Looking for a thin pistol for a woman...

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

RLZIII

Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
49
My girlfriend often goes shooting with me and has a blast. I own a Beretta 90-Two in 9mm and a Kimber 1911 Pro CDP II in .45 ACP. She shoots pretty accurately with both, but is having some problems.

She has very small hands (even for a woman) and can't properly grip either pistol. She often (especially after getting a bit of fatigue) has FTF and FTE problems with the Beretta (it's not a problem with the pistol, as I have no problems). Since my 1911 has slimmer grips and a bigger cartridge, she doesn't seem to have as many problems with it; though she doesn't prefer the recoil of the .45 ACP cartridge. In addition to the grip problem, she has trouble operating some of the features on both guns (including slide-lock and safety).

I'm looking at getting her a reasonably priced pistol that she can operate better. I'm thinking something in 9mm, but I'm not opposed to getting her a .380 ACP, maybe single-stacked. She can't get her CCW licence for a couple of years still, so I'm not looking to get her a pocket gun. I want her to have her own range gun that she can operate well and become confident with in order to improve her accuracy and proficiency with pistols (to later aid her when she does get her CCW license and weapon).

She really fancies my Beretta 90-Two (even though she has some trouble with it), so I was looking at possibly a Beretta Cheetah 85FS, though I haven't had experience with this model. I plan to take her to the local gun shop to see what works well for her, and was looking for suggestions of what to check out...
 
I'm looking at getting her a ...
Click to expand...

That's your problem right there ... instead, try taking her somewhere where there's a lot of guns and having her pick a nice one for herself. Not you. Her. Playing with guns. Lots of them. Then standing there agonizing ... then buying one. Then another, then another ... you get my drift? She has to live with the gun, not you, so frankly what I think about my wife's guns is a moot point. They're hers, not mine.
Also, have her work out with you a bit. Not to sound too judgmental, but getting hand fatigue from firing a gun (to the point of causing FTEs and the like) should ideally not occur within 500 rounds.
So ...
push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups 8(
gunshows! 8)

That's my piece of advice. 8)
 
Last edited:
How about a 9mm Kahr. They are thin and have a shorter reach then many. I have a cw9 that is a rather nice pistol with enought wieght to still be enjoyable at the range. How about the s&w MP or springfield XD pistols? better take her to a big gunshop just to finger some hardwear. Let her pick her own . Pick up a use glock 19 and you could redo the back of the grip to short'n it up a bunch. Many folks have done that to there glocks.
 
That's your problem right there ... instead, try taking her somewhere where there's a lot of guns. Also, have her work out with you a bit. Not to sound too judgmental, but getting hand fatigue from firing a gun (to the point of causing FTEs and the like) should ideally not occur within 500 rounds.
So ...
push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups 8(
gunshows! 8)

That's my piece of advice. 8)
Click to expand...

If you read the last line of my post, I make it clear that I'm taking her to the local gun store so she can see what works for her. I'm looking for suggestions as to not miss any guns that fit the criteria I'm looking at; my local store is huge.

And I think she gets fatigue very easily with the guns because of the way she has to hold them. She can't reach the trigger correctly on either gun and still have the area between her thumb and trigger finger properly positioned. So I think she gets to the point after a hundred or so rounds where she starts to get FTF/FTE problems; then when she starts to have the problems she starts thinking too hard about how to fix them (making sure her grip isn't too loose or tight), which causes her to have more problems.
 
I guess I'm wondering why when you're taking her to the store you need suggestions ... look at *everything.*
It may very well be that she has grip issues causing her hands to go fast, as well, but keep in mind strong forearms and shoulders will also help with accuracy. Unless you're shooting from a rest, that is.
 
Look at the S&W M&P 9 Compact, they seem to have small grips. I don't have one but have held them at the gun store and shows.
 
I would think a single stack Sig or S&W in 9mm would work well. My ex loves her Firestar in 9mm, a very accurate smaller gun.
 
So you want to buy your girlfriend/wife a gun
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=564531

Please read this thread
and listen to the advice, otherwise, well....
I hope you enjoy the high heels and diamond earrings she buys 'for you'....

The gist of the thread is, the only gun she is going to use/enjoy is one that SHE buys, you aren't her, you don't have her hands, and she might decide she wants a pocket mouse, or a Desert Eagle .50, but it's up to HER to decide.
 
Make sure the place is shop has them for rent so she can try before she buys. For range time, a nice .22 will work. For SD/HD, whatever she finds comfortable, probably along the lines of a single stack small cartridge like a 380. She might even like a revolver - as mentioned - SHE needs to decide
 
I really don't think people are understanding me here. I am taking her. She is going to choose the gun that is most comfortable to her and usable to her. But my local gun show has thousands of different handguns in a massive store. I want her to handle as many guns as she can there and make her choice; but I also want to make sure we don't skip over any good recommendations. The store is widely spread out and it's easy to miss things.

I'm simply looking for recommendation to write down and make sure we check out when we go.
 
let her fondle your guns, let her develop a list of things she likes, and dislikes
is the mag release difficult to operate, is the slide release biting her thumb, is the grip angle off, does she like the feel/ballance/operation of a revovler over a semi,
Is she a big gun type of girl, or a little gun.

Then work up ideas

the gist is
the bigger the caliber, the harder the recoil
the smaller the gun, the more difficult it is to control

So, a pocket 9, or .357, is going to be more difficult to shoot than a service size auto, or a heavier 4-6" service revolver.
But in the end, it's up to her, maybe she likes the charter .38 in pink....
 
RLZIII said:
I really don't think people are understanding me here. I am taking her. She is going to choose the gun that is most comfortable to her and usable to her. But my local gun show has thousands of different handguns in a massive store. I want her to handle as many guns as she can there and make her choice; but I also want to make sure we don't skip over any good recommendations. The store is widely spread out and it's easy to miss things.

I'm simply looking for recommendation to write down and make sure we check out when we go.
Click to expand...
they understand they are just too eager to criticize. Doing so gives them a boost to their self esteem.

Here's a short list of things to look at

kahr
walther pps
walther ppk
ruger LCP
colt pony(if you can find one)
sig 238
S&W bodyguard
taurus slim series of pistols


And one that probably will not be in stock in any gunshop:

STI LS

keep in mind, girls like things that sparkle. They don't like the flat black military olive drab looking stuff.
 
I'll go against the grain and say that you should point her in the direction of a revolver of some kind. You can get custom grips made that will both fit the gun and her hand. Good fit with a gun makes shooting much more enjoyable.
 
Single stack 9's? Here are a few that I think are worth taking a look at.

Kahr CW9

Walther PPS 9

S&W 3913 (stainless?) or 3914 (black)

Those are three that I would definitely check out.

Shawn
 
Kahr CW9
Kahr CM9 (Not out yet)
Browning Hi power 9mm Thinnest double stack 9mm on the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Walter PPS
S&W lady smith/3913/3914

Let her handle those get some feedback about what she likes and did not like about them and go from there.
 
As others have mentioned the Walther PPS is very thin. Not sure how well it fits a smaller hand.

The Sig P232 is a fantastic .380 and should be considered. The blued version is quite lightweight.

A mid-size gun that feels very nice and points well is the Sig P225, which is a single-stack 9mm. A bit harder to find but should be considered.
 
If going the single stack route I would look at a S&W or Sig P6.

Even though it is a double stack I would check out a Hi Power. My wife loves ours and by getting a FM Hi Power I got a like new one with a few 15 round magazines for 300 about two years ago. Never an issue or jam and more accurate than either one of us could shoot it. Does help to remove the mag disconnect to improve the trigger pull.
 
Feel her pain

If you are going to stick with semi's:

Sig P238, 380 acp, single action, single stack - nice trigger, short reach, soft recoil. A little pricey but if she likes it, well worth it in the long run.

Kahr K9, 9mm, double action, single stack - nice DA pull as DA's go, short reach as DA's go, surprisingly soft recoil as small 9mm's go. Also a little pricey but again worth it in the long run if she likes it.
 
HK P30 LEM (if you really like her a lot).

She'll even be able to do reloads without flipping the gun inboard to get to those horribly unergonomic thumb releases. She won't have to budge from her firing grip to drop a mag on the HK due to trigger guard release.
 
Kahr K9. I call it the 'little big gun' because the thing is designed in such a way that just about anyone can shoot it comfortably.

Single stack, but not credit card thin.
Low bore axis.
Smooth trigger.
Good weight balance.
Good reliability (it was their first model).

Just something else for her to look at.
 
Ruger P-95

Easiest slide on any 9mm ever.

Polymer frame, so not too heavy

Fairly massive slide, so not too much recoil.

Accurate enough.

9mm, so ammo is cheap.

Gun itself is extremely affordable.

Requires almost no maintenance.

You won't worry about "scratching" it.

Grip is slim enough as double-stacks go.
No grip panels.

Downside is bulk.
Nothing slim or sexy about the P-95

p95.gif
 
My girlfriend's first gun was a Bulgarian Makarov...Although in the years since then she has shot many pistols and competed in IPSC using a G21,she still carries her Mak...This in spite of the fact she can choose anything from the safe she wants,including most if not all the pistols mentioned to this point...The Mak is hands down her favorite "fun" gun...

The plusses-light recoil,decent trigger,ABSOLUTE reliability,thin enough to hide easily...

The cons-Ammo is expensive by the box,but pretty cheap in bulk,(1K rounds at a time),and the sights are pretty small,which is curable with some day-glo paint...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
Autoloader recommendation for a woman
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
45crittergitter
4
I
  • Locked
A .45 with a small grip?
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
Jiml3
J
Y
  • Locked
If my daughter like the Beretta-92, what else might she like?
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
Ben86
Ben86
B
  • Locked
Input on CCW pistol
Replies
22
Views
881
ernunnos
E
B
  • Locked
Browning Buckmark question
Replies
8
Views
1K
usp9
usp9
Back
Top