I hope this thread will become a place where we can accumulate information about firearms that are easier to operate, shoot, maintain and load for those of us who are finding we really ain't what we once were much less what the always thought we were.

For the most part I still find I can carry and rack and load and shoot my full size guns, even the GI size 1911s. I carried my S&W Highway Patrolman a few weeks ago and found it was still more accurate than I was. In general, even my S&W M&P Shield 2.0 9mm and 45acps are usually manageable although I admit they are among the hardest for me to rack.

But not always. Woke up one morning and found I ached like I had been arm wrestling and loosing all night.

Bent over one day to put the kitty food down and somehow jess plain broke my back. Leastwise sure hurt it even if it wern't broken.

The modern ground is much harder to reach than the good old ground I remembered and some days my fingers jess don't seem to want to do what they are told.

To be honest, I'm old. And as mentioned above, I never was quite the man I thought I was in the first place. At 80 I find things that once were easy down right difficult and that every day there is something I need to work at instead of just doing. And there is little evidence that the trends won't continue.

I have begun exploring ways to compensate, guns that require less strength, that are easier to maintain, that allow me to use what capabilities I do have and will have.

So far I've found four specific pistols that really surprised me as well as a few 'aids' that are small enough and portable enough to be carried in my pocket or range bag.

The four specific pistols I'll try to review as the S&W Shield 2.0 380EZ, Walther CCP M2 380 and two from Ruger; the LCP II Lite Rack 22lr and the Security 380 Lite Rack.

The aids will mostly be mag loaders and racking aids and holsters and cleaning aids.

I hope that others will also contribute anything they find or learn since whether we like it or not, we will be older in the future then we are today.

Great idea! Another sub forum would be good though.

Several months ago, I encountered the web site for the Arachnigrip (https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns ... de-spider/). It seems an intriguing concept, for sure. I may eventually try them on one or more of my pistols, if they still exist (The manufacturer site doesn't seem to work).

I'm still a young whippersnapper by some folks' reckoning, and have always had a fair bit of hand strength (working as a truck mechanic, auto mechanic, carpenter, and other such jobs at various points in life will correlate with that), so racking my various pistols is still pretty easy for me. My wife chose her pistol out of the collection in part because it's the easiest for her to rack and load and do other administrative stuff to it, but she's still got some finger strength, so we're good at the moment.

However, I'm conscious that others don't have the grip strength I enjoy (heck, mine isn't what it was twenty years ago). I'm interested in adaptive technology, too--a friend broke his neck snow skiing when I was a teenager, and people were often surprised at the places I could get his wheelchairs.

BearPaws wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:20 pm Several months ago, I encountered the web site for the Arachnigrip (https://americanhandgunner.com/handguns ... de-spider/). It seems an intriguing concept, for sure. I may eventually try them on one or more of my pistols, if they still exist (The manufacturer site doesn't seem to work).

I'm still a young whippersnapper by some folks' reckoning, and have always had a fair bit of hand strength (working as a truck mechanic, auto mechanic, carpenter, and other such jobs at various points in life will correlate with that), so racking my various pistols is still pretty easy for me. My wife chose her pistol out of the collection in part because it's the easiest for her to rack and load and do other administrative stuff to it, but she's still got some finger strength, so we're good at the moment.

However, I'm conscious that others don't have the grip strength I enjoy (heck, mine isn't what it was twenty years ago). I'm interested in adaptive technology, too--a friend broke his neck snow skiing when I was a teenager, and people were often surprised at the places I could get his wheelchairs.

The Arachnigrip is one of the aids I have tried but unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The cute little things simply didn't offer as much improvement to be considered really an aid and had a very short life before beginning to come off. Plain old grip tape worked better but was not very good looking.

I cannot recommend the Arachnigrip.

sig230, I appreciate the review! You probably have saved me some money!

As I noted, I'm not even sure they are still available, as the company's web site doesn't seem to work. The most recent video I see reviewing the product line is at least a couple years old. it seemed like a neat concept, but, alas...

Great idea for a thread. I'm going rimfire revolver for the moment while I build my skills back up, but hope to try some or all of Sig's suggestions.

I just got a mag-loader for the .380 Makarov after splitting my thumbnail for what I hope is the last time. Took a minute or two to figure it out, but it's gonna work for me really well.

The damn Mark II mags are almost as hard to load, and while the .380 magloader won't fit, as a piece of hard plastic, it's the right size to compress that little metal lever.

SunRiseWest wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:45 pm Great idea for a thread. I'm going rimfire revolver for the moment while I build my skills back up, but hope to try some or all of Sig's suggestions.

I just got a mag-loader for the .380 Makarov after splitting my thumbnail for what I hope is the last time. Took a minute or two to figure it out, but it's gonna work for me really well.

The damn Mark II mags are almost as hard to load, and while the .380 magloader won't fit, as a piece of hard plastic, it's the right size to compress that little metal lever.

My Mak is an East German 9mm Mak. And yes, the little tabs can split nails in a hurry. But I have had good luck with a neat little idea for loading 380 and 9mm Mak rounds in little single stacks. It's called RangeTray and you simply put your 380 in the tray and then push the magazine down over it. The 380 version for the Sig 380s should work for you.

Great idea for the thread. We aren't frozen in time, we don't have the same strength we had 20-30 years ago to shoot a handgun or rifle or physically protect ourselves. Self defense becomes even more important, so it's looking at different options.

As far as loading mags go, I highly recommend the uplula magazine loader. It works on all of of my handgun mags, and makes the process much easier.

https://www.maglula.com/product/uplula/


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Moving on to the handguns, I picked my S&W M&P Shield 2.0 9mm as the base since of the ones I own it is probably the closest to a currently popular CCW choice.

I used a Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge and the Shield slide averaged eleven pounds two ounces and the trigger pull averaged three pounds four ounces.
My S&W M&P 380EZ measurements were a slide average of four pounds thirteen ounces and trigger pull averaged right at three pounds.
Other areas that made things easy were the follower tabs on the magazine similar to what is on many 22lr magazines and since the later is hammer fired, not having to pull the trigger or search for a little lever to remove the slide. Adding in the reduced recoil of a 380 vs 9mm Luger also cut my split times almost in half.

The over all result is that I am faster and more accurate with the 380EZ than the Shield 9mm, take down for cleaning is easier, loading magazines by hand is easier and the EZ is just plain more fun at the range.

INVICTVS138 wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:11 am As far as loading mags go, I highly recommend the uplula magazine loader. It works on all of of my handgun mags, and makes the process much easier.

https://www.maglula.com/product/uplula/


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Yup. I have three; one single stack, one double stack and the third to load my 10/22 magazines.

sig230 wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 3:13 pmSo far I've found four specific pistols that really surprised me as well as a few 'aids' that are small enough and portable enough to be carried in my pocket or range bag.

The four specific pistols I'll try to review as the S&W Shield 2.0 380EZ, Walther CCP M2 380 and two from Ruger; the LCP II Lite Rack 22lr and the Security 380 Lite Rack.

The aids will mostly be mag loaders and racking aids and holsters and cleaning aids.

I hope that others will also contribute anything they find or learn since whether we like it or not, we will be older in the future then we are today.

I've racked the Shield EZ pistols. They are easier to rack than the standard Shield, and for my hands, any of the Shields is a good ergonomic fit.

However, I'm a little concerned about the lack of mention of wheelguns here. The reason for this is that there are several good, small, portable revolvers which also fit the bill of being easy to load and unload (duh, it's a revolver), easy to shoot, and accurate enough to do what needs to be done in a bad situation. Additionally, a revolver, especially one with a shrouded hammer, can be shot through a coat pocket if need be without the concern of a slide getting caught on the pocket's internals.

Therefore, I nominate the following for consideration as well.

- Ruger LCR in .38 Spl, or .357M using .38 Spl rounds
- Ruger LCR in .22LR since that round is in play
- S&W J-frame, also in .38 Spl, preferably the all-stainless one (e. g. the Model 640)

We all know that S&W revolvers have pretty decent triggers out of the box, and it's almost trivial for any gunsmith to get them to have really slick (and safe) triggers. Even into his 80's, my Dad, who did have some arthritis, had no trouble working with his bone-stock stainless J-frame.

Ruger's LCR trigger, I have found, is also pretty nice out of the box.

CT I agree on the revolvers as a defensive gun. I have two that I can carry concealed without any problems using a good belt and holster. Easy to conceal since my favorite shirts are the tropical sport shirts. The wheel guns are the S&W 686+ .357 mag with the 3 inch barrel and the Ruger Alaskan 44 mag. Ether one is heavy, but with the right belt, not a problem. If I think I might need more fire power I have the Sig 227 in 45 acp and the 10 round and 14 round mags for a real gunfight.

Isn't a pistol thats easier to rack also gives you more recoil? I've never tested the theory.

tonguengroover wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:23 am Isn't a pistol thats easier to rack also gives you more recoil? I've never tested the theory.

Not at all in these cases. The 380s mentioned in the OP quite frankly feel like shooting a 22lr.

Wheel guns are definitely an option but as always, it depends on the wheel gun. I have never had an issue with my Colt Detective Special and in fact the last couple times I've had to shoot a qualifier I used the DS. But the S&W 642 I had was simply impossible for me to shoot quickly and accurately. I can do okay with my older "J" frames that are all steel but even there, they simply are not enjoyable to practice many rounds at a time.


The Detective Special in my IWB Marauder holster from Wes Dahl Privateer Leather:
The "J" Frame "Widdershin" revolvers:

Don’t mind me, I’m just hollerin’ down a well again.

https://youtu.be/rz_m4M8CAe0

wooglin wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 12:58 pm Don’t mind me, I’m just hollerin’ down a well again.

https://youtu.be/rz_m4M8CAe0

Actually I own more .32 handguns than any other caliber, but only one is still a gun still in production. The 'tip up barrel' handguns are also often mentioned as an option for those who have trouble racking pistols and I hope to have a post outlining the pros and cons that I see.

The 32 revolvers are increasingly available these days but I'm still at the S&W 32 and S&W 32 Long era. Here's my H&R 732 I've been shooting since the late 1960s IIRC.
The 32 in both revolver and pistol configurations is soft shooting, accurate but also generally more expensive and less available in the US than many other calibers.

And jess for fun my Hopkins & Allen 'Safety Police':

For ease of use, I don’t carry my semiautomatics. I do love to shoot them, but carry a S&W 649 .357Mag. Racking is just another step, to each their own preference though. Revolvers are an acceptable alternative in my opinion.

Beretta makes or made tilt barrel semiautomatics. Worth considering since the first bullet can be loaded without racking. I believe there were a few models with different calibers.

sikacz wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 1:19 pm Beretta makes or made tilt barrel semiautomatics. Worth considering since the first bullet can be loaded without racking. I believe there were a few models with different calibers.

Okay, somewhat a change in order but perhaps the right time to talk about pocket guns with tip up barrels.

Beretta and Taurus are the only ones making current tip up barrel pistols with which I'm familiar and I have three such examples. They were also ones just recently tried out by my sister and brother-in-law and in fact he adopted the Beretta Tomcat 3032 in 32acp.

The three current tip up barrel pistols are the Beretta Bobcat and Tomcat (22lr & 32acp) and the Taurus PT22Poly. There are also some 25acp versions but I have not seen a new one for sale in probably a decade or so.
Features common to all three are the tip up barrel so you generally don't have to rack the slide, pretty fat grips compared even to much larger overall pistols, a thumb safety and lever over trigger to release the barrel. All three are pretty reliable but the 22lr pair have been picky about which ammo they like. They are all three really really short pistols and really are pocket-able but I still use a holster to keep the grip side up.

Where they are weak is that none of them have an extractor. Empty casings are shoved back by inertia only and should then get ejected. But particularly with the 22lr, if the round doesn't fire the slide doesn't cycle and quite often the round also is jammed in hard enough by the firing pin hitting the rim that the dud doesn't fly out.

When that happens or a spent casing gets stuck the task is to tip up the barrel and pull or push the round or casing out manually.

From a hot barrel.

With what you have available (too often called fingernails).

Then you need to reload, either a fresh round from your pocket or stash OR by closing the barrel and manually cycling the slide.

And those are the Cons. Since the pistols are so small and the springs are pretty heavy and there just isn't much real estate to grab hold of, racking them is tough. In fact for my sister, racking either the Bobcat or PT22Poly was impossible.

The Tomcat using 32acp is more reliable than the 22lr and the round is big enough that it's easier to get a dud or stuck casing out than with the 22lr ones so my brother-in-law has been able to manage and it really is small enough to conceal and large enough to shoot moderately accurately, but neither of them found clearing jams or misfires practical as SD options.

And I tend to agree.

All three are what I consider great choices for an experienced shooter but not really good choices for either a new shooter or even the occasional shooter that doesn't regularly practice failure drills on them.

AbE:

One other issue.

The two Berettas are classic DA/SA models (the Taurus is DOA) and neither has a decocker. That means the gun will be cocked with the light trigger pull after the first shot. To 'safe' the pistols there is a manual thumb safety so you can carry cocked & locked (again, great for experienced shooters) but for new shooters the procedure is to tip up the barrel and pull the trigger to lower the hammer and return to initial DA mode with the heavier longer trigger pull.

Once again, no problem once you are familiar with and practice with the pistol. But what too often happens is the the shooter does not think to put weak hand over the tip up barrel to keep it from flinging the chambered round and the result is the chambered round gets tossed to Infinity & Beyond.

Also the Model 86 Cheetah in 380.

sikacz wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 2:24 pm Also the Model 86 Cheetah in 380.

The 80 series are among my favorites but I tend towards the 32acp/7.65 over the380s. But I'm not sure the 86 is still being made. It would have an extractor though and maybe even a decocker.

My Beretta 81:

Over here in Rookie's Corner, we have two double deuces that are incredibly easy to load and shoot with arthritic hands-- though dang, I wish I could find a speed loader (8 round cylinder, 22 LR) for the Taurus!

The Rough Rider is not super practical for SD, obviously. I call it The Ratter, but it is surprisingly accurate. Don't have a lot of property, but if any threat were more than 10 yards away, it would be my best choice, as I can hit stuff with it.

These two have a little sibling rivalry going: "Anything you can do, I can do better..."

sig230 wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 2:50 pm

sikacz wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 2:24 pm Also the Model 86 Cheetah in 380.

The 80 series are among my favorites but I tend towards the 32acp/7.65 over the380s. But I'm not sure the 86 is still being made. It would have an extractor though and maybe even a decocker.

My Beretta 81:

81-04small.jpg

I don’t think it’s made anymore. Used would be the only way to get one.