5'9'', 110lbs - lady looking for best 9mm pistol?

Wanted 5'9 110 sxylady that carries. Must sent picture of pistol.

Grinchster

I'd say no to Sig P232 380

Quote: My fiancée has been eying the sig P232 as well, but I have no experience with it.
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First, I thought the same and bought one for my wife's first gun, and it wasn't cheap.. lol

Great gun, except for the following:

Using 95gr 380 ammo, that little bug has some snap/recoil..

It gets dirty quick, and if you don't clean it, "completely", before you get over 200 rounds, it will jam after the 3rd or 4th shot every time from powder discharge that also activates the slide thru gas-recoil.

And that little jem is NOT easy to disassemble or reassemble for a little lady, trust me. Let alone, figure out the "thumb release" for the magazine to come out and, the magazine does not go back in straight-up, rather, you have to angle it first then it goes up and in straight. Just not a good weapon if you have to reload quick with another mag IMO.

Get her a 9mm, Sig, Beretta, CZ, etc., all of them, well, the ones I can attest to, are SIMPLE to take apart and clean, and you can go 200 rounds easy, without much dirt, powder built up, etc. Plus, the 380's only hold 7 in the mags, 8 max.

All 9mm's hold min of 10 plus one in the chamber, or more, depending in what State you live.

The 380 is a great BUG gun (back-up) but not a good primary weapon IMO.

There are "forgiving guns" and Unforgiving guns".. I'd put the Sig 380 in the "Unforgiving" category.


LS

"The BEST 9m/m Is Subjective

I can think of two, right off the top of my head:

a) West German SIG-SAUER P228, with 13 round magazines
b) Smith & Wesson model 39-2, with 8 round magazines

I won;t answer the "best" part.

but a glock 19 or a small CZ (P01, etc) might fit her hands just fine.

The Glock 26 if you are going to carry it or the Glock 19 if its a home or range gun.

Try them both and try a G17 as well if you can.

As mentioned. the best thing you can do is sit down and read www.corneredcat.com . A website about concealed carry written by a very savvy woman, primarily for women and guns.

As others have said if you are not going to carry it (I know you could get a CHL, Glockman) then you should get a bigger gun because it will be more accurate and easier to control. 9mm is a good start for caliber. Whatever is unlucky enough to be on the other end doesn't care whether it's a 9 40 or 45.

I say go to a store that has all of these;
M&P compact (caliber doesn't matter yet, you need to see which gun feels right in your hand)
Walther P99
Glock 26 or 27 (again, just to check the grip)
XD sub compact

In that order for me.

Set them all up on the counter and grab one, point it, did the sights line up? Does it feel "right" in your hand? You will know when you grab the one that feels right.
Grab another one, point it (in a safe direction of course) did the sights line up? Even close?
For me the XD pointed well but the grip felt horrible and I can't get past the fugly look either so it got ruled out quickly. Same with the Glock (minus the good pointability for me). I ended up with a M&P compact 9 because it is my CCW. I would have got a full size if it was just for the home and range. More ammo in the mags and longer sight radius is better which is well, better.

Not to stir the pot too much but if it's JUST for home defense then maybe you should look at a 20 ga shotgun. Shotty's are better for HD but it's harder to find a place to shoot them. Just my $0.02.

Oh and definitely check out corneredcat.com, good site.

Have I missed where Sxylady says what the gun is FOR?
As said, legal concealed carry is low probability in a repressive jurisdiction.
For home defense, recreation, or competition, the largest gun you can handle is the first thing to look for.

There was a woman in an area IDPA club whose male advisors had put into an XD because of its simple operation, designed for Croatian militiamen with little training and infrequent practice. She could fire it but she could not really be said to shoot it; speed and accuracy were both lacking. Somebody loaned her a Springfield 1911 9mm variant. Business picked up IMMEDIATELY, with no training or practice other than learning to use the manual safety. The single stack grip and crisp trigger made getting hits a lot easier for her and she progressed after that.

On the other hand, I know several women who do very well with Glocks.

Yeah, I do have a CHL, Johndoe...

I've taken to carrying a Glock19...and very recently, a 17. Just depends on how I dress...

One more reason I recommend Glock is the ease of maintenance. I don't think there's an easier gun to take down (but I don't have a lot of experience with semi-autos other then 1911's and Kahrs) and how little work is involved in keeping them running.

I thought it was very difficult but possible to get a CHL in CA...

The XD's and M&P's are easy to maintain and take down. The M&P has the sear disconnect lever (just to avoid LEO's having to squeeze the trigger to field strip) which makes for one more step in the process but the XD just falls apart (in a good way, when you are field stripping it, not when you are shooting it). My brother showed me once (my first lesson on any polymer) and I could have it apart in about 10 seconds right after that. I don't know about the Glocks specifically but I understand that SA and S&W copied the take down procedure. 1911's are a puzzle that takes some time to master for sure.

1911's are a puzzle that takes some time to master for sure.

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Have they gotten more complicated since they were issued to troops who were doing well to have a grammar school education?

I'd go to the Firing Line (maybe get a membership there) like Mark said. They have free lane time and rentals last I was there. You gotta buy their ammo but as far as ranges go they're the best bargain. There you can rent the different guns but each range may or may not have the Browning, HK, Smith, etc. you may be looking for.

Everyone has their opinion on guns, just find something you LIKE that you'll shoot the snot out of.

You're in LA. Ugh. I gotta change my profile back from Arizona

Have they gotten more complicated since they were issued to troops who were doing well to have a grammar school education?

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Nope, the technology we have these days makes it easier to field strip guns. They are relatively harder to strip because we have easier methods nowadays.
Good point though. I just hate looking for springs that went god knows where. That said, I'm in the market for a 1911 to replace my polymer.

Welcome to THR

I am a big HK fan

I feel that with either the USP or P2000 you could not go wrong. My HK's have been incredibly reliable, accurate, and easy to shoot quickly.

That said, have you looked at the SIG 229? My girlfriend has "commandeered" mine. She shoots it very well and likes it the best out of all of the guns that I have or that she has tried.

In the end, you should buy what fits your hand best and feels the most natural while firing. If there is a range around you where you can rent different guns you should go and try them out and see which one "fits" you.

Just my $0.02

I know she didn't mention revolvers but they are easier for beginners to get comfortable with. also, Bersa makes a real compact 9mm DA/SA auto that sells for around $325 NIB

I would check out the CZ P-01. 14 round capacity, aluminum frame, accurate as all heck. It fits nicely in my girlfriends hands and she is 5 4" 100lbs with tiny hands.