Pistol for girlfriend with small hands?

[Beavis]

My girlfriend needs a pistol but she has tiny hands (for example, she can't get her finger on the trigger of my USP40C). And she's set on a semi-auto as opposed to a revolver. I doubt she could comfortably grip anything larger than a .380. Best I can tell, HK doesn't offer anything that would fit her. So to those with wives/girlfriends with tiny hands, any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

[Jefferdy]

My g/f had the same problem. She got a Kel-Tec P3AT and liked it, but felt it was a bit mousy for serious shooting sessions. We rented a P7M8 for her to try out...she was skeptical at first b/c of the different operating system, but once she fired that first round she was in love. I found a P7M8 Refurb for a STEAL and put it in her possession. Haven't looked back since. It took a lot of searching but it was worth it. Obviously RENT before you buy! But if you buy a P7 and decide you all don't like it, I am SURE someone here or at Park Cities Tactical will gladly take it off your hands!

Just my two cents...

Good luck in your search!

[rohardi]

I think CDNN has B grade P7 PSPs for $595. You could then send it out to be refinnished for a few hundred dollars and have a very nice handgun!

[Alan_13]

I hate to say this on an HK forum but you also might want to take a look at Kahr.

[IMTHESKI]

She should try the HK P30 out. Its grip isn't that big and adjustable on the back and sides.

[pierre1631]

I am risking a flame here but the Boss Lady says she would never trade her Glock 26 for anything else.

[IMTHESKI]

I am risking a flame here but the Boss Lady says she would never trade her Glock 26 for anything else.

Nothing wrong with that. A woman who shoots is certainly a keeper. We do have to keep this thread HK related or it runs the risk of being sent to the premium side.

[the_fallguy]

I agree with Alan_13. Take a good look at a Kahr P9 or a PM9 if she wants something even more concealable.

[Mark71]

I am risking a flame here but the Boss Lady says she would never trade her Glock 26 for anything else.

The girls that I have taken shooting with me preferred shooting the Glocks over my HK's and other DA/SA guns. The Glocks fit them better and also because of the first DA trigger pull. It was hard for them to pull the 11lb+ trigger and shoot accuratly which may be important if the gun is going to be a CCW or home defense gun.

Another good option to check out is the Walther PPS and the Kahr 9mm's.

[Johnnyc]

Take her to a gun store and let her choose. My mother had small hands, she's dead nuts scary with a .44mag revolver and she keeps it in her purse. Small hands do not necessarily mean small gun or small caliber. Take her to a gun store and let her choose what she's most comfortable with, otherwise it's pointless and all you'll do is either get her something she isn't comfortable using, or make her think you're placating her.

FWIW my ex loved my P7M8 and wanted it when we broke up. I gave her my G26 instead.

[UTVOL06]

P7m8 or P7 PSP. Would be kick a$$ if I could get my hands on Hans Grubber's P7m13 with nickle polished slide from Die Hard 1. I think I would have a gasm if I got it...lol:cool:

[givo08]

My wife has tiny hands also. A G26 is too big (can't get her hands around it). A P7 is too hard for her to squeeze because her fingers don't wrap far enough around it, so she does not like it. The best feeling handgun we've found is a P2ksk or walther P99c both with small backstrap on. The S&W M&P9c with small backstrap is also decent for her. The P99c has too sharp of recoil for her but the P2ksk and the M&P are fairly light on recoil.

[capone]

if she doesnt like it, she won't carry it.... think about it..bring her to a shop and let her "shop" ..she might like that idea ;)

[murfdog]

You need to look at the P2sk in 9mm,it is my LADY'S carry gun.It shoots where It's aimed and best of all it is an H&K,enough said!




:800:

[orfeo]

My wife shoots my V1 USPc 9mm and/or my USPc 45. . . BUT she can ONLY fire them in single action. Even with 2 hands and 2 index fingers on the trigger, she cannot pull it in double-action. She's barely 90 lbs soaking wet.

A purse-gun should NOT be carried cocked and locked for single-action shooting in my opinion. Too much other junk tumbling around in women's purses.

She doesn't carry. She only shoots at the range. But, if she did, I'd give her something with a light double-action only setup, and a sewn-in holster in her purse.
Nothing smaller than a 9mm, and maybe even a 45 instead. Of course there's always the venerable 357 magnum wheelguns too.

I disagree with the notion of giving a woman anything weaker than a 9mm to carry for self-defense, and even the 9mm is borderline unless it's been fed with good personal defense ammo.

[orfeo]

If you disagree with me about caliber, and she's set on a semi-auto, a VERY popular DAO purse-gun is the North American Arms Guardian .380, and they have a pretty decent reputation for reliability. Here's an example:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=107785216

Again, I personally think nothing less than a 9mm, but many will disagree with me.

[LEO]

I agree with Alan_13. Take a good look at a Kahn P9 or a PM9 if she wants something even more concealable.

My wife has an HK P30 and a huge HK USP 45...... but the Kahr PM9 is what she carries. It is very small and light.

[link80reid]

Walther P99 fits womans hands very well. Comes with interchangeable grips to fit.

[ICELINX]

I hope this doesn't rub some the wrong way, but another you may want to consider is the sig P239 9mm. It is a single stack magazine which reduces the width of the gun. Very similar in size to the Kahr PM9.
All of the choices have their pros and cons. I think the best thing to do is take her to a local gun shop and have her hold a few different types. If possible let her shoot them. Good luck.

[HKCHEF]

You need to look at the P2sk in 9mm,it is my LADY'S carry gun.It shoots where It's aimed and best of all it is an H&K,enough said!




:800:


The P2sk in 9mm is what I plan to purchase for my girlfriend.

[H&K 4 LIFE]

A P7 would be great but it's kind of hard to rack the slide without strong hands. She may have trouble with that aspect of the P7 so thats something to consider.

In a recent article in Shooting Times (August 08 issue) titled the "Perfect Pocket 9" they had one female participant with limited expierience . This "test" featured the Glock 26, Kahr PM9, Para Ordanence Carry 9, and the Walther PPS. She concluded she liked the recoil of the Glock better but preffered the grip of the PM9. While she liked all the guns, she ranked the Kahr PM9 as her top pick of the 4 guns tested.

However, this article didn't feature an HK. ;)

[Cadillac Johnson]

Kahr, Walther, baby Glocks, M&Pc's, rohrbaugh

If you go with a .380 you can go even smaller and/or more sexy, ie. Walther PPK or Sig P232.

Frankly I think the .380 is more difficult to shoot than the 9mm in the same platform, but it does allow for a smaller grip.

The only HK I can think of is the P7, as I believe the P2Ksk is probly still going to be too 'fat'

Best advice is to take her to some fun shops and handle everything. Let her decide what's comfortable.

[Kost]

P2000SKS in 9mm, it will fit her tiny hands very well, and 9mm is going to be easy for her to shoot.

Get her to the gun shop and try every small pistol you can in her hands.

[cmdrdredd]

See if you can have her look at a P30 with the small back strap and side panels. Maybe that will be a good fit?

FWIW: My sister who is about 5'7" and 110lbs or so shoots my P30 with the medium back strap and side panels very well. She also enjoys my G19 a whole lot.

[IAC533]

P2000SKS or Kahr 9mm. Personally I would not buy a 9mm (except MP5's of course:)) Maybe she could handle the Kahr .40.

[spyder1439]

my girl prefers my glock 23 over my p2ksk. just another reason to support my theory that girls are crazy. nothing against my glock its a good gun but my hk is better.

[rsmm3]

Don't want to shock ya'll but a BHP might do the lady well-exceptional grip and smaller size for the lady and less recoil than the pockets rsmm3

[timg953]

Glock 19s and Browning Hi Powers have always been easy guns to teach women to shoot. I built my daughter (4'10" 120lbs) a Colt 1991A1 .45acp designed for small hands. I used a short videcki match trigger, flat mainspring housing, low mounted gunsite thumb safety and slim McCormick grip panels. I put on a World War One style wide hammer so that it was easier to cock the hammer prior to working the slide (only puts her compressing one spring at a time). She has been using it cocked and locked at the range since she was 11. She likes the P7M8 and P7 PSP but has trouble working the slide. She has a Colt .380 Gov't. Model that I bought her for graduation. The Colt .380 fits her like a glove and what it lacks in power, she makes up for with precision shot placement.

[Moezilla]

If she's got tiny hands Beavis, you may also want to look at the Bersa 380 Concealed Caryy. I picked one up for my wife who has smaller hands than mine, while she can fire my USPc, even on DA, she's not 100% comfortable. I'd rather have her carry something over nothing and she really liked the feel of the Bersa CC. Put some Corbon in it and it's not a simple pea shooter some people may think it is. Granted, it's NOT on par with my compact nor a .45 but it's better than something and she feels completely in control of the firearm rather than just holding on. In control means comfort, comfort means carry and carry (even a 380) is better than being unarmed.

I'll keep working on her though. Gonna have to get her to feel more comfortable with my 9, so I can (in her best interests of course lol) pass it on to her and make the 'sacrifice' of moving up to the .45 compact. Ahhh, what we do for loved ones eh? lol

[xskylitox]

All the girls I shoot with have small hands, and they all prefer my P30 over anything else they've shot. The Glock 19/23 is a close second. I put the 'small' sized grip panels on my P30. I had a Kahr cw40, and none of them liked it. The grips were thin, but they were also very harsh on your hands, and the triggers are pretty long and heavy. I would stay away from the polymer framed Kahr's. Their frames seem to be of much lower quality than HK and Glock. I had pieces of mine that were peeling off. It looked like it had been taken out of one of those model car plastic sets that all the pieces come in. It also jammed at lot. My wife has a Bersa .380, but likes my P30 a lot more. She doesn't like the small sights of the Bersa, and feels the P30 fits her hands better. Concealability shouldn't be an issue, as she can always put it in her purse.

[orfeo]

I tried the Bersa .380 last week for the first time. It packs quite a punch. The only problem was, to me, it felt really cheap, and it jammed several times out of a box of 50 cartridges. . . FWIW :)

[benderx4]

Perhaps another consideration here is not only the grip size, but whether or not she can rack the slide?? Obviously, this question has resulted in MANY women carrying revolvers for self defense.

If she can't easily rack the slide, and is hell bent on an autoloader, perhaps you might take a look at the Beretta Tomcat INOX with the tilt-up barrel? Just a thought.