small women, weak hands.. trouble racking slide. operating slide release with thumb.. figure 380 or 9 would be easiest.. are there any out there with a "lighter" operation.. I want her ta try model 19 s & w but she's a little skeptical.. really wants an auto.

My gut response to anyone who has trouble racking a slide is "get a revolver". The best firearm in the world is useless if you can't operate it.

M&P 380 Shield EZ

http://www.gunsandammo.com/first-look/first-look-easy-to-rack-sw-mp-380-shield/

My wife has a pink Ruger 380, she has no problems with it.

My P238 is smooth and easy. I agree with Zeek though. An airwieght .38 revolver would fit the bill

ruger LCR revolver 327 Magnum she can shoot shorts at shooting range and 327 at bad guys

Never handled an LCR but that does look like a fine prospect.

my first instinct!.. but she wants a LOTTA bullets she says!!!

thanks to all.. will makes a few stores tomorrow lookin'..

I recommend an FN five-seven.

My wife has very weak arms and cannot rake a slide and has lost her confidence trying. She now has a Ruger LCR 38. She shoots it well, gives her confidence and makes her want keep up the practice. She has to be comfortable with her choice.

My wife is tiny and carries this at all times. Pricey but it's been perfect for her, we tried every slide out there and there was nothing else she was happy with.

My wife carries a Kimber Micro 9. She has no trouble operating the slide. Great shooting little pistol.

All this plus the Sig 320 sub-compact

Revolver. 38 snub would be great in this situation.

Go look at a Walther CCP. This is the easiest gun on the market for a women or someone with weaker hands and wrist to use. Very easy to rack slide and it has a new patented gas system that reroutes excess gas to reduce muzzle flip and recoil. Plus very accurate.

The only one my wife could rack easily is the sig P238. She sold her ruger LCR right after getting the sig. I liked her P238 so much i got a P938 for myself.

I vote for a Bersa thunder. just right for a smaller hand.

S&W Shield 9mm $389

The Smith & Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ was developed for your exact need. Also, have her grab the slide by pressing bottom of palm against one side of slide and wrapping fingers over the top (behind ejection port to avoid pinching) to grip other side, then use other hand to push forward on the back of the frame while holding it like you would when firing. This is the easiest way I have found, since it seems much easier for weaker hands to push on the bigger frame rather than trying to pull on smaller slide.

Another vote for Sig P238. Or P938 if she wants 9mm, very slightly larger. The wife prefers P238 mostly because it's "prettier" -- got the engraved pearl pink.

If your too frail to work the slide on a 9mm you don't need a gun. I doubt its lack of strength that keeps them from operating the gun its unfamiliarity and uncertainty. Practice makes perfect.

Both of these are good options. My wife shoots my 9mm shield all the time.

How often is she going to need to rack the slide. If she has to use it for self defense she would only need to work it if she had a jam or malfunction.

need quick draw skills practice as well

It says here in Title 2, Chapter 17, Subchapter B, Section 17.08(2)(F)(3) of Murphy's Law that a firearm is REQUIRED to jam or malfunction during a self defense situation at least once during one's lifetime.

LCR is the way to go

Lol

Bond Arms Derringer loaded with PDX defense rounds.

I�m getting a Snake Slayer once the move is done.

These are awesome little guns as well. Easy to manipulate the slide also.

TLW, one thing to remember with these, to be ready, you will need to carry with one in the chamber, hammer back, safety on. In my experience, some people are not comfortable with this, especially women, and opt to carry these with the hammer forward on an empty chamber.

Just something to keep in mind when making a decision. I always tell my customers to get out and actually shoot as many pistols as possible before making a final choice.

What he said.

She should try the Sig P238.

My wife has a Sig 938 (9mm) she likes and shoots well with. She has small hands but has no trouble with the slide.

I agree.....

The Judge 410 double 0 trouble for any thing

Revolver, fewer moving parts, shoots every time.

If you need more than 5 or 6 bullets then you need to be in a different place

I had a Smith & Wesson hammerless Titanium jam on me one day while out shooting


I couldn't open it to clear the jam, Had to send it back to Smith & Wesson

Same story here. She didn't like the weight of the LCR, loved the P238. No trouble at all racking it, t enough recoil to bother her with an hour or two on the range. Got her the pearl pink and passed the 38LCR on to the daughter. After a couple hours at the range with her and her then-new P238 I was convinced I needed the 9mm model...liked the first so much I ended up getting a second.

Colts Dragoon??

Both the Micro 9 and 380 have the easiest opening slides I've ever fooled with. I have a hard time understanding how such a light recoil spring can work but they sure do. The women with smaller hands that I have shot with and who have shot both pistols seem to prefer the .380 and more for the way they feel in their hands rather than recoil concerns.

That's what I carry, and the slide is a little heavy for a woman. I would look at a Taurus seven shot revolver.

This

The small 2� revolver with no sights, long trigger pull, etc is the most common worst recommendation there is. Yes no slide but the long trigger pull makes it way more dangerous as most( Even men)

Find a gun with limited controls. Your trigger finger is the safety

Most important find one with adjustable back straps and with a reachable trigger

I train over 100 people a year and get to see allot of platforms and guns in action. Stick with glocks, Springfield�s, sw, and walther.