Pistol for very small hands

[SDGlock23]

I would suggest a Kahr or good quality 1911. Many, well most, handguns especially when new are a little hard to rack the slide on at first, not all but most are. Once the recoil spring gets broken in it gets easier.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

One more time, read this: RACK THE SLIDE

Griping the slide as most new shooters tend to, yes physical strength will seem to be the limiting factor, but that's poor technique. If she learns to do it right, it won't be an issue.

If my little 12-year-old gal can do it with confidence, so can your adult wife.

I'd like to chime in on this as well...

READ THE LINK SAM1911 PROVIDED!


There's a reason, and a very good one, that he's posted this more than once here. It's good information and people seem to be pinging on the same thing repeatedly.

People with larger or stronger hands usually have poor racking techniques, simply because they're finger strength is powerful enough to allow it. I know for the longest time I racked all my pistols by gripping the serrated rear of the slide by "pinching" it between my left thumb and forefinger. This is probably the weakest way to rack the slide.

Because I had never really considered that there may be other, and much better, ways to rack the slide I was a little stymied at first when trying to deal with my wife's inability to rack the slide on her new PPK/S.

So I actually studied the mechanics of racking the slide while paying attention to the body mechanics involved in it. I quickly figured out that my way of racking the slide was just about the hardest way. Then I checked out the same link Sam has provided here and gained more knowledge.


Racking small pistols can be a real challenge for several factors. First of all, there's less pistol and slide to grip. Second, the recoil springs for smaller pistols may, in fact, be stronger than those for a full sized pistol because of the physics involved. The more powerful the round, the stronger the recoil spring needs to be. A smaller pistol also has less mass in the moving components (slide), which also requires a more powerful spring.

Small pistol with more powerful spring equates to greater racking difficulty.


So read the darn link Sam has provided so you can help those who need it. And while you're at it, if you are a "brute force" kinda person yourself like I was, start using some of those techniques which don't require so much brute force. You'll be the better for it, and so will all those you may be called upon to assist.

 

[stogiegila]

Sig P238/938 fit the bill pretty well. Single action trigger, small grip, and the slide is easy to move. My wife has small hands and the same height, she loved the 238. Just not the price tag.
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I'm with him!

 

[OptimusPrime]

Not the best choice of caliber, but my Ruger .22LR has the only slide my wife can rack easily. She continues to work on the Kornered Kat techniques but isn't reliably and easily there yet. So for now the .22LR is best for her and you may want your wife to put one in her hands.