What gun for a woman with tiny hands?

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I can't imagine someone not being able to use a P22, but being okay with any 1911. I'm sure it's just my impression, but the P22 seems significantly smaller than any 1911 I've tried. Maybe I'll have to get my fiancee to try a 1911, no I have no ulterior motives there....not at all! :p

My fiancee has very small hands, maybe a tad larger than child sized. At any rate, my P226 is way to big for her. The P22 works well for her as does out Taurus 94 22LR revovler. The best of the center fire pistols she's felt so far was a Bersa Thunder 380. She also shot a friend's P239 and did okay with that, although the DA trigger pull was too much I think. P225 was a little too big for her.
 
My old Model 36 J frame has a light trigger pull for a DA and the Hogue 'Bantam' grips I put on it would probably fit her well.

Para just came out with a 9mm 'light double action' 1911 that might work as well. Very small.
 
It is usual to recommend revolvers to women who think - or have been told - that they are not strong enough to rack the slide of an auto with both hands against a 16 lb recoil spring. Then they find out that they are not strong enough to haul through a 12 lb DA with one finger either. This leads to single action operation. It is fun and productive on the range but dangerous in the home. I know of two ADs by women here who were checking out suspicious circumstances with a cocked revolver.

I know two other women who deal with the DA problem by getting both forefingers on the trigger.
 
:banghead: :eek:

I neglected to mention the Beretta 86. Having a single-stack magazine, it already has a pretty slender grip. With a tipup barrel for loading the slide need not be jacked at all, and it can also be carried cocked and locked, reducing or eliminating the trigger reach problem. It is "only" a .380, however.
 
My wife has a S&W 432 (6 shot, J Frame in 32 mag). Despite it being lightweight it doesn't recoil at all and she is very accurate with it. There are a little hard to find but you can get them on gunbroker.com. Also take a look at the Taurus 731.
 
Revolvers S&W 637/642 airweight
Taurus and rossi steel and airweight versions (some whomen like ones grip better than others)

Bersa thunder 380
sig P230/232
Kahr P9/PM9

I sell a LOT of Bersa thunder 380's to women

I sell a LOT of revolvers to women

if you go revolver especially the rossi a wolf lighter hammer spring can sometimes make a big difference in comfort level with lighter trigger pull. I teach them to shoot double action only...pulling the hammer back is for the movies. A lighter pull is sometimes required for comfort and in the rossi I have seen on 2 occassions function problems caused by non-followthrough on trigger pul (transfer bar safety keeps it from going off succefully)

Most important thing is to have them be an active part of the process...they need to find one that feels good and that they like or they won't be as likely to get involved in regular shooting and CCWing it. It has to fit! (as does the carry method)

my buds wife loves her XD SS sub-compact 9mm...she retired her Bersa for it last year. She shoots bother VERY well.
 
My wife has a Taurus .38 ULTRLITE with Hauge grips and she has SMALL HANDS!!! Recoil isnt bad for her as long as she stays away from the +P loads only problem she has is reloading, Auto would be alot better for that,there's always a trade off but take her to gun store everyone is different know one can tell you whats going to fit best for her except her!
 
Another point of the Bersa .380 that my wife likes is that if you slam the magazine in forcefully, it will release the slide.

If your wife can't manipulate the slide, she doesn't have to. You load it for her, she shoots to slide lock, she just slams another magazine in and she's ready to go.

Clearance drills are another issue though. Hopefully by then she'll have either developed the hand strength or developed a technique to help her.
 
I can't imagine someone not being able to use a P22, but being okay with any 1911. I'm sure it's just my impression, but the P22 seems significantly smaller than any 1911 I've tried.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, but really, it's an optical illusion. The trigger on a 1911 is so close to the grip, and the trigger on almost all "small" guns is located so far forward that my wife can't reach them.
 
Another kahr advocate, here. I also suggest a kahr 9mm. Im not sure if you look into the kahr, if you would want a micro series, or the standard "K" series. I love my pm9, and would love to have an mk9, BUT, if you get a micro kahr, maybe consider a pinky extension. Or just go with the "K" series.

I wouldnt recommend a polymer series, not because they are not good, but because it is a fact that although not neccessarily likely you will get a defective one, the fact remains that you are more likely to get a polymer model that has problems (my pm9 did). So not only would that be a set back to have it take trips back to the factory for repairs, it would mean less time practicing with it. And psychologically, it might not give you or her confidence in the pistols ability to be ready for you if you might need it. Also, although lighter and easier to carry, the polymer ones (at least mine) need an extra firm grip, else you may have problems with failure to return to battery or other things due to "limp wristing". The metal guns seem to not have this problem.

This is why for a beginner, i recommend an all steel kahr. The "K" series are great. Thin enough for small hands, slightly hefty, but they are oh-so-smooth when they shoot. My steel kahr is VERY accurate. Shoots better than i do. It seems like after i got the hang of shooting it, i hardly have to try. I think for reliability, accuracy, confidence, and comfort, a good first time kahr pistol is a "K" series all steel model 9mm. Or if you like the smaller micro, the mk9, with or without the pinky extension, whichever is preferred.

That is, if you happen to go the way of the kahr ;)


EDIT: just noted above that you said she has difficulty with racking some slides. The kahrs tend to take a little effort to rack the slide compared to other pistols. But, if you arranged that you would load the gun for her, that might not be an issue.
 
My wife has small "fat" hands. I, of course, have huge manly hands so I can handle anything and it drives her crazy.
So, we went off to the gun store to get her first pistol and she really liked the G26 (9mm subcompact). I tell her "small pistols are much harder to control". I want it, she says, who am I to argue.
We buy it, we go to the range, she shoots it
"hey, this thing is really hard to control." :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

So, a little later, she picks up a 1911. "hey, I like this". Turns out, its not the size of the pistol, it's the thickness of the grips. She got a Sig GSR1911 for her annivesary gift a few years ago and it's her favorite gun. It looks huge in her hands, but it isn't. Sure, she sometimes struggles with the slide pull, but she works at it and gets it done. I refuse to do it for her for fear of teaching her bad habits. Also, the weight of the gun makes it very controllable for her.

Then, she found out revolvers aren't too bad. But, as you say it's trigger pull. But pull can be considerably smoothed. She shoots a 6" python with no trouble, but hates a ruger GP100 that we have (much worse trigger pull).

Any of those smaller 38spl revolvers are probably good too. Even though a .32auto or 25auto might fit, what's the point? After the bad guy figures out he's been shot with a .25, he's going to get really mad. ;)

As others have said, go to the gun store and let her fondle everything, something will spring out. And shoot, if you have to buy and sell a few ones to get the perfect one, that's not really so bad is it? :cool:
 
Here are "my wife's" guns next to "mine"
She really liked the 3" GP 100 and once her hand could reach around the grip she could handle the DA trigger (also I changed the springs to lighten the trigger).
2073806302_4b98b22152.jpg
She really likes the HK USP Compact. After I showed her a million times she eventually listened and can rack the slide herself.
2073013601_d1d39cc14a.jpg
 
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