9mm Carry for a small woman

[No2sc2]

I hadn't shot the Shield yet, but I do own the M&P9C and its very nice. Too bad the recoil spring broke on me within 100 rounds but S&W is taking care of that. Im sure SHIELD and also Springfield XDS would be nice if they came out with the 9mm version which I'm SURE they will... once they release the XDS.

But if you want the cheaper and reliable, I'd suggest the shield. I hadn't heard too much bad stuff about S&W, plus they are WALTHER too.

 

[Aimless]

Speaking of Walther's the PPS might be an option for the OP.

S&W has really good CS they always have. As for the M&P9C I don't see any reason if the OP is looking at a gun that size they shouldn't also look at the Glock 19.

 

[Joe_Atlanta]

As for the M&P9C I don't see any reason if the OP is looking at a gun that size they shouldn't also look at the Glock 19.

Sometimes just a little bit of difference can mean a lot ergonomically. My wife (4'11") found the G19 grip too chunky, the M&P9C OK and the Ruger SR9C just right. Me, I couldn't tell any diff between the Smith and the Ruger except for the trigger.

 

[DaveTheMinion]

Is she able to rack the slide comfortably on them?

Another option she may want to consider is the S&W M&Pc. 9mm.

In our classes the brands most preferred by ladies after shooting them quite a bit are the
Kahr CW9, the Ruger SR9c, the S&W M&Pc, & of course the Glock 19 although its kind of large compared to some subcompacts.

I thought the LC9 would be a good option but had many complaints that the slide was too hard to cycle.

As has been suggested or mentioned there's no substitute for taking them on a "test-drive".

Good luck to you.

Monte, out of curiosity how do women that shoot the G19 profficiently seem to take to the G26? I ask because my fiance is now very fond of my g19 and I'll lose posession of it once I get another 19. We'll be getting our carry permits afterwards and I tend to wear pants or shirts a size up or a size down, so an Iwb g19 should disappear easily for me even with my small frame, where as my fiance wears tight pants, so a smaller frame g26 is dwelling in my head if she is just as proficient and comfortable with it, or what method of carry would you reccomend for her? she typically wears very tight fitting clothing so printing/concealing is a concern, what would be the best way to make a g19 dissapear?

 

[protective measures]

Monte, out of curiosity how do women that shoot the G19 profficiently seem to take to the G26? I ask because my fiance is now very fond of my g19 and I'll lose posession of it once I get another 19. We'll be getting our carry permits afterwards and I tend to wear pants or shirts a size up or a size down, so an Iwb g19 should disappear easily for me even with my small frame, where as my fiance wears tight pants, so a smaller frame g26 is dwelling in my head if she is just as proficient and comfortable with it, or what method of carry would you reccomend for her? she typically wears very tight fitting clothing so printing/concealing is a concern, what would be the best way to make a g19 dissapear?

Unfortunately most women (but not all) find the G-26 to be too "blocky".
It's just smaller enough so that it is more difficult for them to operate it effectively.
Chambering a round, dropping the mag., reloading... all of the functions become more difficult to do w/ the more abbreviated size.
A lot of men find the same thing. It's not as obvious casually shooting it on a relaxed range day but much more noticeable on more intense training sessions.
There are some who do fine w/ them but they seem to be the exception in my experience.

With women (& men for that matter) dressing around the gun as well as finding a "system" for carry of a mid-sized gun is necessary if daily or almost daily carry is a goal.

I've had around 6-7 ladies come through who carry the G-19 (& one who carries a G-23) on a regular basis.
All but one carries in their purse even after discussion of the danger of purse carry.
One carries in a clip-style holster & she dresses around the gun.... which most women will not do.

Several ladies who have come through keep a revolver or G-19 at home or in their vehicle & occasionally or daily carry a revolver or .380 like the LCP in their waistband in a holster like the "Remora" or w/ the clip like is found on most knives.
By far, most of them carry in their purse.

If that is their choice despite the dangers, we try to make the best of it by strongly encouraging greater situational awareness & mounting a holster that will clip or velcro in it to keep it stationary.
Then we practice using in on the range.
We also advise them if either they feel threatened or in a dangerous area to slip their hand inside & grasp the grip so that if an attempt is made on them or the purse they can still retain possession of the gun.
Obviously a holster that covers the trigger is a must.

At least they are following rule #1 of a dangerous encounter/ gunfight. (Have a gun)
There are many, many options to consider & each person must find the solution that fits their needs buy it sounds like you have at least gotten her more comfortable & that is an important first step.
Good luck.

 

[ga_rspec]

My wife likes her beretta nano for the size and says its easy to handle and shoot comfortably

 

[sundown]

she is not at all a fan of the glocks, for the above listed reasons, too chunky. She is a left so something with ambidextrious controls owuld be nice. We will be making some range trips to let her take a look around. Thanks everyone for your input! Please keep em coming!

 

[bigt61]

cz rami compact, or CZ PCR/P_01

 

[Aimless]

she is not at all a fan of the glocks, for the above listed reasons, too chunky. She is a left so something with ambidextrious controls owuld be nice. We will be making some range trips to let her take a look around. Thanks everyone for your input! Please keep em coming!

Try the H&K. The USP Compact 9mm and the H&K P2000SK offer abmi controls (with the exception of the slide release on the USP). The H&K's are pricey compared to some of the other pistols suggested but there is no denying their durability and reliability. So if either of those models turn out to be a good fit for her hand it will be money well invested.

 

[tv_racin_fan]

Just to be honest I would suggest a Ruger SP101 in 357. While it might be a bit heavy to some it sure mitigates the recoil nicely. Not so long ago I slipped some 38s in my 6" GP100 and handed it to my wife.. at first she didn't want anything to do with it.. but she eventually decided to give it a try.. first round and she looks at me and says it kicks less than my Kahr. I recently aquired an SP101 and after the first range trip the wife says she wants one.

I would have to suggest the Kahr for a semi auto carry piece, but for sure have the lady choose for herself. My wife got herself a Kahr CW9, since I prefer steel over polymer and I liked the size of the CW9 I found myself a K9. The first time my wife touched it she remarked that she knew which Kahr she would be carrying so I went and found another K9. Then after a couple of range trips she remarks that she wants to carry the K9 but can not run the slide to her satisfaction and she is going to carry the CW9...

Much as I would prefer she carry on her, she still slips it in her purse...