Good Guns for Small Hands (please read 1st post carefully!)

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pax

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Hi all,

I am composing a list of guns which work well for small hands.

In this case, I define "small hands" as hands which easily fit within a ladies' small or medium glove. If your hands are bigger than that, they are not "small hands" for purposes of this question!

If you recommend a gun for the list, I'd like you to also answer the following.

Criteria:

1) Gun fit question (follow the link for pictures if my wording here doesn't make sense). Place the distal crease of your trigger finger on the face of the trigger. Do not pull the trigger back in any way, nor cock the gun (eg DA/SA guns are measured in DA mode). When you wrap the rest of your hand around the gun to attain a firing grip, does the gun's backstrap connect with your hand

a) somewhere along the thumb itself, or
b) at the base knuckle of the thumb, or
c) in the web of your hand​

2) Gun fit question. Holding the gun as in Question #1, and with your wrist as straight as you can get it, you draw an imaginary line from the muzzle of the gun along the barrel. The line continues indefinitely. Does the line

a) run over your thumb, but no other part of your hand or arm, or
b) run sorta-kinda along your wrist for a short distance, or
c) run exactly parallel with your forearm​

3) Gun type question. Is the gun a

a) SA revolver
b) DA revolver
c) DA or DA/SA semi auto
d) striker-fired semi auto
e) SA semi auto​

4) Gun type question. Is the gun a

a) revolver
b) single stack
c) double stack​

5) What caliber is the gun you measured?

6) In your subjective opinion, is the gun's recoil

a) mild (without gloves, you wouldn't mind shooting 100 consecutive rounds)
b) moderate (without gloves, about 50 rounds would be okay, maybe not more though), or
c) severe (without gloves, you'd rather not shoot more than 25 consecutive rounds).​

7) Note grips & any alterations done to the gun (eg shortened trigger -- brand, grip type -- brand, grip reduction -- gunsmith name)

8) Your glove size is

a) Ladies' small
b) Ladies' medium​

Thanks! I hope this will be a good resource thread for everyone, and I hope to learn some things.

pax
 
Small hands

Hi pax--

I'm a male, 5'8", 160lbs, but I was blessed (if you can call it that) with small hands. Size 8 gloves fit me with room to spare.

That's why I like my S&W J-frames, and my Beretta 87 is about as big as I can handle. The rifles and shotguns aren't much of a problem, but they're on the small side as well.

I don't know is helpful to you, but it's just my two cents.

--skeeter1
 
Answering my own questions with some guns that just happened to be "on hand..."


Glock 26

1: c (perfect)
2: b (a tiny bit big for me)
3: d (Striker-fired semi auto)
4: c (doublestack)
5: 9mm
6: a (have frequently shot several hundred in an afternoon)
7: Extended slide stop lever -- way more comfy for my thumb, and less shifting of hand to reach it. Gun has an internal laser, the now-obsolete frame-installed CT laser.
8: ladies' medium


KelTec P32

1: c (with lots of room to spare)
2: c (lines up well with forearm)
3: c (DA semi auto)
4: b singlestack
5: .32 Auto (too small for defense, IMO, but others' opinions vary!)
6: b (slappy, but not too onerous; after 50 rounds it always needs cleaning anyway...!)
7: none
8: ladies' medium

Comment: I had the KelTec P3AT for a brief while last spring. It fit my hand the same way as the P32. Chambered in .380 auto, the recoil was so snappy-slappy unpleasant that it took a severe effort of will to fire more than a couple of rounds. Yeowch.



Springfield Armory 1911-A1 (fullsize)

1: c (perfect)
2: b/c (teensy tiny bit big)
3: e (SA semi auto)
4: b (singlestack)
5: .45 ACP
6: a (I've often put a couple hundred rounds downrange out of this one)
7: Crimson Trace lasergrips. Extended thumb safety. Short trigger. (Dunno brand names.)
8: ladies' medium

Additional comment: I have to shift my hand around quite a bit to manipulate the slide stop lever, but I can ride the safety if I want to.



Springfield Armory XD9 SubCompact

1: c (perfect)
2: c (perfect) (it pained me to write that ... when my beloved G26 didn't quite measure up!)
3: d (Striker-fired semi auto)
4: c (doublestack)
5: 9mm
6: a (can and have sent a lot of rounds downrange at one sitting)
7: bone stock
8: still ladies' medium

pax
 
deanadell ~

How does she find the recoil? Mild, medium, or harsh? (The one thing you can't check standing at the counter in the gun store...)

pax
 
Some food for thought,

As an NRA Pistol Instructor I've had the opportunity to observe many different women, (and men), wih smaller hands grip and fire several different handguns. The biggest issue for most is not the grip, length of trigger pull, etc, it is accessing and operating the controls on a semi auto. Most have a very difficult time operating the slide release, safety / decocker, and mag release.
For this reason they, (small hands), tend to be most comfortable with a small frame double action revolver. Most of my lady students really like my Colt Cobra. As to semi auto they seem to prefer the Glock 19 I use in the course, however many still struggle with the slide release and find sling shotting the first round in much easier.
These are pretty much general observations. If a particular student wants to shoot a particular handgun that may not be ideal, I simply tell them to practice, practice, practice. They should be able to develop their own safe, but usually somewhat unorthodox techniques.

Take Care
 
pax,

my wife suffers from rheumatoid (sp?) arthritis, so has additional limitations aside from handsize. I tried her out with a .38 snubbie, with rubber grips...her wrists couldn;t handle even the milder wadcutter rounds. I've tried her out on numerous small caliber autos....limp-wrists them and stovepipes the empties on everthing except my Ruger Mark I, which I guess is heavy enough on it's own to overcome that problem.

Bought the NEF back before they started calling it the "Lady Ultra". Loaded with .32 S&W Long ammo she controls it well, usually being able to put all 5 rounds in the center of the target at 10 yards in about a 4 inch group.....pretty respectable for a 2" barrel in a cheap revolver.

Being a big bore fan myself, nothing I would want to get into a gunfight with :D but for a nightstand gun, she is very comfprtable and confident with it, which in my opinion is over half the battle won.

Have no idea what these retail for now. I bought hers about 12 years ago for about $135.00 brand new.

Interestingly enough, one other revolver she likes to shoot is an old S&W British Service Revolver in my collection. I believe these were "K" frames. grips are very small on these old smiths.
 
My friend wears a medium ladies glove. The P11 fits her pretty well, although I can't verify all the criteria listed. She also enjoys shooting my full size CZ 75, but that fits my hand better.
 
my wife suffers from rheumatoid (sp?) arthritis, so has additional limitations aside from handsize.
Click to expand...

SWMBO also suffers from RA (BTW -- you spelled it right), and has smallish hands. She finally settled on a 4" S&W 15-2 (a DA revolver in .38 Spl, of course) that came with fairly slender aftermarket rubber grips, don't know what brand. Other than the grips, it is stock. The extra mass of the K Frame helps with the recoil (as opposed to a J Frame snub), and I reload her normal practice ammo -- light wadcutters. FWIW -- due to her arthritis, she just isn't able to operate autoloaders. She can't operate the slide, even given the "tricks", and she really can't load the rounds into the magazines -- not a problem with the wheelgun.

One nice thing about K Frames: There is a whole lot of aftermarket stuff for them including grips. If you don't like the fit, you can change it pretty easily.

Pax:
Unfortunately, she isn't here right now so I can't give any more specifics about the details of the fit and such. Let's just say that it fits her well and she likes it. About the recoil comfort level and round count: She really isn't comfortable shooting 100 rounds of anything because of her RA, even .22 lr. But, she is able to control the .38 Spl even when shooting +P SD ammo, at least for a cylinder or 2, and can shoot about a box of the light practice loads without flinching before getting tired. And that is about all that can be asked for given the medical situation.

Also FWIW -- she doesn't have any problem shooting our stock S&W 422, with the exception that I have to load the rounds in the magazine. Since it is a .22 lr, the main action spring is light enough so that she can even work the slide. Along with the model 15, it has become "her gun".
 
Okay, thanks guys.

I'm trying for data as objective as possible, from as many people as possible. Not having a lot of luck really.

gb, deanadell, would either or both you guys be willing to tell me your perception of the relative recoil of your wife's gun? It's the one thing that can't be checked while standing at the counter in the gun store; since your wives don't have "normal" pain perception, it'd be helpful if someone who did gave some feedback on relative recoil. Thanks. :)

***

Don't need to be female to answer the questions above, BTW. If your hands fit inside a ladies' medium garden glove (even if you'd never be caught dead wearing one!), you qualify.

Basically, I'm hoping to hear from people who are willing to take the "as objective as possible" standard above and give us some real data. I weary of being told (for example) that ___ is "good for small hands" when I don't know the poster's hand size (body size does not tell hand size!), and when the poster doesn't necessarily explain whether he is speaking from personal experience, observed experience, or simply heard it on the internet somewhere.

Worse, some of the "good for small hands" guns I have seen listed on various websites and discussion boards are, in my experience, lousy for the small handed people I have seen shooting them, and don't fit my hands well either. But I am only one person, a rather opinionated person at that, and I am by no means the measure of all small hands in the world (mine are medium-small rather than small-small, and it makes a difference; furthermore, I have more flexible tendons than most and that makes a difference too.)

Nevertheless, I don't know how some guns get on anyone's "good for small hands" list. It is entirely possible that they are out there simply because someone's wife (with big hands for a woman maybe even?) managed to shoot one well, and thus the gun becomes "a good girl gun" to that guy & his buddies, and girl hands = small hands in most minds, so whenever someone asks that guy or his buddies for small hand recommendations that gun is named, and if it's named online it is easily copied from one list to another, by people who don't have small hands themselves or who don't know how to check gun fit and who assumes the first guy knew what he was talking about. Or maybe I'm just all wet, I don't know. I've been wrong before, and probably will be again. Which is why I started this thread.

So.

I'd sure like some data to work with ...

pax
 
I have smaller hands and will try to give you some feed back in the format you have asked for.

Sig P225 Compact Semi Auto

1: c Single Stack fits like a 1911.
2: C Straight line from the arm
3: c DA/SA Semi Auto
4: b (singlestack)
5: .9mm
6: a Mild I can shoot all day long with this pistol
7: Short trigger is installed and makes the DA pull reach better. If you use the standard trigger the weapon the gun moves to the base knuckle of the thumb
8: men's small

Additional comment: I can reach all the control except the slide stop which I have to tilt the weapon a little bit to reach but more often then not I sling shot the slide.


CZ Compact/PCR/P01 Compact Semi Auto

1: c Double Stack A little thicker in the grip.
2: C Straight line from the arm
3: c DA/SA Semi Auto (Compact can be carried cocked and locked)
4: c (Double Stack)
5: .9mm
6: a Mild I can shoot all day long with this pistol
7: No modification what so ever is needed. This gun has one of the shortest length of pulls of any of my semi-autos.
8: men's small

Additional comment: I can reach all the control except the slide stop which I have to tilt the weapon a little bit to reach but more often then not I sling shot the slide. Slide on this gun is slim so large hands have a harder time slingshotting the slide but I have no issues.

My favorite 9mm setup

Browning Hi-Power 9mm Semi Auto

1: c Single Stack fits like a 1911.
2: C Straight line from the arm
3: e SA Semi Auto
4: c (doublestack)
5: .9mm
6: a Mild I can shoot all day long with this pistol
7: I have made several modification but the stock pistol does not change its usefulness for small hands. I have a wide trigger on it, extended safety, sear and slide set from C&S.
8: men's small

Additional comment: I can reach everything. It is right where it need to be. This guns has a very short reach due to its SA trigger.

Dan Wesson CBOB Commander Sized 1911

1: c (perfect) Bobtail helps feel in the hand
2: c
3: e (SA semi auto)
4: b (singlestack)
5: .45 ACP
6: a (I've often put a couple hundred rounds downrange out of this one)
7: None. Super crips trigger not too large but heavy so it absorbs recoil and its a great shooter. This is my favorite .45 lots of premium parts and custom features ina sub $800 gun.
8: men's small

Additional comment:The safety is right where is should be. It comes stock with and extended safety and I can even reach the slide stop but as I have already noted I sling shot more than I use it.


Sig P220 Full Sized Semi Auto

1: c Single Stack
2: C/b Straight line from the arm slightly tilted
3: c DA/SA Semi Auto
4: b (singlestack)
5: .45ACP
6: a Mild I can shoot all day long with this pistol
7: Short trigger is installed and makes the DA pull reach better. If you use the standard trigger the weapon the gun moves to the base knuckle of the thumb
8: men's small

Additional comment: I can reach all the control except the slide stop which I have to tilt the weapon a little bit to reach but more often then not I sling shot the slide.

All of these are pistols that I have extensive use with. I have smaller hands and find that I can shoot almost anything but that these guns fit and point naturally for me.

As a side note most Sigs can be set up for smaller hands by purchasing a short trigger. This makes a P228/P229/P226 a viable setup for your criteria.
 
No problem.

I would also add the P228 to the list. It sets up a lot like the P225 but is a little thicker because it is a double stack. But like I said a short trigger can really make a difference in DA mode. In sa the gun is slick.

The thing I notice more often than not is that I can shoot almost any gun in SA but the DA pull on stock Sigs/cz75b/HK/Ruger/92fs all require me to change my grip angle so I can get enough finger on the trigger. This then causes me to choose between tilting the gun or too little finger on the DA shot.
 
My little sister has extremely small hands...

She likes her G26...

My daughter has larger and very arthritic hands...

She like her G27

I have smallish hands, for a man... But I have long skinny fingers...

I like my G27 and I cannot get it back from my daughter... :D :D

I also like the Kimber 1911 Ultra...
 
gb, deanadell, would either or both you guys be willing to tell me your perception of the relative recoil of your wife's gun? It's the one thing that can't be checked while standing at the counter in the gun store; since your wives don't have "normal" pain perception, it'd be helpful if someone who did gave some feedback on relative recoil. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sure -- No Problem!

I like shooting her model 15, well, except that if it were mine I'd change those grips for something meatier (I've got pretty large hands), unless of course I were going to be CCW'ing it. Those slim grips conceal well for me IWB.

About my perception of the relative recoil of the gun: First thing to keep in mind with a .38 Spl is that it all depends on what you are feeding it. You have a wide selection of ammo choices of varying intensities available for it, especially if you reload (which I do). I don't shoot all that much of her lighter wadcutter loads, but what I have shot of them (while working up the load) -- well, they are more intense (if "intense" is even a word that applies to .38 Spl WCs!) than shooting a full size .22 lr, but in the same ballpark from a "pleasantness" standpoint. There is more recoil, but since it is a fairly heavy bullet (148 gr) at low velocity (less than 700 fps) it comes across as just a "push" -- not snappy at all, little muzzle rise, and not at all unpleasant. I could shoot them all day long, no problem. This is essentially what the bullseye shooters shoot. From what she tells me, the "push" is not as painful to her as the more "snappy" recoil of other rounds, given her RA. Apparently, it doesn't jar the inflamed joints nearly as bad. Oh -- and one other thing about that model 15 with the light wadcutters: that dude is a TACK DRIVER! Then again, I haven't found any loads for it that DON'T shoot well...

I usually shoot my "normal" practice .38 Spl load through SWMBO's model 15 -- the same "low intensity" (for me) practice fodder that I usually shoot through my 4" S&W 686. And that is a "factory duplication" standard pressure 158 gr LSWC. That load has more perceived recoil than the light wadcutters, and there is more muzzle rise -- even then it is, to me, a creampuff. But, since this is a somewhat lighter revolver than the L Frame 686, it has more perceived recoil than the same ammo through the somewhat heavier magnum revolver. Still not bad at all, I could shoot it all day long with that load (and have done so), no problem. Accuracy is outstanding.

Now, when we are talking about +P SD/HD loads, the perceived recoil goes up some more, and at the same time becomes more "snappy" with increased muzzle flip. Again, the same loads seem milder and have less muzzle flip through my 686 than with her 15, but that is to be expected since the 686 is heavier and has the full length lug. As a data point, a 125 gr +P JHP through her 15 (which is what hers is loaded with for SD/HD) does not recoil anywhere near as much as a full strength 158 gr JHP .357 Magnum in my 686. Even so, that .38 +P load gets a little lively when you take it in the context of her RA. But, it is still a "pleasant" load for me to shoot, about like shooting standard 9mm hardball range fodder through a full size autoloader. To me, it seems like a "standard service load", from roughly similar to down to noticeably less than any of the other popular service gun combos out there from a recoil standpoint. This is especially so given the advent of and popularity of polymer frame autos vs this steel frame revolver. I wouldn't have any problem shooting that round/gun combination all afternoon. FWIW, I have had SWMBO shoot a few rounds of those full strength Magnum loads through my 686 just for familiarization. Not to be "macho" or mean or anything, but so that she knows what to expect if she has to use that gun in a "social situation" since it is my bedside gun. She handled it, but didn't like it, about what I expected. This is why I advised her to not bother getting a .357 Magnum back when we were looking, since she wasn't going to be loading her gun with magnum loads anyway -- just too intense for her to practice with. At least she can practice a little with the .38 Spl +Ps without it hurting her too bad. I figure that in a "social situation" the last thing she is going to be worried about is the recoil which is why she mainly practices with the lighter ammo.
 
Pax...My wife has somewhat small hands (sorry I don't know her glove size) and is recoil sensitive and so far likes to shoot my KT P-32, she would rate it an A border line B. Good one on the 50 round cleaning comment, I love the little gun , but it is fincky. She loves the feel of my S&W J frame snubbies but hates the recoil, even with my heavy all steel model 60 shooting Federal low recoil rounds. The Beretta M9 and my Taurus PT-92 is just too big for her hands, and she dislikes the recoil, but she likes shooting our Beretta Cheetah, a smaller single stack version (there are thicker double stack models) of the M9 that shoots .380. It fits her hands well and while it still has some pop, she is OK with.She would rank it a low B. She love the Cheetah, but hates the first DA pull (she been cocking the hammer back with her thumb to avoid it) , and I'm concern about the manual safety if she needed it in a defensive situation.

I am still hunting for the perfect pistol for her. The things you said about the Glock 26 and XD compact seem promising.
 
I have really small hands so I try to stay away from anything double stack, and SA is a hell of a lot easier for me to shoot. I stick with 1911's and sigs for the most part.
 
pax,
my wife is sleeping so I'm not going to wake her up to measure anything, besides, her Kahr P9 is on the night stand and I don't want to startle her. :eek:

If it helps, she is small, 100 lbs, 5'1", petite, size 2, small hands. When she wanted a pistol, we shopped at several gun shops where she tried several handguns for "fit". She liked the way the Kahr P9 felt so she rented one at a range and shot a box of range ammo thru it. Recoil was acceptable to her. Then she bought one about a year ago. She has no complaints about her 9mm Kahr P9.

Hope this helps a little. She carries in a Galco Meridian purse.
Paul
ps the G26 was too large for her hands.
 
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Pax. My wife is taller, but very slim and shoots a 45 commander, She wears a medium glove(W) but they tend to be baggy as she would fit into a small but her fingers are a tad long.

This summer, I had the pleasure of having 3 Taiwanese girls staying with us and with my parents. I took all three shooting, I have pics but they are on the other puter will try to post them later, all three tried: A hi power, a model 39 smith, (single stack full size 9), a commander, A model 13 S&W, a 36 2 inch, a 36-6 3 inch adjustable sight, a P22 , a mkI Ruger, and a M99 walther. The Hi-power won out, of the centerfires, and the MkI was preferred over the p22,

The 36-6 was the favored revolver, as they could hit better with it and it had nice rubber grips on it.

The 13 had over size "target" grips on it, and that was too big. When fitted with standard S&W grips they felt it was ok.

The Commander was nice, but they did not like the kick,

The P99 had too long a finger stroke and they did not have the finger strength either.

The Chiefs was too small and the sights too small. They much preferred the kit gun size of the 36-6

The P22 surprised me, they did not like it, said it was too light, waved around too much

The model 39 was a close second. it was actually perceived to be a bigger grip frame than the Hi-Power and thus not liked as much, also the alloy frame allowed snappier recoil than the Hi-power.

All three of them loved the hi-power, I was using mild 9mm reloads with lead bullets and they liked the grip, the weight soaking up recoil and the sights. Mine has three dot novaks. When i loaded some talons for the last mag each, they commented that it was snappier, but not painful. All three fired a box or more of 50 rounds with the hi-power. That night none of the three complained about soreness.

All three were under a 100 pounds, all three where about 5 2 or less, and all three were decidedly "girlly" meaning that they were not overly in to athletics or the like, and would fit into the complete novices category.

I did not include my daughter as even though she is bigger now, as a 5 foot 100 pound 12 year old her favorite two guns were the 4 5/8 inch BH in 45 colt and the P13 45 paraord.


I have found that many women even though they have smaller hands have a seemingly longer reach from the web of the hand to the trigger finger because they have less padding internally. My hands are only very slightly longer overall than my wife's, but she has much more trigger coverage than I do because my hand has more muscle in it and therefore more pushing my fingers back away from the trigger.

They did not like any handgun that forced them to fire double action all the time, the really liked the 4 pound trigger on the hi-power that had a C&S trigger job in it.
 
Recently bought a handgun for my girl. Can't give you any objective data (sorry), but I can tell you what she liked. We looked mostly at single stack 9mms, since she really didn't like shooting my double stack 9s (Berettas). Her glove size is small.

SIG P239 - We ended up buying this. Very good fit, and due to the weight of the gun very mild recoil. I've put about 300 rounds through this gun myself and cannot say enough good things about it. The only thing I do not like is the location of the slide stop. It's the last control towards the rear of the gun, making it hard to use.

Lady Smith - This fit her her the best. It was very close between this and the SIG P239.

9mm 1911 - She really liked the grip, but felt the gun would be too heavy.

Walther P99 - Liked the grip on this as well, but we didn't shoot this one.

Springfield XD 9mm sub compact - Liked the grip, but the recoil was too harsh for her. Combination of short barrel and polymer gun. I didn't even like the recoil on this one.

Beretta PX4 - A double stack, but the grip fit her much better than my 92FS and Elite II.
 
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