Looking for a small hand gun with not a lot of kick. Does such a beast exist? This will be mostly for sport use with my wife, and secondary use is for concealed protection. I realize our differences in hand size will be a factor, but I don't think she'll use it much. Something larger than a .22 please. I know very little so I count on your experience on this one. I will go to a range to try some out, but need to know where to start and what to ask.
Gun Gurus chime in please
- Thread starter mrvids
- Start date
StockNotch
Forum Member
You can also look into guns chambered in .380.
Kryp2nitE
Club Member
Go to a range and rent a few, id recommend a single stack. 9mm for less kick.
Springfield xds
Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm
Walther PPS is my favorite in that category, the newer generation has a more standard mag release depending on what the range has.
Smith and Wesson has a Bodyguard that is even smaller that might work but I am not a big fan.
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Springfield xds
Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm
Walther PPS is my favorite in that category, the newer generation has a more standard mag release depending on what the range has.
Smith and Wesson has a Bodyguard that is even smaller that might work but I am not a big fan.
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Detroit Gearbox
Forum Member
My suggestion (and I'm no guru) is to have her spend time at a range, rent some guns and find out what SHE likes.... what fits her hand, what feels comfortable. Depending on the store your at they may make suggestions and allow her to test fire some.....
Its all about comfort
Its all about comfort
loosenut
Club Member
Exactly!! I have a showcase full of used pistols that people thought they wanted. After they shoot they completely change their minds on what they want or need.
RSpencer
Forum Member
Most .380s you find will likely be a pocket pistol and really aren’t that great for putting a ton of rounds through at the range due to their small frame. I have a Ruger LCP (.380) that I throw in my pocket daily and also a Kahr CM9 (9 mm). The smaller guns do make carrying daily less of a hassle. The S&W 9mm Shield is tough to beat for the money. If you can hold out till Black Friday you can probably score one new for under $300.
AutoRoc
Club Member
Sig 238HD 380. Tiny, Heavy, Great Sights, 380.
380 is a short 9mm if you were not aware. It has considerably less power than 9mm but It is deadly like most rounds that go bang. The recoil on this little ALL steel piece is a touch more than a full sized 1911 that shoots 22lr.
380 is a short 9mm if you were not aware. It has considerably less power than 9mm but It is deadly like most rounds that go bang. The recoil on this little ALL steel piece is a touch more than a full sized 1911 that shoots 22lr.
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ZYA_LTR
Club Sponsor
loosenut
Club Member
I'd be surprised to see this. There really aren't many wholesale deals on them right now. They are discounted a little due to the 2.0 being released but not enough to see this price.
RSpencer
Forum Member
I bought mine on BF in 2015 from Gander. $350 and got a $50 gift card from there. I guess maybe I should have phrased my statement differently, but I still don’t believe it would be too far off.
Torxila
Club Member
mrvids,
I seriously doubt there is one gun that will work ideally for both of you. Just physical strength & hand size will dictate this. There are some small (Not pocket pistols) that have flat wire or dual spring technology & bull barrels that help with felt recoil & mussel flip.(A good thing) Some are ALL steel (slightly heavier) & some have alloy frames (a tad lighter). A quality holster & PROPER gun belt will take that weight issue out of the equation.
If you're new to shooting, figure on firing 100's of rounds (minimum) a month (for MONTHS) until the draw/aim process is second nature (muscle memory as it's called). Most striker fired guns (polymer) have mediocre triggers at best,(yah you can change parts but they still aren't ideal) if you get trained/educated properly & practice religiously they are VERY practical/accurate & less expensive than 1911 type pistols.
I don't know where you live, but if you're around the suburbs of Detroit I would be happy to let you & the Mrs. try a few of mine.
If you have little or no experience I would strongly suggest you both get a few basic gun safety courses under your belt first.
George
I seriously doubt there is one gun that will work ideally for both of you. Just physical strength & hand size will dictate this. There are some small (Not pocket pistols) that have flat wire or dual spring technology & bull barrels that help with felt recoil & mussel flip.(A good thing) Some are ALL steel (slightly heavier) & some have alloy frames (a tad lighter). A quality holster & PROPER gun belt will take that weight issue out of the equation.
If you're new to shooting, figure on firing 100's of rounds (minimum) a month (for MONTHS) until the draw/aim process is second nature (muscle memory as it's called). Most striker fired guns (polymer) have mediocre triggers at best,(yah you can change parts but they still aren't ideal) if you get trained/educated properly & practice religiously they are VERY practical/accurate & less expensive than 1911 type pistols.
I don't know where you live, but if you're around the suburbs of Detroit I would be happy to let you & the Mrs. try a few of mine.
If you have little or no experience I would strongly suggest you both get a few basic gun safety courses under your belt first.
George
Scooter70
Club Member
Don't be so sure that she will prefer shooting a mouse gun over a compact. My wife (who is 4' 9" and has tiny hands) hated shooting my Kahr PM9 and much preferred the G19. Keep in mind that it's not so much about what feels good in the hand but which one you / she can consistently hit the target with. The other thing to remember is that you want a quality, reliable firearm that you know will go "bang" every time. I recommend staying with one of the major manufacturers (Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, Ruger) so that you don't get stuck with a POS lemon.
Shoot the single stack Shield / G43 but also try out the G19/M&P Compact. Smith came out with M&P 2.0s recently so the older models (which are great in their own right) are available at decent discounts now. Glock just came out with their Gen 5 guns but I'm not sure if anyone is discounting the Gen 4s.
Shoot the single stack Shield / G43 but also try out the G19/M&P Compact. Smith came out with M&P 2.0s recently so the older models (which are great in their own right) are available at decent discounts now. Glock just came out with their Gen 5 guns but I'm not sure if anyone is discounting the Gen 4s.
lucky7
Forum Member
I like my Shield, but it isn't perfect.
For one gun to carry and to shoot at the range, it's pretty good. It's not big, but nor am I, and it gets real heavy real quick. I guess what I'm saying is that the Shield was my first handgun, and I wanted something that could do everything well - that was a mistake. I should have gotten a pocket .380 that I have NO issues carrying, and then I should have gotten something great for the range. The pocket guns suck to shoot, and the larger guns suck to carry (IMO). I've also found that you can ask all the questions and do all the research, but everyone really is different.
Oh, and just because. I was going to go the G19 route like many, but went CZ instead. Too big for me to carry, but it's a nice shooter, and I have no fear of anything going wrong with it. Ever.
For one gun to carry and to shoot at the range, it's pretty good. It's not big, but nor am I, and it gets real heavy real quick. I guess what I'm saying is that the Shield was my first handgun, and I wanted something that could do everything well - that was a mistake. I should have gotten a pocket .380 that I have NO issues carrying, and then I should have gotten something great for the range. The pocket guns suck to shoot, and the larger guns suck to carry (IMO). I've also found that you can ask all the questions and do all the research, but everyone really is different.
Oh, and just because. I was going to go the G19 route like many, but went CZ instead. Too big for me to carry, but it's a nice shooter, and I have no fear of anything going wrong with it. Ever.
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It's already been said and I 100% agree with it, get a his and hers package. One you feel comfortable with as does she. Also in my opinion alot of those smaller frame guns have more kick, so what I would do is just go to a range and rent a few, you might be surprised what she feels comfortable shooting. 9mm is defiantly the round to go with though, and single stack also especially of she's got smaller hands. I kinda like the pt111 g2. Maybe even the 24/7 pt111 g2 ( think I said that right ) pretty good budget gun that's got a good name behind it.
riche
Forum Member
$289 on gunbuyer right now.
loosenut
Club Member
Not much of a business model to sell $35 below cost.
