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

[Scattergun Bob]

Pax,

As you requested Brenda shoots both my airweight bodyguard and my p7 m8 right well.


H&K P7-M8
1) Gun fit question - c
2) Gun fit question - c
3) Gun type question. d
4) Gun type question. Is the gun a - (b)
5) 9mm
6) recoil - B
7) stock from factory
8) Your glove size is b) Ladies' medium

[MPanova]

OUt of the many many guns my wife and I own she feels these fit her best

Beretta NEOS .22
Taurus PT111 and 145
Taurus PT22 and 25
Taurus M85UL

My wife is 5 nothing and a buck O five with pretty small hands

[mnooskie]

Anyone have comments on the H & K P30, for small hands?

[its_kristy]

I know this thread is old but I am going to reply to it because as a woman with very small hands, I came here hoping to find information and was disappointed with the responses. I am replying now in hopes that other women with small hands will find my information useful.

SIG P239
1) Gun fit question. 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

(B) but approaching (A)

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

(B) but only for a very short distance, approaching (A)

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?
9mm

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)

None

8) Your glove size is

a) Ladies' small
b) Ladies' medium

Ladies Extra Small

Kahr K9
1) Gun fit question. 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

(C) but approaching (B)

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

(C) but only for a very short distance, but approaching (B)

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

I'm not entirely sure about this one because I'm not that familiar with guns but I believe it was a (D)

4) Gun type question. Is the gun a

a) revolver
b) single stack
c) double stack

5) What caliber is the gun you measured?
9mm

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).

I was unable to shoot this gun at the time so this is unknown.

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

None

8) Your glove size is

a) Ladies' small
b) Ladies' medium

Ladies extra small

[9mmhpfan]

For a semi auto I would recommend the Steyr M9-A1 in 9MM , almost all of the ladies that I know that have held one, have commented on how well it fit their hand. For a revolver any k frame sized 38 Special or 357 Magnum would do with the right grips.

[thump_rrr]

The HK P30-L is a perfect gun for those with small hands such as mine.
I'm male with hands in the lower 5 percentile and the HK allows me to operate all of its controls without shifting my grip.
Mine is a Variant 3 DA/SA.

[SauerGrapes]

#1-c) web of hand
#2-c) parallel with gun
#3-e) SA semi auto
#4-b) single stack
#5-9mm
#6-b) somewhat snappy (19oz pistol)
stock grips
#8-b) medium

PT709 Taurus sub compact. I can reach all the controlls on the Taurus.

Everything else I own, I have to adjust my grip to reach the mag release, and forget about the slide stop. My other pistols are all full size 1911's or double stack semi autos.

[noxni]

I agree with its_kristy. I also have small hands, and find a child's size glove fits better than a small ladies. Small hands with the added benefit of short fingers.

The Walther PPK

1-c (fit's in the web of my hand)
2-c (parallel with forearm)
3-c (DA or DA/SA semi auto)
4-b (single stack)
5 - .380
6-a mild (without gloves, you wouldn't mind shooting 100 consecutive rounds)
7- stock
8- small ladies

I was looking for some recommends on a nice revolver.

I enjoy firing the S&W .357 Magnum but grip and the barrel length (9 inches) are not really working for me. The action is smooth and the recoil is, to me, mild, but because of the awkward grip my hand gets fatigued after about 25 rounds.

[mrt949]

I have bear paws for hands .Short and thick .Revolvers work best .j frame & ruger sp101 .Auto sw mp.

[compiz]

Howdy,

I know this is an old thread, but its a top result for googleing 'Guns for small hands'

ME: I've owned my Ruger LCP for two years now, and absolutely love it.

PAX: 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!

ME: I measured my hands for this, the width around my knuckles is 7.75 inches, and from the crease below my palm to the tip of my middle finger is 6.75 inches. One sizing chart I found put me right on the border of women's small and medium sized gloves.

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

ME: Ruger LCP - no lasers. (See lasers note below)

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?
.380 ACP

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)
None

8) Your glove size is
a) Ladies' small
*Right in between... I would probably go with a small and be a little snug in the knuckle area, since my hands are so short*
b) Ladies' medium

Note regarding LCP lasers:
If you want one with a laser, I would recommend the 'Crimson Trace Laserguard' over the 'LaserMax.' I found it to be too much of a stretch to reach in front of the trigger guard with my index finger to push the switch. I had a chance to try the Crimson Trace model at a CCW instruction class, and whenever I held the gun firmly, my other fingers never failed to turn on the laser.

[tallball]

Ironically, I read this thread for the first time just now. This morning I finally got a chance to take my good friend shooting. He is short, around 5'6" or maybe 5'7". His hands are small even for someone his size. I tried to bring handguns that I thought would fit his hands. Here is how it worked out:

Ruger Bearcat SA 22 revolver - no problem, could have shot it all day.
Browning Buck Mark 22 auto - liked it just fine and shot it well.
NEF 32 H&R magnum - np, 32 S&W longs were nothing, the magnums were a little snappy but did not bother him.
Czech CZ70 32acp - did not like it at all, too much felt recoil, shot one mag and was done.
Beretta model 84 - liked it a little better than the CZ, but not much. Felt snappy and uncomfortable. One magazine and done.
Taurus Ultralight 2" snub 38 special DAO - hated it, too much felt recoil, fired two shots and set it down.
1928-29 vintage S&W pre model 10 38 special - slightly big for him, and noticeable recoil, but he shot it well, enjoyed shooting it, and went through about half a box of ammo.
Ruger LC9 9mm automatic - liked the size, noticeable recoil, but didn't mind shooting it and went through several magazines.
Browning High Power 9mm automatic - he was so-so on it. Shot a magazine or two, but kind of big for him and the recoil was more than he preferred. He liked the LC9 a lot better.
Rossi 720 44 special DA revolver - I really brought it for me to shoot, but he wanted to try it, maybe just once. He surprised us both by shooting it very well and enjoying it very much. It fit his hand well and he described the recoil as "gradual". We shot a whole box of shells through it.

All in all the old-fashioned NEF/H&R 32 revolver probably fit his hands the best. He shot the Browning Buck Mark 22 very well and with zero difficulty. The LC9 and old-fashioned S&W 38 special (it has the original grips, which are smallish and skinny) were just fine, with a preference for the 38. He enjoyed the Rossi 44 special, but keep in mind it has an outstanding trigger and his hands are not at all weak, just small.

My ten-year-old daughter is about his height (my wife and I are 6'4" and 6'6") but has much weaker hands. Her two favorites are the Buck Mark 22, and the NEF 32 loaded with the S&W longs.

[Gunkooker55]

I love the Kahr CM9. /. S&W Shield. Glock 26 /27 /19 / 23

[johnwilliamson062]

I'm not sure the exact size of my hands as measured by womens glove sizes, but they probably fit a womens medium glove. A G26 is too wide for me.

Kahr is the best fitting semi-auto I have found. I have a T9 and with 9mm and its all steel mass recoil is pretty tame. I don't have the guns with me right now to check their fit exactly.

As another stated, the real issue is with reaching the other controls.

[HistoryJunky]

Not sure how much the difference is, but my wife and I both have men's glove size small hands. Some weird size where small is almost too tight and medium is too big.

Anyways. My personal handgun is a Glock 30. It's a bit thick in my hand, but it sits about center for me to reach the trigger.

Trigger is good. My first pistols all had heavy trigger pulls so I consider the glock trigger pretty good. Even though I can't get my distal joint on the trigger, I can still dry fire it without the sights moving.

I can almost pull the trigger with my distal joint, but there's no way I'd be gripping it properly if that happened.

I shoot left handed so I engage the mag release with my middle finger, not my thumb. If I shot right handed I could not reach the mag release without shifting my grip.

Recoil isn't bad.

Weight is nothing to argue with.

I also slingshot the slide because the slide release isn't workable for a lefty.

Having small hands and being a lefty I've learned to live with it.

My wife has a Ruger P90 .45acp.

It is single stack. Grip is a bit big but she likes it. DA/SA. She can do both double and single action just fine.

[Mastrogiacomo]

When I think of the guns that I own that "fit." It's my Beretta Vertec, and Cheetah 85 - not so much the standard 92FS (not that it stops me from owning it.)

Most revolvers - for some strange reason, I don't like mouse guns...even with small hands, they're hard for me to handle unlike a 4" 686+ or the S&W 4" model 10 I hope to buy, or the 3" SP101 - I do own the SP DAO and a Colt DS - so maybe if the small mouse gun has heft, I can deal.....

I like my Sig 228 with thin grips and my Glock 19 and 17 better than the 26. I do wish S&W would bring back the 3913ST again.....

Laura

[lee n. field]

September 16, 2006, 03:55 PM

y'all know this thread's 8.5 years old, right?

[tallball]

An old thread that is still relevant.

[Mak One]

Didn't read all the criteria because it was an info overload.

Good for small hands and not a lot of recoil:

1911 or any single action single stack pistol for that matter

Any of the Kahr Arms pistols

Kel-Tec P32

J-Frame revolver or similar in .38 special or 9mm

(my wife loves 'em all)

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Well, if Pax sets the criteria and folks won't read them on an old thread - time for a close.

If she wants a new thread - as there are many new guns out, and she wants to redo -I'll leave it to our expert.

Closed.