My wife likes the Glock 26 but.....

[The smiling swordsman]

It's too big for her hand. We need something with a shorter trigger reach. I'm thinking she should try the LC9, Nano, Shield and then look at some 380s. She is wanting something that she can conceal in her purse. I know that's not ideal but I am just glad that she wants a gun at all. What else should we look at? Do any of you have hands that are too small for an G26 and if so, what do you carry?

 

[skt239]

These days there are a whole slew of options but the problem is shoot-ability. Seems like the Shield is a good place to start. It's thinner but still retains a good amount of weight. The LC9 has a long trigger pull and can be quite snappy. If you can, rent or find someone who has guns she is interested in. No better way then to try before you buy. Good luck.

 

[smalls]

My wife thought she'd like a Glock, until she held one. It was way to big, and square for her hands. She picked up an M&P and fell in love. Have her try one, and a shield.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I agree that the shield would be a good start. I found the m&p 9c to be just as "thick" in the grip as a 26, and honestly it felt like a cross between my g19 and my g26 size wise.

I like the LC9, also. I'm also a fan of the kahr cw9. Any of those are worth a test drive before you buy them.

The 26 is my choice out of all of them since it fits my hand well and it carries extremely well for me in appendix carry.

 

[Texan Scott]

try a kahr k-9

 

[hentown]

OP's wife must have really small hands. My daughter loves her G26. I don't think I've ever seen another account of somebody's saying that the G26 was too big to shoot...maybe for pocket carry...but not to shoot.

 

[Ben86]

I tried to get my wife to like a Glock 26. It didn't work. Once she found a S&W M&P9C she found her carry gun. She shoots it great and it's been 100% reliable so I'm not complaining.

If that's too big try the S&W M&P shield. It's like a thinner, smaller M&P9C.

You might want to check out the Kahr lineup too.

 

[marb4]

I recently aquired a Kahr CM9. Not going to get much smaller in 9mm. Very small thin grips. Paid under $400 for mine shipped. 600 rounds and counting with no problems.

 

[YJake]

Walther PPS in 9mm.

Slim, glock style trigger safety, ambi mag release, mag slection of 6, 7, or 8 rounds, and very easy to carry.

-Jake

 

[The smiling swordsman]

OP's wife must have really small hands.

You know the really small college cheerleaders that get thrown up in the air. She was one of those. 5'1" 105 lbs.

We went by Academy to look at firearms today. She thinks she wants an LCP but I am going to borrow one from one of friends for her to try out first. I'm not sure that she'll like it.

 

[plouffedaddy]

My sister in law has almost dwarf-like small hands. The only 9mm handgun she could properly reach the trigger on was the Shield. The Kahr CM9 was do-able, but not ideal.

 

[toivo]

Try the Nano. I haven't fired one, but I handled one in a store. It seemed very "grippable."

 

[Texan Scott]

My wife has a similar problem ... and she's not small, she's nearly 6 feet tall, and built like a German-Irish redhead should be, with an attitude to match. Her hands are big enough to FIRE a glock, but not quite long enough to reach the mag release with the thumb of her dominant hand, requiring her to rotate the gun in her grip to drop a mag. Because of this, she opts for guns that fit her hand better (as I have since opted for guns that fit my hands better, for different reasons). Glock grip frames are kind of a one- size- fits- most proposition.

 

[777TRUTH]

Another vote for the Kahr's and Walther's

Also the CZ 2075 Rami. 9mm, 10 rounds. Not a bad option if it works for her

 

[momano]

I have small hands for a man. Make sure the G26 that she tried was Gen 4- I think it is smaller than previous generations -without the back-straps. The M&P 9c has the medium back-straps on in the box- switch those out for the smaller size when she tries it out. I think the size on the LCP will agree with her- the Hogue grip will probably make it feel even better for her. Good luck!

 

[Teachu2]

I tried to get my wife to like a Glock 26. It didn't work. Once she found a S&W M&P9C she found her carry gun. She shoots it great and it's been 100% reliable so I'm not complaining.

If that's too big try the S&W M&P shield. It's like a thinner, smaller M&P9C.

You might want to check out the Kahr lineup too.

Similar experience here. My wife wanted a LC9, it felt good in her hands. Got one - she fired three shots and put it down - too much perceived recoil. She tried a G19, M&P 9 and 9c, and XD full size and compact. The M&P 9C was by far the most comfortable to shoot. Took ma while to get one, but she's very happy with it.

The Shield is not available to non-LEOs in CA.

 

[dprice3844444]

texan,get the extended mag catch and slide stop

 

[Woody3]

Springfield EMP in 9mm. My wife loves it. A little pricey but you can't put a price tag on your wife's life.

Edit to add: Sharp Shooters in Lubbock TX has 3 in stock.

Woody3


Keep your head low and your powder dry.

 

[khegglie]

check the Beretta forum on the Nano before you consider it. I went with the Shield and couldn't be happier.

 

[pistolero_loco]

my 2 cents

I personally like autos in 9mm, and I don't like the super short grips, therefore I think the M&P Shield is ideal. Ruger LC9 (with pinkie extension) and Walther PPS are also good choices; and the Nano is worth checking out. That being said perhaps she would like an airweight revolver (S&W or Ruger)?

 

[Tcruse]

The Gen 4 Glock 26 is smaller than Gen 3.

 

[Texan Scott]

might've worked for HER... but i had trouble using the glock for other reasons... i had to file all the corners and edges on my glock's standard mag atch b/c it was putting holes in the tip of my trigger finger (my trigger finger wraps all the way around, through the finger guard, and rests on the mag button, which is pointy.) Plus, I needed more palm swell to fill out the massive hollow in my palm. The hogue rubber thingy only helps so much. Bottom line, neither of us felt the gun fit our hands well. AND, this is the point! If the lady has the OPTION of getting a gun she PREFERS instead of modifying to make do, or just dealing with the problem, she should get one that gives her a fit she likes.

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

Have her try a 1911. In 9mm, if .45ACP is too much recoil (though the 1911s absorb the recoil quite well.)

Failing that, a Kahr is also nice and slim...but the 1911 trigger is better.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Walther PPS in 9mm.

+1. Just bought my second one. Next to the HK P7, it is the most favored semi pistol among my female students.

 

[Ben86]

We went by Academy to look at firearms today. She thinks she wants an LCP but I am going to borrow one from one of friends for her to try out first. I'm not sure that she'll like it.

I think once she shoots one she'll change her mind. And with all the great, easily shootable micro 9mms out there now I see no point in getting a Ruger LCP unless you want a super deep concealment gun. They aren't fun to shoot.

The Shield is not available to non-LEOs in CA.

That blows. Let me guess, it lacks some sort of required safety or something? Aren't you glad that they know what guns are safe and are not safe for you?