So my wife found a pistol she likes. Springfield XDS 9mm with 4 inch barrel. 3.3 inch was a little hard for her to work the slide. Then Springfield, in their infinite wisdom, stopped making it. The one she handled, and the last one at a local shop, sold before we got back there. The very next day. I know my google-fu is weak, but I'm not finding any showing up for sale online, either. With this pistol as a baseline, throw more options at me so I can have my wife check them out. She is beginning to show interest again after a few years not shooting. In fact, she sold her last pistol quite a while ago. I want her to get shooting while the interest is there. Hopefully, she'll stick with it this time. Remembering that her dislike of the 3.3 inch was based on working the slide, what can be found similar in feel to the now discontinued 4" XDS?
many people told me to go with the kahr pistols i like the xds to has she only tried the one 3.3 maybe it was not lube or dirty maybe try one again.
Sig P239? P210? Unless she is carrying it, I would get one that weighs the most and has the longest slide. Shorter slides are harder to work (springs have to be stronger). Good luck.
I know that S&W came out with an "EZ" .380, maybe a 9mm will be introduced soon. However, have you worked with her on her technique? Most guns can be easily racked unless physical disability makes it impossible with a little bit of practice and attention to utilizing the right muscle groups and orientation.
My choice would be a Kahr K9. The all metal gun. For shooting and range and possible carry. For regular carry...Shield, G43, Kahr CM or CW9
If she likes the xds perhaps that is still a good choice for her wouldn't the slide ease up after a cleaning and some good lube followed by a few hundred break in rounds ?
My daughter really likes her Walther PPS. Slim, light, easy to rack and surprisingly accurate. But, if she really shot the 4" XDS well, I say keep looking for a used one. Between Armslist, Gunbroker, and your local show, shouldn't be that hard to dig one up.
^The PPS is a nice gun as well. I’ve shot the 40 and it’s a nice handling pistol. Probably even better in 9mm
Ummm, I can't seem to copy the link, but there's a guy on Armslist, Elmo's Pawn in Brownsville, PA who has one listed for $299, sez he ships. His number is (724)785-2232. Give him a ring. Good luck!
I started off with the XDs switched to the Sig p938 have not looked back but i did see a XDs 4" at Cabelas 5225 Prairie Stone Pkwy Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 1 (847) 645-0400
I have a Glock 43 I shoot well, I prefer it to the Shield. I also like the S&W 3913/3914. It has a decocker and is hammer fired, and it is heavier than the new guns but shoots likes full size. They are kind of hard to come by now. I have a PPS M1 waiting on me and will give an honest review after I get it. If have shot XDS in .45 and liked it, but have never fired one in 9mm.
The Walther PPS (gen 1) feels very similar to the XDS line of guns. They are also very squarish like the XDS guns are. You can get a gen 1 PPS for a good deal these days.
+1 To the SIG 239. Carried mine for 15 years and it was my IDPA gun for that entire time. Goes bang every time.
Here's one. https://www.gunsamerica.com/916633039/SPRINGFIELD-ARMORY-XDS-9409BE-9MM-4-0-PISTOL.htm. Several on gunsamerica, not so many on GunBroker.
If your wife likes the Springfield 4" XDS in 9mm do a little leg work and get your wife a Springfield 4" XDS in 9mm. If she likes the gun why would you try to get her something else? There are all sorts of great single stack nine's available... but the best gun for your wife is the one she likes the best and feels most comfortable with. My 3.3" XDS in .45acp is far from my favorite gun to shoot... but it is exactly what I want to carry when I am in the woods. It is relatively light, packs a fair bit of power, is reliable and I shoot it well.
Go online and find what she has already indicated she likes. Barring that, lots of the ladies like 1911 in 9mm. Slim single stack grip, mild recoil, good trigger pull, tripper reach pretty short and even shorter with a old-spec short trigger, 9mm recoil springs easier to cycle. Can be found in Defender, OACP, Cdr, and GM size. My wife tried all the plastic fantastics back in the day and was unimpressed. Then she shot a 1911 and stopped looking, as she had found her favorite pistol.
I find that it's pretty easy to run the slide on my Walther PPS. As I understand it, the CCP was designed specifically for folks that struggle with running the slide on similarly sized guns and it is nice and slim, it does have a goofy and unnecessarily complicated takedown procedure, however. Barring that, maybe look at a CCO patterned 1911 (Commander length slide and barrel on an officer's frame) in 1911 with a traditional bushing barrel. The guns that have captive recoil spring systems tend to be more stoutly sprung in my experience.
This question comes up to me periodically. And honestly, in your shoes, I would try to sell her on the S&W 380 EZ or Glock 42 (with the Tango Down racker) first. As she gains the experience, it will be easier for her to graduate from these beginner's options. I saw it before and it's exceedingly probable that it's not the grip strength she's lacking. As she practices, her brain becomes more adept at the unfamiliar motion and then she will be able to pull any slide back with no problem. I assure you that this absolutely is a thing. No weightlifting required. Of course the 9mm is preferable, but if she's rational enough, she may understand how the training works its magic. In addition, I never saw anyone who's been happy with her 1st gun completely, even if it passed a rigorous selection process. So, just get her that 380 EZ and make her hit the range every week for a couple of months. Well, in the ideal world. If she's obstinate about it, then try to sell her on a double stack with a relatively thin handle, like a PPQ. That's easy enough and she should be able to deal with it. Also, it's a beautiful gun. My better half rocks a Q5. Loads her own mags, too (with a loader ). Among the single stacks... It's tough. She might want to try something like PPS or Nano. The key here is not even the spring - they all are going to be terrible - but the grip surface. Maybe the FMK will work (you will have to order through a dealer). Just stay away from CCP. She's going to burn herself and then become upset. P.S. My experience with Kahr was so-so, and the long trigger travel scares beginners even if the slide is easy to rack. In addition, longer barrel Kahrs come with longer grips. There's no long-short configuration like the XD-S 4.0, unless you hacksaw the grip yourself (some fans of Kahr are desperate enough to do it).
The M&P 380 Shield EZ weighs 18.5 oz and has an OAL of 6.7" The M&P 9 M2.0 Compact has an OAL of 6.8" and weighs 25.9 oz There is not a lot of room in that lineup between the 9mm Shield and the M&P 9 compact for another 9mm pistol. As much as I love the Kahr CM9, and I'd really like to have a similar trigger for all of my guns, I balk at buying their larger models. Yes, they're slim, but when I think about getting a gun that big, I think "for a slightly wider grip I can get 15 to 18 rounds instead of just 8". Maybe S&W could make a single-stack version of the M&P Compact, but I doubt they will.
Any of the single stack S&W pistols from the first three generation. There a many out there in the used market from shooter grade to collector's dreams. The 3rd generation model 39?? would be my first option. A full size service pistol. I find the ambidextrous safety levers makes racking much easier.
