Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I currently have no shooting experience, I have been reading all I can on guns for personal protection and home defense, and I like the S&W Bodyguard, and also the Taurus Judge and the S&W Govenor.
I do own a Remington Nylon 66 the black and crome one that is a 22L rifle. and we plan to get a shotgun.
What I am wondering with the revolvers for myself, while the Bodyguard is lighter and I could conceal carry with it, I wonder if the fact that it is lighter would be a problem with recoil over a heavier gun. I have arthritis in almost all my body including hands and wrists. So I am concerned with recoil and with trigger pull, I understand the bodyguard is a heavy pull.
I also want your opinions on whether I would be more of a target to bad guys if I open carry or concealed carry?
I imagine some of you will tell me just to forget the whole thing but I am moving to an area with lots of drug problems and poverty.
You are describing my mom. She is in her 60s, works as a bookkeeper, and often carries cash bags from work to the bank after hours. She has a carry permit, and uses it.
After starting this job, she started by carrying her Smith & Wesson "LadySmith" .32 Magnum. A beautiful rose-wood handled 6-shot revolver. The recoil was about right, but the stainless steel gun was too heavy for her purse.
Then she switched to a new Ruger LCR in .38 Special. The gun was much lighter, but the light gun combined with the more powerful cartridge was too much for her arthritis. She enjoyed carrying it, but hated shooting it and refused to practice.
Now she carries a Ruger LCR in .22 Magnum. The same light weight with significantly less recoil so she actually carries it and actually practices with it. Some people may say the .22Mag is too weak for self defense, but I disagree. A .22Mag is completely different from a .22Long Rifle. It is significantly more powerful than the gun you left at home because it's too heavy, and it's significantly more effective than the one that kicks so much you don't practice with it.
I recommend the same gun for you. It's hammerless double-action, so just draw, point, and pull the trigger. Another option would be a used Smith & Wesson 632 Airweight or Taurus Ultralight in .32 Magnum. Slightly more recoil than the .22Mag, but significantly more power.
As for open vs concealed, I always recommend concealed. Carrying open draws attention by default. If you're in a "bad" area, an open weapon may attract the attention of a wanna-be thug who thinks you won't have the guts to use it. Also, don't just drop a weapon in your purse. Get a "carry purse" with a dedicated gun pocket.
Good luck!
Last edited by An Einnseanair; 08-20-2014 at 12:58 PM..
It doesn't always matter if you have fulfilled the training requirements and are legally eligible. They can deny it for any reason, or no reason at all other than the fact they don't think you "need" a handgun.
If you're moving to WV, you'll be in a much more free state. Honestly I'd just wait until you get there to start anything, but you know your situation and what you want to do better than I.
As I understand it, MA, like California, is best described as "at the whim of issuing official". Urban areas are more along the lines of "no issue", but even in anti-gun California people in conservative rural counties can get CC permits easily. It sounds like the people she has been talking to will help her get her permit, so maybe in her local area a permit is easy. Being a "arthritic grandmother" will also help things along immensely.
If she's worried about needing a defensive weapon her first day in WV then she needs to start practicing now. Kudos to her for taking her defense seriously instead of relying on 911.
In MA you need a Class A license to conceal-carry.
I made a traffic stop on an elderly lady the other day for speeding on U.S. 166 Eastbound at Mile Marker 73 just East of Sedan, KS. I asked for her driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. The lady took out the required information and handed it to me. In with the cards I was somewhat surprised (due to her advanced age) to see she had a conceal carry permit. I looked at her and ask if she had a weapon in her possession at this time. She responded that she indeed had a .45 automatic in her glove box. Something—body language, or the way she said it—made me want to ask if she had any other firearms. She did admit to also having a 9mm Glock in her center console. Now I had to ask one more time if that was all. She responded once again that she did have just one more, a .38 special in her purse. I then asked her what was she so afraid of. She looked me right in the eye and said, “Nobody!”
Check out the Beretta automatics with a tip-up barrel. The slide never has to be racked.
Now it is funny you should say that. A lot has happened since I last posted. I now own 18 guns 7 handguns and the rest are either rifles or shotguns. I also have reloading equipment. I DID get my A class license in MA no problem.
I have moved to West Virginia, and I now have my WV License to carry. My Carry gun is the Ruger LCRX 38 with a laser on it. and I JUST bought a Beretta Tomcat 3032 Inox because of the tilt up barrel, but I did not try in the store, the sales man kept opening and closing it and telling me how it was a good gun for the elderly and those with weak hands. So I got it home and guess what? I cannot get the pop up barrel to latch when trying to press it down.
I have tried having my son keep working it Pop and close, pop and close etc. Someone suggested that if I tip it over and use the edge of a table to push on the barrel that it might close. I have tried that and it does work for me. Not ideal but at least I can now load the thing. [as long as there is a table or desk nearby.LOL]
Anyway I said I would keep you informed, so that is my update.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
