Fullsize 9mm for Small-handed person?

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"They recommended that if she wanted to stay with a full size pistol that she get a 1911 single stack in 9mm, but that just seems silly to me."

I know its already been said, but reconsider this statement. I know many people think it to be blaspheme to put 9mm in a 1911 but I suggest that it is like peanut butter and chocolate....it just took some time before we discovered its beauty. IMHO, it is the BEST shooting combination.

A BHP would be nice. I have small hands too. But I still recommend the 1911 in 9mm. I would own one but they are hard to find for a good deal.
 
Or is this whole business of proper trigger reach not nearly as big a deal as Karl Rehn makes it out to be? She shoots alright with a pistol thats theoretically too big for her hands, but shes wondering if a properly sized pistol would allow her to shoot even better.
Click to expand...

"Potentially", yes. Keyword potentially.
It helps me shoot better.
You can make do with what you have at hand (heh) or try this;

Example: A DA Pistol, say the SiG P225.

Cock it and see if it fits.

If all is well.. then carry the thing cocked.

Finger off the trigger until ready to fire and when holstering.


I've got small hands and have had to carry like this for many years.
It is not much different than carrying a Glock.


Best of luck.
 
One of the following may work?
Glock 19 or 26 with the grip reduction done either by a shop or Do it yourself with a kit from www.brownells.com
Springfield EMP
CZ 2075 RAMI
If a 9MM is still too big maybe a .380 in hand would be better that a 9mm that does not fit check into the Colt Mustangs and Pocket Lites.
Best of luck on your quest.:)
 
As others have noted, there's nothing sacrilegious about a 9mm 1911. They've been gaining ground even in full size.

I pulled the following from STI's site (Skinnergram 94) so it obviously only applies to their niche. Nevertheless, the 9mm is gaining steam.
...
Caliber breakdown for single stacks is:
9mm = 45%
38S = 5%
40S&W = 6%
45ACP = 43%
Any surprises there? Surprised me!.45ACP was replaced by 9mm to the tune of 13%.

Staggered column guns break down as follows:
9mm = 18%
.38S = 10%
.40S&W = 60%
.45ACP = 12%.
More surprises as.40S&W chews into both the 9mm and the.45 market share. ..
Click to expand...
(line breaks mine).


FWIW, it's my understanding that talking or writing about a 9mm 1911 is blasphemous; actually doing it is sacrilege. The distinction is that the later involves a physical object rather than dogma. However, when everbody is doing it, it ceases to be either. Enjoy. The 9mm 1911 is mainstream and, I expect, will go forth and multiply. ;)
 
Check out the new Taurus 24/7 OSS; it has ambi safety, 5 inch barrel, and grip should be same as the non-OSS (4 inch barrel) 24/7 that "almost" worked for her.

Single stack 1911 is another good choice. Someone else mentioned the CCO, which has smaller Colt Officer's frame and 4" LW Commander barrel/slide - it IS .45 caliber. My wife shot the Officer's and CCO in .45 regularly and with amazing accuracy.

Not sure if the CZ 75 series (incl. RAMI) or Mag. Research Baby Eagle would work. Kel-Tec 9mms might work, but have shorter barrels and are definitely "economy" class. Bersa 9mm is another short-barrel choice. Glock 26?

She may have to down-grade to a .380 with +P ammo; many small-frame choices in that caliber.

What she appears to be up against is grip size AND lenght-of-pull (distance from grip back-strap to trigger).
 
Perdurabo,

See if you can find a dealer or someone with the Steyr M9-A1 in stock...

I think that she''l find that it has a grip that will work for her...

Good luck...

Forrest
 
I'd recommend either a Browning Hi-Power or a CZ75B-SA (single action variant). My hands are pretty small, but either of these offer a trigger that's easy to reach. Unfortunately, I don't remember whether either has a safety for a lefty.
 
I had all of those same problems with my wife. We finally selected the Kahr T9. It is all stainless with wood grips and has a 4 inch barrel. It is single stack and therefore has a narrower grip that works well for a smaller hand. The most difficult part for her is working the slide, she can do it but it isn't pleasant.

It is DAO and I think the trigger is just fine. Maybe a bit long for target plinking but great for self defense.

I have it listed for sale but lately I have been thinking that I want to keep it. I have read so many threads on this site about people who regretted selling a favorite gun just to fund something different sooner.
 
HK P2000sk, HK P2000 possibly with the smaller backstrap. I would also suggest the new Springfield EMP pistol. Its a smaller 1911 designed that way for 9mm.

What about a .38 snubbie?

Show her this forum and explain to her that many people on this sight dont carry a full size gun either.

And show her www.corneredcat.com as well.
 
What about finding a gunsmith to do some work on the grip of the Walther she has? I'm personally of the opinion that there isn't a grip for everyone, so sometimes you have to make do. But I'd imagine you could find a smith that could shave a bit off the grip to give her the necessary hold. It would likely ruin any resale value, but it would be "her" gun. It wouls certainly be cheaper than buying a new gun, and she already likes the Walther, and shoots well with it. Just think of it as a customization job. Maybe put some night sights on it at teh same time. :D
 
Howzabout a Star BM? 1911-style but just slightly smaller, great reliability, and a REALLY sweet trigger.

oldstar.jpg
 
Also have a S&W 908. Have small hands and fits me great. Does have a 3.5"
Bbl. but is very accurate.
 
Find a used, good condition S&W 3906. It fits small hands very well, and it's all steel construction and heft (~35-36oz) makes for pleasant shooting for those that may be recoil sensitive.


nero
 
I'll throw in with the 9mm 1911 crowd.
My wife abandoned the Glock 17 after a while and went back to wadcutters in a Diamondback.
I came across a Colt Combat Commander (steel, 4 1/4") in 9mm and she tried that with some success, remembering that she used to shoot a 5" .45 downloaded waaay down and with a ten-pound spring successfully.
The slide racking effort of the shorter guns remains an issue, but the 1911 fits everybody. I've seen it with many a newbie- John M.'s old slabside just seems to work for everyone.
The 1911 platform is well-supported in the aftermarket, to understate things a bit, and you can even find recoil reducers for them to help make it shoot even milder.
As I recall, Kimber also has a 9mm five-incher.
My solution as a Colt guy is to get a .38 Super and retrofit a 9mm barrel.
But I will say, the STI 9mm Trojan is a truly excellent handgun. I had dibs on one and let an older clubmate buy it out from under me, as he can no longer stand the .45 recoil due to health problems.
He runs that STI like crazy, though. Tough to beat.
Bill
 
Please elaborate your question

Please elaborate:
Hm, very thoughtful original thread. However, please let us know what you mean by "full size?" There is a big gulf between a 20 round pistol and an AMT backup mouse pistol.

Do you mean solely 9mm (9x19) and above? Do you mean hi capacity > 10 round capacity? Do you mean 4" barrel +? Or will a 3" barrel be the mininum?

With that info. we can begin to take a look at some sound options. I in particular have small hands given my 5' 9" height and can sympathize.

On meaningful replies:
On another note folks like don95sml and others who replied "get a hi power" or "get a Glock" did not read the original thread in which the poster carefully described the lady's experience and enumerated the excluded pistols, including the Hi Power, etc.

We do a disservice to our colleagues here by failing to read their questions only to give a meaningless answer.
 
-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.

We tried the Sig P239 last night at a local range with rental guns. The trigger reach was a good fit but she did not like the relatively short barrel and the Heine Straight-8 sights. She also thought the SA trigger should be a bit lighter. She very much didn't like the $650 price tag.

We're still looking for a Springfield EMP to paw on but I don't think she'll like the fact its so short barrelwise. The only full size single stack 9mm 1911 i have seen is the STI Trojan, and with a $750+ price tag, I doubt that will be a realistic option either.

Her main complain with her existing Walther P99 is that she apparently must "roll" her finger over the trigger to reach it, even in SA mode and she claims that the pressure required to do this causes a fair amount of pain in her trigger finger, however she claimed she had no such problem with the Sig P239. She doesn't want to wear any gloves or bandaids, etc. on her trigger finger as she feels it will degrade trigger control even more. She doesn't think she could adapt to the pain over time, though. Apart from the pain issue and the fact her instructor told her the P99 does not fit her, she shoots quite well with it.
 
Smith and Wesson also has a Ladysmith 9MM. Its a 8 round single stack, and has a smaller grip. The gray color is pretty cool too.
 
aaaargh, I lost my work...

I had written a lenthy comparison of Kel-Tec p11, Taurus PT111, and S&W 3913 but lost all of my work.

These are sleeper 9's. The S&W 9mms are superbly designed and machined. I own a 915 double stack, which was smooth as silk out of the box. S&W 9mms are under-appreciated wonders, with ambi-decocker.

The folks at other forums rave about their micro slim Kel-Tec and Taurus PT111s. The Kel-Tec used goes for $200. PT111 does not appear on the market used but sell for $339 new comparable to the Kel-Tec. S&W 3913s go in the $300 + used (new $900+).

Another option may be Zastava's 9mm version of the Tokarev, the M88, http://www.zastava-arms.co.yu/english/civilni.htm.

Caveat: This is more of any objective evaluation than most since none of the above is in my collection. Although, I am a HP and CZ fan, I appreciate the design and function of another brand, particularly those above. The above pistols should serve you well.

Post thought: You are really lucky to have a lady friend who not only supports your love of marksmanship but also wants to join in. Hold on to her. Keep us posted on your pistol search.
 
I've got to throw this into the mix.. How about a Vertec variant of Beretta? It's full sized, but yet has a slimmed down grip for those who are unable to handle a regular beretta grip.
 
The smallest P99 backstrap is pretty small, but if you need to go smaller it is possible. There is a company out there (can't remember the name, sorry) that used to and still might sell wooden backstap blanks that you can sand down to whatever shape you want.

It looks goofy with the black frame, but it's the only 'convenient' way to make the P99 grip smaller without permanently altering the frame.

All of the grip reductions you see for Glocks should be available on the P99, but you may not be able to shave as much off of the P99 since it's already asmaller grip than Glock. The P99 may not be pure polymer in the grip area either, it might have a fiberglass shell baked into the polymer for rigidity. I know that doesn't help much, but I've never met an adult that needed that grip reduced.

I say find a way to make the Walther fit though. She's already picked the best combat handgun ever made, why start shopping for a replacement when a little customization will work fine?
 
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