Options for Tiny Hands?

[Hizzie]

Started dating a new chick. She wants to get into shooting again. She's a former Navy Corpsman so is not completely new to guns. She has very small hands. What pistols should I suggest she finger bang? So far what has come to mind:

Sig 320 Carry (optional small grip) 9mm
Kahr K9/P9 and T9/TP9
S&W Shield 9mm
XDs 9mm 3.3" and 4"

Anything else? Anything to avoid?

Thanks,

Hizzie

[Clobbersaurus]

Hk P2000 with the small backstrap makes a very slim grip.

[Haraise]

Browning Hi Power, CZ75, Sig P238, Springfield EMP or a 1911 with slim grips. Big part of why I own the guns I do.

ETA: 9mm in a tiny or light plastic gun is the exact opposite of getting someone into guns. That stuff hurts. Try a .22 for a starter. I wish I had started there.

[JAD]

Slim 1911 and Kahr K9 (handy if both are steel).

[JHC]

320 small would be tops on my list.

[LSP552]

SIG P239 and Glock 26 would be worth a look and feel.

[JSGlock34]

I'd start with a standard size M&P (or GEN4 Glock G17/19) before a Shield or G43 sized pistol.

[Kyle Reese]

My wife has small hands and is very fond of the M&P 9.

[WDW]

Gen 4 G19 sans backstrap.

[Hizzie]

I'd start with a standard size M&P (or GEN4 Glock G17/19) before a Shield or G43 sized pistol.

After personally fingerbanging the Shield I didn't consider it a pocket gun or the XDs. That is why they came to mind. Definitely not the G43 or any 380.

[Haraise]

After personally fingerbanging the Shield I didn't consider it a pocket gun or the XDs. That is why they came to mind. Definitely not the G43 or any 380.

Regardless of if it's a pocket gun, they're subcompact pistols in a duty level cartridge. That's a great recipe for making someone hate shooting, and developing a life long flinch. Start with a full size .22.

[LorenzoS]

The HK P-series or VP9 with the small grip inserts are fantastic for small hands. Additionally, the paddle magazine release is easier to reach with shorter fingers and the large slide release levers provide lots of leverage.

[JodyH]

M&P 9 with small backstrap.
My boy started shooting it when he was 11.
Surely your girlfriends hands are as big as a 11 year old boys.
Really slim grip and super light felt recoil.
You can also pick up a M&P 22 to go along with it.

[LostDuke]

The HK P-series or VP9 with the small grip inserts are fantastic for small hands. Additionally, the paddle magazine release is easier to reach with shorter fingers and the large slide release levers provide lots of leverage.

Just introduced three ladies with small hands and they all loved the VP9 with small grips. P30 also did well. The PPS was easy to handle but less easy to shoot because it was snappier, so take the strength into consideration as well.

[1slow]

HK P2000SK LEM 9mm.

[Clay]

My wife has fairly small hands and she carries an LCP and a G26. She didn't like the G26 at first. She had to spend a grand or so to figure things out for herself. Come full circle so to speak. She liked the Shield as well, but hated the XDS. The XDS has a very hard plasticky feel that lots of folks don't care for. Recoil is pretty stout compared to a G26 or Shield in my opinion. The Shield may be just the ticket if your luck's better than mine. The one I had could not be made reliable even by S&W, but that seems to be rare. Most of them seem to be GTG right out of the box.

Personally I wouldn't automatically rule out a small pistol right off the bat. I've done that before and it was a mistake. If all I could get my girl to carry and practice with was a Ruger LCP, I'd call it a win and move on.

[TGS]

Just let her pick out some guns and let her try them.

There's other factors involved than tiny hands. My girl has tiny hands and not only prefers the bulky old SIG grips, but can shoot a classic SIG very well. She straight up disliked most of the guns mentioned in this thread.

Point being, tiny hands doesn't mean she'll only like tiny grips.

[JR1572]

I have small hands and short fingers. None of my Gen 4 Glocks have backstraps on them. The magazine release on them are a big help for me.

The PX4 I have on my side right now has the small backstrap on it and as much as I abhor this pistol with a rotating barrel, it fits my grubby little paws very well.

JR1572

[Clay]

Just let her pick out some guns and let her try them.

There's other factors involved than tiny hands. My girl has tiny hands and not only prefers the bulky old SIG grips, but can shoot a classic SIG very well. She straight up disliked most of the guns mentioned in this thread.

Point being, tiny hands doesn't mean she'll only like tiny grips.

Good points. My wife shoots a G21 really well, but if the OP's girl wants to carry it concealed, a small gun may be a better option.

[BehindBlueI's]

SIG P239 and Glock 26 would be worth a look and feel.

I'd just add that Sig as a "short reach trigger" as an option as well.

[Chuck Haggard]

My wife has small hands, shoots a PM9 just fine.


For small and low recoil, Glock 42

[Tamara]

What Haraise and TGS said.

I don't know why everyone immediately starts recommending tiny guns in duty calibers. A Kahr PM9 or Sig Sauer P238 is the semiautomatic equivalent of an Airweight .38 J-frame, and that gun's been debunked as "gun store clerk nonsense" for the novice with small hands.

[jh9]

Just let her pick out some guns and let her try them.

There's other factors involved than tiny hands.

Truth. Much of it is very, very subjective.

One friend of mine settled on a steel-frame Kahr for her only gun. She can handle an m&p 9 with the small backstrap, but barely. The only other gun she's shown any interest at all in is my Glock 42. Most of the other mentions in this thread? Nope.

Meanwhile, another friend put exactly 6 shots through my plastic Kahr (CM9) and put it down. She then refused to touch it again. Hot .38s through my 686? Went through most of the 100ct mtm case. That gun even had the stock mainspring, so the trigger wasn't exactly light.

Subjectivity, yo.

[beamon]

I have small hands and short fingers. Wear a cadet size golf glove. EDC is Walther PPS 9mm and HD and range weapon is Springfield XD Mod.2 in 9mm. She'll need a small width and a short reach to the trigger.

[Beat Trash]

Without a life sized picture of her hands, it's hard to tell just how "small" her small hands are.

I would stay away from the sub compact 9mm's for now and have her handle a Gen4 Glock 19 without back straps, an M&P9 with the smalls, or even a M&P9c with small back strap. The HK VP9 with small panels all around would also be on my list.

I can't comment on the 320, as I have yet to see any size but the medium frame out in the real world as of yet.

[Chuck Haggard]

What Haraise and TGS said.

I don't know why everyone immediately starts recommending tiny guns in duty calibers. A Kahr PM9 or Sig Sauer P238 is the semiautomatic equivalent of an Airweight .38 J-frame, and that gun's been debunked as "gun store clerk nonsense" for the novice with small hands.

Unless of course they try one of those and actually prefer the gun, AND shoot it better due to the gun fitting their hand.

[TGS]

Unless of course they try one of those and actually prefer the gun, AND shoot it better due to the gun fitting their hand.

The point being to let them actually find out such, instead of keeping them to the guns which even most men don't enjoy shooting. ;)

As for clothes and concealing, it all depends on her body and what she wears. As long as she's wearing a nice, loose fitting shirt, my girl has been drifting towards a P239 9mm with an OWB holster for concealment, which makes great sense as she has a SIG Mk25. For wearing tight clothes, the best option seems to be a Flashbang and mouse gun. She has trouble racking the slide on many guns, so we're thinking a Beretta Tomcat might be the best option for such. We need to find one for her to play with.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

www.corneredcat.com for a read for the 'male' expert. Don't pick the gun. Let her do it. Vicki Farnam says the same. Saw her scold some dude (opposite of chick) who was annoyed that his GF didn't like the shorty Kimber 1911, he thought was the best for her.

Then if she needs training, get someone else - not you.

[JodyH]

As a concealed carry instructor I've seen more women driven out of shooting than brought into it by well intentioned boyfriends and husbands buying the gun for them.
When I have a new shooter (male, female, young or old) I always start them out on my M&P 22 followed by my M&P 9.
So far I'm 100% in creating enthusiastic new shooters with solid fundamentals who go on to make informed decisions on buying their own carry gun later down the road.

My advice.
The goal should not be helping someone choose a carry gun or even become a concealed carrier, it should be to develop an educated, safe, proficient shooter who then goes out and chooses their own carry gun.

[VolGrad]

G42 is another choice.

[Hizzie]

Thank you to all who responded. I appreciate the suggestions. Some I would never have thought of myself.


Unless of course they try one of those and actually prefer the gun, AND shoot it better due to the gun fitting their hand.

I'm personally biased as I have a medium hand and shoot an airweight snubby w/heavy +P ammo waaay better than a Glock 21. The snub fits my hand like a glove while the G21 is like grabbing a Wheaties box. It took me a long time to figure out why.

I solicited advice for a direction to start her off, not limit her. I wanted to get feedback in case there truly was something she "just has to" try before making a decision.

[idahojess]

My sub-5-foot mom (who's in her mid 60's) has probably the definition of "tiny" hands. I've taken her to the rental range a couple of times, as well as to the outdoor ranges near me to shoot the guns I own, and the only guns she really enjoys shooting are my M&P 22 and a rental Glock 42. She hasn't been comfortable with my M&P 9 compact at all. She seemed okay with a rental xd-s 9 on one trip too. However, the G-42 really did seem to emerge last time as the one she enjoyed shooting. (She has a clunky charter .38 that she used to carry in the 80's, working nightshifts coming home from the hospital, which I've equipped with CT grips until she decides whether she wants something else. I definitely would not recommend that gun..)
Hopefully you can find a good rental counter nearby.

[Trooper224]

Just take her to a range with a good selection of rentals and let her make her own choice. Don't get overly involved in "helping" her, as many women find that off putting even if they don't say so. I'd also avoid calling her a "chick" and asking her which guns she wants to "finger bang", not exactly the epitome of class there. My wife has typical girl sized hands and rocks the Beretta 92 like Martin Riggs, so you just never know. Try showing her the respect of letting her make her own choice and you'll achieve a more harmonious outcome.

[Kyle Reese]

Just take her to a range with a good selection of rentals and let her make her own choice. Don't get overly involved in "helping" her, as many women find that off putting even if they don't say so. I'd also avoid calling her a "chick" and asking her which guns she wants to "finger bang", not exactly the epitome of class there. My wife has typical girl sized hands and rocks the Beretta 92 like Martin Riggs, so you just never know. Try showing her the respect of letting her make her own choice and you'll achieve a more harmonious outcome.

^ Well said.

[Hizzie]

Trooper224-

She asked. I didn't offer. She was a Corpsman and deployed with a bunch of Marines. I can't imagine her finding "finger bang" offensive after that experience. Truth be told I would not use that wording with her present.

As to respecting her? If I did not respect her and see her as my equal I would not be engaging in this exercise.

Lastly. Which one of these guys said I had any class? :p

[Haraise]

What Haraise and TGS said.

I don't know why everyone immediately starts recommending tiny guns in duty calibers. A Kahr PM9 or Sig Sauer P238 is the semiautomatic equivalent of an Airweight .38 J-frame, and that gun's been debunked as "gun store clerk nonsense" for the novice with small hands.

I'm not sure if I'd go that far on the P238. It recoils a LOT less than a .380 LCP, or even less than a G26, to my mind.

(not to mention I think a lightly loaded .38 special all steel J frame recoil is horrible, let alone an airweight... all snap and muzzle rise)

[Little Creek]

My wife immediately liked the G42 over her G19. Of course, she is not talking terminal ballistics. She has not yet tried the G43.

[jh9]

. I wanted to get feedback in case there truly was something she "just has to" try before making a decision.

Mirroring the litany of G42 recommendations (and sounding like a broken record):

This gun was made for people with small hands and/or people that are recoil sensitive. It's easy to make the argument that for hard-nosed, stoic shooters that don't feel recoil it's a gun without purpose...but for people that don't fit that description it's unquestionably different than every other small gun out there (with the exception of the Ruger LC380 I guess).

I'm not super thrilled with mine. It's a fairly early model and I've had 3 failures to feed in 40 rounds of Gold Dots and one failure to chamber in 20 rounds of Hornady FTX (dropping the slide from slide lock). It's perfect with ball, so I haven't sent it back yet.

But: so far this is the only centerfire gun of its size I would call shootable. In your case I think it definitely falls in that "just has to try" category.

(Okay, I promise not to mention the 42 again in this thread. It's out of my system now. :p)

[H&KFanNC]

Start her with an SR22. I like the P2K and BHP. The BHP, with its all steel frame, will tame what recoil the 9mm has.

I didn't notice the OP mentioning CCW so I went with normal sized pistols. P30L for range use would work as well. Being a Marine, she should be familiar with the SA/DA of the M9. The P30L and P2K trigger should work for her.


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[rayhartley06]

The HK P-series or VP9 with the small grip inserts are fantastic for small hands. Additionally, the paddle magazine release is easier to reach with shorter fingers and the large slide release levers provide lots of leverage.<br/>

Ditto. My wife's shooting accuracy improved dramatically when she switched to the vp9

[Little Creek]

The M&P9 with small backstrap is good. I used to use the small backstrap until I got am M&P22 which comes one way and that is with the permanent equivalent of the medium backstrap. Now all my M&P pistols have the medium backstrap to match the M&P22. Mostly I have been shooting the G17 and G19 Gen 4 pistols with no added backstrap.

[Tamara]

I'm not sure if I'd go that far on the P238. It recoils a LOT less than a .380 LCP, or even less than a G26, to my mind.

I've sampled them (and have plenty of trigger time on their Colt and Star antecedents) and would agree that they're slightly more manageable than Ruger's little .380 popsicle-stick-with-a-trigger but find them subjectively much worse than a G26 or G42, or even the steel-frame Kahr 9s. People should try a bunch of guns, though, like you said. :)

[Haraise]

I've sampled them (and have plenty of trigger time on their Colt and Star antecedents) and would agree that they're slightly more manageable than Ruger's little .380 popsicle-stick-with-a-trigger but find them subjectively much worse than a G26 or G42, or even the steel-frame Kahr 9s. People should try a bunch of guns, though, like you said. :)

That LCP, even after everything I could do to it, hurt my hand to shoot. My P238 has an exceptionally pleasant recoil impulse to me... and the person I shoot with most often hates it. People should definitely try a bunch of guns! But they should start with a .22. My head spins to think of how much time I wasted unlearning a flinch because 'well this is going to be for concealed carry so I want that one.' Massive amounts of time, effort, caring, years of barely shooting because it sucked and I kept pulling off target. All of that could have been avoided with little Mk3 .22.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

My daughter, a smaller woman, did not like a 642 but found the 9mm Glocks - 19 and 26 just fine. She also like a Colt Cobra (that 2nd gen DS type) with rubber grips. But I would let her choose what she liked if she was going to buy one for herself. The Glock grip was not a problem for her.

[Gewehr3]

If you can find one, a Beretta Cheetah might be worth a look. Plus, it has tip up barrel for loading. She won't have to struggle with working the slide to load the gun.

[Jared]

Small hands can be a really funny thing. Mine aren't particularly big, and I manage a Beretta 92 just fine. My wifes are downright tiny. Here, my story gets really odd...

She wanted to go shooting one day, so I grabbed a G19 and a SIG P239 (no typo, it wasn't a 238) and we went out. She tried the single stack SIG, and hated it. She tried the G19, and managed, but she let me know she really wasn't liking it either. I'd brought my Beretta 92 Compact along for me to shoot. She asked if she could try mine, and I handed it to her, but I wasn't expecting much. She shot it, and liked it, much better than the other two, DA pull, fat Beretta grip and all.

Before we packed it up that day, I had her making upper A zone hits on USPSA Metric targets at 7, with the DA pull. Fortunately, she allowed me to keep the gun. Her real preference is for shotgun shooting.

ETA: I guess the point of all that rambling was that you've just about gotta let people try different stuff and make up their own minds, unless it's just ridiculously bad.

[CSW]

Beretta vertec 92fs.

J frame 38special.

[Hizzie]

Beretta vertec 92fs.

J frame 38special.


I mentioned the M9A3 and showed her a pic. She got excited. Apparently Uncle Sugar already trained her on the M9.

[CSW]

I mentioned the M9A3 and showed her a pic. She got excited. Apparently Uncle Sugar already trained her on the M9.

well there's "half" the training. A bit big for CC, but a great gun for hours at the range. Used Vertecs can be had for a lot less then the A3. Go to Beretta forum, they are on there all the time.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682422/22920671/408901183.jpg

I picked this one up close to ten years ago. Great gun. A set of "G" springs will make it sing!

[David S.]

HiTS Basic Pistol. May 2nd (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?15272-HiTS-1-day-basic-pistol-Dallas-May-2-2015)

Bring her out

[ralph]

well there's "half" the training. A bit big for CC, but a great gun for hours at the range. Used Vertecs can be had for a lot less then the A3. Go to Beretta forum, they are on there all the time.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682422/22920671/408901183.jpg

I picked this one up close to ten years ago. Great gun. A set of "G" springs will make it sing!


I just bought a new stainless Vertec a few days ago.. Local shop,, (G&R Tactical) Has Beretta 92fs's for $499,( Italian made if that matters to anyone) and I was going to buy one of those, until I picked up the Vertec..IMO, the Grip is much, much better than the 92. Going to the range with it the following day, I was surprised at how easy it was to shoot. At about 7yds, even with the heavily stacking DA pull, I was getting some nice groups, at about 10-12 yds the groups opened up to about palm sized, But still, considering I hadn't shot a Beretta in well over a decade I was happy. I've got some D springs ordered, as well as 17 rnd factory mags, Which BTW, are cheap.. I'm used to buying HK mags and when I saw the price of 17-18 rnd mags at $19.99 each, I was shocked.. My plan is to install a D spring, and run it..

[Hizzie]

well there's "half" the training. A bit big for CC, but a great gun for hours at the range. Used Vertecs can be had for a lot less then the A3. Go to Beretta forum, they are on there all the time.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682422/22920671/408901183.jpg

I picked this one up close to ten years ago. Great gun. A set of "G" springs will make it sing!

Oh I'm on the prowl for a good deal. I've been intrigued by the Beretta for a very long time. Actually been a member of BF since 2003.


HiTS Basic Pistol. May 2nd (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?15272-HiTS-1-day-basic-pistol-Dallas-May-2-2015)

Bring her out


Dunno if I'm ready to expose her to you guys. Might scare her off.

[1slow]

As a concealed carry instructor I've seen more women driven out of shooting than brought into it by well intentioned boyfriends and husbands buying the gun for them.
When I have a new shooter (male, female, young or old) I always start them out on my M&P 22 followed by my M&P 9.
So far I'm 100% in creating enthusiastic new shooters with solid fundamentals who go on to make informed decisions on buying their own carry gun later down the road.

My advice.
The goal should not be helping someone choose a carry gun or even become a concealed carrier, it should be to develop an educated, safe, proficient shooter who then goes out and chooses their own carry gun.

Very good !

[David S.]

Lastly. Which one of these guys said I had any class? :p



Dunno if I'm ready to expose her to you guys. Might scare her off.

What's the matter? We're too classy? ;)

[BJXDS]

The HK P-series or VP9 with the small grip inserts are fantastic for small hands. Additionally, the paddle magazine release is easier to reach with shorter fingers and the large slide release levers provide lots of leverage.<br/>

Ditto. My wife's shooting accuracy improved dramatically when she switched to the vp9

+1

Just starting out a larger gun will be easier to learn to shoot. The guns my wife shoots the best are VP9, PPQ and G21, as far as being able carry that is a different story. Another advantage is the slide is easier for her to operate compared to subs.

My wife shot a VP9 with small panels this weekend and now wants one. Also to my surprise she likes the paddle mag release better than the button.

Ease of concealment - Advantage XDS. EVERYTHING ELSE- ADVANTAGE VP.

[ralph]

+1

Just starting out a larger gun will be easier to learn to shoot. The guns my wife shoots the best are VP9, PPQ and G21, as far as being able carry that is a different story. Another advantage is the slide is easier for her to operate compared to subs.

My wife shot a VP9 with small panels this weekend and now wants one. Also to my surprise she likes the paddle mag release better than the button.

Ease of concealment - Advantage XDS. EVERYTHING ELSE- ADVANTAGE VP.

Well, hopefully HK will have a VP9 compact in the future,(I'm hoping for something P-2000 sized) When they bring those out, I figure they'll sell like hotcakes, as I think a compact would address the size issue