Does Anyone have both?

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Sturmgewehr

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I have a couple of Makarovs in 9x18. My wife is very small and has tiny hands, it just so happens that no matter how she holds it, the last knuckle of her thumb gets smacked every time she pulls the trigger. I've tried every grip available for the Mak but, no dice. She needs a new small pistol.

Does anyone have a Sig p230 and a Makarov? How is the grip area and felt recoil compared between the two? She always wanted the Sig, the Makarov was an attempt at compromise but didn't work out for her though. (I personally LOVE the Mak :))

Sturm..
 
ummmm HOW is she abrading her thumb on a makarov? Is it her gun hand or off hand? MOVE her off hand thumb AWAY from her wrist and lay it IN LINE with the bore on the left side of the slide.

The makarov has a TALL slide to grip fit.. and if she's holding it right her thumb should be nowhere near the slide as it cycles.

If the gun is STILL too big for her hand.. I'd recommend a ladysmith revolver in 38 special over the Sig. It's grip is longer (front to back) than a makarov, and slightly wider.

Hope it helps,

Dr.Rob
 
You are right, I guess I wasn't very clear.

The grip is too big I guess because her whole thumb will not lay in line with the bore. When the pistol recoils, the arc of the grip where the web of her hand should be hits her thumb, not the actual slide. Perhaps the lady Smith is a good choice, I will check them out.

Sturm..
 
I'd like to recommend that she look at the non-ladysmiths, as the ladysmiths all come with wood stocks last I looked-- seems like some cosmetic ploy to appeal to women. I think rubber would be more comfortable. No reason to buy a gun that is pigeonholed for women, either.



Snubbies have unpleasant recoil also, so it is strictly defense, not target practice/defense. Heavy is better, too. A 20+oz (640 .357 mag centennial) gun has half the felt recoil of a 12oz gun (airweight 642), and is the upper limit of what a beginer, or small statured shooter can expect to take, recoil wise (5-6 lbs of felt recoil).
 
What about Walthers in the 380 format? They fit my wife's hand, but everyone's is different. A good idea is maybe to rent a few. Most gunshop/ranges will allow you to rent one on their range to see if it's to her liking.
Go to a large store and pick out 4 or 5 to her liking, then cull them out till' she feels comfortable with one.
 
One thing to think about with the DA autos and women. My ex-wife didn't like my Walther PP, even though it fit her hand, because of the heavy DA trigger pull. A beautiful gun in SA, but too much for her in DA. Something else to think about is her ability to manipulate the slide on these blowback guns. They typically have a pretty heavy recoil spring and some women don't have a lot of grip strength. You might also consider the Beretta with a tip up barrel for loading the first round. Then you could also cock the hammer and put the safety on for SA cocked and locked use.

------------------
Dorsai
Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud, and the rifle is the queen of personal weapons. The possession of a good rifle, as well as the skill to use it well, truly makes a man the monarch of all he surveys.
-- Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle
 
If the Makarov has the "import" required thumb rest grip, I suggest replacing it with a grip without the thumb rest. Makarovs have a rather snappy recoil in 9 x 18, more than in .380.

Jim
 
Mak is also my favorite, but it's not a gun
for little women, main reason being difficulty of manipulating the slide.
So far, I noticed that one of the best
handguns for women with little hands is
Ruger SP101 revolver. It looks quite
pretty and works very well. It has little
rubber grips. SP101 in .357, loaded with
38 Special shells, will be just about perfect. .357 capability will allow for
some real shooting if this may be the case.
 
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