Best Guns For Seniors

Each of the guns on this list include at least one feature that makes them more user friendly to someone with limited hand strength, no matter if age, disability, or a chronic ailment is to blame. Good news if you fit this description. There are plenty of firearms on the market today that can help you enjoy shooting again!
These features include:

• Ease of trigger pull
• Grip ease
• Ease of loading/chambering
• Light recoil
• Light overall weight

  Ruger LCR

  The Ruger LCR gets high marks for shooters with low hand strength. The LCR stands for “Lightweight Compact Revolver” which would lead you to believe it fits at least a few of our criteria right off the bat. It does.
  The LCR is a double action only revolver with the hammer and firing  concealed within the frame’s handle, which makes cocking the hammer unnecessary, beneficial if you have difficulty cocking a single action revolver. This feature also makes carrying and drawing an LCR easier with no hammer to get hung up on.
  As for recoil, this revolver gives you plenty of options to choose your own recoil threshold. The LCR is available in a number of calibers ranging from .22lr, .22WMR, .38 special, to heavier loads like .357 Magnum, 9mm Luger, and .327 Federal.
  

  At a weight of just under 1LB for most models, this gun is light enough for most users. Combine these features with the Ruger name and reputation and you have a very strong candidate for many senior or disabled shooters.
  

  Beretta Bobcat 21 A (.25 ACP)

  The Beretta Bobcat is another compact and lightweight entry for seniors who may have difficulty racking a slide or holding a heavy handgun steady on target. Designed to serve as a lightweight pocket gun, the Bobcat naturally solves many of the issues facing seniors.
  The unique tip-up barrel allows for easy loading, allowing those who may have difficulty working a slide to chamber a round in a semi-auto pistol. Being a Beretta, the sights, construction, and ergonomics are top-notch.
  Obviously, the weapon is extremely small and lightweight. The Bobcat is very popular in the rimfire version, yet we recommend the .25ACP version. Some shooters report lower reliability in the .22lr version, citing jams, misfires, stovepipes, etc.
  

  If you plan to carry this gun for self-defense, you need absolute reliability. The .25 ACP is certainly on the low end of the recoil spectrum anyway, so firing the gun is still low-impact enough for most shooters struggling with arthritis and other conditions
  

  Ruger 10/22

  
  For those looking for a highly accurate and user-friendly target rifle, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this classic plinkster.
  When it comes to accuracy, ease of use, and trigger-pull, the Ruger 10-22 is spot on. Very little strength is needed to work the bolt to chamber a round. From there, the shooter can enjoy a magazine’s worth of smooth, light recoil shooting. This can save conserve effort and strength when compared to a bolt-action rifle.
  This Ruger comes standard with a 10-round magazine that’s easy to remove and replace. If you’d like even more shots between reloads, there are plenty of high capacity options available.
  

  Like most .22lr long guns, the Ruger is lightweight in comparison to most high-powered rifles. The sights are straightforward, clean and classic.
  

  Smith and Wesson M&P – 9mm

  The M&P series is well-known for delivering a high bang-for-the-buck factor. For those with arthritis and or other issues that may affect their grip strength, the M&P also offers adjustable back straps to better fit your hand.
  In addition, the trigger pull for M&P performance models is roughly 4.5LBs, light enough to suit shooters with strength or joint issues.  Racking the slide on the M&P is also requires relatively easy.
  
  If you have the arm strength to hold a full-sized semiautomatic pistol, then it’s worth taking a look into the M&P series. If weight is an issue, keep in mind that you don’t have to keep the magazine at full capacity (17 rounds).
  

  Rossi Circuit Judge

  
  For those who feel most comfortable with a single action revolver, on account of strength or dexterity issues, yet who also prefer a rifle or carbine for target shooting, the Rossi Circuit judge is the best of both worlds.
  In fact, the Rossi can even be used for sporting clays and/or bird hunting applications. It’s perhaps the only revolver style shotgun with a long barrel on the market…
  While the Circuit Judge is available with .22LR/22WMR interchangeable cylinders — great for those who can only handle minimal recoil — we recommend the .45LC/.410GA version for it’s variability. In addition, the recoil produced by the .45 LC through this carbine is pretty negligible.
  

  Overall, this gun is a great option on account of its single-action features which add up to a lot of builtin safety and simplicity
  

  Bersa Thunder 380

  The Bersa Thunder is a very popular gun for a laundry list of reasons. This gun is small, high quality, easy to operate, and last but not least inexpensive.
  For under $300, this gun seems to find its way into the hands of shooters who really like holding a Wather PPK, but don’t want to pay for privilege. Many of those who’ve shot these guns side by side say the same thing: the Bersa is significantly lighter in weight, yet somehow produces a lighter recoil.
  If you’re in the market for an easy-to-use, easy-to-shoot carry gun, the Bersa is an excellent value. Its lighter weight, easy to rack slide, and light recoil make it a strong contender.
  

  Charter Arms .38 Special

  When it comes to self defense weapons that are safe, straightforward, and easy to shoot, it’s hard to beat the good old fashioned snub-nose revolver.
  Obviously, these snub nosed specials aren’t for long distance target shooting, or even mid-range. They can be a lot of fun to shoot, however.
  There are many great options out there produced by some of the most reputable names like Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt. For some reason, lots of older shooters tend to prefer the Charter Arms version. It’s got a big comfy rubber grip, minimal recoil, and can fire in single or double-action mode, all for around $300.
  If a lightweight revolver is on your list, test drive a Charter 2″ snubbie.