View Full Version : Handgun for my wench ... I mean Lady
Looking for some suggestions here as she`s having trouble racking the slide and the recoil is too much for her arthritis . Current carry gun is an XD s in .45 . She has no trouble hitting what she aims at , it`s just the arthritis in her right hand means she can`t take the recoil of the XD S anymore .... 15 rounds does her in . No problems with my AR`s .... the pistol grip is perfect for her .
I tried her on my Springfield TRP/.45 , Colt Commander / .45 , G19 ( 9MM ) , PPQ M1 ( 9MM ) and the VP9 . Absolutely no problems racking the slides on those and no hand problems from recoil .... however , she feels those are a little large for concealed carry . Ever tried telling a women she needs to wear bigger clothes ???? Bought her a carry pocket book which is possibly the solution .... if she will carry it .
Looking at the Sig P320 compact next ( also because I want another gun ) and HK offers a compact with a decocker and 1911 type safety if you don`t want to use the decocker . Would like to get her into something that has more then 6 rounds as the XD S does .
So , any suggestions as to anything else I might have her look at ?
Thanks
If she likes her xd-s 45 and can handle your 9mm's just fine why not a xds9?
dfwsheepdog
09-19-16, 13:02
Looking for some suggestions here as she`s having trouble racking the slide and the recoil is too much for her arthritis . Current carry gun is an XD s in .45 . She has no trouble hitting what she aims at , it`s just the arthritis in her right hand means she can`t take the recoil of the XD S anymore .... 15 rounds does her in . No problems with my AR`s .... the pistol grip is perfect for her .
I tried her on my Springfield TRP/.45 , Colt Commander / .45 , G19 ( 9MM ) , PPQ M1 ( 9MM ) and the VP9 . Absolutely no problems racking the slides on those and no hand problems from recoil .... however , she feels those are a little large for concealed carry . Ever tried telling a women she needs to wear bigger clothes ???? Bought her a carry pocket book which is possibly the solution .... if she will carry it .
Looking at the Sig P320 compact next ( also because I want another gun ) and HK offers a compact with a decocker and 1911 type safety if you don`t want to use the decocker . Would like to get her into something that has more then 6 rounds as the XD S does .
So , any suggestions as to anything else I might have her look at ?
Thanks
http://www.xdgunparts.com/product/SP-ezrackerduty-b.html
That can help with the slide rack. Have you considered stepping down in caliber? I also know with glock there are brass grip plugs and tungsten recoil spring assemblies that help mitigate felt recoil. They may have something similar for the xd
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dfwsheepdog
09-19-16, 13:03
If she can rack the slide on a g19 why not get her set up with that?
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Try the Beretta 92FS Compact 9MM. The slide is very easy to rack, and they are reliable, accurate pistols. Let her pick, however.
sevenhelmet
09-19-16, 13:20
My wife had a similar issue with respect to racking the slide on some pistols. A few years ago, a gun store bubba talked her into a Ruger SP101, but realized she hates J-frame revolvers (I 'inherited' that one). More recently, she fell in love with a Springfield Loaded 1911 (in 9mm), so that's her bedside pistol now. I mention it because it's a very soft-shooting pistol, and it's been reliable for us. She's also a fan of my P226.
+1 on letting her choose.
Maybe have her try a glock 42. Pinky extension. If that still hurts her find a liitle .22lr pistol.
What good does all the fire power in the world and high speed low drag pistols do if it hurts her hands. And then, because of that she won't practice. Or even carry it for that matter.
I'm not being critical of you guys. Gotta remember women aren't usually into the caliber thing.
Ballistics aside, I don't even like shooting .45 because of recoil. No way I'd make my wife try to shoot one. If ladies don't enjoy it, no way they'll do it enough to matter.
Take her to a range that rents guns. Have her shoot them. If she find one she likes, do that. Even better if it comes in s color she likes.
I've Been married long enough to know that she doesn't think like I do.
When it comes to guns, don't make it hurt or scary. That just makes women not want to shoot, much less carry one.
Good luck. I can relate to your plight. In the end, I gave up. Just gave her a bottle of mace for her purse instead. A ccw doesn't do Jack if your don't carry it.
Beretta used to make a .380 called the Cheetah. The model 86 offers a tip up barrel, so slide racking isn't an issue. It can also be carried cocked and locked with a frame mounted safety, thereby avoiding a heavy DA pull. They can be hard to find and command top dollar when you do, but they're pretty much an arthritis sufferer's dream pistol.
http://milpas.cc/rifles/ZFiles/Pistols/Semi-auto%20Pistols/ber_86_op.jpg
Another top choice would be a Ruger LCR. It has the lightest DA revolver pull out of the box. They offer them in 9mm and .327 Federal, as well as .38+P. They also have a 3" .38+P model.
Dionysusigma
09-19-16, 15:46
Glock 43. Simple, slim, and in a caliber with defensive loadings that can actually stop a threat.
Beretta used to make a .380 called the Cheetah. The model 86 offers a tip up barrel, so slide racking isn't an issue. It can also be carried cocked and locked with a frame mounted safety, thereby avoiding a heavy DA pull. They can be hard to find and command top dollar when you do, but they're pretty much an arthritis sufferer's dream pistol.
http://milpas.cc/rifles/ZFiles/Pistols/Semi-auto%20Pistols/ber_86_op.jpg
Another top choice would be a Ruger LCR. It has the lightest DA revolver pull out of the box. They offer them in 9mm and .327 Federal, as well as .38+P. They also have a 3" .38+P model.
My girl's aunt had carpal tunnel surgeries and bad joints, as such, she cant really charge the slide at all.
One day, when I was out with the nephew and had a few out, I had a taurus pt-22 on the table.
The nephew loves that 22 and after shooting it for awhile, the Aunt asks why we are loading it "like that". After explaining it to her, she was interested in trying it.
Little did I know, her first husband was a big gun guy and she used to go with on some range trips. She thought that design would be great for folks with hand issues due to the tip up barrel.
Never talked about it much after that day, but at least she was willing to shoot a little again after so long.
BuzzinSATX
09-19-16, 17:26
If she likes her xd-s 45 and can handle your 9mm's just fine why not a xds9?
Maybe this was too obvious...:blink:
Did she try Walther CCP? Thanks to HK P7 style gas delayed action it uses fairly weak recoil spring.
Pick a medium sized 9mm that is of quality. I would also have her start practicing left handed when time and budget allows for many reasons that should be obvious. Work on malfunction drills that incorporate using the gun and objects to assist in clearing them. Such as the rear sight against door moulding to clear or load if required. One should always work on off hand firing and manipulations of various sorts to plan on a primary hand injury.
oh-and use standard pressure loadings. Everytime she touches off a larger caliber or +p, etc., that's not helping matters. I would even explore the .22 kits for manipluation drills.
Thanks for the suggestions . I forgot to mention that she has tried several revolvers in .38 caliber and hates the way they feel in her hand .... also , can`t hit squat with a revolver . Switched her to my Ruger semi .22 and she was dead on .
Montrala , I`ve talked to several CCP owners and am also a member on the Walther forum .... let`s just say that the CCP has a lot of issues , even though it is easy to manipulate the slide .
Last year , had her meet with an NRA certified instructor and IDPA guy at a range . He brought probably 8 guns ranging from .22 to .45 semi auto and revolvers . Spent several hours there and started her on the .22 and then worked on up . She can hit with anything ( except a revolver ) , so caliber isn`t a problem except that the .45 hurts her hand ( arthritis ).
Currently , I`m trying to find an XD S in 9mm and the new HK compact 9mm with the 1911 style safety for her to try . She really likes the XD S size , just that the recoil and racking the slide is a problem .
If she can work the slide of the 9mm XD S , that`s the solution .... just trying to get some options if she can`t .
Thanks
Mark5pt56 .....one of the reasons I want to look at the Sig P320C , is I was told that it is basically a "kit" gun and you can order parts from Sig to even change caliber . Don`t know that much about it , that`s why I want to check it out .
Agree with everything you said , just need to get her comfortable first .
Naturally a 9mm is going to be more effective than a .380, but if she experiences pain shooting a 9mm and wants a compact pistol the Glock 42 may be a good option.
I bought my wife a Glock 42 to carry when she doesn't carry her J Frame and she likes it. Recoil is very light for a compact pistol and she can get C.O.M. hits on paper at 25 yards. It is small enough to fit in a small women's clutch bag.
The Glock 42 is reasonably accurate. I bought a second one for myself for hot weather carry and installed Ameriglo I Dot sights on it. I fired a series of 3 shot groups today while making sight adjustments and the Speer 90g GDHP consistently shot groups under 4" at 85 feet. Attached is one of the targets I shot while making sight adjustments. While running drills, I was able to place shots on target more quickly than with any other concealed carry pistol I own due to the light recoil. The low headshots were fired at 15 yards. Someone with better vision should do much better.
Ruger LCR. Don't compare it to a J-Frame. The trigger is much easier and smoother than a J-frame. The recoil is also easier due to the Hogue Tamer they come with.
Do not get the grip with the laser. They sting ya on recoil. Get the 17.2 oz .357 mag model and fire .38's from it. Very easy recoil, very nice, although a little long (hey, it's a revolver) trigger.
The .38 model isn't bad, just has a little more recoil because it's lighter. 13.5 oz.
But for an automatic, try the Glock 42 as recommended. If she rack the slide that is. Low recoil.
If she can rack the slide on the Glock 19 she should be able to rack the 42.
My wife likes the Glock 19 and LCR FWIW.
If she has no problem racking a g19, then why not a g26?
anatolian B
09-20-16, 21:59
My wife has done well with a S&W SD9. She can rack the slid easily and shot it really well for her CHL. It's not something I would normally buy but she asked to see it while trying multiple pistols at the fun store. She likes it and runs it well. No malfs thus far. I've honestly be surprised with it, not a bad little pistol.
Icedaddy56
09-20-16, 22:21
If she wants something in 9mm and wants it small with good recoil mitigation, I would try the Kimber Solo
Montrala , I`ve talked to several CCP owners and am also a member on the Walther forum .... let`s just say that the CCP has a lot of issues , even though it is easy to manipulate the slide .
This is how it ends when I try to point to something other than HK! :rolleyes:
OK, so I will stay firmly in HK waters now - P30SK. I actually know ladies love it :D
I will first say I haven't read thru all this but here's my .02
If it's only the recoil why not switch to Federal's Personal defense load it's a 165 at right around 1,000 fps, very mild shooting
then reload, if you're shooting 45 and not reloading shame on you, or have reloaded target loads to practice with
I'd rather have a 165 45 going at 1K than a 124 9mm going 1050fps, and screw anything below that ie 380 and such.
Montrala ..... didn`t mean to sound like I was an HK fanboy , it`s just that the HK Rep left samples of every HK handgun at my LGS for people to look at and try on the indoor range ,so I took advantage of it while she`s out in Colorado . Someone mentioned the XD S in 9mm ..... tried that and the slide is as hard to rack as the .45 is . Oldgrunt , it`s not just the recoil , it`s also the difficulty of racking the slide and the combination of the 45`s recoil and arthritis in that hand . I do reload and can come up with soft target loads , but racking the slide is still the problem for her . Right now , just using store bought range ammo .
Unfortunately , the smaller guns she likes are the ones causing her problems . I may just turn her loose in Cabela`s as they seem to have a large selection and let her try everything she can see .
Lots of good suggestions/ideas so far .... thanks for the input !
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