Need some advice

[jumbeaux]

My daughter in law is looking for her first handgun. My son has a Glock 19 and it is too large for her small hands. She is very petite. She would like a semi-auto but I think a J frame .38 might be better. She could practice with wadcutters and then load plus P's. This will mostly be a HD or carry in the truck type firearm. They have a 4 year old girl and a 7 year old boy and keep the Glock in a Quick Open Gun Vault. She has shot rifles (.22) and shotguns but never a handgun to speak of.....her dad has a new Ruger LCP which she thought was a bit short on the grip length. I thought about a 442/642 with the small wooden grips. I do have a pre-model 30 but I am not sure about the .32 S&W round. I would certainly like to hear some ideas. Thank you for any assistance.

rick

 

[feralmerril]

Real hard to beat a J frame. I like the 3" model 36 on top but carry the model 40 in the middle the most. Uncomplicated, small, all kinds of various versions. Alloy for light, steel for soaking up a little recoil, stainless for easy upkeep, even a version of .32 H&R mag for light recoil and punch.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Yes it's hard to beat the J Frame. Since she's new to (handgun) shooting I'd suggest she keep it simple. And you can't get much simpler, and dependable, than the 36. One other advantage, she doesn't have to use the +P ammo if she finds the recoil excessive. There are alternatives with less recoil, such as the Federal NyClad, that work just fine. The bottom line is what does she feel comfortable shooting? If she's uncomfortable with her choice she won't shoot accurately. And that's not a good thing. I hope this has been of some help. Good luck.

 

[GKC]

If she's uncomfortable with her choice she won't shoot accurately.

If she's uncomfortable with her choice, she may not shoot it at all.

I've seen this recommended many times, so it is hardly original, but it is still good advice...find a range where you can rent a variety of handguns, and see which one she likes and fits her best.

A small revolver like a J frame is good for carry, but it isn't the most comfortable to shoot...and while I know that a defense handgun is supposed to be comforting and not necessarily comfortable, if it is unpleasant for her to shoot, it may turn her off shooting altogether, or she may not want to practice to gain proficiency.

Personally, I would recommend something like a M&P9c over a J frame for your wife...but again, she should try out and find what she likes and can shoot well.

 

[Pasifikawv]

If she wants a semi-auto, you should guide her toward one rather than trying to find a revolver. Stick with what she wants and she will be more likely to practice and carry, I would think...

While .380 is a little under-powered for a perfect defensive round, there are plenty of pistols in that caliber that will fit small hands. More 9mm (and .40's) are being made with smaller frames/grips, but more options are still available in .380.

The LCP has too much felt recoil and no sights to speak of. While many defensive shootigs are instinctive, it's still nice to have usable sights to make range time more enjoyable.

I recommend you have her handle the Bersa (single stack for narrower grip) Thunder. It's inexpensive yet nice quality for the $$ and quite accurate and reliable.

Kel-Tec has a few 9mm (PF9 and P-11) that will likely fit her hands, but Kel-tec isn't top quality: "get whatcha pay for."

Beretta 84 is high quality and likey in the size range but far too pricey IMO.

Tarus has several they market to ladies, but I wouldn't touch 'em. Quality and reliability just isn't where I think it should be.

A Kimber SOLO or Ultra Carry in 9mm (smaller pistols based on the 1911 platform) may fit her hands given single stack mag well in grip. All Kimbers are quality pieces.

Good luck! I hope you can help her find something she likes!

 

[ACP230]

You might suggest she look into a Walther PP, or PPK.
The SIG .380s might also be a thought.
Kel Tec has some smaller .380s and 9mms but I found the trigger on one of the small nines sort of rough on the trigger finger.
Colt is supposed to be bringing back a version of the .380
Government.

 

[GKC]

A Kimber SOLO...

I recently handled one at a local gun shop, and the trigger is smooth as butter. They are small and light...but of course didn't get to shoot it. Ruger is coming out with a similar pistol, the LC9. The gun shop guy told me they are going to price the Solo at $725...the LC9 should retail for somewhere in the $400 range. I haven't seen one yet, but I'm sure thinking about one....the LC9 that is.

 

[wheelyfun66]

j-frame snubs seem a bit too difficult to master for new shooters...

any thought given to a 3" barrel Ruger SP101?
affordable, solid design, heavy weight to dampen recoil, and the 3" barrel will help a new shooter to become more proficient in a shorter time.

semi-autos are good for a wider variety of calibers, but only if she is willing to put in the work to learn malfunction drills, etc..

My wife is not into shooting, but if she were... I would let her make the choice!

 

[PersonalSecurity]

I would have to agree with those who said J frames are hard to learn with new shooters.

This is actually a tough question. Did she like the Glock, aside from the size? If she preferred the simplicity of it or the trigger, she may do better with a revolver. I think an M&P with the small backstrap is a very viable option. I believe the Gen4 Glocks are made with smaller grips.

Is size an issue? The G19 is compact, but still a fairly large gun. If it isn't, I firmly believe the 1911 is the easiest gun to shoot out there. If it's only going to be for home defense and you teach her the safeties and single action trigger, I feel like this would be hard to beat. I would stick to the fullsize and .45, as reliability can be lower on anything but the Govt model.

Whoever mentioned the PPK brought up a very good choice.

The SIG E2 series has slimmer grips.

I wouldn't keep looking for small guns though. I think the common misconception with female shooters is that they want a small gun. Keep in mind that compact and subcompact guns are usually harder to shoot than their fullsize brothers. It may be a better option if concealed carry is in the picture, but if it's a HD gun - I'd stick with a fullsize 9mm.

I find people prefer thinner grips at first. Once you show them a proper autoloader grip, you start to see that bigger grips are often beneficial. The open area is a great spot to get the support hand in.

Steve

 

[photoman]

A tuned, no-lock 642 with Uncle Mike's three finger Combat grips and wadcutters, no +P.

I wouldn't recommend a semi-auto unless she is willing to take some quality training for malfunctions.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Both my wife and daughter shoot. Took a while to figure out what they felt best with. And I've sold guns to many women. From a full 1911 to CZ 83 to S&W 22 magnum.

Some of them were petite, some weren't. Some were bothered more by recoil, some weren't.

See the pattern?

Please, take her to a range and let her try a few.

I've seen many fathers, husband's, and boyfriends who came to the gunshop to "buy their girl a gun". This is one reason the used gun market is so good.

 

[photoman]

I agree with the "let her try them first" advice... but... if she picks a semi-auto, please, please get her some good malfunction training. I've read too many real life after action accounts of semi-autos jamming after the first shot when used by beginners to not add that caveat.