior to that. Today, she's back, but only to a limited degree. I can see where a person with a significant amount of damage from RA would be uncomfortable shooting just about anything that "experts" regard as a true "self-defense" caliber/gun combo.

Get her out to the range, and give her a number of guns that she likes, and let her shoot them. ONLY SHE can let you know what will work for her. Revolvers are not the panacea that many think of them as. Some revolvers triggers are going to limit her ability to function them. Not in just pull weight, but in the arc of travel. Rim-fire revolvers, for example, can have triggers too strong to be easily manipulated. Revolvers also seem prone to having ejector rods unscrew, tying up the action, or debris under the ejector star tying up the action. Then, reloading that little J-frame, or even a K-frame, is going to be much more time consuming for the non-dedicated shooter than slapping a new magazine into place.

The woman will be the deciding factor here. She needs a gun that will let her practice without pain, or that aggravates the RA. Once that's decided upon, caliber is less important. A miss with a .500 S&W doesn't hurt anyone but the shooter. A hit with a .25 ACP will hurt the recipient.