Handgun for small handed folks

[MustangGal]

I really like the Walther PPK, my Sgt. @ the S.O. had one and she let me shoot it. Very nice and it fit my hand nicely. My favorite gun is my officer's model Colt 1911, but it isn't as easy to conceal. If I were going to buy a new gun today, I would go with the Walther.

[baldsith]

I really like the Walther PPK, my Sgt. @ the S.O. had one and she let me shoot it. Very nice and it fit my hand nicely. My favorite gun is my officer's model Colt 1911, but it isn't as easy to conceal. If I were going to buy a new gun today, I would go with the Walther.

Had one of those also at one point..great guns can be a little snappy for those new to shooting, but they are good quality handguns...anythings better than throwing rocks!!

[errn]

Have you considered a revolver? There are some small .357/.38's out there. Of course a good gunsmith can often make the difference between a large grip and a small one as well as how the shotting hand feels after the shot.
wish you luck.
don

[Mjollnir]

My 5'3" 100lb wife loves her Ruger SR9c. Another small handed inexpensive option worth looking into is the S&W M&P. Another rather spendy option for folks with small hands is the Springfield Armory EMP 9mm.

[Jeremiah2913]

There are lots of compacts and a revolver is more dependable than an auto. If she's worried about reload I'd choose a larger caliber such as a .45. I won't even consider carrying a 9mm for defense. Lay the rds side by side and it's clear you will only need 1/2. When your carry for defense, you shoot to kill! 3 shots center mass!

[Mjollnir]

Not trying to start a debate over calibers or revolver vs auto-loader but having working in a level 1 trauma center's ER for quite a while I've seen lots of folks shot with lots of different stuff. Diameter hasn't really got as much to do with it as many believe. The two biggest factors are bullet placement and adequate penetration(being enough penetration to reach and signicantly damage the vitals). I've personally received patients who were over 200lbs that were reportedly dropped imediately after being shot with cailbers as small as .22lr. and several that that didn't go down quickly or at all when shot with large calibers or gauges. Two that stands out most in my mind is a tiny 5' tall less than 100lb girl shot twice with a 45acp from 10' while seated in her car who drove herself to the ER. The other was a fella shot with #8 shot from a 12 ga from 20' center mass, who disarmed and slapped around the guy who shot him before calling EMS for a ride.

As to revolvers being more dependable than auto-loaders, looking at mechanics alone it may be true. Looking at overall stoppages though it is not the case. Whether peole like to admit it or not...... when you run out of ammo, your gun has stopped. Reloading is a stoppage. With a revolver you are certain to have a stoppage every 5-6 rounds. Compare that to many of the sub-compact 9's out there holding 10-11 rounds or more. You have a gauranteed nearly 2:1 stoppage rate. Most of the modern auto-loaders available today are actually very reliable.

As far as the legal system goes..... when you carry for defense... you shoot to stop. Again not trying to argue or debate, just offering a different opinion to think about.

[tarheelsman71]

I just picked up a Beretta Px4 storm for the wife. Only semi-auto that my wife was able to pull the slide back on. as an added bonus, it ships with 3 different molds for people of all sizes. Might want to give it a try. It shot really well.

[brokedownbiker]

I've always been a .45 fan for personal defense carry. Having small hands, my Glock 21 is too big for a comfortable grip with its 13 rd. double stack magazine. I found that the Taurus PT145 is a perfect size for my hand, and is very compact and concealable, even with a 10 +1 capacity. Taurus makes the pistol in .32 acp, .380, 9mm, .40, and of course .45 acp. They also make the .45 in a single stack 6 +1 configuration.

[hatch]

i'm going to second the ruger sp101. mine does have the hammer though. as a 5'4 female, 130 lbs i will state it has a bite to it, but practice, practice practice. you'll get use to the bite, not be shocked by it. i picked mine up close to 20 years ago now when i was working long hours late at night not in the best section of town. it was my conceal carry at that time. that heft made me feel safer, knew i had some stopping power right at my finger tips. i have picked up a couple more handguns since then but keep coming back to the sp101. sweet little shooter.

respectfully,
hatch

[Grinnan Barrett]

What is your price range? Have her try some guns at a shooting range. You might try a Sig 250 compact. it is light and reliable. I have one in sub compact but in 40 cal. Some of the Glocks like a model 19 are pretty easy to fit for trigger pull. It is usaully the length of the trigger from the finger tip that causes the shooter to pull off. The Beretta has a long trigger reach as an example. The US went to a second model for military folk in the Sig 228 or the Model 11 as they called it for that reason.

[45B]

I have used an East German made Makarov and almost all who shot it want one. Several small statures females and police officers with small hands have
bought them after shooting mine. You could even try the CZ82 CZ83 family in .380 or 9mm Makarov.
I use the Hornady Gold Dot ammo in mine and have also used the Silver Bear and the ammo from Barnaul.
Never had a jam or problem and always hit what I am aiming for.
Very concealable and comfortable gun.
Good luck finding a gun that fits hand of the shooter.