Subcompact for small handed wife?

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Aaron C

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I was considering buying my wifey a sub-compact semi auto handgun for christmas this year, and I could use some suggestions. She has handled a Sig P-239 and liked that, though I think she may have issue with 9mm in a sub compact. That and I would like to spend about $300 if possible. Are any of the sub-9mm cal. cartridges any good? Good in the sense that they will make a rapist/mugger grab his wound and run like hell? Like .25, .32, .380? I have seen some .380s I know she would like, such as a PPK or a Berretta Tomcat. What is the quality of these pistols?

I would prefer to get something with a safety lever, unless it has a grip safety. I havent seen anything in .380 with a grip safety, the XD-9 has one but its a bit fat for her hands and she needs something thinner if she's gonna conceal it. Plus its $$$-ey.

On a side note, she doesnt like the feel of my CZ RAMI, though it does fit in her hand fine.
 
I wouldn't consider the 239 a sub-compact but a compact. If you don't think that she would be able to handle a 9mm in that size, then the S&W 3913 is also out of the running since it is about the same size and the gun that I was going to recommend. Don't know if this is going to help but my wife likes my Browning BDA380 for home defense ...

f18.jpg


... and my NAA Guardian for purse carry (yes, I know, one shouldn't carry a firearm in their purse because it can be snatched and I've TRIED explaining that to the Mrs but it was like :banghead: ). The only thing is that my wife has long narrow fingers (actually longer than mine -- and I've got pretty big hands myself) so she is able to get good grip on the BDA380. If your wife has smaller hands, that might be a problem.

The PPK & PPK/S might be good options for her however the older models that were imported by Interarms had an EXTREMELY hard DA trigger pull. Rumor has it that since Walther has been partnering with S&W, the trigger pull on the new models has been significantly improved but I can't verify that claim personally.

A third option that you may want to consider is the Guardian. It can be had in .32ACP like the one I have pictured above and it is also available in a slightly larger size chambered for the .380ACP and they also have one chambered in .32NAA -- which is basicly a .380 necked down to a .32 in the same fashion the the .357SIG is a .40 necked down to a 9mm. Finally, the Guardian also comes in .25NAA which is a .32 necked down to a .25

One last though, if you wife doesn't like the double stack of the BDA380 but likes everything else about it, Beretta makes single stack versions of it in the Cheetah model 85, 86 & 87 ...

86_Cheetah_S_maxi.jpg


... Good Luck!
 
It`s gonna be tough for $300,you`ll probably have to go used. Hand strength and size are big areas of concern with women. Some have decent hand strength and fairly long fingers so traditional DA triggers and revolvers etc. are fine. Others like my wife have small hands with not so long fingers and very little hand strength. Traditional DA triggers were out for her. She literally couldn`t pull the triggers of some of my guns far enough to make them fire unless she used 2 fingers and then the gun jerked around so much she`d never hit anything. After much searching I found her a Colt Gov`t .380 Pocketlite which seems to fit the bill very nicely indeed. Being basically a 3/4 scale 1911 it fits her 3/4 scale hands perfectly. ;) The nice single action trigger is easy for her to use yet still safe from negligent discharges because what feels like 5lbs. to me feels like 10lbs. to her. Being one of the very few locked breech .380s it has very mild recoil (feels like a .32). It wouldn`t be my first choice personally but it fits her to a T and she`s able to shoot it very well with very little effort. She doesn`t CCW but it would be a great carry gun,light and very slim. If you want something newer or with more horsepower you should check out Kahrs. They`re usually a lot more than $300 even used but they`re quality little guns with a light smooth DAO trigger pull and a very short trigger reach. Short enough that if I curl my thumb down wrong my trigger finger hits it before the gun goes off! The steel frame 9mms shoot very mild (for small guns) but they`re a little heavy for their size. The polymer framed guns carry much nicer,they`re a lot lighter and slimmer through the grip but they`re a little less pleasant to shoot (recoil is more brisk). Another used gun you should look into is the out of production S&W 3953 DAO. It`s a compact 9mm,alloy frame,single stack so it`s very thin (although not as slim as a poly Kahr). The DAO trigger always starts from half cock so the trigger reach is shorter than most traditionl DA,as well as having shorter, smoother pull. There are quite a few of them on the surplus market right now that were police trade ins (carried a lot but shot very little) and they can be had for very attractive prices,around $350 for a nice one. It may actually be the best overall fit to your criteria. If you can`t find one at least check out S&W`s 3913 traditional DA version. Marcus
 
I was going to suggest the 3913 / 3953 but figured that if the 239 was out of the question, so would the 3913 / 3953 -- those would have been my first choice.
 
Good point Alan. I don`t consider them sub compacts so I thought I`d throw them in there since they`re such great little guns. I think as long as she steers clear of hot +Ps 9mm shouldn`t be a problem in any but the smallest/lightest guns (thinking MP9 etc.). Marcus
 
I know I'll be the only one to mention thiis pistol, but a Star Firestar M40 is a VERY well-made and reliable sidearm. The grip is quite small and I think they can be bought in the $200 to $250 range on Gunsamerica. Take a look!
 
Gun for Wife

I would suggest you take a serious look at the Bersa 380 if that is as large a caliber as you feel she will be comfortable with. The bersa is a very nice gun at a very reasonable price. I have 2 of them and have had zero issues with either of them.
 
The Kahr PM9 is $500, but it's tiny, 9mm, has a smoooth trigger (DAO), and is fairly easy to load for women. Yeah, it's $500, but how much is your wife worth to you?


The Bersa Thunder .380 is 8 shot, $270, accurate, low recoil, easy to shoot (I taught three women how to shoot with mine, and they all tried to permanently borrow it.. traded it to a friend and his sister confiscated it as her carry gun before he fired a shot). It's the size of a PPK, and more accurate than the Walther for half the price. More reliable too.

The NAA Guardian is a good pocket gun. Kind of heavy, but it works and works. For a .380, not bad.
 
Bersa

here's my Series 95 (same as the newer 380 Thunder) 500rds through it, not 1 problem..... 7+1 capacity.... about $229 OTD for the newer 2tone 380 Thunder models.... :)

495206-100_00182.jpg
 
there's a lot of good designs around 9mm, gun designs and bullet designs so I think you should find out for sure what kind of 9mm gun she can handle if she can handle one at all. too much premature speculation on this thread IMHO.

questions,
would you consider a revolver?
if you looked at a P239 is a subcompact size really the most important?
 
since Walther has been partnering with S&W, the trigger pull on the new models has been significantly improved but I can't verify that claim personally
Click to expand...

The PPK/S-1 my wife got has a horrendous double action trigger, it feels like the trigger is locked in place...

I vote for the Bersa Thunder, it is small enough to pack away put not too small to hold onto. .380 Auto isn't the biggest caliber, but it will work if she can aim or if she practices.
 
$300.00?
Bersa Thunder 380, easy ;)
cartridges01.jpg


Some places, you'll still have $100 left over for gear, ammo and maybe extra mags.
Or you could look at super-inexpensive, refurbed Makarovs in 9x18...


Zander27z,
Very nice hardchromed(?) 95 you have there!
 
Wow, these are some great suggestions. otomik, the reason I mentioned the Sig 239 was because she could fit her hand on it perfectly, and was comfortable holding it, so anything with a grip up to that size would be ok. I would like to find something smaller though.

I am liking the idea of the bersa .380. If its as reliable as you say it is, that is probably my top choice. Would you say it is a comfortable gun, and is it easy to take down?
 
I am liking the idea of the bersa .380. If its as reliable as you say it is, that is probably my top choice. Would you say it is a comfortable gun, and is it easy to take down?
Click to expand...
Bersa .380 or Firestorm .380 would be a solid choice. very reliable, easy to clean for the basic maintenance (full takedown is not easy). very comfortable if you're willing to live with .380s limitations. I got the .22lr version (good trainer for a Beretta or Smith) but occasionally think of picking up the .380
 
horge's wood grips are homemade, how difficult was that? I got a project in theback of my mind for clear polycarbonate grips (so i could put a picture in there or visually check ammo in the mag).
 
Why thank you, otomik... they are home-made indeed:
Getting the correct outline, and then contouring the outside face
of the grips is the easier whittling, with a sharp-enough safety cutter:
grip002.jpg


The inside recess atop the right-side grip panel, to allow movement of
the disconnector (aka trigger transfer bar), takes some doing...
grip004.jpg


But it is the left-side grip panel that can break you.
The recesses for both the manual safety lever AND the slide stop tang
can leave a virtual sliver of wood remaining atop the forward end:
grip003.jpg


When you're happy and you know it, clap your hands...
and lay on a thin coat of lacquer, let dry thoroughly, fine-sand....
and lay on a thin coat of lacquer, let dry thoroughly, fine-sand....
and lay on a thin coat of lacquer, let dry thoroughly....
grip005.jpg


I started whittling on a second pair of grips, in dark wood this time,
and nearly sliced my thumb off. Twice, even. Blood was everywhere
the second time, so I took the hint.
I think I'll stick with this pair for awhile, hehe...
and look into buying a router and maybe a handheld buffer/sander....
:)

Nothing wrong with the factory grips, in black polymer.
I just 'wanted' to have wood grips, and none were avaiable in these islands.
There ARE aftermarket wood grips offered for the BERSA Thunder 380 in the US.
 
Have your wife check out the Makarov in 9-mm Mak for fit...hard to beat for CCW with Gold Dot or XTP ammo. You can get 'em in .380, but the 9-mm Mak is more powerful, but still has low recoil.

Regardless, She should try different guns until she finds one she likes to hold...
 
Aye, indeed...
Nothing like hands-on experience to tell her which pistol suits her best.
You may be able to find a range with a good selection of rentals.
:)
 
Keep in mind that most of the .380 pistols mentioned - as well as the Sig P-239 / S&W 3913 - weigh in the low to high 20 ounces range. This is one reason the smaller 9MM's have become more popular than .380's. If weight is a factor, Kel-Tec makes some really small & light .32's, .380's & 9MM's. Glock also has a small & light (though a bit chunky) 9MM. Sig also makes a 16 ounce .380 P-232.

With the exception of the Bersa & Kel-Tec pistols - all the others are going to be well over $300 (most closer to $500).

Does it have to be an auto? Probably the best small personal protection handgun out there right now is the S&W 642 & 637 "Airweight" revolvers. Currently these can be bought new most anywhere for $350. 15 ounces, compact, reliable, safe to carry, low maintenance, easy to use under stress (simply point & pull trigger) and they are rated to shoot .38Spl+P (equal ballistically to the 9MM - better than .22, .25, .32 or .380). Also, the small frame revolvers tend to be well suited for smaller hands. A wide variety of grips of different sizes & shapes (and appearance) are available for the best fit (this is very limited with autos). Plus, there is no worry about racking slides, keeping up with safety levers, loading magazines, DA to SA transition after the first shot, safely unloading & clearing the chamber, clearing jams and malfunctions due to "limp wristing".

If she's serious about a personal protection handgun - but not particularly "into guns", the small frame revolver may be a better choice than an auto. You should probably let her handle one - or better still shoot one with mild target loads - before getting an auto you "think" would be suitable. After all, the gun is for her - not for you - right?
 
on the 637, skunkabilly reports that the finish is starting to flake off at 150 rounds, not good but it probably doesn't mean anything functionally. 637 are unusually cheap, cheaper than the 37. but I'm too young to be able to say "they don't make them like they used to".
http://www.onpointfirearms.com/handguns/sw.htm
.38 special +P from a 15oz revolver will recoil a lot. better revolver options in the same price range might be the 36LS, 60 3" and the 351PD.
 
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