Newbie needs advice

C

coppercoin

Inactive
Hi Guys,
I'm posting this with some hopes that the group collective can give me some advice. I'm a new shooter,female, and I'm having problems with getting a semi-auto to fit my hand. I have relatively small hands, size 6 1/2 surgical gloves. In my haste,( and quite frankly my lust) I bought a Beretta 92fs. I love the way it shoots but I've since become resigned to the poor fit for my hands. Now here comes my question. Is there much a difference between the standard 92fs and the single stack version of the same? I really love the way this gun shoots so I'm hoping that you can all assure me that the single stack will absolutely fit me and I should trot right out to my nearest dealer and get it. Having been reading this forum for a while, I just know that this will be the case.
If, however, this IS NOT the case, please submit all your recommendations for substitutions. I know that nothing will substitute the actual feel of the gun in my hand, but the nearest dealer is 70 miles away, and if I can have some idea about what to look for before I make the trip, it will save me.
Thanks in advance, everyone.
coppercoin
 
It may seem like a big gun, but actually the 1911 has a relatively slim grip because of its single stack magazine. Also the single action trigger is easier to reach with short fingers, and even skinnier grips are available from Chip McCormick for about $60. Just an idea.

I've never even seen a single stack 92.

And welcome to TFL. :)
 
The last two women I trained who bought semi-autos bought a Glock 19 (9mm) and a Sig 2340 (.40). Both had average size hands for women. I have small hands for a guy, and both were comfortable for me. I tried a Beretta once. The large grip wasn't great, but I wasn't satisfied with the accuracy compared to the Glock or Sig.
 
The single stack Beretta is the type M, the grip is much thinner, but the gun feels clunky to me because of that thick Beretta slide. No way I'm gonna tote that chunk of slide and only get 8 shots out of it!

If you are willing to learn the manual of arms for a single action pistol, I'd say the Browning Hi-Power could be just the ticket.

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Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.
 
Women love the browning HP, but hate the "cocked and locked" carry method. Alot of women and men with small hands like sig's 229, 2340 and that beretta i cant think of that 380 with a smaller grip. They also like the KEL-TEC's.


Give one of these a round, Im sure you'll like em !


Tim :)

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Why dont you get rid of that nickel plated sissy pistol and get yourself a glock. :::Tommy Lee Jones. U.S. Marshals:::
 
I think the beretta im thinking of is the Cheetah. The 380 model. Am i right here guys ?

Tim :)

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Why dont you get rid of that nickel plated sissy pistol and get yourself a glock. :::Tommy Lee Jones. U.S. Marshals:::
 
Yup it's the Cheetah, the M84 is a hi-cap, the M85 is an 8 shot, the M86 is an M85 with the tip up barrel and the M87 is a .22. But you can get 9mm in smaller pistols so why bother with .380?

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Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.
 
I understand your problem. While my palms are very large, my fingers are quite short. I have problems reaching the trigger on doublestack autos and many double-action autos. The Beretta 92 has too long a reach for me.

I agree with Correia, and would like to add that the trigger and mainspring housing can be changed on a 1911 (if necessary) to short and flat respectively to accommodate shorter hands.

You might also consider is one of the smaller frame revolvers
 
I've never seen a single stack Beretta. I think they exist, but I've never actually seen one (or mags for that matter). Good luck finding one.

While I love the Beretta, small hands won't cut it. I'm also going to assume you don't want anything smaller than a 9mm, and you want to stick with a semi-auto. As double stack 9mm's go, the narrowest grip I've found is the Walther P99. Some compacts like the Kel-Tec P11 have narrow grips, too. My advice, however, would be to go with a single stack, the most popular being the Smith and Wessons. Sig also makes 2 single stacks (the 239 and the 225).

One bonus to a single stack is all the $$$ you'll save on mags (double stack hi-caps are expensive).
 
If you can get your hands on a {pre-agreement} Smith & Wesson 3913LS (Lady Smith), I suspect that it will fit your hand perfectly and operationally, it functions the same as the Beretta. S&W's 3913 line is a fine line -- accurate & reliable!
Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
Coppercoin, You're not the first lady to complain about the large "length of pull" (that's what it's called) and large grip of the Beretta 92. I go onto military bases all the time, and see 5' tall women with a Meretta m9 (same as 92, but military) and wonder how they even qualify. If you don't mind cocked and locked, a 1911 with slim grip panels and the short trigger will fit much better. My wife loves carrying a 1911.

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Frontsight!
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"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper
 
Greetings Coppercoin and Welcome To TFL;
My first suggestion would be to locate a range that offer's rental firearms, and
try a lot of different makes and models;
as they will all vary to a certain degree.
Then, decide what will be the primary purpose
of this firearm. Self protection, target shooting, plinking, home defense, etc?

In the past, most women that I have personally trained on autoloader's
opted for the 9m/m caliber; as the
.40S&W/.357Sig have to much muzzle blast
for most females, and the .45ACP round
seems to scare them due to it's size.
With that said, most trainee's choose
the Sig-Sauer P228 for it's perfect
balance, reliability, and craftsmanship.
And I might add, most all of them can
shoot this firearm rather well!!! :) :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

PS: Let us know what you choose, and your
criteria for your selection?
 
Copper,

Handgun "fit" is a very individual thing. The best advice for you or any novice is to go to a range that rents guns and try out a variety of different models.
A gun won't protect you if you don't shoot it well.
We all know that semi-auto's are "sexier" (well, they just are!) but for most people with small hands, a revolver is the best answer.
The next best thing might be a Browing High Power or a 1911 - these Single Action semi's have a shorter reach than the double action types.



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Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan
 
There are several single-stack 9mm that you should consider. As others mentioned, the S&W 3913 (or the DAO variant of the same gun, the 3953), the Sig P239, and the Kahr K9. All are good guns and all will work well for people with small hands.

Jared
 
My wife has very small hands as well. So I understand your problem. She just doesn't feel comfortable with a full sized auto.

I bought her a S&W 3913LS in about 1991 (way before the sell out guys). She really likes the fit. In a full 9mm it has about the smallest grips and fit you can find. Recoil is very acceptable and it is very accurate. She has put about 2500 rounds through it without a malfunction with all types of ammo and relaods.

The only problem that she has is that the trigger pull is on the high side. Out of the box single action was almost 13 lbs. I had a smith perform a trigger job and he got it down to about 5 1/2 lbs with a clean break.

She also likes my Sig 239 quite a bit as well. But she likes the fit of her Smith better. The Sig is a little bigger than the S&W and has a better action from the box.

She has tried guns in 9mm from just about every manufacturer and has not found one that fits her hand better.

Good luck in finding a gun. My advice would be to find a range where you can rent guns and try them all. Kind of like test driving a car the more you drive the better idea you have of what you like and don't like.
 
Thanks everyone!
I've printed out all your replies and I'm going to delve into my neighbor's gun mags and catalogs to get all the particulars on the suggestions.
I should have stated that I have a S&W Centennial that was my first purchase more than a year ago.
My next question for you all; should I try to buy this next gun privately? I'm getting concerned with all the negativity around being a gun owner and I envision the day that I'll have to turn "something" in to the local police when they confiscate them. Since he knows about the S&W because we see each other at the local range, I know that will be the one I'll have to cough up. However, I want to um, er, have a little,(um, BIG SOMETHING), in the closet.
Thanks again and I'll be posting another question about what I should be looking for in shopping for a used gun in a private sale.
coppercoin
 
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