My wife has smaller hands. I’m finding that she really likes shooting .380 in different guns. She bores easily with .22, and likes shooting 9mm, but gets wore out after 100 or so rounds. I’m thinking she might like one of these.

Try a P238.

quote:

Originally posted by 21bubba:
Try a P238.

She wants something bigger, more normal size, her words.

I liked the Browning, but sold it because magazines were just too expensive. The S&W 380 EZ may be to her liking. Both my mother and my wife enjoy shooting it, and mags can be had for about 24 bucks each. It “normal sized,” single stack slim, and like the name says, easy in all respects. Also costs a bit less than the Browning and is double action, if that matters.

Pricing is a bit steep IMHO, particularly the 'Black Label' guns, but everything I've heard back from customers who've purchased them has been quite positive. Then again some of Kimber's Micro 380 line isn't all that different in price point.

Same comment as Fredward, but I’ve kept my Browning 1911 .380. Larger, but still light. Very manageable recoil, easy to retract the slide. I think it is a good choice (if price of accessories is not an issue). It has a manual safety, so you have to be comfortable with “cocked and locked.” If not, and you want the larger size, I’d seriously consider the S&W EZ.

I've had good luck with mine. Its nifty actually. I'm not sure what magazine price drives someone to sell a gun but I bought mine in the $25-28 range. That's not glock cheap but its not HK expensive.

Take a hard look at the sights. If they're like those on my Browning 1911-22, they're so tiny as to be completely unusable.

Smithnsig, here are some suggestions for your wife:
Bersa Thunder 380
Beretta Cougar 84 or 85
And the Sig P238.
I won’t recommend the Sig P230 because it delivers a mean slide bite though I love it(with a glove on my shooting hand).
Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by fquico:
Smithnsig, here are some suggestions for your wife:
Bersa Thunder 380
Beretta Cougar 84 or 85
And the Sig P238.

Bersa is a good choice.

Do you mean Beretta Cheetah 84/85? (Cougar was a 9mm/.40/.45.) They can be hard to rack, but if you can find the 86 version, it has the tip-up barrel that solves that issue. Discontinued and hard to find, though.



He said she thinks the P238 is too small, but the extended magazine helps with getting all the fingers on the grip, especially for somebody with smaller hands. I have found the P238 HD (steel frame) model with a grip extension to be a very easy-shooting pistol.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: toivo,

M&P ez and the beretta are interesting also. She doesn’t want a micro gun, she has a couple of those. She wants a shooter, a range gun. I was thinking that a scaled down 1911 might be the classy pick. She like the upscale looks of a 1911.

Bersa meh. Her dad has one
238 too small, has small carry guns.

I know you said .380, but maybe the Compact 92FS... https://goo.gl/images/bM9AMy

Sexy, not too pricey, absorbs recoile well, and uses affordable ammo too.

CZ 83? Discontinued, but they're still out there. No new ones, but some used and some milsurp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxeuAh8HGs0

For those that own or have handled the Browning 1911 .380, is the grip large enough for a full grip by a man's hand?

Neat little pistol but surprised it is so expensive.

Thank you,
Henryrifle

I've handed and shot 2 of these (new, friends' pistols) and neither would run reliably. Your experience may vary. I wouldn't buy one, personally.

She may want to consider one of Rock Island's .380 1911s:

http://armscor.com/firearms/bbr-series/baby-rock-380/

They have a more substantial feel to them compared to the Browning .380s.

quote:

Originally posted by Cobra21:
I know you said .380, but maybe the Compact 92FS... https://goo.gl/images/bM9AMy

Sexy, not too pricey, absorbs recoile well, and uses affordable ammo too.

Everything Cobra said; that's what I was thinking.

Go the opposite way. We all know most .380s are like .38 snubs - designed for carry, not shooting comfort. This means almost all of them are small and snappy. However, unlike a .38, you really can't find a big heavy barrel .380 to make shooting more enjoyable. Even the bigger ones - thinking of a Beretta 84FS I had - are quite snappy.

I'd try 9mm in a heavier frame. The Beretta 92 compact is as good a choice as any. The mid-sized 3rd gen S&Ws are a good bet too. Like the 6906 or similar. Both are a little bulky by modern carry standards, but both are also sweet shooting guns that tame the 9mm very nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by smithnsig:
M&P ez and the beretta are interesting also.

I thought Beretta had started making Cheetahs again, but I don't see any in the catalog. Maybe it was a limited run. There are a bunch of them on Gunbroker, both 84 (double-stack) and 85 (single-stack). Most are used, but there are some "new" ones (maybe NOS?), including this beautiful Inox (stainless) with wood grips:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/771722565

Not cheap, though, no sirree ...

EDIT TO ADD: The one on that Gunbroker listing says 10+1 capacity, probably because it's a NY gun shop. That and the starting price could be why it has no bids. Standard is 13+1, and you can still buy new Mec-Gar mags in that capacity from Numrich (as long as you don't live in NY) for $27.

I looked at the M&P EZ yesterday. That might be just the ticket for OP's bride. It's a decent sized locked breech design with a reasonably good trigger. I considered purchasing one for my wife.

Many of the suggestions here are for blowback pistols with the heavier recoil spring that type requires, and the attendant recoil issues of that type of weapon.