Need small 9mm sugestions

[Jedi_7.62]

I am trying to help a friend find her first gun. Problem is she has small hands. The problem is we don't want a pocket pistol. We do want 9mm good defense round and cheapest ammo to learn to shoot with. She does like my Makarov but I can't find them anymore. She does want an automatic. Price should be under $500. Use would be concealed carry and general shooting.

Would really like it to have a safety for a beginner.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[W.E.G.]

first gun for the lady?

4" barrel steel-frame .38 special revolver for the lady

accept no substitutes

She needs to learn shooting before she learns ultralights or autopistols.

highly recommend Smith and Wesson Model 10

 

[Onmilo]

Second generation Glock 19 without the finger grooves on the grip frame.
My wife keeps latching onto mine when we go shooting in preference to her even smaller Glock 26 and she has always been a good indicater of what works for women. HTH

 

[schwantz]

S&w 3913.

 

[Black Adder LXX]

How about a CZ compact?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=407&sort=3a&filter_id=82

 

[jac714]

Except for the price point I would say a Rohrbaugh. You may be abloe to find a used one for the mid ot high 600's.

About the size of a Baretta .25 with 6 9mm rounds on tap. Great pocket gun.

 

[ecureed]

Taurus pt111 Pro, CZ P-01, Walther P99

She should try to handle a Taurus pt111 Pro.

It's not a pocket pistol but can be concealed easily. Mine has been completely reliable and combat accurate. Also, I don't necessarily have small hands but they are by no means large hands and the grip of this pistol is almost too small for me. I imagine it would be perfect for a lady.

Another good option would be the CZ P-01 and Walther P99....both have excellent ergos and impeccable reputations.

 

[10-Ring]

Tough one because the trade off for streamlining a firearm's size is an increase in perceived recoil. I would check out the S&W metal framed guns to see if thse fit, maybe the larger framed kahrs or maybe even something like a G19 or even a used HK P2000 -- good luck on your quest

 

[Quiet]

used Sig P-225

 

[Mortech]

+100 on the 3913

 

[Vonderek]

Kahrs fit small hands well and have pretty light triggers. No external safety though (best safety anyway is keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot). Make sure your lady friend can manipulate the slide on whatever she tries out before she buys. Find some she's interested in and rent them at a range before she makes her final decision. Oh yeah, since she's a new shooter she must get some formal training to become safe and proficient...especially with an autoloader.

 

[Jayb]

Go with her and have her shop for a handgun just as she does for shoes. Go to a gun show or gun shop, and have her handle everything (handgun) she can get her hands on. Sooner or later she'll find something that "feels right". If it doesn't "feel right" to her, she'll never shoot it enough to become proficient with it.

 

[Rinspeed]

Not real small but the Sig 239 is very hard to beat.

 

[dkochan]

Another vote for a Kahr P9 or Kahr K9. They are thin, reliable, very accurate, concealable and have smooth triggers.

 

[mavracer]

sig 225 +1
they are referbed by sig and are great guns very user friendly

 

[KrankyKraut]

I'd second the suggestion to try the S&W 3916; the "Ladysmith". There's also a "Ladysmith" .38 Special revolver. They are supposedly made for women; made for smaller hands. Maybe even lighter trigger pull?

And if she likes the Makarov, you can still find them if you look at Makarov.com and the various gun broker sites.

 

[evan price]

Sig P239, single stack, compact, easy to use and accurate & reliable. My small handed wife loves mine.

 

[jkomp316]

a ruger p95 would work well, and they're really cheap.

 

[finalcut]

Buy quality.

Glock, Springfield XD, Sig, H&K, Walther, S&W....

I'd never give my wife a Taurus - unless I didn't like her.
My wife uses our XD and Loves it

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Jedi_7.62,
If she likes your Makarov, get her a Makarov. I know you said they can't be found but they are available. http://www.makarov.com/index.html

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

Try a Kahr CW9. Nice, single-stack handle, not too big, price around here is around $400.00.

 

[philbo]

Go for an XD subcompact. My wife got rid of her 3913 after shooting her XD. Whatever you buy, pick up a decent 22 auto to practice with and reinforce the fundamentals. For every round of centerfire ammo she practices with, she shoots at least as many 22's to warm up and cool off with

 

[GunNut]

Kahr K9.

The only safety that is needed is between her ears, if she cannot come to that realization she should not buy a gun.

It's real easy to believe that a safety makes the guns safer, but in my opinion that is just not true. When or if the gun is needed in a self defense situation the safety may end up getting her killed.

Steve

 

[tydephan]

Hmmm. 23 posts and no one has said M&P.



M&P9c.

Two free magazines (aside from the two that come with the pistol)
Free Range bag

Quality pistol. Shoots nice. 3 interchangeable backstraps to customize the fit for her.

$439 at Budsgunshop.com (including free shipping).

Downside, per your requirements, is no manual safety. See gunnut's second sentence above.

 

[Ala Dan]

I know that you stated that she wants a semi-auto, as her first gun; but
really how much firearms training has she had? A semi-auto can (and most
likely at some point) present a multitude of problems. Is she capable of
handling those issues; such as stovepipes, FTF, FTE, and such? For the
most part, revolvers are much more suitable for training purposes; as
they are simply more reliable. Yes, I carry a .45 caliber semi-auto as a
CCW most everyday; but I'm well versed on all of the malfunction drills.

If she still insist on a lightweight, single-stack 9m/m; then I suggest
the economically priced Kahr CW-9. There is NO external safety on
these weapons; so she will have too learn to keep her booger picker
off the boom switch~!