Eldery mother wants to get a gun...... Advice needed

[Chad4000]

all very good ideas.. I'll see what she is thinking this weekend.. Thanks again for all the advice!

[HoneyBadger]

I agree with some of the posts here about trying her out on a "little too much gun for her".

Maybe convince her a shotgun would be the way to go, (there are probably a hundred videos on youtube about shotguns for self defense), then take her out to the range with a real light shotgun, and the heaviest recoiling loads you can find. Of course, you wouldn't be telling her they aren't the lightest loads around.

If she is dead set on a pistol, a light, heavy recoiling one like posted above would be best.

Grandma with a 3.5" rifled 12ga slug in a lightweight shotgun just seems like a terrible idea... Great way to cause real injury. I would hope that you don't want to actually hurt her.

[hurley842002]

Grandma with a 3.5" rifled 12ga slug in a lightweight shotgun just seems like a terrible idea... Great way to cause real injury. I would hope that you don't want to actually hurt her.

X2 come on people.

[jerrymrc]

I feel for you no matter the decision. I will X3 not letting her fire anything that might hurt her. Even though my dad is a Marine and still works his own business @ 81 when I took him shooting last year I put the wife's pad on his shoulder.

He scoffed but I insisted with him shooting a Garand for the first time in over 50 years. 3 days after I asked to see his shoulder and it was not pretty even with the pad after 32 rounds from the Garand, 20 from the Fal and 20 from the PSL.

I will only add about the safe. The first time she has issues opening it under the influence she will leave the gun out of it from that point on.

[Chad4000]

Grandma with a 3.5" rifled 12ga slug in a lightweight shotgun just seems like a terrible idea... Great way to cause real injury. I would hope that you don't want to actually hurt her.

yeah not going anywhere near shotguns.. my only thought was like I said earlier... maybe the 1911.. something in that real. I've got some full frame 9mm guns too that might work..

[Chad4000]

IF she actually gets really persistent with this idea, how do you guys feel about something like removing the firing pin?

[mountainjenny]

Grandma with a 3.5" rifled 12ga slug in a lightweight shotgun just seems like a terrible idea... Great way to cause real injury. I would hope that you don't want to actually hurt her.

I feel this way about some of the other light gun, heavy load suggestions. I don't think scaring her into losing interest would be the way I would approach it, and could cause injury.

No doubt this is a tough situation. I think I would try some heart to hearts and offer to be involved with the training if she insists. If she is like me, she might lose interest after awhile. I have been excited about doing many things in my life and over time the excitement fads and I move onto something else.

I am not a big fan of removing the firing pin option, for the reasons you mentioned earlier in the thread.

[Chad4000]

I am not a big fan of removing the firing pin option, for the reasons you mentioned earlier in the thread.

yeah totally.. .

I think there is a good chance that this fades..

[boomerhc9]

I feel this way about some of the other light gun, heavy load suggestions. I don't think scaring her into losing interest would be the way I would approach it, and could cause injury.

No doubt this is a tough situation. I think I would try some heart to hearts and offer to be involved with the training if she insists. If she is like me, she might lose interest after awhile. I have been excited about doing many things in my life and over time the excitement fads and I move onto something else.

I am not a big fan of removing the firing pin option, for the reasons you mentioned earlier in the thread.

thanks mountainjenny, good thought.

[Big E3]

I think we have all seen stories of something going terribly wrong and we have said: "What was the family thinking giving that person a gun?". Don't set yourself up for a situation down the road where everybody is armchair quaterbacking after the fact and blaming you for a bad decision on her part. You should be able in good conscious to let her know you just can't do it unless she stops drinking and that you could never live with yourself if something terrible happened. Maybe by doing this you could get her to see the light and assist in keeping her alive and in your life longer. You seem to be conflicted over this issue, don't do something you will regret latter. You can always revisit the gun issue down the road when things have changed and the time is right.