Help a Newbie Lady out? First handgun purchase...

Some may get the impression that these posts all say women have tiny hands... But that is not the case...

Just having hands smaller than the average sized man's hands can lead to difficulty. This is the reason why most bring up grip size, as the average hand size for women is smaller than the average for a man.

Having larger than average hands can also lead to issues.

That is the reason for the advent of replaceable back straps... to adapt to a wider range of hand sizes.

But as I brought up in a prior post, most give a large emphasis on reaching all the controls without adjusting your grip on the pistol...

I would have to give up a great deal of very nice pistols if I stuck to this reasoning, as I have smaller than average size hands. I can still shoot a Sig P226 well. Some may find the grip large, and they get the E2 grip version.
 
Having larger than average hands can also lead to issues.
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This is very true. The Glock 21 Gen 2 (or Gen 4 with largest backstrap) was made for my father's hands. The 21 in his hands looks proportionally like a 1911 in any other shooter's hands. He cannot use a 1911 since "It's too damned tiny!" The Glock 17 barely fits him and he hated it. The G19 didn't even register as something to even try. This is why he likes N-Frame revolvers with giant stocks.

Another friend has super long fingers. He had a Glock 17 that he could barely use; he figured out how to modify his grip so he could at least group it on paper. A G17 Gen 4 would have solved the problem. He ended up with a Glock 20 and it was fine.
 
Excellent advice so far and I have to agree on feeling them out. Depending on where you live, you may or may not find a convenient way to actually fire them and a lot of stores frown upon excessively dry-firing the merchandise. Getting your hands on a gun, looking it over closely, and feeling it out will still tell you a lot.

Keep in mind your reason for having the gun. If it is for home defense and occasional range use (the more the better) then listen to the people calling out the LCR. LCRs in .38 special are great for concealed carry and are surprisingly good shooters for their size and weight. Still, guns of this size and weight take more practice to master and with many people considering them less fun to practice with, that can make for a poor first purchase. Unless you live in a place with severe restrictions, I recommend holding off on the LCR until maybe a second or third purchase. :)

That said, basic SA/DA revolvers are often considered "easier" or simpler than a lot of semis. Some people think they have a certain charm. Sure, they hold less ammo (unless you live in a place like NY) but six or seven shots isn't bad. There are a lot of ammo choices. You might want to check out a medium-frame, SA/DA, steel revolver in .38 +p with a barrel between 3" and 5". That makes for a good all-purpose handgun and will help build the requisite skills in case you later decide to get that LCR.
 
All of the advice about "try before you buy" is good.
I'm not going to recommend a particular handgun.
Will you ever consider carrying concealed,or is this purely a home gun?
Some concealed carry desirable features don't matter much for a purely home defense gun,but the do matter if you will carry later.

One line I think is worthy of consideration is the S+W M+P series.

It is available in varying models with slightly different features.For example,an M+P 9mm Compact may be had with or without a thumb safety.This handgun is holster safe to carry without a thumb safety,and as such can be drawn and fired without the extra step of taking the safety off.

Price is moderate,it comes in 9mm which might be an excellent choice.It only weighs23 oz and holds 12 rds plus1.
It has a feature of interchangeable back straps to tune the grip to your hand.
You can view a review from one well informed woman here:
http://youtu.be/tPKyvdI3z68
There is a full size duty version of this gun that holds 17 rds.It would be equivalent of the 92,but a little more modern,lighter design with better "ease of use"The full size 17 rd mags from this larger gun can be equipt with a "grip sleeve" and they fit in the 9mm compact I mentioned first.The grip sleeve makes it all work like that is the way it was designed..

You van get into one of these for approx. $500.Maybe a little less if you shop.

If you go on youtube you can find a number of vids on this handgun.In one,Jerry Miculek compares the glock,Springfield XD,and this S+W.

If you think you may carry someday,that handgun would be fine in the Compact,but lighter and slimmer (19 oz and less than 1 in wide) is the S+W M+P Shield.It holds 8 +1 rds 9mm and would be a very good concealed carry piece.It can be had for under $400 and it,too is available with or without thumb dafety.
Once again,I am not recommending this as "the" handgun for you.I do strongly suggest you ask to see,handle,and shoot one for consideration.
Then you decide.
Julie Golob is a championship shooter with Team S+W.She is on fb.You might enjoy following her page.Its really more a ""Women with Guns "page than S+W sales.She just collected some snow geese,shows recipes and cooking game(field to fork),and was mighty proud of the Husquvarna chainsaw she got for Christmas.
 
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Another fan of "try before you buy" and see what you are comfortable with. many ranges have gun rentals.

I am a man who wears medium size gloves. I found the Beretta too large to be comfortable for me and for full size gun I opted for a SW 439 which is an 8 shot single wide magazine and smaller grip.

When I awaken at night from a dead sleep, I want double action revolver in the nightstand, but it won't be a snubby. I've opted for the 6" GP100.

Smaller guns are harder to shoot accurrately. If its not for CCW, stay away from compacts.
 
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