I’m trying to get my GF to start carrying but she complains that her G19 is too big to carry, so I’m looking for alternate solutions that might make her happier. She’s had formal training with the G19 and is pretty good with it, so she’s not completely clueless as to what she likes.
I’ve tried to explain to her that a smaller gun will probably be harder to shoot and control and to be honest I only really shoot Glock, M&P and my 1911 so other than one of those, I’ just don’t trust their reliability.
I though about a revolver but I think the DA trigger would be a killer for her.
If she knows the Glock platform, stick with what she knows. I would try out a sub compact (I haven’t, G19 is the smallest I have). You would also be able to use the G19 mags with the smaller Glock. (maybe not for concealment but for range use, it would be a plus)
Good Luck.
Take her to a gun store with a very good selection, or even a range where she can rent a few different types and fire them, so she can pick up several different types and see what’s comfortable for HER. After that, then you can start narrowing down the selection with her. It doesn’t matter what’s comfortable to you since it won’t be your carry piece.
Here are my concerns. A sub-compact is harder to shoot than the compact. I had both so I know from experience. Also in the Glock system the sub is not that much thinner or smaller to really have a benefit IMO.
As for other makes, to be honest I’m not so sure about their reliability. I know it’s in my head more than likely but it’s there.
Wife carried a G19 for a while and one day decided she wanted a change. I introduced her to a Ruger LCR.38,she loves it. Less weight and she likes the way it shoots. My problem solved. Good luck with yours.
If she wants something small, try out some subcompacts. The G26 isn’t very compact at all. The grip and barrel are shorter, but the gun is every bit as wide as a full size, and hard to conceal.
Some of the single stack 9mm sub-compacts are very light and concealable. I had a Kahr PM9 that was absolutley amazing. I’m kicking myself for selling it. It was light enough to be concealed under light clothing. The single stack 9mm PM9 is very thin, about 9/10" IIRC. Very easy to carry. The recoil is higher, but so what. Find a place you can rent some different sub-compacts and make a day of it.
It isn’t a gun for a long fight, its a get the fuck out of there gun. For the ranges it would be used at, the recoil is kind of a moot point. Most likely it will be a point and shoot fight anyway.
Is she truly interested in carrying, or is her contention that the G19 is too big to carry just a diplomatic way for her to tell you that she’s not interested in carrying a gun? If it’s the former, then I recommend continuing the process. If it’s the latter, I’d drop it immediately.
Has she considered methods of carry? I think it’s probably a good idea to get a decent idea of how the gun will be carried before moving on to the choice of gun. This is true IMO especially for women because body shape and wardrobe choices frequently act as greater constraints in carry decisions for women than for men. For example, belt carry sometimes doesn’t work well for women because of waist/hip shape and high waists, and because they tend not to wear trousers with belt loops. Ankle carry doesn’t work well for women who usually wear skirts, but can work well for women who wear bell-bottom trousers. If she’s going to do off-body carry, then maybe her G19 is a good choice after all. Does she have any female friends who carry? If so, how do they carry?
If she has a sense of ownership of the gun choice process, she will be a lot more interested in using the results of that choice than if you actually pick it out for her.
Your views that anything but a Glock, M&P, or your 1911 won’t be reliable may have already doomed her search to failure, if you have communicated this view to her. If you have expressed this view to her, I recommend that you find a way to walk it back.
A few possible candidate weapons for her might include a Walther PPS in 9mm (very Glocklike, but slimmer and shorter in slide/barrel length), a Kahr P9/K9/CW9, or if she wants something extremely small, a Kel Tec P32 or Ruger LCP. If she can handle the trigger, an airweight or all stainless j-frame, or Ruger LCR might be a decent choice, if loaded with .38(and try to steer her away from starting out with +P ammo), not .357. Is there a rental range local to her where she live fire a variety of weapons and make the choice herself? This could help tremendously.
It should be noted that several women shooters I’ve known, including my wife, find the Glock too big to shoot (fingers don’t reach the trigger), never mind being too big to carry.
The smaller gun is harder to shoot line is a bit overdone…girls have smaller hands.
That said if she’s only carrying to make you happy…she’ll stop eventually. It has to be her idea/wish.
Definitely have her try a few different options. Renting handguns at the range or trying firearms that belong to friends is much cheaper than buying one and hoping it’ll be something she likes.
If she does happen to like the Glock 19 in general but she’s just looking for something slimmer, the Walther PPS in 9mm is definitely worth looking into as an option. However, let her try it before buying one.
the G26 is invisible on most people…
that said, a smith and wesson j-frame is all i can really imagine a young lady being happy concealing… they’re hard to shoot but not impossible, and 5 rounds beats the crap out of a sharp stick.
honestly to me the jury is still out on all those little semi-auto pocket pistols… well, the 380 and 32’s i’d scratch right off. the j-frame has been saving people’s asses for many years… all while allowing the user to remain comfortable and stylish.
that said, i (and i think most of the guys on this board) carry a g19… I don’t personally find it too hard to conceal, and if shit truly goes wrong i can’t think of anything short of a rifle i’d rather have on me. That said, like most of the guys here i’m a somewhat militant gun nut (by most standards anyway)
so basically the gun must fit the lifestyle… but the user must train.
The earlier ones seemed to need a break in period, and got more reliable once you got north of a few hundred rounds.
Recent buyers aren’t speaking up about issues like these as much, so maybe that’s not the case anymore. Most guys I know that have them are largely pleased with them.
Agree with everything that has been said here. Make sure she wants to. You start with “I’m trying to get my GF to carry a gun”. That might be a huge part of the problem. As much crap as my wife carries around with her, a Glock 19, 26, or a Krinkov, really would not make a huge difference, based on the weight of her purse. She may be saying “its too big” as a way of saying “I don’t want to carry”.
I’d have her look at the Kahr series … if size is more an issue than weight, get her a steel one. It’ll be more pleasant to shoot. In my experience snubbies are problematic. Heavy triggers, small sights, low capacity, and stout recoil, although the new smith 22 mag might be a good choice. Thinking out of the box here, a Sig 232 in 380 might be a good choice.
Key is to have her pick. We have lots of students show up to courses with their husband/boy friends guns. I always tell them “you going to let him pick your shoes and lingerie next? You are going to get something he likes, not something you are going to be comfortable with”.
