Fullsize 9mm for Small-handed person?

[W Turner]

She may have to compromise in one area or another to get what she wants.

The Glock 19 with a trigger job and grip reduction would seem to meet most, if not all of her criteria.
- 9mm
- good capacity
- 4.0" barrel
- short, relatively light trigger and a trigger job could make it crisper
- have the grip reduction done and it should be a small-hands-friendly package
Would it be cheap? Not really, but with the criteria you are giving us, compromise is going to be the way to go.

I'm not a big fan of Kahr pistols, but a trigger job on a CW9 would give you what you want as long as you would get over the whole a-9mm-single-stack-is-silly idea. A single stack 9mm that works for her and that does not cause her pain to shoot and practice with is not a silly idea. It is an effective one.

For that matter a k frame snubby with a trigger job in .38 or .357 would also fit the bill. The barrel length is actually closer to 4" if you measure the way autopistol barrels are measured (chamber included in the overall length of the barrel).



W

 

[hso]

Fit is essential for comfort, accuracy and speed.

As to 9mm 1911s being "silly" I'm not so sure that a gun that doesn't point properly or one that has too much recoil to manage isn't sillier. Have her look at the 9mm 1911's that also can shoot the 38 Super. She'll have plenty of gun then.

 

[ipscshooter]

-She would prefer "full size" where full size means in this case having a barrel of at least 4".

-It *must* be in 9x19/9mm Parabellum. That requirement is firm.

-If the pistol has a manual safety, it must be ambidextrous and preferribly she would like an ambidextrous slide release if thats possible (though I realize thats not generally likely and the slide can be released by the pull to the rear method).

-She would prefer the pistol be SA only or DA/SA. DAO pistols with heavy triggers won't work nor will striker-fired pistols without very crisp light triggers either.

-She would prefer a capacity of 10 rounds or more but that might not be an option with small single stacks.

The closest I can think of is a Hi Power or clone. It meets all the criteria above except the slide release. The trigger reach is shorter than a standard 1911. The grips are removable. Maybe thin grips?

The Kahr T9 or TP9 come close. VERY short trigger reach. Small grip.

 

[sara bellum]

Meaningless answers

With the exception of a few people such as HSO, everyone else offered meaningless answers like "get a Glock." Perdurabo93 made it explicitly clear from the outset that the following pistols are unacceptable and WHY:

-Glock 17/19 - Too big
-Browning Hi-Power - Too big
-CZ-75/EAA Witness - Too big
-S&W M&P - Too big
-Springfield XD-9 - Too big
-Taurus 24/7 Pro - *almost* just the right size, but since it has the manual safety on the left and she's left-handed, it wont do.
-Para Ordnance 1911 SSP - Fits well, but she doesn't want 45 ACP, she wants 9mm
-Sig 225 - Too big
-Beretta PX4 Storm - Too big
-Walther P22 - Just right, but is a .22, not a 9mm
-Kahr PM9 - Just about right, but its too small and the trigger is crappy

Posters who do not read the original thread do us all a disservice with replies that amount to spam. Telling Perdurabo to "get a Glock...HP...Kahr...CZ..." etc. is less than nothing since he/she asked for help with models other than these. I for one would like to see irrelevant responses like those deleted by the moderator.

We all love the sport of marksmanship and value defensive arms. However, prices for many firearms continue to rise precipitously. While for some it may be easy to purchase a $400 + $50 for DROS pistol, to "try out" a pistol only to move on to the next test, some folks want to make an economical and sound purchase the first time or want to narrow the field wisely.

Off topic responses like "get a Kahr" fall far short of providing sound guidance and only serve to clutter this fine forum.

 

[Hawk]

With the exception of a few people such as HSO, everyone else offered meaningless answers like "get a Glock." Perdurabo93 made it explicitly clear from the outset that the following pistols are unacceptable and WHY:

I respectfully disagree. Most of the posts since the last time you lectured the senior members contain qualifications indicating that they read the OP.

As example, proposing a BHP with reduced grips isn't the same as simply saying "BHP". I have Navidrex micarta grips on a BHP and it's significantly smaller in the grip than my BHP Practical. Unless you have intimate knowledge of Navidrex you might be dismissing a viable alternative without cause.

A "Glock 19 with trigger job and grip reduction" is not the same as a (stock) Glock 19. Check Robar's site for details.

A "CZ 9MM in a 1911 style frame" is not a CZ-75. Admittedly, I don't know what it is, but I gather it's not on the "dismissed" list.

Kahr T-9 is not a Kahr PM-9. Neither is a P99 with a custom reduced backstrap a P99 so far as the grip is concerned.

I expect the OP won't have the slightest problem filtering through the stuff found to be unappealing. Personally, I think the custom stuff will be getting up a bit much in price although I occassionally see the Robar reductions turning up in the used counter.

I'm rather fascinated by the notion of a CZ in a 1911 frame.

 

[conan]

We haven't seen any 1911s in 9mm except for a Para Warthog 9 and that was definitely too big. Were holding out hope for the Springfield EMP, but were afraid it'll be too expensive and she ideally wants a non-carry pistol with a 4"-6" barrel. In any case nobody seems to have one in stock she can handle. If she HAS to go with a small framed CCW pistol she wants one with a nice trigger since this will be primarily a range gun, not a carry gun... she just wants something that fits her hand, shoots 9mm, and isn't crippled by a short barrel.

Esmeralda introduces her "Slender Series" line of 1911 grips. Slender Series are almost half the thickness of standard grips and are ideal for smaller hands or carry/concealment use. Esmeralda says "as a woman my hands are small, and I also carry concealed, so Slender Series grips are perfect for my personal use".

http://www.esmeralda.cc/slender_series_grips.htm

 

[ZooFuzz]

As for smalled persons, this question could apply to you.

I am thinking of purchasing a Springfield Ultra Compact 1911 9mm in stainless steel.
I have never owned one and wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with this weapon. Pros & Cons, and possible price. . It looks to be in excellent condition and fired very little.

The picture shown below is what this item looks like.






Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated. ZF

 

[Paulinus]

I would second the suggestion of trying a Beretta 92FS Vertec. The Vertec design for smaller hands that the standard grip on the 92 or M9.

 

[mlandman]

My wife uses a S&W 442 (I am not ignoring your post...read on ), because her hands are on the small side. She has comfortably used my H&K USPc 9. She is comfortable with it, more so than my M&P9.

 

[gc70]

S&W 3906 (all stainless) or 3904 (aluminum frame) have 4-inch barrels and the thinnest grip profile to be found on a full-sized pistol. These are the full-sized versions of the S&W 3913/3914/908 compacts that have been mentioned several times. The only downside to the 3906/3904 is that they were only made during 1988-1990 and are somewhat difficult to find.

 

[halvey]

A single stack 9mm 1911 seems just silly, though, so there has to be other options.

Why would that be silly?

Because a 1911 HAS to be a .45. My goodness, what would JMB think?

 

[rj112275]

Sounds like a niche market for someone

From your posts it sounds like the 1911 in 9mm and the Kahr were the closest. My wife is petite and experiences similar issues with guns. The 1911 is still a bit too large for her, and double action triggers on my snubs are a bit too much for her. I've narrowed it down for her to try a couple guns out.

For those not "price sensitive" a Springfield EMP would be awesome, but it's a bit pricey for a 9mm. The Kimber Aegis is nice too, but not as compact as the EMP. She can stand a Glock 26 trigger, but the grip is a too fat.

After playing some at the range, the next in line will probably be a Kahr PM9. Maybe I've missed some of the bad copies, but the trigger pull seems better than a DA revolver. The Keltec triggers are long and hard. The Kahr seems much improved, although more pricey. 9mm is what she'll carry.

Let me know if y'all find something that fits most 5'0" women. Otherwise, I'm saving for the Kahr.

Someone who catered to this market could probably make a killing.

 

[perdurabo93]

I just recently got a very good deal on a used S&W 3914 ($250). She hasn't had a chance to handle one of these, but it seems like it may be a good fit. If this pistol doesn't appeal to her I can always use it as a backup/vehicle gun or sell it for a profit.

Anyone know if there are any extra thin aftermarket grips for the 3914? A search on google and midwayusa turned up nothing.