Help For Small Hands

[4DSJW]

Hi All,

I'm hoping that I can get some suggestions for a female friend who is about 5'1" and has small hands. She has no problem handling recoil and actually prefers shooting .357 and .45. She is also an unbelievably good shot and usually puts the rest of us to shame, LOL. Whenever we went shooting she always said that the guns she used felt comfortable. Well, it turns out that she is actually having difficulty getting her hand around the frame for a good solid grip. I feel kind of stupid and feel like I should have figured this out sooner but she always said she was good to go.

We tried a Browning High Power (Duh, too fat), and the two middle sized Glock .45's with the slim frame, all were too big. Distance from the trigger to the backstrap seems to be the biggest issue, but I'm sure that the width plays a big role as well. Does anyone have any suggestions on semi-autos that she could try that have smaller frames?

BTW, her favorite handgun by far is her S&W 686 with target grips. I'm guessing that if she could find a set of slimmer grips for that gun she would love it even more. Any suggestions for a smaller set of grips for her 686?

Thank you for any help you can give!

[BonnieB]

Don't worry about caliber yet, worry about fit.

And the only way to do that is to go to the gun store and try 'em till something fits. Just like shoes and bra's.

Or you can go to one of our local CGN/CGSSA shoots and ask to handle every gun you see. There's got to be about one of everything at a good sized shoot. Owner may even let you shoot it. Far superior to rentals, as it's free.

[4DSJW]

Don't worry about caliber yet, worry about fit.

And the only way to do that is to go to the gun store and try 'em till something fits. Just like shoes and bra's.

Or you can go to one of our local CGN/CGSSA shoots and ask to handle every gun you see. There's got to be about one of everything at a good sized shoot. Owner may even let you shoot it. Far superior to rentals, as it's free.

Bonnie, thank you for the suggestion, that is definitely one way to do it. I was hoping that other women who had run into the same problem would be able to suggest what they did to solve the issue.

BTW, caliber is HER issue, not mine. She wants the larger caliber and told me that a 9mm is absolutely the smallest she will go... if she HAS to.

All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

[stevn0909]

I prefer CZ pistols myself, mostly due to the CZ Custom Shop in Mesa AZ. Their website is czcustom.com. With them you have the following options that need to be added to their pistols to fulfill your desired requirements.

Here's a link to an example of their own custom straight trigger with slim grips that can be added to their base pistols.

http://czcustom.com/cts40sandwblueinv.aspx

You don't necessarily need to purchase this particular model and can add these two options for $80 and $85 respectively. I'm sure if you called them up they can give a measurement of the backstrip to the trigger, that way you can compare it to a pistol you already own where you can depress the trigger to a comfortable length to check the fit. I have this trigger myself with the slim grips and it's the most comfortable pistol I've ever handled. I prefer the smooth metal with mild grip texture to the sharp checkering. If they don't have a pistol on hand you can PM me and I can give you a few measurements from my pistol.

I recommend that you give them a call if you other or more specific questions.

If you really want to go big check out their custom pistols and other work etc.

With regards to caliber. The 75 model comes in 9mm or 40 S&W. Keep in mind you can always purchase hot rounds or reload them yourself. Heck, my friends and I tend to load .45 ACP to shoot as light as possible, as much or less than a 9mm's recoil, to the point where the case plops down next to our feet. So you can go in either direction with any caliber really. Just something to keep in mind if you do decide to delve into the shooting sport a little deeper.

[ChristinaGaines]

I am 5'0 and also have a harder time with grip frame size as well as the distance to the trigger. My two favorite guns that I bought for myself are my Ruger redhawk in .44 mag without the houge grips ( I replaced them with wooden grips) and my Dan Wesson cbob in .45acp. It has aftermarket slim grips. I think trying different grips is very important. It makes a huge difference in comfort and functionality. My husband, on the other hand, hates shooting my guns because of the grips I have chosen (but that is a good thing).

[M1A_Girl]

Sig P226 enhanced elite, with Ergo Grips. My mom has small hands, and she has no problem with this gun. Also the M&P 9, with small backstrap might work.

[4DSJW]

Sig P226 enhanced elite, with Ergo Grips. My mom has small hands, and she has no problem with this gun. Also the M&P 9, with small backstrap might work.

Question on M&P's since I have one that she could try. I have a M&P45, is that the same frame size as the .40 and 9mm?

Thanks!

[OIF0708]

Question on M&P's since I have one that she could try. I have a M&P45, is that the same frame size as the .40 and 9mm?

Thanks!

No, the 45 has a larger frame for the larger round.

[BadKitty]

She has no problem handling recoil and actually prefers shooting .357 and .45. She is also an unbelievably good shot and usually puts the rest of us to shame, LOL. Whenever we went shooting she always said that the guns she used felt comfortable. Well, it turns out that she is actually having difficulty getting her hand around the frame for a good solid grip. I feel kind of stupid and feel like I should have figured this out sooner but she always said she was good to go.

Hi there,


Did she bring up her concern about not being able to fully wrap her hand around the frame or was it you who noticed it and said something?


I ask because you shared with us that she:


-- has no problem handling recoil

-- is an unbelievably good shot and puts others to shame

-- has always claimed that the guns she shot were comfortable


So, honest question, what's the problem? It sounds like whatever she's doing is working just fine. I used to be a competitive archer and my shooting style was slightly different than others. My coach kept trying to suggest ways to bring me in line with more traditional technique, but my performance suffered. I kept trying to explain to her that, if I'm hitting the center, what does it matter if I'm shooting too fast? Fair enough, right?


Here's my take - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


BK

[gunslinger387]

Sig P239 it is a single stack 9mm (or 40). It is great gun, very accurate and easy to shoot. The single stack slims it down a lot

[G-forceJunkie]

For double stack I would try the XD9/40. They feel smaller to me than the 9mm/40 Glocks. Next I would try some single stacks. The sig posted above or even a 1911. For the 686, find something with an exposed backstrap to minimize the reach to the trigger. The Hogue is pretty cheap to try and feels good in my smallilsh hands. You can probably find something in wood smaller (or sand to fit.)

[4DSJW]

Hi there,

Here's my take - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


BK

BK, excellent point and well taken. This is pretty much where we were for the last few years, ever since we started shooting with these friends. We noticed that she had an "awkward" grip style but figured "hey, she does great why worry". We also noticed that this woman would not shoot as long as the rest of us. When we asked if she was OK her response was that she was fine and had shot enough for the day. Cool, no worries there. Recently though she said that the thumb joint next to the web of her hand was hurting... and that's why she usually didn't shoot as much as anyone else. When we asked her to show us her grip it was obvious why it hurt, she has that joint sitting directly behind the backstrap so that she can reach the trigger.

Thank you again for all the thoughtful responses!

[meyerlemony]

Sig P239 it is a single stack 9mm (or 40). It is great gun, very accurate and easy to shoot. The single stack slims it down a lot

Seconded. Also the HK p2000. I preferred the Sig p239, but try them both if you can find a place that rents them. The M&P actually comes with 3 different grip sizes and is a double stack, so that could work too.

(I'm 5' with small hands)

[SonofWWIIDI]

Found this:

http://www.survivaloperations.com/slim-pistols-best-gun-for-concealed-carry-self-defense/

If you scroll down the page a bit (past the CCW stuff), they list a number of slim framed handguns.

[8886]

Try the Kahr family. Very slim w/a 5 lb trigger but it's long and no short reset.