“its friction reducing cam helps lesson the recoil”
Really? The trigger design can “lesson [sic] the recoil”? New one on me.
And FWIW, the Shield I used to own was hideous to rack. I used leather gloves, racked it a thousand times, shot it, and it still was incredible hard to rack. So I sold it. If grip strength is a concern in older shooters, maybe consider something like the Springfield XDE.
And rather than a light Ruger LCR (13 oz), how about going for all steel (S&W Model 60) or...better still...a Model 10. Lots of seniors can get away with wearing baggy clothing. A K-frame isn’t much harder to conceal than a J-frame, but a K-frame shooting 38+P out of a 4 inch barrel will be much easier on the wrists. And a gun you LIKE to shoot is one you are more LIKELY to shoot - shoot often and well.
I used to carry my Model 60. I now carry my 686+ almost as frequently. Like a lot of ‘seniors’, I rarely need to go out and spend 12 hours on the town, so the weight isn’t as much of an issue. And if I need to shoot it, a 686+ is fine to shoot with full 357 loads.
FBI had a special version revolver way back when. A S&W K-frame .357 Magnum with a round butt grip, and a 3” barrel.
Was a very concealable package.