Let me know your opinion

[JetGirl]

For the record, I am a huge Glock fan

Understatement of the year, right there^.

Just remember, a 1911 is a Girls Pistol, just ask JG...

Runner up.

 

[Spike_351]

I'm not a fan of glock but the 26 will probably be your best bet, however the walther family of handguns may also prove useful, they are decently priced easily concealable and are offered in many calibers. The adjustable grips for handsize is also a plus.

 

[the1kidd03]

I have been told that the Plainfield Shooting Supply (I think its called) has some great deals. I called them earlier today and spoke to John...he seemed very helpful. I told him I would be in to see him this coming weekend...I am hoping this coming Friday to be exact! That would give me the weekend to enjoy some good range time!

They will be attending the 1500 as usual, but get there fast. Their tables fill up FAST with people buying firearms. It's rare that anyone in the area beats their prices.

 

[the1kidd03]

Jetgirl's advise regarding "not purchasing something you're not comfortable with holding" is spot on. I spent a great deal of time (and money) figuring out the right carry guns for my wife. Like you, she is VERY pettite. She's about 105lbs and wears very form fitting clothing. Concealing for her isn't easy. We both work at a range and see new and first time shooters come in every week. The best advise I can possibly give is as follows.

I don't know your skill level or how much you have shot or plan on shooting. Therefore, I'm glad to see you pick the 9mm because it's affordable ammo. You will want to spend a good deal of time practicing with a weapon which you plan to carry. Additionally, I would recommend against a G26. Assuming that you're a relatively new shooter, the G26 has a shorter sight radius. This makes learning the marksmanship fundamentals more challenging more often than not for new shooters and thus takes that much more practice/time to get proficient with. Also, with the shorter barrel they tend to have a slight bit more "perceived recoil" than something a little larger. I would HIGHLY recommend staying AWAY from small .38 revolvers. I read earlier that you prefer a semi-auto and that's good to hear. There's nothing wrong with the small .38's but assuming you to be a relatively new shooter again, they are even more difficult to learn how to be accurate with than that of a G26 for a few reasons (generally speaking.)

Although the G19 is a slightly larger framed gun you should have no problems concealing it fairly easily. After our long hard search my wife finally settled on two guns. Her primary is a G19. She open carries most of the time, but will conceal the Glock occasionally as needed. She can sometimes have SOME difficulty with concealing it 100% ie it may SLIGHTLY print, or bulge a tight shirt somewhat. She doesn't really care about this though because she's comfortable with open carry anyhow and in all honesty, most people are so "tunnel visioned" into what they are doing that they BARELY notice OC most of the time, much less a little extra bulge at the belt.

Her secondary carry and "deep concealment" gun is a Kahr. This is another gun that I would recommend you take a look at if you truly feel that the G19 is too big. They make a few different models in 9mm, but I would suggest looking at something like a CW9 or one of their all metal frame models. The trigger feels very similar to that of a Glock, but the grip is much smaller/skinnier. It only holds about half the number of rounds that the G19 does though.

All in all, it's going to be a matter of what feels comfortable for YOU. I typically recommend trying a gun before buying it for new shooters though. I highly recommend you stay with a 9mm. The G19 and some variant of a 1911 are BY FAR the most favored pistols for new women shooters IME and my wife loves them both as well. Good luck and enjoy the 1500. Perhaps you will meet some of us there.

 

[KG1]

Thanks! You have given some great advice.

Yes she has and kudos to JG for giving that advice without trying to push you toward the particular brand of firearm that she prefers which she is well known for.

 

[JetGirl]

Yes she has and kudos to JG for giving that advice without trying to push you toward the particular brand of firearm that she prefers which she is well known for.

I hope you meant^ I'm known for liking them...not pushing them!

Ctrent, don't think you have to rush to buy from a particular dealer or even the 1500... but if you have your mind set to that, do a lot of price checking on all the things you're interested in FIRST. (Write them down...take them with you.)
I'll agree that you can find great deals at the 1500, but it's also not uncommon to get hosed.
You have to take it upon yourself to be informed. Regardless of how nice the vendor is, how well aunt Sally knows him, how cute his puppy dog is...he is there to sell guns (and at a price that flips a profit).
Carpe Diem, but Caveat Emptor.

 

[KG1]

I hope you meant^ I'm known for liking them...not pushing them!

Ctrent, don't think you have to rush to buy from a particular dealer or even the 1500... but if you have your mind set to that, do a lot of price checking on all the things you're interested in FIRST. (Write them down...take them with you.)
I'll agree that you can find great deals at the 1500, but it's also not uncommon to get hosed.
You have to take it upon yourself to be informed. Regardless of how nice the vendor is, how well aunt Sally knows him, how cute his puppy dog is...he is there to sell guns (and at a price that flips a profit).
Carpe Diem, but Caveat Emptor.

Of course that's what I meant, that you are well know for preferring a particular type.

I would never accuse you of being pushy. Trust me, it was a compliment.

 

[donnie1581]

Thanks for the offer, that is very generous of you. I am planning to go the 1500 show this coming weekend...hoping to buy while there. I do plan to go to some different stores and hold the few that are recommended in re: of this thread.

You're Welcome. Like many others have said, hold as many as possible and shoot them if you can before you make a purchase. And remember, you don't necessarily have to buy a new gun; there is nothing wrong with buying a used gun as long as it's not beat all to heck.

The guy I bought my Beretta off of paid $550 for it and only had it for a month when he sold it to me for $400, so sometimes you can get a heck of a deal. By the time you go to the 1500, you might have 50 posts and just be able to buy from the classifieds here!

 

[ctrent]

Jetgirl's advise regarding "not purchasing something you're not comfortable with holding" is spot on. I spent a great deal of time (and money) figuring out the right carry guns for my wife. Like you, she is VERY pettite. She's about 105lbs and wears very form fitting clothing. Concealing for her isn't easy. We both work at a range and see new and first time shooters come in every week. The best advise I can possibly give is as follows.

I don't know your skill level or how much you have shot or plan on shooting. Therefore, I'm glad to see you pick the 9mm because it's affordable ammo. You will want to spend a good deal of time practicing with a weapon which you plan to carry. Additionally, I would recommend against a G26. Assuming that you're a relatively new shooter, the G26 has a shorter sight radius. This makes learning the marksmanship fundamentals more challenging more often than not for new shooters and thus takes that much more practice/time to get proficient with. Also, with the shorter barrel they tend to have a slight bit more "perceived recoil" than something a little larger. I would HIGHLY recommend staying AWAY from small .38 revolvers. I read earlier that you prefer a semi-auto and that's good to hear. There's nothing wrong with the small .38's but assuming you to be a relatively new shooter again, they are even more difficult to learn how to be accurate with than that of a G26 for a few reasons (generally speaking.)

Although the G19 is a slightly larger framed gun you should have no problems concealing it fairly easily. After our long hard search my wife finally settled on two guns. Her primary is a G19. She open carries most of the time, but will conceal the Glock occasionally as needed. She can sometimes have SOME difficulty with concealing it 100% ie it may SLIGHTLY print, or bulge a tight shirt somewhat. She doesn't really care about this though because she's comfortable with open carry anyhow and in all honesty, most people are so "tunnel visioned" into what they are doing that they BARELY notice OC most of the time, much less a little extra bulge at the belt.

Her secondary carry and "deep concealment" gun is a Kahr. This is another gun that I would recommend you take a look at if you truly feel that the G19 is too big. They make a few different models in 9mm, but I would suggest looking at something like a CW9 or one of their all metal frame models. The trigger feels very similar to that of a Glock, but the grip is much smaller/skinnier. It only holds about half the number of rounds that the G19 does though.

All in all, it's going to be a matter of what feels comfortable for YOU. I typically recommend trying a gun before buying it for new shooters though. I highly recommend you stay with a 9mm. The G19 and some variant of a 1911 are BY FAR the most favored pistols for new women shooters IME and my wife loves them both as well. Good luck and enjoy the 1500. Perhaps you will meet some of us there.

Wow! Thanks for the great info! I will take into consideration all of the great advice that I have recieved from this thread. I am hopeful to find a treasure at the 1500 but know that I will likely come out of this weekend with still nothing, as I want to be sure what I am buying. Regardless...I know that it has been very helpful coming to all of you. I have been given suggestions and things to consider, all of which make great sense! Cannot wait though until I can get out on the range.

...and Yes, that would be great if I could run into some of you while there...but I couldn't even say I know what one of you looks like. Oh-well, maybe someone will recognize me and not be shy to say HI!

Thanks again!

 

[ctrent]

You're Welcome. Like many others have said, hold as many as possible and shoot them if you can before you make a purchase. And remember, you don't necessarily have to buy a new gun; there is nothing wrong with buying a used gun as long as it's not beat all to heck.

The guy I bought my Beretta off of paid $550 for it and only had it for a month when he sold it to me for $400, so sometimes you can get a heck of a deal. By the time you go to the 1500, you might have 50 posts and just be able to buy from the classifieds here!

Awesome! I would love to find such a deal! Maybe I will have some luck on my side...we will see! I will update this thread if I am successful at finding my newest treasure this weekend!!

 

[kjf40]

Thanks! I hadn't considered this one but am looking into it. It does seem to have many features of both the 26 and the sr9c that I like on each. I am curious though about reliability... any input on this?

There are a ton of great reviews out there, just google it.
I haven't met anyone who didn't like the M&P series.

 

[echoagain]

For what its worth (unless someone already mentioned) Popguns at Washington and Post will rent guns for use on their indoor range and they are a Glock dealer. If you are new to handguns, I'd strongly recommend at least a basic NRA course, especially if you have children in the home.

 

[dt420]

Hi. I am planning to buy my first handgun next weekend...and I am extremely excited. I am trying to decide between 3 particular pistols.
1) glock 19
2) glock 26
3) ruger sr9c

I am wanting to conceal carry and size does matter to me. I am a petite gal who plans to carry with an iwb holster. I know as far as reliability and breakdown for cleaning goes glock has this hands down...I am looking for more of an opinion at this point on concealability standards. Cost does matter to me and I know that I can get the ruger for about $100+ cheaper and the reviews on this pistol are not bad for the price comparison.

I look forward to your opinions and thank each of you in advance.

The Ruger SR9c is what I carry. I also use an IWB holster, and I love it.

 

[dt420]

I have had the ruger SR9C for about 3 years now and I love it. Trigger is excellent, never malfunctions, safety is easy to work. In my opinion it an excellent handgun.

I agree. There is 1 issue with my SR9c, neither my wife or her friend could pull the slide back.

 

[the1kidd03]

Wow! Thanks for the great info! I will take into consideration all of the great advice that I have recieved from this thread. I am hopeful to find a treasure at the 1500 but know that I will likely come out of this weekend with still nothing, as I want to be sure what I am buying. Regardless...I know that it has been very helpful coming to all of you. I have been given suggestions and things to consider, all of which make great sense! Cannot wait though until I can get out on the range.

...and Yes, that would be great if I could run into some of you while there...but I couldn't even say I know what one of you looks like. Oh-well, maybe someone will recognize me and not be shy to say HI!

Thanks again!

If you would like to go to the range and try a few guns out let me know. My wife wouldn't have a problem letting you try her carry guns and I've got several others you can get a feel for.

 

[Daltech Force]

My wife carries a Glock26 but she had a trigger safety installed by Nick the Glock Armorer and it makes her more comfortable with a round in the chamber. Good Luck!

 

[ctb1]

I love my Glock 19 but I would recommend checking out the M&P Shield before you buy. They disappear in an IWB holster, feel great in the hand, and seem to be very reliable.

 

[rgrimm01]

How exciting and good for you... When my Lady (petite gal) decided that she wanted a firearm, we went to several gun stores for her to be able to handle as many different handguns(revolvers and autos) as possible. As a primary carry, she ruled out revolvers due to the thickness of the cylinder. In handling the autos, racking the slide was a huge obstacle.

I wanted to get her a Sig but she couldn't rack the slide. She tried Walthers, Glocks, Rugers, Taurus(out of curiosity, I do not trust them, real or imagined?) etal. There were 2 different manufacturers that she could rack and they were all the S&W M&P's(fullsize, compact and Shield) and the Beretta 92FS (which is a big auto). She chose the Shield and loves it...

She does struggle to put more than 5 bullets in the magazine. I see an UpLULA magazine loader in her future.

 

[evanrw61]

I have been told that the Plainfield Shooting Supply (I think its called) has some great deals. I called them earlier today and spoke to John...he seemed very helpful. I told him I would be in to see him this coming weekend...I am hoping this coming Friday to be exact! That would give me the weekend to enjoy some good range time!

You were told correctly, they are easy to deal with and they should have a nice selection at the 1500. I bought a Glock 30 from them at the 1500 in June.
Just to go ahead and muddy the waters further, take a look at the steel framed Kahrs. I have a K-9 and a MK9, and find them to be accurate, reliable and very easy to conceal. Congratulations on your first Pistol purchase. Of the three you listed, I'd vote for the 26.

 

[Spike_351]

Another good option is Walther, theyre handguns tend to have adjustable back straps for the grips to fit your hand better. May be worth checking out. ( tried posting this before but didnt work for some reason)