Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I just took a basic NRA pistol class, and I'm so excited to take up target shooting as my new hobby!
I want to buy a handgun (or two!), but I have small hands and they aren't very strong. I did really well with the .22 semi-automatic and the 9mm Glock, but had trouble with the big, heavy .38 special revolver. It was so hard to pull the trigger. I still hit the target, but my hand hurt afterward.
Can anyone recommend great "girl-friendly" handguns I might look into? I want to buy a light-weight small revolver and a semi-automatic. I was wondering if revolvers are all so heavy, or are some lighter and easier to pull the trigger?
I'd like to keep them each around $400 or below.
I hear I can try out several different kinds at the local ranges on a rental basis, but don't know which are good to start with.
The Glock 9mm is a fine pistol for small hands..I have very small hands (my ring finger is a size 4 and pinkies are size 1.5!) and I have no troubles with the Glock. As far as revolver, I own a Colt .44 Anaconda - it is a good sized revolver that is somewhat heavy, but I have no trouble with it, I think you can manage fine with practice. Congrats on the new hobby!
For a semiautomatic I'd recommend Glock 17 (17-round magazine), or its reduced size version Glock 19 (15-round magazine). IMO best quality in that price range, and can actually compete in quality with significantly more expensive guns. Fits smaller hands of women quite well.
Check out web pages of gun dealerships / call them to find the best price.
Consider visiting a gun dealership for advice and having a feel of different guns.
My girlfriend has small hands and enjoys shooting my Kel-Tec .32. It's a very small gun, and is a great little point-n-shoot target pistol. I also use it as my summer carry pistol, when the Las Vegas heat forces me to wear shorts and a t-shirt - no place to conceal the Glock.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,782,175 times
Reputation: 7185
Sig P232 .380. Very feminine gun that looks great in a garter holster... Gives me goosebumps. May be a bit high on the $400 range, but a nice, lightweight, low-recoil, pleasant-to-shoot gun that is extremely "carry-able".
As a Sig Sauer lover, it pains me to say it, but... for your price range, a Glock is a good choice. However, I might not recomend one to a new shooter - the trigger is short and there is no safety. I don't like external safeties, but the first, long pull on a double action/single action (DA/SA) is good peace-of-mind.
The problem you had with the .38 is not the gun itself, but the grip. Smith & Wesson makes a "Lady Smith" that has a slightly extended grip so you can get your pinky on it - this helps control a lot. You could also get a much bigger rubber grip but you start to compromise concealability. S&W also makes a variety of "Air Weights" but the weight of gun actually helps reduce recoil. The material of the Air Weight line is an aluminum-titanium alloy that does not rust or corrode and is very solid - you can probably pick up a used one within your price range.
If you go with a semi-auto, look for a single-stack magazine. You will not be able to pack as many rounds, but the grip will be more slim, which helps your grip and concealability. And really, if you can't get it done with 7 or 8 shots, chuck the gun and run cause 15 won't help. What, are you planning to shoot it out with a whole gang of bandits?
Guns are like tatoos, you rarely meet somebody who only has one.
My wife just got a Springfield XD 9MM subcompact. It is tiny in my hands but still hold 10 rounds in the standard clip and 16 rounds in the extended clip (illegal in CA). The trigger pull on it is extremely light. The only drawback I have found is the action is extremely stiff out of the box. It has loosened up some after one trip to the range so I hope it gets better. Otherwise I will just put one in the chamber before she puts it in her purse. It does have a double safety feature so you have to properly grip the weapon before it will fire.
There's only one person who can "know" if a firearm "feels right" in your hand and are comfortable proficient to shoot it.
That's YOU.
So, knowing that a .22 autoloader and a 9mm both seemed good to you on your first encounters, stay with what you know for now. The .22 is superb for a "target" gun (and all-around "plinker"), and the 9mm is a superb defensive pistol.
Until you have more experience and range time, don't worry about all the other possible calibers and loads and capacity that the marketplace has to offer. Even then, you may never need any other caliber to satisfy your firearms needs and wants. .38's and .357's are wonderful calibers ... and they make lightweight small carry size revolvers for smaller hands, but you may never "need" to own one for your shooting fun.
Head back to your local shooting supply store with rental pistols and try several in the calibers you are comfortable with now. Make you first purchase(s) based upon some practice sessions, and keep in mind that you aren't "married" forever to any particular firearm. You may even make a "mistake" in purchasing something which, in time, you find isn't as "nice" for you as another model or pistol from another manufacturer. So be it; there's an active market and you can trade in your old pistol. IMO, stay with the major brands ... S&W, Colt, Kimber, Browning, HighStandard, Ruger, Taurus, Glock, CZ, etc., and avoid the secondary less expensive manufacturers, especially in calibers like .25 and .32. There is a large difference in the quality of manufacturing and materials, and you'll appreciate the difference if you actually put a bunch of rounds through a quality pistol in terms of wear, functioning, and durability ... plus the major manufacturer's products hold their value.
Personally, I like HighStandard .22's for the range, but a Colt Woodsman is a marvelous carry pistol for the trail and around the ranch (and accurate enough for 50 ft small bore target ranges) ... and Ruger makes some really nice autoloading .22's that are also accurate and handy ... Hammerli and others make some very nice dedicated target pistols, too. For that matter, so does S&W and Taurus and others. The only thing that counts, however, is that YOU are comfortable with the pistol in your hand and can reliably shoot it with precision.
.22's are also nice due to low noise, low recoil, and inexpensive to shoot, requiring a minimal backstop for your target range.
Have fun with your hobby. Perhaps there's a club or league in your area so you can get into the larger competition, along with the training that's to be found there.
Well, depending on how far you wish to take your target shooting and what game you wish to play (NRA Bullseye, IPSC, UDPA, Bowling Pins etc) there are more pistols by more makers in more calibers than you can shake a stick at. I don't recommend the 9MM for a Bullseye caliber. Your scores won't be good against the folks using the .45's. Nines are limited in the accuracy dept for serious target work (paper). It's fine for Steel or UDPA but overall most diciplines are dominated by the .45 and .38 Super, the latter not being to good actually unless you spend a mint on the gun.. Even with small hands, the 1911 .45 is a sound choice and if you handload you can tailor you rounds to suit your ability to handle recoil and still get superb accuracy for ANY shooting discipline that tickles you. Charles Daly offers a great 1911 for under 600 bucks and it's a fine piece. I just bought one for my 12 year old to use in Steel this Spring and he has small hands and no problem handling it even with full house loads.. You will find that folks on the range and at the competitions will be eager to help you and give you all kinds of tips. The shooting games are plumb full of real nice people with LOTS of knowledge. Asto revolvers, Smith and Wesson has about the best DA triggers out of the box. Colt is out of the market now but you can still find them out there (for a price) As to caliber I think a good .357 with .38's in it would be a sound choice. SW mod 10 is a good .38 only option and theyr'e priced pretty good. A lot of the guys I shoot Steel Challenge with are going to Wheelguns now. Smith makes the 625 in .45 ACP but alll the aforementioned guns are over 400 clams. A firearm isn't something you want to skimp on though. Shop around and the right one will pop up. Lots of good used ones out there. Welcome to the game! See ya on the range...........
Last edited by NVplumber; 02-17-2009 at 05:35 PM..
In a few of the prior posts, several forms of competition were mentioned. In the original post, there was no mention of competitive target shooting, though this may have been what the OP had in mind.
The reason I mention this is that if you are considering a particular type of competitive target shooting, you may want to attend a few matches to see what other women are using. Quite often, shooters will allow you to try out their guns to see what feels good to you, especially if you show an interest in the type of shooting they are competing in. This is what brings people into the sport, so anything they can do to get you involved is worth doing.
If you just want something to shoot targets in an informal (non-structured) setting, then I would recommend spending some time at a range where you can rent a variety of guns. Many places will let you use something for a while, then trade it for something else, and so on, until your time runs out. This will let you try several different types of guns in one setting, but you may have to buy several types of ammunition if they are of different calibers. What you may want to do is try several 9mm handguns on one visit, 22s on another, and possibly .38 Special on another. This would give you several opportunities to shoot a variety of guns to see what you are comfortable with.
Finally, if you have friends that have guns, and have a place to shoot, offer to provide lunch if they will take you shooting with them. Most of the people I know who shoot would love an opportunity to get out there, and would welcome the chance to take a new shooter with them to the range. They may want you to supply your own ammo (and lunch, of course), but the experience would be worth it. I have taken several people out shooting with me on several occasions recently, and I even provided most of the ammo (it has become more expensive since I bought it). Since I enjoy shooting, this was worth my while, and gave them an opportunity they wouldn't have otherwise. They also provided lunch, so it worked out well for everyone.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, I would recommend getting out to shoot as often as you can, with as many different guns as you can. This will give you a chance to try several guns to see what you like to shoot. This will also give you a chance to try different calibers to see what you can handle.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. Even with small hands, the 1911 .45 is a sound choice and if you handload you can tailor you rounds to suit your ability to handle recoil and still get superb accuracy for ANY shooting discipline that tickles you. Charles Daly offers a great 1911 for under 600 bucks and it's a fine piece. I just bought one for my 12 year old to use in Steel this Spring and he has small hands and no problem handling it even with full house loads.
. You will find that folks on the range and at the competitions will be eager to help you and give you all kinds of tips. The shooting games are plumb full of real nice people with LOTS of knowledge. Asto revolvers, Smith and Wesson has about the best DA triggers out of the box. Colt is out of the market now but you can still find them out there (for a price) As to caliber I think a good .357 with .38's in it would be a sound choice. SW mod 10 is a good .38 only option and theyr'e priced pretty good. A lot of the guys I shoot Steel Challenge with are going to Wheelguns now. Smith makes the 625 in .45 ACP but alll the aforementioned guns are over 400 clams. A firearm isn't something you want to skimp on though. Shop around and the right one will pop up. Lots of good used ones out there. Welcome to the game! See ya on the range...........
