Taurus Action Help Needed

[PegLeg45]

Yes, not to nit-pick, but it's usually easier for people with dexterity problems to operate a gun with a minimal manual of arms.
Usually too many controls on a semi for someone with arthritis (I've seen that in real life at the range) plus it may be hard to grasp a slide for chambering a round.
With either type gun the loading and unloading would be a little difficult, but since it is a self defense gun (I think ?), you hope one wheel-full is enough and that a re-load ain't needed. A mag change may be even more difficult. You are correct that a semi should be easier because of light trigger pull, but they also have a much different grip type and angle. They might not fit her hand well and slide manipulation for an arthritic may be impossible, even with lightened recoil springs.
Without knowing Rastus' Mom, it is hard to know about her specific capabilities so I based my opinion on the fact that he had already chosen a revolver instead of a semi-auto.

[micko77]

First time here; how about a tip-up barrel Beretta or copy?  Usually decent triggers.  I got my neighbor (77 yr. old 86 lb. lady with weak hands) a Smith M36 with an action job, wadcutters, and after  I'd put 4-500 rounds through it after the action job with no failures.  She handles is OK for bad-breath distance.

[Rastus]

OK, I picked up a Taurus M94UL snubbie for my Mom who has rheumatoid arthritis and who needs a very light gun.  ...
She can barely work the slide on the Walther P-22 I left her...hence the need for slicked up snubbie.
....

Semi's don't work too well with arthritis...or 79 year olds.  She can't reliably operate the P-22...and it hurts to train so....snubbie....

Need to get the trigger really light.

[Rastus]

Ras,

Looks like this?

Nope.  2" snubbie, blued. 

An ultralite. 

Other threads----P-22's, Buckmarks, Challenger III, Mosquito (Not that I'd let her have that for defense), MK III's...all out.  I have all of those....she can't reliably operate the slide due to arthritis.

I don't mind spending the price of the gun with a smithey to make it run.

[Big Frank]

Why not get a Taurus .22 pistol with a tip up barrel? You don't have to rack the slide when you load it.

[Sponsor]

[Rastus]

Why not get a Taurus .22 pistol with a tip up barrel? You don't have to rack the slide when you load it.

That's a good suggestion I should try it.  I didn't think about the Taurus 22 because of a Berretta Tomcat we used to have.  The Tomcat would be too hard for her to engage the barrel lock but the Taurus may be better.

The Tomcat was also ever ready to bite the hand of the person who fed it....quite nasty.

[Rastus]

OK...I got the deal.  Because of dry fire, the rimfire firing pins are a bit short, otherwise they would be damaged by dry fire.  Now, I don't know the difference between centerfire and rimfire firing pins, but if the Taurus firing pin was a bit longer the lighter springs would work and you'd still get a positive ignition.  S&W, as I understand, does the same thing but you can swap out a longer centerfire firing pin in it and lighten the action and get ignition.  Can't do the swap in a Taurus....at least I haven't been able to find a longer firing pin.

Anybody got info on a longer firing pin for my Taurus?

[CJS3]

Why not get a Taurus .22 pistol with a tip up barrel? You don't have to rack the slide when you load it.

Don't know about the firing pin set-up but in reference to the PT22, I just bought one because Taurus is going to go to a polymer frame for that pistol this year. I wanted to get one of the metal framed ones before they disappear. When I got it home and showed my wife, she wanted to try out the trigger pull. She also has arthritis and just wanted to see if she could still pull the trigger. She had NO problem with the trigger, but did have a hard time closing the barrel (she got it eventually).

[m25operator]

Rastus, I've known you at least here, a long time, I will send you a Pm, and I would be glad to operate on this revolver for you, be it known that rimfires take more hammer force than pistol centerfire rounds, So cannot be as light as other revolvers.

I just lost 2 good friends, husband and wife, both shooters and hunters, they were in their 70's, after the husband died the wife of course was alone,but aware, she had spinal cancer and arthritis, her son gave her a model 17 Glock loaded, with a crimson trace laser grip, the barrel was already charged, so all she had to do was shoot, she could not work the slide, but it was already ready to go. My point is, you can prepare the pistol for her, no guarantee's, but the 1st one should do damage. The revolver I'll  be glad to talk to you on the side, this is a difficult situation but not unresolvable. The action job would be free.

[Hazcat]

Rastus, I've known you at least here, a long time, I will send you a Pm, and I would be glad to operate on this revolver for you, be it known that rimfires take more hammer force than pistol centerfire rounds, So cannot be as light as other revolvers.

I just lost 2 good friends, husband and wife, both shooters and hunters, they were in their 70's, after the husband died the wife of course was alone,but aware, she had spinal cancer and arthritis, her son gave her a model 17 Glock loaded, with a crimson trace laser grip, the barrel was already charged, so all she had to do was shoot, she could not work the slide, but it was already ready to go. My point is, you can prepare the pistol for her, no guarantee's, but the 1st one should do damage. The revolver I'll  be glad to talk to you on the side, this is a difficult situation but not unresolvable. The action job would be free.

Yet another reason you are a Ranger.