Good discussion By Kevin Michalowksi of USCCA.

- In general, an older, lame man is allowed under the law to resort to weapons when he is attacked a lot sooner than a young healthy man would be. It’s a clear disparity of force case as an older man who lacks mobility is at greater risk of being badly hurt or even killed by a younger stronger unarmed assailant. Contrary to what some might believe the  “Chuck Norris Rule” is not a real part of the law.

- One thing to remember for old guys is to avoid the temptation to talk tough and impress the cops with what badass you still are. Like “I sure showed him!”; “Taught him a lesson” and similar stuff. You are liable to convince the authorities you are a mean, racist, old man who was looking for an excuse to kill someone. People DO believe such mean old killers exist, as in this extreme case from a couple of years ago:

 

Minn. Man Convicted of Murder for Killing Teens During Burglary. So there have been a number of cases where old guys forced to defend themselves with lethal force talked themselves into a conviction by shooting their mouths off.

-Also it is a good idea to call 911 immediately after any incident in which you have to use force in self-defense. Whenever possible you want to be the “citizen complainant” who summoned the police rather than the “criminal suspect” someone else called the cops on (Hey there’s a crazy old white man with gun here!). And don’t imagine for a minute that the hooligans who attacked you won’t call the cops on you to get back at you if succeed in thwarting them. That is all too common these days. There is no honor among thieves after all.  The criminal element has a lot of knowledge gained through experience with how the cops will react to a situation and is likely to use that knowledge to gain advantage over their law-abiding victims.  

Victim/Subject Factors By Kevin Michalowski

“Your concealed pistol is your equalizer when you are facing an opponent who could easily overpower you. If you can’t run away, well, then you need to pull your gun and defend yourself. If you are older, disabled, injured or have some other legitimate reason why you can’t effectively fight or safely escape, you have the right to use force sooner than would a younger, stronger, more agile person. Don’t wait until it is too late to fight. But make sure you can explain why you pulled out your concealed pistol when you did.”