I just sold off a bunch (7) of my old guns to a local guy who has a FFL. He gave almost double what my local gun shops wanted to give me. Most of these were 40+ years old or more and a few I can't even remember how I acquired some of them. Maybe some were in trades for ammo as I used to reload for my neighbors and hunting friends for many years before I sold off all my equipment and supplies.

Anyway, I'm looking to find a gun for my wife who does not like to shoot my Glock 17 as the grip is too big for her hand and she is a lefty and claims the ejections fly across in front of her face. I want to find something she will get very familiar with and feel comfortable in handling.

My local gun club has an indoor range with 32 bays and has something like 80-90 pistols that we can rent before we buy so we are going there this week. I'm thinking maybe a .380 auto or revolver?

Any suggestions from you gun addicts? Much appreciated.

380 would be good, I think. Not as much kick to it as other calibers but it's enough to do the trick. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield comes to mind.

My wife carries a Glock 43, it fits her hand perfectly. Being 5'2" she has a short trigger finger.

Hand strength for slide operation of semiautos can be an issue, Smith & Wesson makes their EZ series in several sizes and calibers.

The Ruger LR Revolver is another compact easy-to-run choice.

A lot of firearms now come with replaceable grip panels to get a better fit, including H&K, Beretta, S&W, Steyr, and Walther to name a few. Smaller pistols are harder to master and generally less comfortable to shoot. The biggest they can hold is better than the most compact.

The best way to pick the right pistol, IMHO, is to shoot them, buddies or a rental range are great, because fit and feel at the gun counter are not the same as actually firing.

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+1

I went through this with my wife a couple of years ago. She tried a Walther PPKS .380 and a S&W 638 .38 5 shot. She did not like the feel of the Walther and did not like the muzzle blast of the S&W. In the end we got her a S&W M&P 9 Shield EZ. She will carry in the car when she is running the roads to go see the grans.

I tried to push her towards the S&W 638 since it has the shrouded hammer and would be less likely to snag if she were to c/c in a purse. She liked everything about the EZ so that is what she got.

Is your G17 a gen 3? The extractor is a problem in those, part number 30724 is the gen 4 extractor and is super easy to change in the rear trigger housing. Your ejection will go closer to 3 o’clock.

The problem with going smaller is recoil. 43 can be a touch snappy for some, I have one, my daughter can shoot it but she prefers the G19 clone. 43X and 48 are worth looking at. A .38 revolver is always a solid choice IMO, I prefer hammerless just for simplicity of carry for shooters who are very experienced. Another really good auto loader is the Sig P365, tons of aftermarket support and holster choices there as well on a well proven platform.

And ^ Gene’s last paragraph is so true (the rest was solid too).

If you need help with the extractor lemme know, only tool you need is a small flathead screwdriver to push the part and a 3mm pusher (Glock tool) for your rear pin.

My wife carries an Sig P238.
Small, thin 380 ACP, 7 rounds with the long clip I think. 1911 style action. And she is able to rack it.

Too small for may hands, but perfect for her.

She also has a S&W 442 Airweight (J-frame).
38 special, 5 rounds, aluminum, hammerless (purse friendly). Upgraded to the Hogue grips.
It’s about the simplest, most error free gun you can find. And not too large or heavy.
It does “look” more intimidating than the Sig.

I have the Glock 43 for CC as well... and a 19, which to me is too big for CC. I like the 43, but it is a bit small for my hand unless I use the mag with the extender.

The 17 is a monster, but it and the 19 are nice shooting.
You could try the 19 or 26, or even the 43. The they should all have interchangeable backstraps which may make it more comfortable for her.

Depends on a lot of things……
Experience, hand strength and size, how will it be carried, and so on.

I’d at least have a look at the new Kimber K6xs

https://www.kimberamerica.com/k6xs-38-spl 

Been wanting to check out the above Kimber myself, but it’s a bit of a challenge finding one here.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

We will definitely try a S&W, Glock, Sig and Ruger. Will also check out the S&W hammerless and see iffn the instructors have any additional recommendations. She is 5'3 and 105 lbs and did have problems racking my Glock somewhat as well and the EZ might be the ticket.

My Glock is Gen 1 bought about late 70's or so when I first saw them on the market.

Desert Eagle .50. She won't even notice the brass eject

dont forget about the Sig P365, too.

Gen 1’s are collectible now!

I’ll look into it a bit, as I’m not as intimate with Gen1-2 as I am 3-5. I would assume it’s the same part though in gen 3 because that’s when they started being widely adopted by US LEO and that’s why they made so many changes in Gen 4.

DED has she ever shot with an optic?

Glock and Sig have mounting systems and cheapest replacement slides to accept optics.

The Glock 42 .380 is a nice gun for her to try.

One very good thing about revolvers with shielded/covered hammers, they can be repeatedly fired from inside a pocket or purse. For semiautos, you tend to only get one shot and a jam.

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Or worse, gun gets pushed out of battery when shoved up against BG, no pew pew at all.
Yes, revolvers have ammo limitations compared to most semiautos.
But for many folks, they are a better choice.
Simpler manual of arms
Easy to maintain
Typically not as finicky about ammo
Easier to conceal
Versatility (think 3” .357…….. same gun will shoot very mild and light .38 specials up to hot and heavy 200gr magnums)
YMMV

43x with the rmr cut slide, second choice would be a SIG 365.

You lost me at

the grip is too big for her hand and she is a lefty and claims the ejections fly across in front of her face

While I am a Glock fan and the 43 would be my first choice, I am also a fan of S&W's hammerless revolvers,sounds to me like the 642 LadySmith would be perfect.........I have a 642 Centennial Airweight I carry in my coat pocket in the winter or back pocket in the summer.Damn hard to beat IMO and one fine weapon.