Hello from a Newbie with Questions

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when you hold a potential gun do the following:

1) take a fighting stance
2) line the pistol straight in line with your forearm and keep it like that.
3) close your eyes and point the gun at something safe(without thinking about aim or form. Just point it at something without looking)
4) open your eyes and look down the sights. is it more or less aimed at what your pointed at? if so then it may be a good fit for you.

Something not many people mentioned is a j-frame revolver. Though its not my favorite gun, I use my j-frame more than any other firearm. just the right size, power, and weight. It will also cure your inability/discomfort reaching controls.

Keep in mind that you may have to buy a few different guns before you find what works for you. choosing a gun is a very personal decision and us internet people cant give you a better answer than your own opinion.
 
Welcome to The High Road! It's good to see another woman on the board.

Kathy's site is a good one and I'm thrilled to hear that you're using it in your homeschooling curriculum. That is just awesome.

I too was thinking of a j-frame for you. Snubbies can be hard to master, and can be pretty lively in the hand, especially airweight or titanium-frame snubs. But a Ruger SP101 might work (though you may want to have the trigger worked on; I understand they're a bit on the tough side). I have a S&W m37. I have fairly large hands for a woman, and I realized yesterday that it really is a little too small for me. I can use it ok, and I shoot it pretty well, but it's really too small. But for small hands it would be perfect. I have rubber grips, not wooden, which help with recoil.

Otherwise, a Bersa .380, a Kel-Tec P3AT (cute, huh?), or a Kel-Tec in a 9, might work. You'll have to handle one and see if this is good for your hands.

Good luck in your shopping! And again, welcome!

Springmom
 
@primlantah,

I'll consider a revolver if I can't find a semi-auto that suits me. But I don't like shooting revolvers and I'd have to have a lot of discipline to shoot it enough to reach my standards of sufficient proficiency. :)


@jlbraun,

No, my name is a reference to my favorite Nascar drivers -- Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, and Kurt Busch. I find it best to use the same name on all the boards I visit.
 
@springmom,

I've never been the sort to be uncomfortable being the only woman in a group of guys, but it is nice to see more and more women taking up shooting.

When I took my CC class last week it was 4 women and 3 men. And a couple months ago my Basic Pistol course was all women.

A lot of them had guns bought for them by their husbands/fathers/boyfriends which didn't fit them at all. :(
 
I am a guy with short stubby hands and I found the controls on HK pistols to be placed such that I can easily reach them one handed. I currently have a USP but I'm seriously considering a P30 after handling on for a while.
 
I'm glad to hear from some of the small-handed guys because my hands aren't tiny, dainty, fine-boned, and delicate like many ladies' hands. Instead they are square-palmed and short fingered -- like a man's hand in miniature.
 
i agree with Soybomb. sigs sound like they would be a good fit you. their slide release is much farther back than most other designs and its hard to beat sig quality and reliability. the 228/229 or 239 sound like they would fit the bill.

oh and welcome aboard :)

Bobby
 
3killerbees, I have great difficulty using the mag release on almost any gun I have tried. (my thumb is not 100%) I use a ruger P95. it has a wing type lever on both sides of the grip for mag release. I use my finger to drop the mag. It is also DA/SA, no safety to worry about. These pistols are not popular, they tend to be a bit large and clunky/ugly. But they are inexpensive and reliable. I hope this is helpful.
 
I'm sitting here reading these posts and wondering if I don't have rather short thumbs - I know I have small hands. I have never been able to reach the magazine release on any semi I've ever held. One thing you might consider is seeing if a potential buy has a reversible magazine release. I had a Taurus PT92 where the mag release had been switched to the right side - I released it with my middle finger, and I loved it. Still do - I'm going to get someone to do it to my SIG.

As for the slide stop - while I can reach it on most, I don't use it. I read several places that recommend gripping the slide and racking it in order to release the slide, just as you would to chamber a round or clear a failure. I train this way, and the reasoning is sound: if you're in a fight fine motor skills tend to degenerate, giving you a much worse chance of being able to hit the slide release. On the other hand, if you train to grab the slide every time, that's what you'll do in a fight and you won't have to worry about finding that dinky little lever.

Those are just my two-cents. I wouldn't worry so much about the controls, as hso said just find a style that points for you.
 
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Welcome to THR 3KillerBs!

I would recommend a standard 1911 in .45 ACP. It is a universal gun, as I should say, it works well with with everybody, from someone with small hands and small frame to a massive, linebacker-type athlete. No wonder it has lasted for so long, hasn't it? In a few years, we would be celebrating it's centennial birthday:D

The best 1911 pistol, in my opinion, is the Parkerized 1911A1 made by Auto Ordnance. Budget priced, and is a looker as well as a perfectly good shooter.
 
While you certainly could do it with a smaller gun, I am willing to bet that even with a pistol that seems too large, you can operate both the magazine release and the slide release with only your shooting hand. There is an old technique that many people who shoot fail to learn or teach. It is called the rule of 45, and no it has nothing to do with 45 caliber.

If you have to operate the mag release one handed, or have to operate the slide relase one handed, and have small hands (or even big ones because this makes it easier to do and surer it will get done) all you need to do is to cant the pistol in your grip to a 45 degree angle (or close to it, a 20 degree angle wouuld probably work) back toward your wrist from the normal shooting position. This makes it much easier for your thumb to reach the magazine release or slide release. You cant the weapon by using your three last finger on your shooting hand to do so while the pistol remains firmly in the crotch between thumb and forefinger, and still under contriol of those three other fingers. Operate the mechanism you need to operate, and cant the weapon back to its normal shooting grip. Try this numerous times with an unloaded weapon and empty mags (or use mags holding dunmmy rounds) before trying it live. better yet, ask a firearms instructor if he or she can show you how it is done. They may not know the name, but many will know the technique.

If I have a chance, I'll do a video and post it on my blog tomorrow night.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
I used to have a Kel-Tec P11 (9mm), but traded it for a Kahr P9 Covert (also 9mm). Love the Kahr! the Kel-Tec was fine, but it seemed to have a huge kick to it. The Kahr is much thinner and very easy to hold and conceal. Maybe it's just the ergonomics of the shape, but the recoil seems way less then the Kel-Tec. I'd second all the posts about looking at the various Kahr models. Great company, reliable gun. In my opinion, worth the extra money. Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Guys, the main thing here is ergonomics.

Does it -fit- her? Can she reach the controls she needs to reach?

I've got fairly smallish hands compared to some folks - I have yet to figure out how to do a fast magazine change with a 1911 except for through the trigger guard...

That said, a 1911 "fits" me. When I point it, it's like an extention of my primary boogerflicker.

Can't say the same of the J-frame Smith - maybe with different grips, but that thing groups about 3' low at 7 yards in point and yank method.

Make sure whatever you get points naturally for you. That means comfort. And everything else falls into place after that.
 
1. Mag release on Kahrs doesn't stick out very far with much of a "ledge", so if the fingers are barely reaching, that's not good. So wouldn't recommend Kahr if your goal is to operate the slide release with one hand. I love Kahrs, and think the grip would fit you wonderfully, but there's this slide release issue.

2. Someone said Glock - that's the worst possible choice - I can barely operate the slide release with both thumbs pressing down. Sure you can slingshot it, but you can slingshot ANY gun, and that involves the left hand. The OP want to release the slide WITHOUT use of the left hand.

3. The slide release is easy to disengage on my CZs, and the grip is ergo for small hands. BUT - but, the trigger is waaaay out there on CZs - probably wouldn't work for you.

4. I'll reiterate the advice above, that in general, steel and aluminum framed guns will have thinner grips, and therefore more ergo for you, than plastic guns.

5. Bersa - no, those are pretty fatty-fat-fat grips.

6. Best thing I can think of is a 1911 pistol. Ergo grip, easy trigger, and easy to reach slide release. Plz tell us why, exactly, that you didn't like the Kimber Aegis?

7. Almost hate to say it, but Taurus auto pistols tend to have ergo controls and grip sizes.

A Nascar fan, in N.C.??? Say it isn't so! :)
 
Just an added thought. I went out shooting with my Lady last Saturday. She has her own pistol which she enjoys. I asked her to try my KelTec P11 with range loads. She handed it back after 5 shots and said, "No thanks, that hurts!" Her hands are the same size as mine and as strong, but since I have periperal neurophathy, I don't feel it the same way she does.

The smaller polymer guns may be uncomfortable to shoot for someone with normal feeling in their hands.
 
IMO, you might try a walther p99 or other models out for size. The slide release is further back than any other autoloader ive tried and the mag release is on the botton of the trigger guard so you can easily reach it. My only beef with walthers is that the disassembly is not as easy as a service pistol design. BUT, i think they woud be a good choice for what your lookin for. plus its what James bond used in Casino royal(according to mythbusters).
P.S. Welcome to THR!
 
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. Sure you can slingshot it, but you can slingshot ANY gun, and that involves the left hand. The OP want to release the slide WITHOUT use of the left hand.
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I wanted to bring this up earlier. I was hoping somebody else would, because I didn't want to sound crass, but here goes:

We all want to be able to work our guns with one hand, if need be, but that's not how most of us work our pistols. The OP is concerned with 1 hand operation not because the other would be disabled in the fight, as we usually are, but because she might be holding onto a child.

I'm not so sure the best place to keep the child is on your torso during a gun fight. Everybody trains to shoot COM, and that's right where the child will be if you keep it in your arms.

If the child isn't off your body by the time you empty the first magazine you've got bigger problems than not being able to reach a slide release. How are you going to get the 2nd magazine in with one hand? Why continue to hold onto them and put them in the line of fire? Getting the child off you would seem every bit as important to me as the draw itself.
 
I'm not so sure the best place to keep the child is on your torso during a gun fight. Everybody trains to shoot COM, and that's right where the child will be if you keep it in your arms.
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Regardless of whether or not a child is involved, you (anyone) should be able to operate their handgun with one hand to fire it, reload it, and to clear jams. As for the child factor, I can understand her point and yours, but the truth be told if someone ever got in a firefight with child by their side you can bet many folks would be holding or pushing the child at least until steered toward safety or behind cover. That might take a few seconds, and I am sure most of us can unload a full magazine in less time than a few seconds, or have the gun jam in less time. Of course then it might be wise to let go of the child and operate the weapon with both hands, but I still can understand wanting to be able to do it with one. It is vitally important to be able to operate a handgun with one hand if you want to be the winner in the gunfight where your other hand is for some reason out of the fight.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
Check out the H&K P2000SK and the Walther P99c. You activate the mag release with your trigger finger, no need to readjust your grip to use your thumbs. This is the fasted style mag release available in my opinion. The slide release on the Walther is a little further back toward your thumb and easier to reach, but the slide release on the H&K is ambidexterous so you could use with either hand. From experience, the H&K recoils a lot less than the walther, but both are the same weight/size.
 
@PremiumSauces,
I'm may not have the correct vocabulary to explain what was wrong with the Kimber Aegis I held. It sat badly in my hand, it looked thin but felt thick (the exact opposite of the Taurus PT 92 that looked like a beached whale but felt as if it were half the size it actually was), and nothing was located in a place I could reach it except for the trigger.

As for Nascar, would you believe I fell for the sport when I was living Taxachusetts? :lol:
 
@GigaBuist,

I'm not talking about holding the child on my body, though if I had an infant there wouldn't be an option beyond attempting to hold him behind my hip.

I'm talking about managing a frightened, even panicking toddler/preschooler who might run into greater danger either into the line of fire in "How dare you hurt my Mommy" mode or away into traffic or into the hands of other bad guys. :)
 
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