When Are You Too Old For Concealed Carry?

It might surprise you to know that the average age of concealed carry permit holders is just over fifty-two. Why is this of interest? Gerontologists will note that the aging process affects some skills and abilities that are crucial to carrying and  shooting a firearm.

Aging is not just about greying hair and baldness. Your pectorals are not as toned. A paunch begins to bulge. We get those unsightly age spots on our hands as we age. Grips become less firm. Hands become less steady. Skin takes on a lizard-like appearance.

In crisis situations like being faced by an armed assailant, a home invader or a mugger, our coping strategy might not be as quick or calculating as they were a decade ago.

Situational awareness is paramount in self-defense. Ideally, we make good use of our ears and our eyes. With aging, both of these senses begin to diminish. Geriatrics show that this begins at forty. By the time we hit 50, seventy-five percent of us are wearing corrective eyewear. In an effort to retain accuracy in our shots, we compensate by experimenting with different sights.

Noting this niche market, gun manufacturers have responded by releasing models like the Remington R51 subcompact. Chambered in 9mm +P, models come with R51. This means that, while there is the usual white-dot front sight, this pistol make not need to be sighted at all. It could be merely a “point-and-shoot” weapon.

SureSight also gets around aging vision and night sights that may well be next to invisible .SureSight’s innovative, bright yellow triangles can help those with vision challenges further complicated by the night.

Another company, TruGlo, began developing fiber optics for archery. They’ve adopted the same technology for handguns and shotguns. They call it HiViz.

Both Trijicon and Meprolight have incorporated tritium, a non-lethal radioactive element that glows in the dark. Their bright tritium sights are highly useful in low light. Seniors coping with aging eye problems may also use a gun-mounted or hand-held flashlight to aid in shooting. A good one is the 420-lumen Kel-Tec CL-43.

Laser-aiming systems may also assist those with deteriorating vision problems. Crimson Trace and LaserMax have come out with well-engineered laser-aiming systems. These don’t work for everyone as they use red and green dots. Some have difficulty with these colors as eyes age. There is also a color blindness issue here.

Age-related hearing loss, a slow loss of hearing do not help if you can’t hear an assailant or a door being forced. What can be done? Obviously, hearing aids help but not in the middle of the night when they are sitting on your night stand. Good assists to compensate for this lack of environmental awareness include things like good lighting, motion sensors, security systems and camera systems. It is also important to use good hearing protectors in the firing range to protect the hearing you have left.

Other things that can compensate for those shaking hands include firearms that weigh less, ones that have a softer recoil, and triggers that require less strenuous pull.

No matter how many accommodations that you can make, there comes a time when shooting is just too dangerous for the shooter and those around him. There’s no specific age at which this occurs. The responsible shooter knows when it is time to retire his gun and he/she acts upon it.

If you’re interested in your concealed carry, find your state laws here.