Small gun for the wife

[bilbravo]

My wife seemed to enjoy firing the 1911 Sig Sauer .45 ACP (don't recall the exact model) but the grips hurt her hands (fixable) and the grip was too big. Anyone recommend a .45 ACP that is a bit bigger but with a small-ish grip? My wife is 5' even and has little hands. Even the Sig Sauer P226 that we fired was a bit uncomfortable.

I'm also not ruling out that it was her first time shooting a handgun so she just didn't feel comfortable with ANY grip at first. After all, she did just fine with the 1911 -- her main complaint was that it felt bulky and the grips were irritating her palms. I think after we shoot a few more times she may feel more comfortable even with a large grip.

 

[501st]

Small, single action pistol terrible for a new inexperienced shooter.
Not saying it's a terrible pistol though.

Proper training will resolve that. And considering it seems to be the smallest 9mm production handgun which isn't a featherweight (due to the alloy frame).

The biggest problem is people don't try out good holsters so they try to go for the smallest weapons available even though they can comfortably carry and conceal something a bit larger with a good holster.

My wife seemed to enjoy firing the 1911 Sig Sauer .45 ACP (don't recall the exact model) but the grips hurt her hands (fixable) and the grip was too big. Anyone recommend a .45 ACP that is a bit bigger but with a small-ish grip? My wife is 5' even and has little hands. Even the Sig Sauer P226 that we fired was a bit uncomfortable.

I'm also not ruling out that it was her first time shooting a handgun so she just didn't feel comfortable with ANY grip at first. After all, she did just fine with the 1911 -- her main complaint was that it felt bulky and the grips were irritating her palms. I think after we shoot a few more times she may feel more comfortable even with a large grip.

Glock 30S ?

Smith and Wesson M&P 45 compact ?

Springfield XDS?

 

[bilbravo]

Glock 30S ?

Smith and Wesson M&P 45 compact ?

Springfield XDS?

I was actually just looking at M&P 45 compacts online. I will check into the Springfield. The glock 30S was a bit thick if I remember but my friend has one we can try out.

Thanks.

 

[Reaux]

My wife and i just picked up a pk380 for her to start shooting with

 

[Hit and Run]

BIG mistake.

She thinks she wants small because it looks less intimidating.

Small guns kick more, have more blast, and are much harder to shoot.

She will hate it, and it might turn her off to shooting entirely.


A full size gun that fits her hand is a better idea.

This subject seems to be coming up a lot. Take a look at these posts:
http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?p=2343412#post2343412

http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=2343607&postcount=16

http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=2351907&postcount=22

Consider a medium frame .357 revolver, which is probably the most versatile handgun there is. Load it with mild .38 Special Mid Range Wadcutter (target) loads, and it is VERY pleasant to shoot. A mild "pop" and no recoil, very accurate. Load it with full power or +P .38s, all the way up to maximum power .357 Magnum loads, and it is a very respectable defense gun.

Ditto

 

[Reaux]

PK380 my wife and i just purchased one

 

[Selene]

My wife has a S&W M&P shield. It is a great firearm and the recoild is very manageable. I try to minimize different calibers so was looking for a 9. It is a great choice for a small firearm but I agree if she is not looking to conceal an interchangable backstrap full size is a good choice. Just make sure her fingers are long enough and strong enough to operate the slide release. Any thought about getting a 22 pistol to get used to shooting. They are a blast (maybe that was a pun). You can't go wrong with an M&P 22, it will eat anything you through at it, and it is a great tool for learning how to handle a full size pistol.

 

[NickZac]

This. Will she be able to do a malfunction drill with it in the middle of the night from the bedside? no. Unless you have another pistol for that and if that's the case then why not have something you can enjoy at the range that you would use for self defense?

Even for the average petite woman hands most of these micro 380's are too small to learn/train on for basic marksmanship. She will fire it, not be accurate with it and then hate it.

good luck

This. Brutal, yet what needs to be understood.


I hate sounding like the critical jerk, but a user who has purchased or considering purchasing this type of firearm should be explained both the pros and cons by whoever sells it, and advise shooting it and evaluating it before buying. Women would frequently come to buy these under the assumption that they would be light in recoil...even once that myth is debunked, it was difficult to explain how fierce the recoil is for a 9mm and how the gun had limitations not present in other firearms one size up.

The Kel-Tec pops like hell...it physically hurts my hand to fire more than 10 rounds. It is not a fun target gun, and decent shot placement is difficult for even the most experienced of shooters. The recoil makes people shoot it less...which is the worst thing to do. Because of the heavier recoil, more frequent and intense practice will be needed to obtain and maintain proficiency. This is a gun that if one buys it, loads it, never shoots it, and then has to shoot it in a defensive scenario; they could dump an entire mag and miss the target that is 5 feet away, easily. Most females who purchased these would fire them once, despise the recoil, and then rarely or never shoot them again. In a real life defensive scenario, when the above occurs, the gun is little more than false confidence and a great way to wind up dead.

I personally have difficulty racking the slide on it as silly as it sounds, mainly because it is a tight slide that is slippery and hard to hold on to. This is compounded by the biggest issue, which, as noted, is the one of malfunctions. If a malfunction occurs, the gun is most likely going to be useless and the user may wind up dead because of it. There is no leverage to pull a mag out from a double-feed and other jams that would cause the mag to stick inside of the gun. Worse, the design, size, and recoil of the gun makes it more susceptible to jams and feeding issues which would require forceful removal of the magazine followed by a series of fast actions to clear and re-chamber the gun...and then you have the issue of the difficulty in racking the slide as well. This is further compounded by these firearms tending to have more frequent issues with feeding and ejecting...consequently, any JHP you use you want to shoot a lot of it to ensure it functions reliably and use a JHP that does better with a shorter barrel as many JHPs do not function as designed when shot through a shorter barrel.

I can shoot a full and compact size 9mm at medium-fast rate of fire and at 20-ish feet, group in a 5 inch circle consistently...with the P11, I can barely hit the target with any sort of pace beyond super slowfire. Even with slowfire, I am closer to a 15-20 inch circle. The difference there is vital...in two ways.

 

[Malblast]

My wife got to shoot a lcp and has been wanting one and then found out they have different colors, so thinking I'm gonna have to get her one. Any one know if they are on the roster haven't been able to pull it up for some reason. Don't know if they have a different model designation or not either.

 

[ADR]

My wife's "Night Stand" gun is pictured below.

She's fired every handgun I own from a CZ-82 to a Glock 30 and everything in between. (Oddly enough, she likes one that is probably the least desirable by today's standards, a Taurus PT940 that I purchased back in 1997.)

When she decided to purchase her "very own" handgun, she was dead set on a small, light, revolver that she would be able to grab and operate in a panic with the least amount of complication possible.

Is it super tactical, fancy, or ultra powerful? No but she can put 7 rounds on target quick at home defense range and if that doesn't finalize the deal, it may giver her enough time to unlock her Mini 14 and roll. (She loves that Mini 14 but it doesn't fit in the night stand. )

S&W 351c - 11 ounce, 7 shot, 1-7/8" barrel snub nose in .22 WMR loaded with Hornady Critical Defense.

 

[Safetech]

Well, on my recent trip to Lexington, I went with some friends to Bud's Gun Shop (The Gun Warehouse) While I was there, I got to hold (and dry fire) an LC9. Whoever here said it had a long trigger pull made an understatement.

It's like three feet!

They had a used one in REALLY nice shape for $299. But after trying it, I've pretty much ruled it out. While it was too small for my hand, I think it would fit hers perfectly. But she definitely wouldn't like the trigger.

Darn shame because we are both Ruger fans.

Oh well.

(In the mean time, I was able to pick up some MAGPUL 30 rd, window, PMAGs for $19.99 each. Not a great price, but acceptable. )

 

[bilbravo]

My wife's "Night Stand" gun is pictured below.

She's fired every handgun I own from a CZ-82 to a Glock 30 and everything in between. (Oddly enough, she likes one that is probably the least desirable by today's standards, a Taurus PT940 that I purchased back in 1997.)

When she decided to purchase her "very own" handgun, she was dead set on a small, light, revolver that she would be able to grab and operate in a panic with the least amount of complication possible.

Is it super tactical, fancy, or ultra powerful? No but she can put 7 rounds on target quick at home defense range and if that doesn't finalize the deal, it may giver her enough time to unlock her Mini 14 and roll. (She loves that Mini 14 but it doesn't fit in the night stand. )

S&W 351c - 11 ounce, 7 shot, 1-7/8" barrel snub nose in .22 WMR loaded with Hornady Critical Defense.

I love little revolvers like this one. Would probably want to get a .38 special at this size.

 

[steveh326]

my wife has a Bersa Thunder 380 and a Ruger LCR in 38+p. she likes the Bersa for it's easy shooting 380, and the LCR for it's simplicity of operation.

 

[Blaster229]

my wife has a Bersa Thunder 380 and a Ruger LCR in 38+p. she likes the Bersa for it's easy shooting 380, and the LCR for it's simplicity of operation.

Self defense favors simplicity..

Sent from somewhere in the world.

 

[ADR]

I love little revolvers like this one. Would probably want to get a .38 special at this size.

I'm with you on the .38 choice but for her, it was difficult to handle in something the size of a J frame.

 

[bilbravo]

I'm with you on the .38 choice but for her, it was difficult to handle in something the size of a J frame.

Sorry, I wasn't criticizing. Just making a comment. I want to get my wife her own handgun and she wants a revolver and was looking at .22LRs. Can you give me more specifics of the one your wife has?

 

[Safetech]

I want to get my wife her own handgun and she wants a revolver and was looking at .22LRs.

Unless she lands her shots just right, a .22 tends to just piss off some assailants.

 

[Mark75H]

This. Brutal, yet what needs to be understood.
... this type of firearm should be explained both the pros and cons by whoever sells it, and advise shooting it and evaluating it before buying. ...
The Kel-Tec pops like hell...it physically hurts my hand.

I have a KelTec P3AT .380 and it suits me very well, I can shoot 100's of rounds thru it comfortably; but some of my friends complain about it stinging their hands too.

I agree, the KelTec slides are difficult to rack; the locking lugs really engage tight and starting the motion is much harder than any other semi auto pistol I've ever handled. Its definitely not for everyone, probably not for most people either. For deep conceal there is nothing smaller or lighter in .380 than the P3AT.

But, nothing is the king of .380 recoil over the Grendel P-10 & P-12 firing some of that junky high velocity Tula. It was the original micro .380 back in the 80's and there was nothing to compare it to when it came on the scene. It was also one of the first composite framed guns after several 9mm's. Compared to today's micro .380's the P-10's slide is massive and when it comes to its end of travel, look out! Its a recoil junky's dream, fer shur.

On the other end of the .380 scale, my ERMA "Baby Luger" replica is lighter on the hands than most 9mm's. Must be the way the toggle absorbs the energy vs the traditional slide. (The .380 & .32 ERMA Babies do not have the same pot metal parts as the junky .22 ERMA) I wouldn't say its recoil compares to a .25, but its close.

 

[BMassBMore]

The Baretta PX4 Storm 9mm Compact is a great sized soft shooting firearm! Right sized, well made, 15 rounds, soft shooting with the rotating barrel, single/double action with safety. Well worth the look for her.

+1 on the PX4 Compact. Light recoil AND changeable backstraps.

 

[bilbravo]

Unless she lands her shots just right, a .22 tends to just piss off some assailants.

I understand that. But she wants a little revolver and I figure that's a good place to start.