MS, Wheelchairs, Walkers and Guns: Are They Safe Together?

As a former LEO who has a son with MS- In "general' a person is better off with the gun. It depends on the individual. Also you must be willing to use it. A gun you won't use is worse than no gun at all.
However training and finding the "right gun" is imperative. It is harder to hit someone with a larger caliber gun so I would recommend a .22 or .32 both are very loud and bad guys tend to go the other way once they realize you are not going to be an easy victim. I am not saying anytime you fear someone you should point a gun at them. This determination is what concealed carry classes are for. You should actually be spending more time in a classroom than on a range during this type of class. The practice really takes place outside of class. Also you can get some very good lessons at most ranges. As to home defense I would recommend a .22 rifle with a light stock it is much easier to hit someone with a long barrel. Forget the shotgun idea for two reasons 1. they kick hard and 2. they don't spread at all at short distances. You are better off firing multiple .22 rounds than one shotgun round.

I am a 56yr old male who was diagnosed with MS in 2008 and I own several handguns and long guns . My experience has not been with balance or strength , but with and aim control and holding steady on target . I would think any problems would totally depend on the individual as I have found MS affects everyone differently .

My wife has MS, and can handle her carry guns just fine. It really depends on how the disease affects one personally. Strength and balance are only issues for firearms classes, where you are on your feet all day, and may do a LOT of shooting. We've always found instructors very accommodating in this respect.

In short, MS is not necessarily an issue.

I've been a gun owner ever since I was 7 years old and used to compete as a teen and young adult. Now that I'm 64 and have MS I have found that I needed to switch up my weapons to better suit the "new" me. Semi-automatics were very problematic for me as I now can easily jam or stovepipe them but then I found a 9mm Heckler Koch P30 that has yet to jam or stovepipe as much as my Glock or 1911 did. Most modern semi-automatics are lighter than revolvers and magazines are easier to swap out than loading a revolver with fine motor skill issues. There are also some nifty tools to make loading magazines easier to load. I have a dozen magazines that I pre-load at home before I go to the range so I don't need to load at the range. I also take several with me when I carry. The NRA certified instructors I have taken classes from have all been very willing to work with me on specific needs due to my physical limitations. My son goes with me to the range often and if he ever thought I could no longer be safe carrying, he would definitely tell me! My aim is still better than his, but he's gaining on me. It's really good to have someone close to help judge your abilities. Disabled people are an easy target and having the ability to carry a firearm is a great equalizer to keep from being a victim.

I am a 53 yr old woman with MS. I have been carrying for a couple of years now. The key is training and finding the right gun for you that you can handle. When I started carrying I only had to use a cane sometimes to get around. Now I have to use a walker all the time. I am definitely safer with a gun than without. I have talked to too many disabled people who were seriously injured when they were attacked. I have found that a revolver is not good for me because it kicks so badly (my revolver does throw out a beautifully wicked looking flame though). But I really like my Glock 42 (.380) and my Walther CCP (9 mm). Both are very easy to rack and don't kick much and are easy to conceal. I also have a Glock 19 that I really like but it is harder to conceal.
My thoughts on gun carry are without the gun I have no chance to protect myself. I can't run away and I don't have the physical strength to stand my ground and fight. I do however have the strength, the will, and the determination to use my gun. I practice often and have found that I enjoy shooting and it has made my hands and arms stronger than they were. I am hoping when I go on vacation this year I can go to a range that has a simulator so I can practice in a high adrenaline situation.
A good instructor can show you ways to make shooting easier on you.

As a 30 year law enforcement officer, 25 year firearms instructor, competive shooter and MS patient since 2005. I understand concerns over balance, walking, vision and all the other issues of guns and MS.
That said the main thing is a matter of training and understanding your limitations. You need to train focusing on firearm handling, draw and firing.
Select a handgun you can easily operate and control. A hit with a small bullet is better than a miss with a large bullet.
Defensive shooting, especially for MS patient is going to be close and fast. That's what the shooter needs to work on smooth gun presentation and accurate shot placement. We may not be able to walk, stand or like we used to but if you still have the hand strength and ability to hold steady enough for quick close range shooting there is no reason an MS patient cannot carry and safely use a firearm.

What is the best way to find an instructor? Do you just walk into a gun range and ask the guy behind the counter to recommend someone to you?

We're not allowed guns in the UK. However I can see one distinctive advantage if we were - if the MS really got too much it would save me a trip to Switzerland.

I see no issue with MS victims carrying firearms.
I’m a 30’s male with rrms, raised with guns, and I’m a veteran combat medic. I also have a concealed carry permit and carry every day.
Because of my occasional - as I call it - ms hands, I’ve changed the type of firearm I primarily use to gain more control on a dumb-hands day, but I still have control of my weapons. (I used to carry 40 cal, but that has more recoil, so now those old guns are “backups”).
No matter what you shoot, or how bad your MS, grip matters. I recommend a two-hand combat shooting grip - for reference, this is the grip primarily used by the US military and in shooting sports these days - there are good videos on YouTube from shooters like Jerry Miculek explaining how to implement it, so I won’t describe it here, but it gives you great control of the weapon, mitigates recoil, ensures your weapon cycles, and will greatly improve aim. Win win whether you have MS or not.
I carry a 9mm Glock 43 with a pinky extension, and switched my home defense weapon to a 9mm Glock 34.
The 34 is great - the mass of the slide helps manage recoil, longer barrel improves accuracy, and when paired with a good grip (I mean hand positioning, not grip strength), and the fact it’s only a 9mm, means this pistol shoots with a lot of control, and is easy to attain followup site pictures.
For shooters with worse ms hands than me (or that aren’t 6’4” and/or haven’t shot tens of thousands of practice rounds in their lifetimes) I’d recommend a .380 (not a 38 like listed in the article) - it’s basicslly a 9mm bullet with a shorter casing, meaning less powder, meaning more manageable recoil. The trade off is decreased velocity.
Article mentions 22 wmr, which is an alright round, but frankly doesn’t cause as much crevitation (internal damage) in a human body, and has a tendency to shoot clean through - not redeeming traits for a bullet intended to take anothers’ life to save yourself or others. Also, considering the handguns chambered in 22wmr, you might not get a superior grip. Scrap the odd rounds, and look into the more common .380, and get some great hollow points like the Hornady Critical Defense, and then practice until you’re comfortable.
In the end, shoot what feels best for you, and train like your life depends on it, for one day it might.

I am a 48 year old male with muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis both. One is muscle weakness/atrophy and the other is autoimmune disorder within the brain and spinal cord nerves. I am in a power chair and am looking for a handgun. I know most triggers can be lightened but my issues is, I do not have the hand strength to rack a semi auto. I used to back in the day at work carrying a Sig with interchangeable 40 & 357 sig calibers. Is there anything I can add to the slide for grip or some type of small finger lever? And also, what semi autos are the easiest to rack? Small caliber is not my big concern but rather being able to rack and shoot if the times comes when I need to. I was aLao told the smaller calibers have lighter springs. I’ve shot revolvers. Pulling the hammer back isn’t an issue but pulling the trigger all the way through for the second round etc, is my issue with revolvers. I’ve had too many sleepless nights wondering what I would do if there was a home invasion. That fear is greater than the disabilities I have,

Last night was the hardest day of my life. Today I am more devastated and appalled at the behaviors, attitudes and discrimination towards individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. My story began the year of 2011 in late December , when my girlfriend of 10 years was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I began to think about her physical future and the fact that she maybe unable to defend her self from an attacker or other possible threats with a 7 year old child at home during the late nights of my employment. The stress was intense and overbearing for me as a healthy person with no disabilities , I then thought about the stress and what she must be thinking & immediately realized that I remembered something I should have never forgotten, that the Doctors said , “exstrem stress” will trigger a flare up. “I have never been soft around the hard edges of life or the circumstances of my environment”. I knew absolutely nothing about what MS even was or what having the disability even means. I simply brushed it off not realizing the importance of what it means as a person living with a person with the disability. Because it gave me zero warning signs , “Until one day” I notice the problem. The problem was I couldn’t tell if something was wrong with my girlfriend physically without her telling me how she felt 24-7 , It felt like a ghost took over my body. Then I realized something invisible took over the love of my life’s body. I became even more stressed out , I became a constant observer and questioner. I became that annoying fly stressing somebody out. Now I question my own questions before i ask them now. Worried i will stress my girlfriend out , i became more and more silent and talked less , worried if something i said or did , may cause her stress to have a relapse or flair up. Its a heartbreak for all who truly care about each other when it involves such a sensitive subject about MS. “My Girlfriend Now of 23 years , finds comfort and finds shooting a completely stress free environment. Its healthy for the mind , its physical excersie , and its fun. Its a form of therapy that some actually know nothing about. To say , MS is a form of Mental Health Issues relating to mental behavior that constitute violence , is plain ignorant and discrimination . Thats like telling a person with MS , they are lien about how theyre body feels because you can see a bruise. Well , I feel the bruise on the heart Inside my body every day from the heartbreak I live with , knowing I still to this day , no absolutely nothing about peoples experience with there disability with MS. But , I’ve been thru the muscle failures , fatigues , tears , and prayers to the Lord. Also , the loss of sight. So I tell all the men who care and wanna do the right thing , “go take your hunny to the firing range and sit down at a both , converse and mark your paper target with a Heart Sticker. “Thus far , Check with your local and federal laws before doing so”. Some of those who have MS are allowed Medical Marijuana Cards and by some legislations of law , that is thee only law put in place to prevent a person with Multiple Sclerosis from owing a firearm or engaging to doing so. Again , some other Supreme Laws Of The Land permit other items as well. Show a loved one with MS , there’s still freedom left in them and they still have a escape from the imprisonment that MS causes. Who ever thinks because someone in a wheelchair can’t use a firearm , or properly handle one because they’re week , dosnt take the right away to do so. Especially when they’re is a hole country of supporters who will give a hand in doing so.