Compact guns for woman

[Hanhoon]

Got jokes huh.?

I'm serious though, changing out the color of the grip without a FFL is awesome. Idk if you know this, but the P365 and some other sigs, the FCU is serialized not the lower/frame like a Glock for example.

I have an OD green, gray, and black p365 frame. When you wanna go deep carry or as I call it "smuggle" carry (at gun free zones, work etc) you can have the 10 or 12 rounder. And if you wanna improve on the capacity and grip size (fill out your hand), pop in a factory 15 or 17 round mag.

I have large size hands and I can shoot the P365 very well and the trigger is very nice.

 

[orygun]

Personally I feel that questions like this are disingenuous, and are meant to drag out the same tired old conversations to no end. Believing that is why I wish I could/should restrict how I see NWFA to the classifieds only.

View attachment 1842865

Maybe you should... Since obviously your post isn't helpful at all.

My wife bought her first gun all by herself. S&W 642 with a Crimson Trace. If she had a bit stronger hand strength it would have been a good gun for her. Then she bought a Glock 43. It's ok and she shoots it a little bit better than her revolver.
The gun she "killed it" with was my S&W Model 69 shooting 44 Specials. She shot that gun better than any other handgun I've seen her shoot. Too bad its a bit big for purse carry for her.

Something to consider, especially for "gun guys", is the mechanical operation for using a semi automatic handgun. Many ladies could give a rats butt about having the working knowledge to know when the gun is ready to fire or for making a semi auto secure. This is one place where a revolver is a bit easier to understand.
There's a lot more to "it" than picking a gun because of how well the user can shoot it.

 

[Stomper]

G42 or G43.

Or a G43X

 

[OldBroad44]

Im part of the camp that doesn't support the micro compact pistols for ladies.
Harder to manipulate, sometimes the slide is harder to rack.. just not a lot of surface area for purchase and manipulation.
Also, Snub nosed revolvers require more practice to be proficient with anccuracy unless its belly to belly distance.
If she is going to carry it, I'd go as small as a compact unless she shoots a LCP2 or S&W bodyguard well.. those two are easy to manipulate and shoot well.
I wouldn't get her anything with a stout trigger or a stiff slide. I'd honestly have her go to the gun shop and pawn shop (simply to test) and manipulate said firearms.

I too am unkeen about small handguns for women. Or anyone else. However, that doesn't mean no snubby revolvers. I believe any new revolver shooter should start with a full frame size revolver. The barrel length can be short if necessary. "Buddy", my edc for the last 30 years, for example, is a pre-lock SW 686-4 .357 mag. This gun is built on the L frame, the heavier of the two SW medium frame sizes. It has the heavy under lugged barrel with muzzle-heavy balance and full size adjustable sights. It weighs 36 oz empty. Both the SA and DA trigger pulls are lovely. The SA is light and totally crisp with zero take up before firing and is probably between 2 and 3 lb. The DA is light for DA revolver trigger pulls and uniform and smooth through its length. Buddy is enjoyable to shoot even with full power .357 mag loads. It is in every way a full size revolver except except barrel is short. Back when my eyes were a bit younger I could hold all slow SA shots within 3" of point of aim at 40 yards from offhand. Meaning I could have hunted deer with this gun just fine had I wanted to. Since my edc would be the only gun I had with me if a shtf hit when I was away from home, I would like that gun to be a serious and versatile working gun. And I gain confidence in my edc by actually using it as a working gun. Buddy protected my duck flock in that era accounted for many a raccoon, possum, and skunk and even a couple of foxes. His grip is a Surefire laser grip, essential for duck protection at night. Yet he fits easily in the middle compartment of the foam-lined fanny-pack camera bag I use as a purse substitute. (Yes I know this isnt ideal. But neither is hip carry at social events with many huggers who arent gun people . Nor is any other mode workable for carry in the plant breeding field where there is much bending over and crawling around.)

By contrast, I once owned a J frame Smith. It would have been easier to carry. But I was never any good with it. It was excellent for a revolver that size. But I was never any good with it. I also at one point had a Glock 23. This is the .40acp version of the Glock 19. On this gun I learned that I'm just not very good with light weight guns, even when they are full size. . Even when I was young I had a slight tremble in my arms when extended. A full size full weight handgun of about 30 ounces or more stabilizes the gun and eliminates that slight tremble. In addition I was nearsighted even as a kid. I need big full size sights. Most standard size semi autos have dinky sights. I can't shoot well with any gun with dinky sights. As a kid I had learned on my dad's SW .38 and my mom's Colt Woodsman Target 22., both full size full weight guns with full size adjustable sights. Even as a little kid I easily learned to shoot well. Can't actually remember a time in my life when I wasn't a good shot . The Glock 19 size gun has big enough size and sights but is too light for me to shoot well. Had I grown up with parents shooting Glocks instead of traditional heavier guns, I would have undoubtedly not easily become a good shot and probably never done more with guns than the minimal needed for very close range SD. Some people can shoot small or light guns well. But most can't . And they are certainly aren't the place to start.

 

[OldBroad44]

My wife and I teach a ladies specific self-defense series. One of the biggest mistakes we see are students showing up to class with a snub nosed revolver or subcompact semi-auto. They've generally been sold on tiny pistols by their husbands or sales people at the local gun counter. They're universally harder to manipulate and shoot. Great for experts needing something for deep concealed carry, but terrible for new shooters.

Most new shooters have great luck with compact 9mm pistols like the Glock 19 or M&P Compact. They're easier to shoot and still small enough for most people to carry concealed.

I'd suggest finding a local class or at least a range with some rental guns before making any purchase.

Let me reiterate. A snub nose revolver is not necessarily a small hard to shoot gun. A full size revolver with a snub nose is just as easy to shoot as the corresponding full frame size revolver with a standard barrel size except it will recoil more. But it will have the same full size sight and good trigger pulls as the same model with a longer barrel.

 

[OldBroad44]

Personally I feel that questions like this are disingenuous, and are meant to drag out the same tired old conversations to no end. Believing that is why I wish I could/should restrict how I see NWFA to the classifieds only.

View attachment 1842865

If you just like classifieds, go use the classifieds. Pretty d@mned self-centered of you to say the things you don't use should be eliminated. Especially since you aren't even supporting the website at the minimal $5 level. Plenty of us who enjoy discussing guns have put hundreds of dollars of support into this website. The questions that come up repeatedly do so because they are of eternal interest. New people come along and ask them. And even if someone asked the same question a year ago, the thread will be different because it will be different people participating .

 

[oremike]

My question is does she want a gun or are you wanting to "help". And bear in mind that there is no wrong answer or absolutes. I ask this because my wife has guns of her own as well as mine to shoot but just won't daily carry. We live in a small town so the stuff of a big city seem far away and she feels safe with out a daily carry piece. She has a model 60 Smith that is her carry gun if she wants to and it is one she bought all on her own, likes it very well, shoots it good and still won't carry it. No amount of holsters or fanny packs has changed that. If she were to carry she'd use the fanny pack and when we go shooting that's how she brings her gun along. On a side note her favorite handguns to shoot are her S&W Victory .22 and my Browning 1911-380. The Browning might be a good option to add to your wifes(or your) test pool of smaller, easy shooting guns. .02 worth what you paid for it.

 

[Koda]

Well obviously she's going with me. I was just looking for some suggestions.

Let her pick one out without suggestions.
Tell her about the different types but you dont want to suggest one she ends up not liking.

 

[dangerranger60]

I too am unkeen about small handguns for women. Or anyone else. However, that doesn't mean no snubby revolvers. I believe any new revolver shooter should start with a full frame size revolver. The barrel length can be short if necessary. "Buddy", my edc for the last 30 years, for example, is a pre-lock SW 686-4 .357 mag. This gun is built on the L frame, the heavier of the two SW medium frame sizes. It has the heavy under lugged barrel with muzzle-heavy balance and full size adjustable sights. It weighs 36 oz empty. Both the SA and DA trigger pulls are lovely. The SA is light and totally crisp with zero take up before firing and is probably between 2 and 3 lb. The DA is light for DA revolver trigger pulls and uniform and smooth through its length. Buddy is enjoyable to shoot even with full power .357 mag loads. It is in every way a full size revolver except except barrel is short. Back when my eyes were a bit younger I could hold all slow SA shots within 3" of point of aim at 40 yards from offhand. Meaning I could have hunted deer with this gun just fine had I wanted to. Since my edc would be the only gun I had with me if a shtf hit when I was away from home, I would like that gun to be a serious and versatile working gun. And I gain confidence in my edc by actually using it as a working gun. Buddy protected my duck flock in that era accounted for many a raccoon, possum, and skunk and even a couple of foxes. His grip is a Surefire laser grip, essential for duck protection at night. Yet he fits easily in the middle compartment of the foam-lined fanny-pack camera bag I use as a purse substitute. (Yes I know this isnt ideal. But neither is hip carry at social events with many huggers who arent gun people . Nor is any other mode workable for carry in the plant breeding field where there is much bending over and crawling around.)

By contrast, I once owned a J frame Smith. It would have been easier to carry. But I was never any good with it. It was excellent for a revolver that size. But I was never any good with it. I also at one point had a Glock 23. This is the .40acp version of the Glock 19. On this gun I learned that I'm just not very good with light weight guns, even when they are full size. . Even when I was young I had a slight tremble in my arms when extended. A full size full weight handgun of about 30 ounces or more stabilizes the gun and eliminates that slight tremble. In addition I was nearsighted even as a kid. I need big full size sights. Most standard size semi autos have dinky sights. I can't shoot well with any gun with dinky sights. As a kid I had learned on my dad's SW .38 and my mom's Colt Woodsman Target 22., both full size full weight guns with full size adjustable sights. Even as a little kid I easily learned to shoot well. Can't actually remember a time in my life when I wasn't a good shot . The Glock 19 size gun has big enough size and sights but is too light for me to shoot well. Had I grown up with parents shooting Glocks instead of traditional heavier guns, I would have undoubtedly not easily become a good shot and probably never done more with guns than the minimal needed for very close range SD. Some people can shoot small or light guns well. But most can't . And they are certainly aren't the place to start.

It took me awhile to learn to shoot a J frame 642 well. I learned it because carrying it is so much easier'. And that was most important to me.
My wife likes her J frame sized Rossi in 22lr. It holds 8 rounds, a 3" barrel, adjustable sights, and she can carry in a small purse or on body. What she doesn't like is it is heavy for its size. Her other favorites are a Ruger MK1 with a 6" barrel and a Colt Police Positive in 32 cal. She has shot most of mine and these are the ones she goes back to every time.
I put in the extra time to learn to shoot the small light weight gun, she is not interested.
If my first gun was a short light weight, I might have lost interest too. But I started with bigger guns that were easy to control.
A couple years ago I had to requalify with my carry gun. When I came to the firing line with a snubby I could see the Range officer roll his eyes. But I did not hold up the line with needing to reload and scored as well as anyone on the target. But it takes practice. DR

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[TAGunn]

My wife carrys a Canik Mete MC9. She handles it without a problem.

 

[leveraction83]

I'm serious though, changing out the color of the grip without a FFL is awesome. Idk if you know this, but the P365 and some other sigs, the FCU is serialized not the lower/frame like a Glock for example.

I have an OD green, gray, and black p365 frame. When you wanna go deep carry or as I call it "smuggle" carry (at gun free zones, work etc) you can have the 10 or 12 rounder. And if you wanna improve on the capacity and grip size (fill out your hand), pop in a factory 15 or 17 round mag.

I have large size hands and I can shoot the P365 very well and the trigger is very nice.

Okay I'll check it out

 

[leveraction83]

She has some yes

 

[pizzamike]

Glock 19