About the S&W revolvers and similar, folks with weak hands will have difficulty operating the sliding cylinder latch. The Rugers with the latch that you depress are somewhat easier the operate.
Paul
My mom kept my Ruger Speed Six by her bed for decades. She never stopped being able to work the cylinder release, but did eventually (in her early 80s) become unable to pull the trigger double action (I tested her every time I came for a visit), at which point I switched her to a Walther PPQ 9mm. She couldn't work the slide, but it didn't matter since she never shot the gun (other than the introductory range trip I took her on). She could point it and pull the trigger, and hit targets right in front of her just fine.
