Best Handgun Defensive Caliber for Old Arthritic Granny?

[Leveraction44]

This is for home defense not for CCW.

I would say the needed criteria would be:
Low recoil
Decent round capacity
East to operate in regard to making ready to shoot and shooting. Not including cleaning and loading.
Terminal effectiveness
A small enough grip that a small weak hand could hold on to.

The calibers that come to mind are 22lr, 22wmr, 5.7, and 380.

Looking at some modern offerings, S&W make a high-capacity pistol in 22wmr and 5.7.
I am not in love with their terminal effectiveness and their grips are a little big for granny.
They do have great capacity and very low recoil.

Sig's P322 is a high capacity 22lr with an acceptable grip and low recoil.
But the terminal velocity is probably worse that the 22wmr and the 5.7. I am not sure how much worse in a 4-inch barrel.

Recently a larger size 380 has got my attention. It is a Beretta 80x Cheetah.
It has 13+1 capacity. Not too large of a grip. Larger than the modern-day pocket rockets so more controllable.
Low recoil. With some of the modern ammo by Underwood, it may be fairly effective.

What do you think?

 

[BHPSteel]

One of the Beretta models with a tip-up barrel comes to mind, if granny might have problems with racking a slide.

You've got that covered with the Cheetah of course, but that's not the only model.

 

[November Sierra]

That new 32 j frame looks enticing from lipseys. If she's arthritic the EZ shields may be worth looking at as well.

 

[Alaskan]

Get a youth 410 Shot Gun with slugs and call it a day. Pistols are not the best home defense weapons

 

[roydamnmercer]

There may be one out there but I’ve never shot a .380 that wasn’t unpleasant to shoot. My two inch barreled .44 magnum is easier to shoot than most .380’s. Admittedly I’ve never shot the Cheetah but if concealability and distance isn’t an issue, why not go with a larger caliber? My wife can shoot my .45 1911 way more accurate than her .38 (not saying .45 is the best round, just heavier guns tend to make softer shooters) I’m thinking a 9mm in a full metal pistol…then find a nice low recoil ammo.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

22WMR stands out to ME. Especially now that there are more options in auto pistols in that caliber. I'm sure I would pick 22WMR over the 5.7 round. Aside from that I would probably pick the Shield EZ in 380 or the new cheaper Ruger Security 380.
BUT...and I speak from experience here...it's all in what SHE feels comfortable using. If YOU just blindly pick one for her it will be wrong.

 

[BEREZKA]

This is for home defense not for CCW.

I would say the needed criteria would be:
Low recoil
Decent round capacity
East to operate in regard to making ready to shoot and shooting. Not including cleaning and loading.
Terminal effectiveness
A small enough grip that a small weak hand could hold on to.

The calibers that come to mind are 22lr, 22wmr, 5.7, and 380.

Looking at some modern offerings, S&W make a high-capacity pistol in 22wmr and 5.7.
I am not in love with their terminal effectiveness and their grips are a little big for granny.
They do have great capacity and very low recoil.

Sig's P322 is a high capacity 22lr with an acceptable grip and low recoil.
But the terminal velocity is probably worse that the 22wmr and the 5.7. I am not sure how much worse in a 4-inch barrel.

Recently a larger size 380 has got my attention. It is a Beretta 80x Cheetah.
It has 13+1 capacity. Not too large of a grip. Larger than the modern-day pocket rockets so more controllable.
Low recoil. With some of the modern ammo by Underwood, it may be fairly effective.

What do you think?

Honest answer is ak pistol. Anything that isnt a locked breach is more than likely to get limp wristed or held wrong and not cycle

 

[BHPSteel]

Man, an AK pistol?

Granny's gonna be the main character in the next cycle of action movies! I hear Keanu's pretty much decided he's done wth the John Wick franchise.

 

[RiverBend]

Taurus Judge, stop a man or bear,

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

S&W Shield EZ 380.

It's medium size, not a tiny little pocket pistol, which means it has less recoil.

I've shot 2 different versions of this and then compared them to the shield EZ 9 mm.

The .380 is easier to rack, much less recoil, it easier for me to shoot one-handed and get good hits into the target area.

I'd look seriously into that model.