Protective Weaponry for the Feeble???

Navotifarm · #1 03/21/10, 09:55 AM

I am enjoying the dog thread for the elderly. I love my German Shepherds but note that one of my vicious neighbors sneaked on my land one night and poisoned my beautiful dog, Arvon, who was my beloved companion and. Protector for 8 years before they murdered him. No matter what a person does, there are. Others "out there" who pose dangers. In the thread there is this quote: "the little gut buster and .22 that are my companion."
My question: what is a "gut buster?" Where do I get one?
I had a .38. I had some wonderful bullets called bird bombs which made a terrific explosion and some snake shot to give flying lessons to the copperheads buut my hands lost the strength to cock it. Now what kind of gun can I buy in my feeble declining years?

tinknal · #2 03/21/10, 09:58 AM

Can you pull the trigger on a hammerless 38?

blooba · #3 03/21/10, 10:12 AM

Even if you cannot shoot a gun any longer doesn't mean you can't protect yourself. Stun guns like the cops have, bear grade pepper spray, there are lots of options. Although a gun will still be the best option incase you do have to provide lethal force.

The hammerless .38 is a nice option. I have one and it does have a little heavier trigger pull but it's not bad. Try to goto a gun shop that allows test firing or find someone with one to try. Just because you can pull it empty doesn't mean you can do it accurately. The heavier trigger pull does pull to your trigger finger side usually but its not too bad.

Old John · #4 03/21/10, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blooba

Even if you cannot shoot a gun any longer doesn't mean you can't protect yourself. Stun guns like the cops have, bear grade pepper spray, there are lots of options. Although a gun will still be the best option incase you do have to provide lethal force.

The hammerless .38 is a nice option. I have one and it does have a little heavier trigger pull but it's not bad. Try to goto a gun shop that allows test firing or find someone with one to try. Just because you can pull it empty doesn't mean you can do it accurately. The heavier trigger pull does pull to your trigger finger side usually but its not too bad.

It's a nice little .38, that came out last year. It has the Easiest trigger pull,
that I have ever seen on a hammerless double action revolver, right out of the box.(But, It looks ugly, with a polymer frame. Very non-traditional looking)
I think they used a cam action in it. It's altogether new.
Even With practice wadcutter bullets, it would be a good defensive weapon, for those a bit more enfeebiled by age.Very easy to handle.

Common Tator · #5 03/21/10, 11:08 AM

Modern guns don't need to be cocked. If the kick back from larger rounds is too much for you, you may consider looking at .22 pistols. Practice, practice, practice! That way you will build up the strength, and gain the familiarity with the new weapon.

7thswan · #6 03/21/10, 11:12 AM

How awful, I'm so sorry about your Dog.

ronbre · #7 03/21/10, 11:33 AM

the little gut buster is a .25 cal browning..tiny tiny little gun for crippled up little hands..it is a semiautomatic and you pull to cock it, which is hard for my hands but i can do the 25..the 22 is a bit harder, luger, bigger gun and stiffer..both however being a semi can be cocked and then put on safety..so if you can't cock it yourself, you can have someone stronger cock it and put it on safety..as long as your mind is clear enough to understand that it is cocked and on safety..you might want a trigger lock if you have children around or strangers on a a regular basis..but if you are like my hubby and I, we are 90 % or more of the time the only ones in our home..so we aren't worried about small hand..if there are children around the guns are secured.

the 25 is so tiny and light it can be put in a purse or pocket (but then you need legally a concealed carry permit)..i have a tiny little holster and can put it on my belt easily..legal here in our state..pretty much anywhere..as long as it is visible..

my browning is an antique, and still works pretty good with an occasional jam, but that's ok..i'm aware that it occasionally jams and i can deal with that.

the 22 doesn't jam but is a bit heavier and harder to pull..but i can manage it even with carple tunnel surgeries and poly perepherial neuropathy in both hands..

when you purchase your gun, ask the gun dealers to show you the easiest ones to cock and try them out individually and find the one that works best for your hands..buy by your ease of using it rather than what it can do ..if you are needing it for your personal protection..cause if you can't use it cleanly, it will do you no good..hubby has stronger hands so he uses the bigger guns..

Danaus29 · #8 03/21/10, 12:16 PM

I'm sorry about your dog.

uncle Will in In. · #9 03/21/10, 04:41 PM

Recently was reading a thread about the use of a can of wasp spray for protection. They will spray farther than peper spray, and seem to be just as effective. The problem with a gun is not having it at hand, and not being willing to shoot anybody until they already have the upper hand. A can of raid wasp spray carried in a belt holster is legal, and effective without without needing the nerve to possibly kill someone.

Navotifarm · #10 03/21/10, 04:56 PM

Thanks for the replies. My nearest town with a gun dealer was Charlottesville, where I bought the .38 some years ago from a VERY patient father of the owner. That store went out of business last spring, so now I don't know where to turn except here for advice. I can't really try it before I buy it so have no clue what some of your advice means! I just plain have no firearms knowledge. I did take a class which supposedly taught me enough to get a concealed weapons permit. But it seemed superficial to me. I already knew not to point a gun at somebody if I did not intend to shoot him. I do not understand stuff like "hammerless.". Perhaps I should rephrase my question to "What should I buy in the low cost category which won't knock me flat when I shoot it, is easy to cock and accurate?" I have a use for a gun in that I have rabbits and geese to butcher which I want to do quickly and as painlessly as possible. I can manage my chickens and guineas with a kill cone but the geese are far too big and heavy. One of the threads in the rabbit forum advised putting the rabbit in a pipe with a hole in it so they feel secure, then shooting them. But I (duuh) don't know what to shoot them with. Sure hope this question isn't too dumb but I really want to know abouut a small, light, effective hand gun for a feeble homesteader, not mace or tazers. Thanks!

**highlands** · #11 03/21/10, 05:10 PM

Dog.

Reports show that perps are more scared of a dog than a home owner with a gun.
People hesitate.

Ed Norman · #12 03/21/10, 05:36 PM

Do you need to carry your gun around with you or only have it handy when needed?

How feeble are you? If you have a weak trigger finger, a double action revolver or pistol won't work. Do you have good thumb strength? How about some type of single shot rifle like an H&R Handi Rifle? You open it with a thumb lever, load, and cock the hammer with your thumb. It isn't very long. I have a Rossi single shot with two barrels, a 410 shotgun and a 22. It is very light and handy. It would kill rabbits or intruders. The extra weight of a longarm will cut the recoil way down. And you can cock the hammer with your thumb, or the pinky finger side of your hand, whatever feels best.

pheasantplucker · #13 03/21/10, 05:58 PM

I have a .32 Beretta Tomcat. It's a semi auto. You can rack a first round in it by pulling back on the slide, or you can (since it's a "pop up" ...pop the top and put a round directly in the chamber). Once the first round is fired, the second through 7th are all automatically "cocked" cause it's a semi auto. .32 isn't huge, but it can do the job with a well placed round...It's very small, and easy to operate. It's my little backup when I'm going places where I'm not sure of the folks running around. good luck, and sorry to hear of your dog. Can you get the law on them? Probably don't have the proof they need, right? What goes around comes around...they'll get there's.

Ed Norman · #14 03/21/10, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pheasantplucker

I have a .32 Beretta Tomcat. It's a semi auto. You can rack a first round in it by pulling back on the slide, or you can (since it's a "pop up" ...pop the top and put a round directly in the chamber). Once the first round is fired, the second through 7th are all automatically "cocked" cause it's a semi auto. .32 isn't huge, but it can do the job with a well placed round...It's very small, and easy to operate. It's my little backup when I'm going places where I'm not sure of the folks running around. good luck, and sorry to hear of your dog. Can you get the law on them? Probably don't have the proof they need, right? What foes around comes around...they'll get there's.

Good gun. That's why I didn't recommend my little KelTec 32. It is tiny, but that tiny slide might be hard to pull back without a strong grip. The Tomcat makes that easy to get around.

wwubben · #15 03/21/10, 06:15 PM

A 410 or 20 gauge shotgun should work for you.It will hurt the target much more than you when you blast off.

FarmboyBill · #16 03/21/10, 09:15 PM

How can someone be old enough to be feeble enough not to be able to handle a gun, and not know what hammerless means? IT MEANS A PISTOL WITHOUT A HAMMER. Theyve made them for 130yrs. As someone has said, and Bat Masterson said, They usta file the guns do so that they would nearly go off if u looked attum. Im 62, and ive handled a pair of Navy Colts for 40 yrs. Yes, there getting front heavy. I can buy snub barrels for them, but, doubt if I will. I usta be very good at quick draw, but after growing up, Ive left off handling them as much. They tend to hurt my wrists a bit. BUT, I can still whip them out of their holsters and aim long enough for a good shot. AND, thats butts forward. Butts back is easy.

Ed Norman · #17 03/21/10, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmBoyBill

How can someone be old enough to be feeble enough not to be able to handle a gun, and not know what hammerless means? IT MEANS A PISTOL WITHOUT A HAMMER. Theyve made them for 130yrs. As someone has said, and Bat Masterson said, They usta file the guns do so that they would nearly go off if u looked attum. Im 62, and ive handled a pair of Navy Colts for 40 yrs. Yes, there getting front heavy. I can buy snub barrels for them, but, doubt if I will. I usta be very good at quick draw, but after growing up, Ive left off handling them as much. They tend to hurt my wrists a bit. BUT, I can still whip them out of their holsters and aim long enough for a good shot. AND, thats butts forward. Butts back is easy.

People come here to ask questions and learn, not to get shouted at. I suppose some women could start talking about the parts of a spinning wheel or kids could talk about the latest electronic gadget and you might not have a clue. Would you want to ask if someone yelled at you? Ease up. Everybody has things they are knowledgeable about and things they are ignorant about. The way to learn is to ask, and hope for a civil answer.

pheasantplucker · #18 03/22/10, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Norman

People come here to ask questions and learn, not to get shouted at. I suppose some women could start talking about the parts of a spinning wheel or kids could talk about the latest electronic gadget and you might not have a clue. Would you want to ask if someone yelled at you? Ease up. Everybody has things they are knowledgeable about and things they are ignorant about. The way to learn is to ask, and hope for a civil answer.

...what he said! +1

nehimama · #19 03/22/10, 06:37 AM

How about a can of wasp spray? Aim is good for 20 to 30 feet, and can blind your assailant long enough for you to get away. It isn't illegal to carry, say, in your vehicle. Not expensive. Doesn't attract undue attention. And not too difficult for us oldsters to grab & discharge. Of course now, if you're looking for lethal or more damaging protection. . . . I might go check out a .32 Beretta Tomcat myself!

blooba · #20 03/22/10, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehimama

How about a can of wasp spray? Aim is good for 20 to 30 feet, and can blind your assailant long enough for you to get away. It isn't illegal to carry, say, in your vehicle. Not expensive. Doesn't attract undue attention. And not too difficult for us oldsters to grab & discharge.

I'm not postive but I'm pretty sure a can of bear pepper spray will shoot that distance also. Those little pepper spray things they sell at Wally's World are for seasoning your food not defense....lol.