# Looking for a wife friendly auto



## Luck5583 (Mar 12, 2010)

My wife carries a Lady Smith and has said she would like an auto. She has shot my Glock 21 and has trouble reaching the trigger. It fits me fine but i am 6'5" an 235 while she is 5'1" at 107. So i really can't judge what might be a good fit. I've thought about the CZ 83 in 380. Is any one here married to a smaller than average woman that shoots? What does she shoot?


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## cmaki413 (Feb 11, 2010)

My girlfriend is the same way....She loves my smith and wesson .38 snubby and sadly can often out shoot me with it, but doesn't like any of the autos we have shot, because they are too big.


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## MonsterB (Oct 25, 2009)

there is a pretty long trigger reach on the Glock, even on the sub compacts like my g26....I am 5'9 and have medium to large hands, and I wouldnt want to have shorter fingers with this gun...luckily for me it fits my hand great but with small hands she may want to try something else....I dont know much about owning the S&W M&P compact, but it does have a smaller grip and she may like it since she already has a Smith...It has replacable backstraps so she can make it small if she wants....theres a bazillion good 380's around that will fit fine but they are not usually made for accuracy and amo is a nightmare to find...I would absolutely reccomend a 9mm over a 380 unless you have a hookup for the 380 ammo....I never see it in any of the shops around here anywhere, even at the range which has had the shelves stocked to the top for months with every other kind of amo you can think of, but the shelf has been empty for months in the 380 spot. They cant even rent out thier 380's because you have to use thier amo in thier guns and they cant get any...

Anyways the Beretta px4 subcompact is also a very nice gun that fits smaller hands good, thats about all I can reccomend due to mostly having experience with Glocks and Sigs...


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## Luck5583 (Mar 12, 2010)

380 ammo isn't a real problem for me to get. I had one at one time myself and still have a lot of components plus some loaded stuff. I worked part time in a gun shop during the day before going to base for my normal duties. We all felt the scare coming and, i have plan for the future drilled into my head. I would prefure at least a 9. But the physical size is the issue not recoil. She maybe velvet soft on the outside but, she's leather tuff on the inside. I came home early one morning about 3 am. Well', i spent time messing around outside then came in the house. I had left my house key when i left. So i jimmied the lock on the kitchen door. To my suprise she was standing in the living room with my Stevens 311 short barreled 12ga. That thing is loaded with 2" buck an ball. She had already called 911 and had them on the way. Thank God i tought her to be sure of her target. That mite be the only time she has ever listened to me.


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## MonsterB (Oct 25, 2009)

lol great story, I think...sounds like you have her taught well, Im sure your thankfull for that now. Sounds like breaking into your house is a bad idea!


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## Hunter08 (Feb 3, 2010)

My wife has smaller hands as well. She really likes the Bersa Thunder 380, or anything in the PPK style.. You can pick up the bersa for as little as $225... Even the Walther PK380 fits her well.


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

Bersa Thunder is a goo suggestion. I know a couple of people said Glocks have long trigger reaches, but my 19 fits me well. I'm 5'6" with small hands. I can reach it fine. So have several other girls that I've let shoot it. It would provide a bit more stopping power than the .380 as well. Good luck on your search!


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## cougartex (Jan 2, 2010)

MonsterB said:


> Anyways the Beretta px4 subcompact is also a very nice gun that fits smaller hands good...


I agree, Beretta PX4sc.


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## Luck5583 (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks, i hadn't considered the Bersa because i forgot about it. There are a couple rolling around town. Yea...i was proud of her. That is, i was proud after i managed to get my nerves back together. Now i know how explorers felt when they first ran across pigmy head hunters. Her granddaddy left Austria to to join the American army during WWII and ended up fighting all over Europe and, her grandmother is Alaskan Inuit. She has a warrior spirit for sure.


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## tropicmaster (Dec 20, 2009)

Look at the Kimber Ultra CDP, or the Ultra Carry if price is an issue. My wife is 5'3" with very small hands (size 3 ring) and handles it extremely well.
Plus the .45 is several zip codes beyond a .380 in stopping power.


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

My wife is about one inch taller than yours, and she can shoot all of our 9mm's without any problems. In particular, she likes our HK P7PSP, along with our Walther P99 and S&W M&P9 with the small backstraps in place.

For 9mm, you should look at the Springfield XD, which has one of the shorter distances from backstrap to trigger face. Also, the ones where you can interchange the backstraps might allow a better fit, so do look at the P99 and the M&P. Another suggestion would be the Kahr 9mm's. These are fairly small, and can easily be handled by most adults. The PM9 might be a bit too light, but the MK9 is an all-steel very small 9mm whose weight makes it easy to shoot. An even better and much less expensive suggestion would be the CW9. I have several girlfriends with these, and they shoot them very well. The CW9 is large enough to shoot comforably for a long range session, but still light and small enough to carry if you want. The CW is the one my wife would carry, if she wanted a semi (she prefers a revolver for carry).

If you want a .380, I would echo the Bersa suggestion, as my wife had one for a while and it did fit here quite well. She also likes the fit of the Sig 232, which is a much better weapon (and costs a lot more, as it should). If she likes the fit of the 232 but does not like the price, you can look for a used 230, which is essentially just an earlier model of the 232.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

my wife is small and she has trouble racking the slide
one cure is to get a semiauto that has the exposed hammer
cock the hammer back and it is easier to rack the slide

best here is the FNH's FNP-9 or the Sig's
9mm ammo is cheaper and more available than the 380's


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Take her to a gun shop that will let her "try on" many different semi-autos for size and feel.
Let her make the choice for herself. Don't choose for her.
(If the guy in the gun shop patronizes her or tells her what to get, tell him that he's way out of line, leave, and go somewhere else.)

My wife, too, has slide-racking issues because she's small and lacks man-size upper-body strength.
According to Kathy at the _Cornered Cat_ website, The way to handle this problem is to _rack the gun_, not the slide. Look for her explanation. Click on: http://www.corneredcat.com/


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

+1 Steve M1911A1

:smt1099


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