Helping female friend pick gun ... help me!

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Boiler_G

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Messages
58
Location
OH
Ok, Here is the deal. A friend of mine is ready to buy her first gun. I have a .22 she can shoot, and she insist upon getting a larger caliber (9mm). She seems to be infatuated with Glocks, particularly the 26. She shot her cousins 26 and loved the feel and even sight radius (compared to her brothers 23). She did comment that she got a few jams from 'limp wristing'. I have a Colt 1991A1 that she hasn't shot, but has held and commented on the size ("that's a big gun!").

Anway, I am trying to get her to consider some other guns. In the area were she lives, there aren't too many places that rent out guns. Incase we can't make it to one of those places, or the rental/gun shop doesn't have too many guns to rent, she might end up making her decision based on feel and fit in the hand.

Do you guys/gals have any suggestions for the female shooters with small hands? Remember she limp wristed the 26, so maybe somthing a little less 'snappy', but not as heavy has my Colt. I want her to at least hold the Kahr line. Any other suggestions (Sig 239, S&W 3913 possibly)?

She doesn't intend to carry and shooting sessions may be few and far between depending on what season it is during the year. I like the idea of something with a consistant trigger pull too, i.e. SA only or DA (aka 'safe') only so she can practice consistant trigger pulls.

Thanks.
 
only one choice....Steyr M9:D

If she likes the glock, and wants 9mm, she will love the way the steyr fits in her hands much better, and the pellet gun like recoil will help too!

110 lb fiance with steyr

attachment.php


13 year old sister with steyr.

attachment.php
 
USP9C if the budget allows, she can shoot it in SA if her fingers aren't strong enough to do the DA all the time.

I like the beretta but the slide mounted safety is too much for people when manipulating the slide sometimes. Poor ergonomics is quite the discouragement for someone moving up.
 
Second the BHP.
Consider CZ75, very similar size to Browning if used SA.
Glock 17 or 19. I think, repeat THINK, the standard springs will be less subject to limp-wristing than the Seecamp system on the 26.

Exercise and training.
Arin's ladies have pretty good grips.

But what is it FOR?
You say she isn't going to carry a pistol. Is it for serious home defense or just "a gun around the house?" Or a range gun to be taken out for regular shooting? Not that it matters a whole lot in this case, if she has indicated a preference for a 9mm service pistol, then that is what she should get.
 
i would think any Sig in 9mm would do the job, maybe the 229. or if she has real small hands the 232, but its a .380. there are a lot of guns in the 'small hands category' you just have to go to a good shop and get her to try a bunch of 'em.
 
Steyr

Thanks for the replies! Those are the guns I figured everyone would suggest, I just wanted to hear some first hand accounts on the subjective 'snap' of each gun.

She indicated that she liked the size of the Glock 26 better than the 23 (or 19), but I wonder if that was because the 23 was in .40 S&W and she just liked the lesser recoil of the 26.

As far as uses for the gun, it would be strictly a range gun and maybe the 1 in a BILLION chance that there was a home intruder, for self defense. I have known her family for over 20 years now and I don't think they have ever locked their door in there fairly rural location. She is not the type of person that expects 50 BG's to bust down the door and start shooting up the place. But that is a whole other debate.

Thanks for the Steyr suggestion. I have seen those pics on here before and forgot. I think she is kind of cought up in the whole Glock hype since she is 22 and her brother and cousin both have Glocks. After learning on a Ruger MK II and S&W 41, I decided on a 1911 for the pure beauty and historical nastalgia (sp?), not to mention fit, finish, and ergonomics. So I survived the Glock bandwaggon.
 
When somebody "likes the size" of a gun, you may need to help with the important dimensions. As far as I know, all 9mm and .40 Glocks have the same width and depth of grip, which gives the circumference to grasp and the reach to the trigger. The butt (and barrel) is shorter on the G26, but that should not be important for a 'shooter' as opposed to a hideout gun. As she gained experience, it would hamper her with short sight radius and skimpy grip.

But what do I know, I am just a rational guy. Worse, an engineer. She knows what she likes. Have her work on her grip and stance. Some stouter ammo might help, too. Lightly loaded econo-ball would accent limp-wristing.

As far as "snap" goes, I think my CZ is a mild mannered gun, softer shoting than even a BHP. But my IDPA ESP gun is a 1991 Colt 9mm that is a real pussycat. But it does weigh 40 ounces, which would make it no better in that respect than any other 1911. So she can lift weights. I have only shot a M9 on one occasion and it was not a hard kicker, but I didn't like the trapezoidal sights. I really didn't like its failure to feed a factory roundnose.

Sig Sauers are well made guns but tend toward a tough DA first shot. I have had one worked by Teddy J. and he will get the other one as soon as I can work up my nerve to deal with the shippers.
 
I'd be willing to bet if the absolute truth be known, the real issue is WEIGHT. Out of the dozen or so females that I have helped learn to shoot a pistol or shot with while they were just starting out, this was the issue. I tried to explain that weight was a good thing that took the "snap" out of recoil, but they wanted what they wanted. My own dear wife, when handed a 32oz revolver said "Too heavy!" as was my 28 oz USP or 24 oz Glock. Only when handed a friends S&W 296 did she say "Better."! Lightweight seems to rule supreme. In your case, I'd let her shoot everything I could get my hands on, and let her decide. I think the only point I would push would be getting a full size gun first.

Dave
 
I've found the G19 more prone to limp wristing than the G26 and G17. She can learn to not limp wrist. The G26 is one of the few small handguns that is accurate enough to be really fun to shoot at the range.

The SIG P239 9mm is virtually limp wrist proof. I've tried and had to really work at at to get it to fail. A female friend had some limp wristing problems with my G19 but no problem with my P239. She loved shooting the P239 9mm.

She likes the G26 why not support her in going with it? It is a fine pistol. If she wants to she can always switch to a different pistol in the future.

Rich
 
WOW, another chance for me to recommend the USPc 9 :D But honestly, if she's already infatuated w/ the Glock 26, you may be fighting an uphill battle ;)
 
If she's willing to step sideways, consider a .380. It is slightly less zippy than a 9mm.

My daughter just went through a selection process and eventually purchased a Grock 17 (9mm) and a Bersa (actually a Firestorm) .380. She likes to shoot both but her always piece is the .380. Both work well with small hands.

The Bersa .380 NIB can be had for $225. while the ammo runs $14.00 / box.

Grock 17 was used for $400 while ammo runs $6.00 / box.
 
My vote goes to the Sig P239. Small enough to fit her hands (While not female, I'm not the biggest guy, and have relatively small hands, it fits me great). It's light enough to be manageable, but kinda heavy for the size, so the recoil is less than you would expect. Dead reliable (at least mine is) and simple to field strip for cleaning. Just for range time, she could always just manually cock the gun and shoot it SAO.
 
Second on the H&K USP 9mm.

My wife loves to shoot hers and can operate all the controls in spite of the fact that she has a medical condition resulting in low hand strength and sensitivity to recoil. See if you can find one in a store to verify that it's a decent fit for her hand.

Unless she plans to carry it, I'd encourage her to get the full size. It's going to be easier to shoot (longer sight radius), and easier on the hands (more weight = less recoil).

BTW, Lisa won't shoot my Glock 9mms. She says they recoil too much! I can't tell the difference...
 
Anway, I am trying to get her to consider some other guns.
Click to expand...
Why?

Only because you don't like them?

Or what???

If she doesn't shoot it well yet, take her to the range more often, or get her into a class, or better yet, offer to take a class with her. Limp wristing is fixable with just a little work.

If you don't think she's going to practice enough, I guarantee that she'll be more likely to practice, and enjoy shooting a lot more if she doesn't feel railroaded and unhappy every time she looks at her gun. She'll shoot more if she likes her gun -- and she'll like her gun more if she got to pick it out.

Of course, I'm biased. I'm another woman who was a novice shooter when first introduced to the G26. I fell in love with one the first time I held it. I confess I don't understand the religious nature of the brand wars (nor of the caliber or stance wars, for that matter), though I understand some people do think of Glocks as Evil Incarnate and that others think of them as if they were another coming of Christ Himself. Me, I think of the G26 as a nifty little tool that grabbed me by the heart the first time I picked it up ... but no more than that.

If you hate Glocks, don't get one for yourself. But it seems a little silly to steer another person away from a gun that suits her just because you aren't fond of the brand.

pax
 
I'd get kicked off the board if I said what I actually felt about your posts.

So I'll just say, think about how you would feel if instead of that nice 1911 that you really enjoy, you'd been forced to buy another gun because your girlfriend didn't think the 1911 was right for you -- if after you told her what you liked, she went online and asked all her buddies what they thought, and then got you a Glock.
 
Dear offended feminists,

This person is trying to help, he/she doesn't seem like he's trying to force his will on anyone. I think most experienced shooters would rather see someone new start off on the right foot. I wouldn't advise anyone male or female to choose the baby Glock as their first handgun. It would be like learning to pole vault with diving weights on. It might be possible, but there is no possible benefit. Lots of girls marry their first husbands because they "fell in love". They find out what a miserable SOB he is in the first year. They ask their friends, "Why didn't you stop me?". This guy is just trying to help, so let him him some slack. Please? If he/she turns out to be anything less nobel than a concerned friend, I'll help you string him up, that is of course if you will take assistance from a mere man.

Dave
 
If she likes the G26, then encourage her (and facilitate) her to shoot as much as she can with nary a care about the cases of ammunition she may well go through!

If she continues to shoot and really gets hooked, she'll beat the occasional jam - and probably start doing push-ups and some free weights!

Keeping her happy, and keeping her burning lots of gunpowder in hours and hours of range time - she'll figure it out, and you may get to enjoy the process!

Trisha
 
Dave (only1asterisk).

The baby Glocks are surprisingly easy to shoot well. Even with your little finger curled under the magazine. Shooting my G26 and G27 helped me to learn to shoot all Glocks better. The G26 is not like a lot of other small handguns. It is *not* like learning to pole vault with diving weights on.

If she wants she can always get a different handgun later. How many of us have stopped at our first handgun? Later, if she gets another handgun I'll bet she keeps the G26.

Rich
 
Rich,

Nothing against Glocks, it's just difficult to understand people get a little miffed when someone wants to help a friend make a informed choice. Would you recommend a 26 or 27 to a new shooter buying a first gun? If they liked the mini-glock, would it be out of line to suggest a Model 19? Say, those mini glocks are nice, but this one might be a little easier to shoot well. If they still want a a mini, it's their choice, but if it were me buying a first gun I'd want someone to give me this helpful advice. Like I said above, give the lady as many guns as you can to try, and let her pick the one she wants. Be sure to suggest she get a gun that allows a full grip.

Dave
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Plinkin' Logs
  • Locked
Helping pick an handgun for female friend
Replies
20
Views
908
Hokkmike
Hokkmike
B
  • Locked
Gun Choice for Limp-Wristed Wife
2
Replies
38
Views
3K
kokapelli
K
H
  • Locked
Help me help my neighbor buy a gun
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
orionengnr
O
G
  • Locked
A lady friend of mine has a problem with her G19
Replies
11
Views
798
Bix
B
T
  • Locked
Help me choose a pistol for small weak hands.
Replies
19
Views
2K
holycrikey
H
Back
Top