Gun advice
I got an email asking about this post where a paraplegic in a manual wheelchair is seeking advice on what sort of carry gun he should buy. I figured I’d post my advice and direct readers over there to offer their own advice as well. The criteria are relatively lightweight and easily concealable, of average reliablity (or better), with better-than-average stopping power, a caliber of .38 or larger, and shouldn’t be too hard to break down and clean. Magazine capacity, appearance and price tag are immaterial. So, here goes:
First of all, don’t bother with a .38. The army abandoned the caliber for a reason. Stick with any .4X caliber, preferably a 45 ACP. Of the other criteria, plenty of pistols meet all those criteria. One requirement stood out to me and that is ease to break down. For that, I’d go with the Glock. I would either go with the Glock 27, Glock 36, or the Glock 30. Glocks are tough, low maintenance, user friendly, and the easiest to breakdown. Some folks complain about the lack of a manual safety but if you don’t pull the trigger it won’t shoot. And the Glock is ultra-reliable even under extreme conditions (such as buried in sand or mud; and after being submerged in water; and after being run over with a truck). I recommend carrying it in a holster that covers the trigger (like any carry gun should be carried). Summary as follows:
Glock 27: 40 caliber, 12 round capacity, and the smallest of the three. Advantage: smallest and easiest to conceal. Disadvantage: it’s not a 45ACP.
Glock 36: 45 ACP compact, 7 round capacity, medium sized. Due to the single stack mag, it’s thinner than the Glock 30 which makes it easier to conceal. Advantage: 45 ACP. Disadvantage: Little more difficult to conceal and lower magazine capacity.
Glock 30: 45ACP compact, 11 round capacity, largest of the three (it’s 1/8 inch wider than the 36). This accepts double stacked mags and has a higher capacity. As a bonus, it accepts other 45ACP glock mags, which the 36 doesn’t. So, you could use Glock 21 mags. Advantage: 45ACP, higher capacity mag, and added weight makes it more controllable to shoot. Disadvantage: It’s the largest of the three.
So, I’d say it’s your preference. Of course, I also recommend any Sig or H&K but they are slightly more difficult to break down and they are more expensive.
March 25th, 2005 at 9:00 pm
[…] uit me best. He also wants advice on which gun and carry set up to use. I have addressed wheelchair carry before but that person stated they had weak grip strength so I don’ […]
October 22nd, 2004 at 9:17 am
First of all, don’t bother with a .38. The army abandoned the caliber for a reason.
That was a different .38 than we have today.
The .38 that failed in the Spanish-American War was the old .38 Long Colt of the 19th century. It was replaced by the higher-velocity .38 S&W Special, which has been supplanted by the even higher-velocity .38 Special+P and the faster-still .357 Magnum.
October 22nd, 2004 at 9:27 am
Not to be a prick, but the Glock model 22 is a .40…typo?
October 22nd, 2004 at 9:29 am
I got my glocks confused. Should be 21. Will correct.
October 22nd, 2004 at 10:06 am
What’s wrong with .357 Magnum?
Especially out of a 1 7/8″ barrel. As Kim du Toit so eloquently stated, if the bullet doesn’t get them, the muzzle flash will set their clothes on fire…
October 22nd, 2004 at 11:08 am
if you’re like me and don’t like glock because they’re butt ugly, you can always go with a nice beretta 96 in .40sw. They are trivial to break down, but concealability might be a problem.
There’s always the beretta 8040 and the 8045, but I don’t know how they are to break down.
October 22nd, 2004 at 11:41 pm
The Glock 30 is a super sweet gun. I’ve shot yours and another one and went away with the same great impression. The 30 hits a sweet spot of small size and weight, accuracy, and firepower.
October 23rd, 2004 at 1:26 am
Hey, if it is mounted to the wheelchair, weight is less of an issue, right? I’ve always wanted an excuse to carry one of these.
October 24th, 2004 at 4:12 pm
Since when are Sigs hard to break down? Unload, lock the slide to the rear, flip the lever, let the slide go forward and off, remove spring/guide rod, remove barrel. Simplest pistols I own to break down.
And while you’re on compact Glocks, don’t forget the Glock 29 in 10mm.
October 26th, 2004 at 10:04 pm
Bleg: best pistol for concealed carry
A question for firearms experts: what pistol(s) do you recommend for a paraplegic with limited grip strength, who wants to carry a concealed weapon while in a manual wheelchair? It’ll be carried in either a shoulder holster or a holster positioned in …