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Ideas for a cripple's wants.

jhco50

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
140
Location
Colorado
I met a young fella on a forum who has Diastrophic Dysplasia. it is a birth defect that dwarfs and deforms the person. He is about 3' tall and in a wheelchair. His fingers are, as he put it, a bit gimpy.

He wants some help finding a rifle to fit him so he can hunt. He also wants some kind of an auto that he could have for self-defense. I'm kind of lost as to what to suggest to him. Any ideas?
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
I'd want a lot more info about his abilities and limitations before making any recommendation(s). Stuff like fragility of bones, how much weight he can hold, for how long, amount of force he can exert in a hand squeeze/finger squeeze, arm length, symetry of arms or specifically how arms are asymetrical both in length, strength, range of motion, general bone health in arms, back, shoulders. Also info on how recoil may effect bones - especially in the hands.

This is stuff a doctor and a physical therapist/rehab expert would be needed to obtain.

Do not take any of the above as discouraging your friend from shooting. There are ways around any situation. I can't find the cites, but there is a guy with no arms who shoots pistols quite well, and a blind guy who convinced a judge it was safe to issue him a concealed handgun permit. There are programs (VA, Americal Legion, VFW) that take vets with all sorts of disabilities out shooting - bullseye, benchrest, trap/skeet, bowling pins, just plain plinking.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this some more.

stay safe.
 

hermannr

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
I met a young fella on a forum who has Diastrophic Dysplasia. it is a birth defect that dwarfs and deforms the person. He is about 3' tall and in a wheelchair. His fingers are, as he put it, a bit gimpy.

He wants some help finding a rifle to fit him so he can hunt. He also wants some kind of an auto that he could have for self-defense. I'm kind of lost as to what to suggest to him. Any ideas?

I think I know what you version of dwarfism is Jhco50. How much strength you have in your arms is going to be the deciding factor. I am sure there are pistols and rifles that have triggers that can be adjusted to something you could pull consistantly, but can take the weight of the the firearm. My wife has a .22 that has a 2.5 oz trigger pull, and is very easy to rack (it is a target pistol) but if you want to hunt something bigger than gophers, it really would not be suitable...but it might be a place to start. However, a 22 caliber pistol can be deadly with practice.

As for a rifle, I have a friend that is in a wheelchair, (lost his legs) and he has a special rest that attaches to his wheel chair for his rifle. Again, it will come down to how much weight you can lift. Don't get into big magnum calibers, they are too punishing.

Depending on what you wish to hunt, and what the firearms restrictions are where you live (in WA you cannot hunt big game with anything smaller than 25 cal). Accurate shot placement is more important than caliber, OK? Look for the smallest legal caliber for the game you wish to hunt.

Now, hand size. That becomes a problem with a lot of firearms. Our oldest daughter is a big girl (5' 8") but has very small hands. she likes to shoot, but she has a lot of trouble with finding something that fits her tiny hands. What she ended up with for a rifle is a custom AR 15. You might also need to go the custom route. There are people that will mold plastic to fit your hands, and there are others that will carve a stock, specifically for you so it will fit your "pull" (shoulder to hand distance) and the size of your hands.

May I specifically recommend that, in a rifle, you look for someone that will build a custon stock for you that is "buffered" (basically has a shock absorber built into it). It will make shooting a lot more pleasant.

You can build a rifle, that is you can purchase just a receiver that works the way you like, then you purchase a barrel in the caliber and length you want, then you have it stocked specifically for you. Generally this is very expensive, but it does not have to be. Find a good custom gunsmith online and discuss what you need, give him a budget (what you can afford) and see if you can find one that will maybe do it for the advertizing...I am sure there are more people that have dwarfism that want to shoot and hunt then just you///don't you think?
 

jhco50

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
140
Location
Colorado
I'd want a lot more info about his abilities and limitations before making any recommendation(s). Stuff like fragility of bones, how much weight he can hold, for how long, amount of force he can exert in a hand squeeze/finger squeeze, arm length, symetry of arms or specifically how arms are asymetrical both in length, strength, range of motion, general bone health in arms, back, shoulders. Also info on how recoil may effect bones - especially in the hands.

This is stuff a doctor and a physical therapist/rehab expert would be needed to obtain.

Do not take any of the above as discouraging your friend from shooting. There are ways around any situation. I can't find the cites, but there is a guy with no arms who shoots pistols quite well, and a blind guy who convinced a judge it was safe to issue him a concealed handgun permit. There are programs (VA, Americal Legion, VFW) that take vets with all sorts of disabilities out shooting - bullseye, benchrest, trap/skeet, bowling pins, just plain plinking.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this some more.

stay safe.

I have a link you can look at. I have not met him in person so I am kind of flying blind here myself. He probably has short dwarfish arms and bone problems. At what extent, I don't know yet.

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/diastrophic-dysplasia
 

jhco50

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
140
Location
Colorado
I think I know what you version of dwarfism is Jhco50. How much strength you have in your arms is going to be the deciding factor. I am sure there are pistols and rifles that have triggers that can be adjusted to something you could pull consistantly, but can take the weight of the the firearm. My wife has a .22 that has a 2.5 oz trigger pull, and is very easy to rack (it is a target pistol) but if you want to hunt something bigger than gophers, it really would not be suitable...but it might be a place to start. However, a 22 caliber pistol can be deadly with practice.

As for a rifle, I have a friend that is in a wheelchair, (lost his legs) and he has a special rest that attaches to his wheel chair for his rifle. Again, it will come down to how much weight you can lift. Don't get into big magnum calibers, they are too punishing.

Depending on what you wish to hunt, and what the firearms restrictions are where you live (in WA you cannot hunt big game with anything smaller than 25 cal). Accurate shot placement is more important than caliber, OK? Look for the smallest legal caliber for the game you wish to hunt.

Now, hand size. That becomes a problem with a lot of firearms. Our oldest daughter is a big girl (5' 8") but has very small hands. she likes to shoot, but she has a lot of trouble with finding something that fits her tiny hands. What she ended up with for a rifle is a custom AR 15. You might also need to go the custom route. There are people that will mold plastic to fit your hands, and there are others that will carve a stock, specifically for you so it will fit your "pull" (shoulder to hand distance) and the size of your hands.

May I specifically recommend that, in a rifle, you look for someone that will build a custon stock for you that is "buffered" (basically has a shock absorber built into it). It will make shooting a lot more pleasant.

You can build a rifle, that is you can purchase just a receiver that works the way you like, then you purchase a barrel in the caliber and length you want, then you have it stocked specifically for you. Generally this is very expensive, but it does not have to be. Find a good custom gunsmith online and discuss what you need, give him a budget (what you can afford) and see if you can find one that will maybe do it for the advertising...I am sure there are more people that have dwarfism that want to shoot and hunt then just you///don't you think?

I'm not the one with dwarfism, which is why I had no good suggestions for the young fella.

Yes, I do imagine there are others who do shoot, but I don't know how to find them. I don't know exactly as to the extent of his ailment, I am trying to get more information. He did say they mounted a Desert Eagle on a bench top for him to try. It was .50 cal (they should have their butts kicked for that) and when he fired it it tore the top of the bench up and bruised his wrist pretty good.

I understand his reach is pretty short. He has not private mailed me as of yet, but I will keep probing him. You really gave some good suggestions and I hope you don't mind that I quoted your post to him (with your screen name).
 
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hermannr

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
I'm not the one with dwarfism, which is why I had no good suggestions for the young fella.

Yes, I do imagine there are others who do shoot, but I don't know how to find them. I don't know exactly as to the extent of his ailment, I am trying to get more information. He did say they mounted a Desert Eagle on a bench top for him to try. It was .50 cal (they should have their butts kicked for that) and when he fired it it tore the top of the bench up and bruised his wrist pretty good.

I understand his reach is pretty short. He has not private mailed me as of yet, but I will keep probing him. You really gave some good suggestions and I hope you don't mind that I quoted your post to him (with your screen name).

Sure, you can have him contact me if he would like. I have also had a disability I overcame, polio, I know what it is like to have parts of you that don't work like everyone elses.

50 Cal Desert Eagle? Are they insane? I wouldn't even shoot one of then, and I am 6' 2" and 200 lbs. There is no way with my small problems I could control something like that, and I do not have even close to what his problems are. What a way to discourage someone. Shame on them.

No, no, you start with a compensated 22 short target pistol and work up to 22 lr, the 22 mag, then 5.56X45 etc..... I know people think it is crazy but my wife's 22 target pistol is 22 short only, and it is compensated (almost no recoil.) There is no reason to discourage the guy, every reason to encourage.

I am thinking a custom rifle would be good for him, and good for the builder...probably even get it on TV (and that would be good for all of us shooters.
 

Barnett3006

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
98
Location
Tennessee, USA
An M4gery carbine with a lightweight barrel, Magpul MOE hand guards and stock will weigh around 5 - 6 pounds and I imagine that the only custom piece required (other then a rest on the wheel-chair) would be a pistol grip fitted to his hand. 223 is a decent deer sized cartridge with low recoil, if he will be hunting in a state with a caliber limit then there are other calibers that an M4gery could easily be barreled for that will satisfy the hunting laws (6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendal, 6mmx45 etc, etc...).

A good muzzle brake would also bring recoil down and would be super easy to add to the M4gery if he decided he needed it later.

As far as a handgun IDK, low caliber autos (22 whatever, 25acp, 32acp) might work pretty well in super small hands but a derringer or a small frame revolver would be easy to make custom fitted grips for his hands. If he is dead-set on an auto I might suggest a Kel-tec 32acp...he is definitely going to have to spend a lot of time handling different guns and talking to gunsmiths about custom fitted grips.

hope this helps.

BTW, I have ZERO experience/knowledge with a disability such as this but whoever set-up a 50 Deagle for him to "try out" need to have their butts kick hard.
 
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