Can confirm. I'm a 5'1" small woman. I'm practicing diligently to become proficient with my SSCR920 which I got for CC; but I am not nearly as good with it as I am w/ my HKVP9 - and shooting my husband's steel frame Canik Rival is downright luxurious. Bigger guns are more enjoyable to shoot - and build confidence. Also - ideally, no one should buy a fire arm except the person that's going to use it - if it's possible to go to the range and try out different guns - since - preference is very personal. The HKVP9 was my first and I rented a lot of guns before I settled on what felt most comfortable for me. I also compared the SS to a couple of other microcompacts before making a choice.
Nice concise vid… great information… after exposing my wife to both pistol sizes without biasing her with which one she SHOULD do better with, admittedly she gravitated to the smaller pistol first. She’s 5’1 with small to medium hand size with good grip/arm strength. After running about 50 rss thru both she never picked up the subcompact again. We used Springfield’s Hellcat and XD9 4” for our test.
I'd like to compliment this. My wife thought she'd like a smaller CCW -to avoid the footprint of her G2c & G3; so she bought a G43... I honestly tried to suggest that she try her friends out first, but saying that she had, I shut my mouth -and went directly to Amazon and ordered 4 mags w/Finger-Well. Well, she put 100 rds down range, and had never picked it up since. But she went back to the G2c to CC! There's a good ending though: I got a free ankle piece! 😂
I was VERY glad to see this video come up in the first 10 here when I typed in women’s self defense. Many people do not understand this and it is SO important! Thanks, Gary!
I've always used my .22 Buckmark when showing someone how to shoot a pistol for the very first time. After a few sessions at the range, and after they have the fundamentals down, I'll move them up to my full sized 9mm. I'll even rent several different brand 9mms for them to try, and out of the 5-6 brands, they will find one that "fits them".
That's absolutely true except most of them won't carry something as big as a full sized pistol as it doesnt fit into there carry spot (purse or other) Something like the S&W EZ models in 9mm or 380 tend to fit the bill pretty well.
I’m specifically addressing buying them their first firearm or their initial training. Once they get the fundamentals down, they can handle a smaller firearm better. Most men can’t shoot a sub-compact well, and having a woman shoot a micro-compact as her first gun is a good way for them to never want to shoot again. IMO 380 is not a good self defense round for anyone. If a woman is trained, she will be able to handle a compact 9mm just fine. There’s very little different in recoil between the two but there is a big difference in terminal ballistics. With training, anyone can shoot 9mm proficiently. Thanks for watching.
@@paramounttactical Absolutely. The initial training is best with a full-sized handgun to learn fundamentals. I've been training people (men & women) to shoot for decades and each individual is different and requires special attention to what will work/won’t work for them. The #1 priority is training. If they won’t continue to train/practice with their firearm they won’t do well when they need it. Even though smaller calibers are not preferred, it is better to have a shooter comfortable and to actually carry a smaller gun rather than not carry and not practice. I try to get all of the people I teach to shoot major calibers such as 9mm, 40 S&W or 45 ACP but it they won’t carry them I'd rather they have something they carry and can shoot even if that means a small caliber pistol. Even though I advocate for a larger caliber gun, a 22 LR , 32 ACP or a 380 ACP are all better than not having a gun when you need 1
Great video and advice. I have a female friend who is right at 5’ tall. She is very slim and she wanted to get into owning a handgun for personal defense. She had a lot of folks tell her to get a p365. I told her since this isn’t a conceal carry gun, try a compact or full size, so we went to the range and I had her try my p320 axg legion and full size m&p. She said afterwards that the bigger guns were much easier to shoot and control. The smaller guns as you said take more time and practice to get better with.
GREAT TIP. My wife is 5'2" and I tried to warn her that the P365XL requires a lot more grip strength and little guns are crappier no matter how good you are with pistols. My console has the Hellcat RDP which is fine but I hate micro guns. Glock 19 is sort of a point of no return midpoint where everything smaller than that sucks exponentially worse the smaller it gets. Don't even bother telling me the Sig is fine, the M&P Micro, the Glock 43, don't care, they all suck and are like that ax by the fire extinguisher, hope you never have to use it. My wife's favorite pistol I have is the CZ 75 SP-01. Hope she never gets mad at me, hasn't yet in decades, enough to shoot me but if she does I want her shooting her P365.
@@fireandice5290 A very proven and reasonable choice. I definitely speak only for myself. What I love about pistols now, everyone can get what they want and what's best for them.
My wife can barely rack the slide on my full sized 9mm pistol. We have had several practice sessions too. I am rethinking my thoughts on her using a semi auto pistol for home defense.
Well, a pistol isn’t the optimal choice for anyone for home defense. I’d look at the M&P FPC ua-cam.com/video/k-4ZKF5jaqo/v-deo.htmlsi=E1ITGkX7Zwb7d56R The FPC which is essentially a pistol caliber rifle optimal for home defense. Rifles are easier to shoot accurately especially under stress. Put an optic on it and light and it would be a superb home defense solution. If you’d like a pistol that she can load easily look into the M&P 9mm EZ. She’ll be able to manipulate the slide easily on that. Hope you find a good solution. If you do, send us an update as to what worked for her. Thanks for watching! -Gary
@@paramounttactical I was also thinking a Ruger PC Carbine might be a good option since it is pretty much no frills. I do think a charging handle would be easier for her to load a round as opposed to racking the slide. I'm also thinking a revolver is not a bad option since I know she has fired them before growing up on a farm. I think something that can be picked up and put into action very quick is important.
@@Timpala44 revolvers are terrible. Slow, hard to shoot, low capacity, slow to reload, high recoil… You need to take her to a course. If it’s a legitimate reputable company they will help her find the right firearm. If she can’t run a 300rd course with a particular gun, and she wouldn’t be able to with a revolver, she shouldn’t use it for self defense.
My wife got a cz p10 s and its a great gun, runs well, BUT it's big in her hand even with the smallest grip installed, it's super stiff and hard for her to rack the slide and impossible for her to grip, slide, and push the slide release to disassemble. Her first small caliber was a stainless AMT backup .380 but it had a grip safety that she could barely squeeze. She has small hands but she also has a heritage rough rider 22 single action revolver that she likes but it's way too long and not legal for her to carry a 6-gun in a belt like a western movie
Did she buy her gun new? It helps a lot to store with the slide locked back. I've bought 2 new handguns and both were initally quite stiff, but storing with the slide locked back, manipulating frequently and shooting helps break things in.
@@iKnollex I specifically didn’t address CCW here. Of course you want a smaller gun for CCW. Shooting a small gun well is an advanced skill. Then carrying concealed and sticking guns in one’s pants and being able to retrieve them quickly and competently is an another, more advanced skill. This is why we require people take our Defensive Handgun Level I & II and our Traumatic Injury Response Course (Civilian TCCC) before taking our Advanced Concealed Carry Course. Most new shooters take or would greatly benefit from taking our Defensive HG I and II couple of times before taking our Advanced Concealed Carry Course.
This topic about “women & firearms” should be continuously, as new pistols are keep coming but yet most women keep saying the same excuses for going to the range needless to say carry it. Some like the task as security but hate to practice regularly (like Trump’s secret service). Thanks for you & your sister’s help/advice. We appreciate it.
Nothing wrong with small guns. They’re necessary for CCW but it’s just not the place to start. Anyone shooting needs to start with a full size gun, get proficient and then move to the smaller. Those are black belt guns. Gotta wax on before you crane kick. 🥷🏾
But I have small hands so I need something that isn’t a full size gun grip. It’s harder for me to reach the trigger and also have good grip. Just sayin 🤷♀️
@@paigetidwell4152 almost all modern guns have modular grips that you can change. At their smallest, even most kids can grip them correctly. Some make/model grips are definitely smaller than others. With a little research, you should be able to find a gun that fits your hands. If you’re local to our shop, we could help you out.
This is entirely the wrong approach. New shooters don’t know enough to even know what “liking” a firearm means. A trained, experienced, and knowledgeable firearm user will “like” completely different guns. The opinion expressed in this comment is the equivalent of “let a new shooter shoot however they want or are comfortable”. No, there’s correct form and technique used to stand, grip, acquire a sight picture, trigger squeeze and follow through. Regardless of which firearm is used no one will be “comfortable” with a firearm until they are trained and confident. That initial training should be done on a full size firearm. Once they are competent and confident with a firearm they have earned the knowledge and skill to know which is “comfortable for them”. Women don’t fail to carry a gun because it doesn’t “feel comfortable” in their hand. They don’t carry a firearm bc they don’t feel confident, competent, and they’re afraid of a gun because their husbands only tell them to “see how this one feels” and don’t understand the real issues.
Great video and makes sense. Supposedly the PDP series F was made for smaller hands. It seems it would fit perfect for this approach. Is it even worth a look? Walther PDP F Different But Not Really - ua-cam.com/video/U26kada-Py0/v-deo.html&ab_channel=TacticalConsiderations
Learning to properly shoot is like the difference of how to drive a manual versus automatic transmission. You train on smaller caliber pistols, not the frame. This is in reverse of your video, however one must be comfortable with grip and weight.
Can confirm. I'm a 5'1" small woman. I'm practicing diligently to become proficient with my SSCR920 which I got for CC; but I am not nearly as good with it as I am w/ my HKVP9 - and shooting my husband's steel frame Canik Rival is downright luxurious. Bigger guns are more enjoyable to shoot - and build confidence. Also - ideally, no one should buy a fire arm except the person that's going to use it - if it's possible to go to the range and try out different guns - since - preference is very personal. The HKVP9 was my first and I rented a lot of guns before I settled on what felt most comfortable for me. I also compared the SS to a couple of other microcompacts before making a choice.
Nice concise vid… great information… after exposing my wife to both pistol sizes without biasing her with which one she SHOULD do better with, admittedly she gravitated to the smaller pistol first. She’s 5’1 with small to medium hand size with good grip/arm strength.
After running about 50 rss thru both she never picked up the subcompact again. We used Springfield’s Hellcat and XD9 4” for our test.
I'd like to compliment this. My wife thought she'd like a smaller CCW -to avoid the footprint of her G2c & G3; so she bought a G43... I honestly tried to suggest that she try her friends out first, but saying that she had, I shut my mouth -and went directly to Amazon and ordered 4 mags w/Finger-Well.
Well, she put 100 rds down range, and had never picked it up since. But she went back to the G2c to CC!
There's a good ending though: I got a free ankle piece! 😂
So she likes the G2C?...my wife thought it was heavy.
I was VERY glad to see this video come up in the first 10 here when I typed in women’s self defense. Many people do not understand this and it is SO important! Thanks, Gary!
I've always used my .22 Buckmark when showing someone how to shoot a pistol for the very first time. After a few sessions at the range, and after they have the fundamentals down, I'll move them up to my full sized 9mm. I'll even rent several different brand 9mms for them to try, and out of the 5-6 brands, they will find one that "fits them".
Excellent
That's absolutely true except most of them won't carry something as big as a full sized pistol as it doesnt fit into there carry spot (purse or other) Something like the S&W EZ models in 9mm or 380 tend to fit the bill pretty well.
I’m specifically addressing buying them their first firearm or their initial training. Once they get the fundamentals down, they can handle a smaller firearm better. Most men can’t shoot a sub-compact well, and having a woman shoot a micro-compact as her first gun is a good way for them to never want to shoot again. IMO 380 is not a good self defense round for anyone. If a woman is trained, she will be able to handle a compact 9mm just fine. There’s very little different in recoil between the two but there is a big difference in terminal ballistics. With training, anyone can shoot 9mm proficiently. Thanks for watching.
@@paramounttactical Absolutely. The initial training is best with a full-sized handgun to learn fundamentals. I've been training people (men & women) to shoot for decades and each individual is different and requires special attention to what will work/won’t work for them. The #1 priority is training. If they won’t continue to train/practice with their firearm they won’t do well when they need it. Even though smaller calibers are not preferred, it is better to have a shooter comfortable and to actually carry a smaller gun rather than not carry and not practice. I try to get all of the people I teach to shoot major calibers such as 9mm, 40 S&W or 45 ACP but it they won’t carry them I'd rather they have something they carry and can shoot even if that means a small caliber pistol. Even though I advocate for a larger caliber gun, a 22 LR , 32 ACP or a 380 ACP are all better than not having a gun when you need 1
My wife trained up to a Glock 20 w/135 gr underwood
Very good video. My mom needed to see this. My dad too.
Great video and advice. I have a female friend who is right at 5’ tall. She is very slim and she wanted to get into owning a handgun for personal defense. She had a lot of folks tell her to get a p365. I told her since this isn’t a conceal carry gun, try a compact or full size, so we went to the range and I had her try my p320 axg legion and full size m&p. She said afterwards that the bigger guns were much easier to shoot and control. The smaller guns as you said take more time and practice to get better with.
GREAT TIP. My wife is 5'2" and I tried to warn her that the P365XL requires a lot more grip strength and little guns are crappier no matter how good you are with pistols. My console has the Hellcat RDP which is fine but I hate micro guns. Glock 19 is sort of a point of no return midpoint where everything smaller than that sucks exponentially worse the smaller it gets. Don't even bother telling me the Sig is fine, the M&P Micro, the Glock 43, don't care, they all suck and are like that ax by the fire extinguisher, hope you never have to use it. My wife's favorite pistol I have is the CZ 75 SP-01. Hope she never gets mad at me, hasn't yet in decades, enough to shoot me but if she does I want her shooting her P365.
I’m loling at that last sentence
Speak for yourself I'm 5,4 125 pounds and I prefer my 43x over my 17 for many reasons
But I bet your 43X wasn’t your first pistol.
@@fireandice5290 A very proven and reasonable choice. I definitely speak only for myself. What I love about pistols now, everyone can get what they want and what's best for them.
My wife can barely rack the slide on my full sized 9mm pistol. We have had several practice sessions too. I am rethinking my thoughts on her using a semi auto pistol for home defense.
Well, a pistol isn’t the optimal choice for anyone for home defense.
I’d look at the M&P FPC
ua-cam.com/video/k-4ZKF5jaqo/v-deo.htmlsi=E1ITGkX7Zwb7d56R
The FPC which is essentially a pistol caliber rifle optimal for home defense. Rifles are easier to shoot accurately especially under stress. Put an optic on it and light and it would be a superb home defense solution.
If you’d like a pistol that she can load easily look into the M&P 9mm EZ.
She’ll be able to manipulate the slide easily on that.
Hope you find a good solution. If you do, send us an update as to what worked for her.
Thanks for watching!
-Gary
@@paramounttactical I was also thinking a Ruger PC Carbine might be a good option since it is pretty much no frills. I do think a charging handle would be easier for her to load a round as opposed to racking the slide. I'm also thinking a revolver is not a bad option since I know she has fired them before growing up on a farm. I think something that can be picked up and put into action very quick is important.
@@Timpala44 revolvers are terrible. Slow, hard to shoot, low capacity, slow to reload, high recoil…
You need to take her to a course. If it’s a legitimate reputable company they will help her find the right firearm.
If she can’t run a 300rd course with a particular gun, and she wouldn’t be able to with a revolver, she shouldn’t use it for self defense.
I have been shooting a VERY LONG TIME. I learn the basics on active duty. My CCW is a full sized Beretta PX4. Recoil control is a thing.
Great tip
Great insight and advice!
My wife got a cz p10 s and its a great gun, runs well, BUT it's big in her hand even with the smallest grip installed, it's super stiff and hard for her to rack the slide and impossible for her to grip, slide, and push the slide release to disassemble. Her first small caliber was a stainless AMT backup .380 but it had a grip safety that she could barely squeeze. She has small hands but she also has a heritage rough rider 22 single action revolver that she likes but it's way too long and not legal for her to carry a 6-gun in a belt like a western movie
I’d look at an M&P EZ in 9mm.
Did she buy her gun new? It helps a lot to store with the slide locked back. I've bought 2 new handguns and both were initally quite stiff, but storing with the slide locked back, manipulating frequently and shooting helps break things in.
I like the idea of buying a full-size handgun to start, but when it comes to CCW it's just not possible when you have a small frame.
@@iKnollex I specifically didn’t address CCW here. Of course you want a smaller gun for CCW. Shooting a small gun well is an advanced skill. Then carrying concealed and sticking guns in one’s pants and being able to retrieve them quickly and competently is an another, more advanced skill.
This is why we require people take our Defensive Handgun Level I & II and our Traumatic Injury Response Course (Civilian TCCC) before taking our Advanced Concealed Carry Course.
Most new shooters take or would greatly benefit from taking our Defensive HG I and II couple of times before taking our Advanced Concealed Carry Course.
I have a Glock 34 at home for my wife and a Glock 19 her to carry
Facts
This topic about “women & firearms” should be continuously, as new pistols are keep coming but yet most women keep saying the same excuses for going to the range needless to say carry it. Some like the task as security but hate to practice regularly (like Trump’s secret service). Thanks for you & your sister’s help/advice. We appreciate it.
I will admit I bought my wife who is 5’2” a sig 365 and found out she likes shooting my x-5 legion more. My bad🤷
Nothing wrong with small guns. They’re necessary for CCW but it’s just not the place to start. Anyone shooting needs to start with a full size gun, get proficient and then move to the smaller. Those are black belt guns. Gotta wax on before you crane kick. 🥷🏾
But I have small hands so I need something that isn’t a full size gun grip. It’s harder for me to reach the trigger and also have good grip. Just sayin 🤷♀️
@@paigetidwell4152 almost all modern guns have modular grips that you can change. At their smallest, even most kids can grip them correctly. Some make/model grips are definitely smaller than others. With a little research, you should be able to find a gun that fits your hands. If you’re local to our shop, we could help you out.
A larger gun, huh? Does that mean I can buy the missus a Super Blackhawk? 😁
I came here to say let her rent different variants and figure it out. If shes not comfortable with it she won't carry it.
This is entirely the wrong approach. New shooters don’t know enough to even know what “liking” a firearm means. A trained, experienced, and knowledgeable firearm user will “like” completely different guns.
The opinion expressed in this comment is the equivalent of “let a new shooter shoot however they want or are comfortable”. No, there’s correct form and technique used to stand, grip, acquire a sight picture, trigger squeeze and follow through.
Regardless of which firearm is used no one will be “comfortable” with a firearm until they are trained and confident.
That initial training should be done on a full size firearm. Once they are competent and confident with a firearm they have earned the knowledge and skill to know which is “comfortable for them”.
Women don’t fail to carry a gun because it doesn’t “feel comfortable” in their hand. They don’t carry a firearm bc they don’t feel confident, competent, and they’re afraid of a gun because their husbands only tell them to “see how this one feels” and don’t understand the real issues.
S&W air weight is what my wife likes best
Great video and makes sense. Supposedly the PDP series F was made for smaller hands. It seems it would fit perfect for this approach. Is it even worth a look?
Walther PDP F Different But Not Really - ua-cam.com/video/U26kada-Py0/v-deo.html&ab_channel=TacticalConsiderations
I’ll be taking about this more in depth tonight on our livestream at 7pm ET.
Learning to properly shoot is like the difference of how to drive a manual versus automatic transmission. You train on smaller caliber pistols, not the frame. This is in reverse of your video, however one must be comfortable with grip and weight.
Uhh.. no. Not starting off. Which is the context of this video.
This video is ridiculous