# Advice for senior.



## Dearelliot (May 6, 2018)

I'm 83 and with age I've lost the strength in my hands, so that handling the receiver on my Walther PPK380 is almost impossible. I live in New Jersey and recently got a permit to buy two handguns. I'm looking for any advice on a good replacement. I'd like to stay with a 380 or 38 cal and Id like an automatic as well as a revolver. I don't expect to take the pistols to a range, as I usually just keep them in my drawer. I suppose the most important thing is ease of opening the receiver and size as Id rather have a smaller weapon for the house.. I have had some advice for a S&W EZ 380 which size wise was very nice, but I didn't care for the grip safety on it. 

I also ask if anyone knows if it is at all possible for me to buy a handgun out of state, as I wonder if there aren't better deals and choices on new and used guns outside of New Jersey. My brief experience in shopping hand guns here in Central NJ has been less than stellar, as the few shops I've visited didn't seem to have much in the way of inventory in the type of hand gun I'm looking for.


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## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)

I have never bought a firearm from out of state, I like to see it before cash is exchanged.
I have found my best deals from FFL that sell out of their homes, the less overhead is passed on.
I found mine from searching on Armslist.
I don't know how jersey works for firearm purchases, but I would give Armslist a look.
Good Luck with your search.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

You should be able to buy a gun out of state and have it sent to an FFL (licensed dealer) near you, as long as it doesn't have features that are illegal in your state. That will increase the cost, depending upon on sales tax, shipping cost, and how much your local FFL charges you to run the background check required by federal law. 

Predicting what hurdles that a gun-unfriendly state like NJ will place before you is difficult, especially so for folks like me that live in gun-friendly states. Many southern states have refused to enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968, which theoretically means that in order to be caught transporting a firearm back home from another state, you would have to be arrested by a federal LE officer, which seems unlikely. Nevertheless, it is still illegal, and I don't recommend it.

In my personal opinion, one of the best options for the situation you describe would be something like a S&W Model 10 revolver, chambered in .38 Special, with 4" barrel. It is a very pretty double-action revolver with a smooth DA trigger and is a soft recoiling, accurate revolver. They were used for decades by many police forces. There should be a lot of them around, for probably less than $400, depending on condition. I have one that I love to shoot, and my wife shoots it very well. There are also several other similar models, some of which that are chambered for .357 magnum, but will also shoot .38 Special. Just think S&W 4" chambered in .357 or .38 Special, and find one you like.

P.S.: If you are serious about not taking your new purchase to the range for testing, I wouldn't buy a semi-auto, because they need to be function tested with several varieties of ammo. A revolver can be tested fairly well with dry-firing, although I would personally not depend on anything without a good test run with live ammo.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

I agree with my friend, Bisley. If you really don't intend to practice with it, either stick with a revolver, keep what you have or don't bother with a firearm at all. Marksmanship is a perishable skill and I'd not want to be a danger for neighbors or others in my home by not being able to hit the possible bad guy. 

I have older arthritic hands as do some others here. This forum seems to be mostly seniors. We all just learn to adapt and purchase firearms which work for us. Sometimes it helps to employ a good gunsmith. With my semi-autos, I really have to smooth up the slide by racking it a few hundred times with some jeweler's polish in place. When it's new, I use a large oven mitt to help me. Otherwise, my fingers lock up and my wrist swells terribly. I might sit on the edge of my bed and rack the slide that way 50 or more times with that mitt. Clean off the polish, rinse and repeat the next day. Eventually, she gets as smooth as butter and I clean it up then lube it. She's much easier to use. Good to go. 

Once a week I go, sometimes with other retired guys or gals, and practice. Dry firing at home and practicing at the range is a must or you lose that skill. I teach an informal class to seniors on occasion at my gun club and have seen it all with regards to age. One nice lady looked like a nursing home refugee and came to the class one weekday morning using a walker. She had a single action .22, but she learned and came back again and again. That little 22 was all she could handle and it was almost too heavy for her, but by golly, she had spirit and learned how to shoot straight. She just could not rack the slide on anything and couldn't cycle a double action revolver. I believe she's now upgraded to a 22 Mag SA and still wears a pink cowboy hat. The point is she adapted and found what worked, but it takes trying things out, as well as a plan to practice on a regular basis.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Dearelliot said:


> I'm 83 and with age I've lost the strength in my hands, so that handling the receiver on my Walther PPK380 is almost impossible. I live in New Jersey and recently got a permit to buy two handguns. I'm looking for any advice on a good replacement. I'd like to stay with a 380 or 38 cal and Id like an automatic as well as a revolver. I don't expect to take the pistols to a range, as I usually just keep them in my drawer. I suppose the most important thing is ease of opening the receiver and size as Id rather have a smaller weapon for the house.. I have had some advice for a S&W EZ 380 which size wise was very nice, but I didn't care for the grip safety on it.
> 
> I also ask if anyone knows if it is at all possible for me to buy a handgun out of state, as I wonder if there aren't better deals and choices on new and used guns outside of New Jersey. My brief experience in shopping hand guns here in Central NJ has been less than stellar, as the few shops I've visited didn't seem to have much in the way of inventory in the type of hand gun I'm looking for.


Hello and welcome to the forum! I would suggest a Ruger LCR, in .38 Special. I love mine, and my wife has no problem handling it either, and she is not very strong of hand.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

You can purchase weapons out of state or via the internet if shipped to a FFL at your location....

Sig Sauer P238 (.380) is a very easy weapon to rack..... A tad pricey but worth it.......
https://www.sigsauer.com/products/firearms/pistols/p238/

Sig P238 at Buds Gun Shop
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=sig+sauer+p238


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

If I were to suggest a pistol, I'd maybe suggest the same as that lady in my previous post here. Maybe a single action revolver like a Hertage Rough Rider .357 but loaded with 38 Special ammunition. She's a tad heavy at slightly over 2 lbs. but that will make it much easier to control. Single action means you must pull back the hammer every shot, but for someone who may not practice much, that's a safety feature. A larger handgun is always much easier to control and much more pleasurable to shoot in the field or at a range.

If you absolutely insist on something more tactical, I might suggest a Walther PPQ which is around 24 ounces and uses 9mm. It comes with a pair of 15 round magazines. Understand, this is a defensive gun and it's ready to shoot when you pick it up. Just pull that light crisp trigger and it fires where you point it. No safety. Striker fired semi automatics and revolvers usually do not have a thumb safety but they are safe if you keep your finger off the trigger. Why the PPQ? Because they are well crafted with easy to rack slides, as these things go. They are somewhat small, but not too much so to make things less controllable. They are very simple to use and as some say, hard to miss with. They are nothing like your current Walther PPK. Like any semi automatic for older hands, I'd still pay a qualified gunsmith to smooth the slide rails and do the initial cleaning and lubrication with quality gun grease on those rails. It's made in Germany, and like a lot of guns shipped in, are covered in and out with Cosmoline or a similar preservative. Racking the slide in the store will be harder than after it's properly cleaned and lubricated especially after the rails are smoothed up a bit. The reason I suggest a gun smith take care of this is that most people break a gun in by shooting 200-300 or more rounds which smooths things up. A gunsmith can accomplish this pretty much without the break in being needed as much. 

As a matter of fact, I would bet a qualified gunsmith could really make your existing PPK more usable for you and for less money than a new pistol. Find one in your area and explain your issues to him. See what he suggests doing. I've shot a lot of sweet shooting PPK pistols over the years. I think Steve1911 may still own a PPK and can talk to this idea if he chooses to chime in.


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## BigHead (Jul 5, 2015)

Dearelliot said:


> I'm 83 and with age I've lost the strength in my hands, so that handling the receiver on my Walther PPK380 is almost impossible. I live in New Jersey and recently got a permit to buy two handguns. I'm looking for any advice on a good replacement. I'd like to stay with a 380 or 38 cal and Id like an automatic as well as a revolver. I don't expect to take the pistols to a range, as I usually just keep them in my drawer. I suppose the most important thing is ease of opening the receiver and size as Id rather have a smaller weapon for the house.. I have had some advice for a S&W EZ 380 which size wise was very nice, but I didn't care for the grip safety on it.
> 
> I also ask if anyone knows if it is at all possible for me to buy a handgun out of state, as I wonder if there aren't better deals and choices on new and used guns outside of New Jersey. My brief experience in shopping hand guns here in Central NJ has been less than stellar, as the few shops I've visited didn't seem to have much in the way of inventory in the type of hand gun I'm looking for.


You can buy guns from anywhere in America, as long as you use a knowledgeable FFL dealer. Here are 2 places to look at, they are national sellers and buyers, look at their sites, and see if you find anything to your liking. They are Gun Broker and GunsAmerica. https://www.gunbroker.com/ https://www.gunsamerica.com/

View attachment 14737

This is a Taurus M85 .38 Special, for $280, plus a handling fee for your FFL. This is a nice gun, and inexpensive.

This is an Ruger LCR .38 Special, and it lists for $334, plus maybe $25 for your FFL dealer. Another nice gun which is inexpensive.
View attachment 14745


They have a lot of guns at these two sites, and you can look them over, and find what you want.
https://www.gunbroker.com/ https://www.gunsamerica.com/

*The transferring of the gun is the job of the FFL, and the web site is what makes it nation-wide. A holder of an Federal Firearms License, can buy and sell a gun anywhere in America. So, you are not stuck with NJ as the only place to look, and you are sure to get a better deal because of that.*


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

BigHead said:


> You can buy guns from anywhere in America, as long as you use a knowledgeable FFL dealer. Here are 2 places to look at, they are national sellers and buyers, look at their sites, and see if you find anything to your liking. They are Gun Broker and GunsAmerica. https://www.gunbroker.com/ https://www.gunsamerica.com/
> 
> View attachment 14737
> 
> ...


Yeah, the Tauri is a good one too. I have the Model 605, and it runs really well for me. I just keep it loaded with .38 Special +P's....the .357's beat me up!


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

Hello and welcome.

Just about any revolver will do. I like Smith & Wesson's with longer barrels for better site picture.

As I've gotten older I like the two handed loading of semis, were one hand pushes the frame the other hand pushes the slide together. 

Bersa makes a quality 380 for around 300.

Berretta and Taurus make flip barrel semis in 22 to 32 caliber. No need to rack the slide. 

Good luck on your choice. Let us know what you decide. My brother lives in Freehold.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Elliot, you might wish to reply to the advice others have given. Also, think about joining in on other discussions. We're a good lot here and help one another. Unfortunately we get our share of one and two post folks who seem to just vanish, often without acknowledging the effort people put into their reply to a question. You might disagree with some, but they are just opinions.


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## BigHead (Jul 5, 2015)

berettatoter said:


> Yeah, the Tauri is a good one too. I have the Model 605, and it runs really well for me. I just keep it loaded with .38 Special +P's....the .357's beat me up!


A .357 snub can be hard to handle, and they can over-heat, using 357 Mag. rounds. 
My nephew has a super light S&W , and it bound up on him at the range, and would not fire. After it cooled off, it was as good as ever was.


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