Shotgun for someone with limited strength

G

Grantmac

Regular
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Long story short I'm doing some research for a friend who wants an around the house shotgun. She lives in the US, so nothing short barreled.
She's tried a 12ga pump which was too aggressive for her to shoot effectively.

Part of the problem is that she has nerve damage which limits her strength (part of the reason for wanting a gun in the first place). So we can't use weight to soak up any recoil.

I'm thinking 20ga autoloader, but there aren't that many available and I worry about the reliability.

We've talked about a carbine but they just aren't available right now. She wants to get a pistol eventually but doesn't feel confident in her accuracy with one.

So, any thoughts?

-Grant
 
A shotgun is not a compensation for accuracy at ranges you would see in anything home defense related, especially a smaller bore with less pellets. It also isn't a compensation for training.

Her best bet is likely going to be a pistol, likely something light with limited recoil. I'd suggest a Glock 19 or similar, and the training. Reliability and recoil are the challenges with a shotgun, semi autos are challenging to keep reliable with lighter loads, and she can't handle the recoil of heavier ones. I'd suggest moving away from the shotgun idea. If she has some immediate threat she is concerned about, then she probably should have someone stay with her until she is confident on her own, and properly equipped.
 
I find a huge difference in shooting 12 gauge shells that are the typical 2 3/4" and 2 5/8" shells. 2 3/4" slugs bruise me after 3 shells. I can shoot 2 5/8" shells all day.

I find there's significantly less recoil in the 2 5/8" shells. Maybe let her try those? (More shot/larger slugs vs 20 gauge/410 gauge)

You could also find a shotgun with a recoil reducing stock, the ones with a piston as a tube to help compensate for recoil. Knoxx stocks etc.

But as others have stated, a pistol would probably be a better option, as long as she gets in some practice shooting it.
 
If she lives in the US, have her buy a pistol. Faster to aim and reload than a shotty with someone with limited strength. :)

If she prefers a shotty, as mini_cal mentioned, she can add a Limbsaver recoil pad and something like Knoxx stock to reduce recoil even more as well as reduced load/recoil ammo since it's just home defense.
 
I think that most of us would agree that a handgun requires more familiarization and practice than a shotgun. Combine that with this woman's strength issues, which could make working a slide difficult or impossible, and I don't think a pistol or revolver are ideal. A Knoxx-stocked shotgun (recoil-reducing, pistol-grip) seems like a better idea, along with reduced-recoil loads as stated.
 
Nerve damage in the hands means a heavy/long trigger pull is out, she gets the shakes when she has to use fine motor skills. So no revolvers (we've been down that road). She's actually done well with striker fired pistols (shot a G19 quite well given her limitations).

Eventually she'd like to CCW, but for now she's looking some something with acceptable accuracy that she can sit in a corner with if there is a bump in the night. She can manipulate a pump well enough, but I worry about a stress induced short stroke. She's shot a 20ga 1100, but the loading gate on those is pretty horrid and then are hard to find in 20ga with a short barrel.

-Grant
 
What about a single shot .410?

zoom_survivorb.jpg

H & R Survivor® | .410/45 Colt

Get the nickel one so it looks bad ass.
 
mini_cal said:
I would never go with a single shot. You miss, you're f*ked.

I would rather use an AR15/rifle as home defense than a .410
Click to expand...

Indeed, except good luck getting an AR anywhere in the US right now. Plus she's looking at under $600 which limits you to pretty crappy ones, although I've heard good things about the mossbergs.

-Grant
 
i would look for a semi auto 22 rifle perhaps a compact ruger . i realize it is not a shotgun but is light to handle ,no recoil ,decent magazine capacity and cheap to buy and practice with . as for those that say it is not enough gun i would counter with my experience on the farm that it works great for 1500 lb. animals when you have to butcher or put down a sick or injured animal. i guess it all depends on what she is best able to handle as we do not know her limitations . whatever she decides it has to be a gun that she is capable and comfortable with . best of luck and let us know how it turns out .
 
My wife broke her wrist and the result is reduced strength in one hand. This means that some guns are now difficult or impossible.

For this reason I urge you to make sure she has the power to #### hammers, stroke pumps, etc. before making a decision. Also, we gun nuts automatically understand the steps to prepare a given gun for use. How to load it, for example. How to load it under pressure. Does she have to remember to cycle the action after loading?

A 22 rifle like a 10-22 would be good, but she would have to be able to maneuver the mag into the rifle, make sure it is seated and then cycle the action to get it ready. That might be a big challenge with a bad hand, especially in poor light, while terrified.

But, since she is in the USA, if there are no kids running around her place, a loaded 22, with safety off, propped against the bedside table might be perfect. I would take it to the range with several different brands of quality hi vel ammo and find which one was 100% reliable.

I just went through all this with someone who had some familiarity with shooting, but none with shotguns. Our conclusion was that the foolproof shotgun was a hamerless double barrel with reduced recoil 00Buck. Cocking is accomplished when opening the gun to load it, so it cannot be overlooked or forgotten. The safety has been disconnected, so that cannot go wrong. And loading is simple and easy, even with reduced strength or motor skills.

The observation about aiming is a good one. The gun still has to be aimed. Group size in a house is in the 2" to 4" range. The nice thing about a shotgun is that it is so intimidating that there is some chance it would not have to be used.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom