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Soooooooooooooooo, is you wife ok with trading her off like this????
Kahr CW9
.380 isn't something I would rely on for home defense unless you're sure you can get good shot placement under a stressful situation.
The walther pps is slim, but the grip is also long so its kinda uncomfortable especially for someone with small hands.
Ultimately the decision is hers so let her shoot a few different options before throwing down the cash.
.380 isn't something I would rely on for home defense unless you're sure you can get good shot placement under a stressful situation.
The walther pps is slim, but the grip is also long so its kinda uncomfortable especially for someone with small hands.
Ultimately the decision is hers so let her shoot a few different options before throwing down the cash.
My wife suffers the same small hands problem. We fixed some of it with training.
She started out with a PPK in 380... but as with those guns- a safety, short slide that is easy to "ride" and induce a jam when chambering (till you get used to it) a DA/SA system with the complications of a lever and the long first trigger pull... she decided to keep it... and look for a "primary" gun
She ended up with a Kimber Aegis 9 mm. Thin, light, short trigger, single action... We are still working on some gun handling issues (like using the safety) but for someone who never fired a handgun to what she can do now... I think she's doing very well.
The 3 inch 45's? Most of the bugs are worked out of them ... but you really have to watch for recoil spring wear. They take a beating compared to longer slides.
The 9 mm seems to be a good solution.
I like the 39 series SW too... but they are thick and have a long trigger... just saying.
She started out with a PPK in 380... but as with those guns- a safety, short slide that is easy to "ride" and induce a jam when chambering (till you get used to it) a DA/SA system with the complications of a lever and the long first trigger pull... she decided to keep it... and look for a "primary" gun
She ended up with a Kimber Aegis 9 mm. Thin, light, short trigger, single action... We are still working on some gun handling issues (like using the safety) but for someone who never fired a handgun to what she can do now... I think she's doing very well.
The 3 inch 45's? Most of the bugs are worked out of them ... but you really have to watch for recoil spring wear. They take a beating compared to longer slides.
The 9 mm seems to be a good solution.
I like the 39 series SW too... but they are thick and have a long trigger... just saying.
Hi,
The one factor that makes this easier for you is that you are looking for a HD gun and not a carry gun. Weight is your friend when it comes to recoil and for an HD gun, weight is usually not the first concern. I'm going to recommend you look at full size type guns instead of the smaller designed for carry guns. J-Frames and pocket 9mm's are great for carry, but their shootability will probably frustrate your wife more than the thinner grip will help her.
My wife has small hands and while she hasn't done a great deal of shooting, I usually have her hold pistols to try them for feel. She can't stand the blockiness of Glocks and many other double stack pistols. Oddly, the one pistol she took right to was a CZ SP-01. It is double stack, but the grip is very ergonomic and she wouldn't put it down at the range. Her sister liked the GP100 so I expected her to as well, but she didn't and instead was all over the CZ. The great thing about the SP-01 is that it is full size, all steel, 9mm is very soft shooting, you can get it in a safety or decocker version, sa/da, and includes tritium sights.
I can say from my own experience that a gun has to fit you or you aren't going to like it. She may find one with a grip that is larger that fits her better than one with a different grip that is smaller. Take her to a bunch of gun stores and have her try all sorts of guns to see how they feel. You mentioned she was scared of guns - for that reason alone I would forget anything tiny and or light and get her something that feels solid when she pulls the trigger and doesn't beat her up.
Good luck,
Alan
The one factor that makes this easier for you is that you are looking for a HD gun and not a carry gun. Weight is your friend when it comes to recoil and for an HD gun, weight is usually not the first concern. I'm going to recommend you look at full size type guns instead of the smaller designed for carry guns. J-Frames and pocket 9mm's are great for carry, but their shootability will probably frustrate your wife more than the thinner grip will help her.
My wife has small hands and while she hasn't done a great deal of shooting, I usually have her hold pistols to try them for feel. She can't stand the blockiness of Glocks and many other double stack pistols. Oddly, the one pistol she took right to was a CZ SP-01. It is double stack, but the grip is very ergonomic and she wouldn't put it down at the range. Her sister liked the GP100 so I expected her to as well, but she didn't and instead was all over the CZ. The great thing about the SP-01 is that it is full size, all steel, 9mm is very soft shooting, you can get it in a safety or decocker version, sa/da, and includes tritium sights.
I can say from my own experience that a gun has to fit you or you aren't going to like it. She may find one with a grip that is larger that fits her better than one with a different grip that is smaller. Take her to a bunch of gun stores and have her try all sorts of guns to see how they feel. You mentioned she was scared of guns - for that reason alone I would forget anything tiny and or light and get her something that feels solid when she pulls the trigger and doesn't beat her up.
Good luck,
Alan
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The P238 is a top notch small handgun. However, I would not recommend it for anyone who is uncomfortable carrying it cocked. The small hammer might prove problematic for a nervous shooter in a tense situation. It's perfectly suited for condition one.
I tried to tell you: Hold it like a man!
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