[LadyApparent]

I recently purchased my first handgun. I bought a Glock 19 gen5 mos only to find out that I could
not operate the gun. The new gun was way too stiff out of the box. I will be returning
the gun. I need your help in selecting its replacement. I want a really good quality compact or semi
compact Semi-automatic pistol. Preferably a 9mm or a 380.

I am female and I have a genetic abnormality that I inherited from my mother. The disease is called Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy Type 2. It causes progressive muscle weakness and muscle loss. My hands are definitely weak and they will get weaker over time. There is no treatment or cure. I specifically need a gun with the following properties:

1. It must be light weight
2. Must be able to easily operate the slide
3. The slide lock must be easy to use
4. Must be easily dismantled for cleaning
5. Trigger must be easy to pull
6. Prefer 9mm or 380
7. Semi compact - compact pistol.
8. I am a female with small - medium hands.

Please let me know what recommendations you have. I will try the recommended guns at my
local gun range before I buy my next gun.

Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate any suggestions, tips and recommendations you give me.

 

[Higgy Baby]

Welcome to the club LadyApparent....

May not be what yu are looking for....But- my wife carries a Beretta Tomcat 32. It has a tip-up barrel so no need to rack the slide. It has a DA/SA trigger so- the first pull will be a little stiff and all following shots will be easy. It has a 7 round magazine. I believe they also made a 380 in that model a little larger- which may be a better gun to carry.
All the sub compact pistols I have are quiet stiff. So- a slightly larger pistol may be better for you.
I also have a Beretta 85 in 380 that is very easy to rack the slide. Slightly smaller than that Glock 19- but may be a good choice for you.

Perhaps some of the other folks will chime in here and offer some info that is helpful.

Good luck....


Edit: One other thing...Sig Sauer has released their newer P-365 in 380 now. I haven't seen one, but hear very good things about it. Reduced recoil, light recoil spring, 4 oz lighter weight. If you see one of those it may be worth looking at.

 

[LostinTexas]

I've heard mixed reviews from the S&W Shield EZ. It is a good handful in compact size. 9MM, and enough ammo to get you in to trouble, or out. Check out the Ruger Security9. It is a SA, so no long or heavy trigger. A bird of another color, so to speak, but I really like mine, just not enough to pull me away from the G23. If they had made it in a .40 S&W, I'd have bought it sooner and carry it more, a lot more.

All pistols will have resistance for the slide. Some a shade less than others, but it has to have a certain operational perimeter. Try all you can in the store. Tell the clerk what you are doing and find a place that will accommodate you. Since you are looking at G19 size, stay with that. Little micro guns are for the very experienced and usually pretty unpleasant to shoot. FWIW, I am not a fan in any way of 380. Lots of folks like it, but after a career of looking at bullet wounds, it isn't that great. It is literally a belly gun. As in touching the target distance. I'd rather try to start with a little more buffer, and it closes quickly in situations.

LostWife recently got a Taurus 3Gc, a real game changer for Taurus per the reviews. It has been flawless, and she likes the spring tension better than the G23 or her XD. She had to really go to work on technique to operate the slide, but shoots the daylights out of both. All 2 bits and a dollar worth of her.

Welcome to the mayhem and happy shopping.

 

[denner]

I'm thinking the S&W EZ as well. Also, my Brother's wife was practically in the same situation as you and we searched, she finally settled on the Sig P238 and she loves it. Both worth looking at.

 

[SouthernBoy]

For your specific situation, you may want to consider a concealable revolver in .38 Special. No slide to rack, no slide stop to release, no hard to load magazine, and no external safeties to worry about. Give this some consideration.

 

[wirenut]

I would suggest Smith&Wesson EZ series or Walther F-series, they both seem to be offer to those with limited strength.
A mid size frame revolver in .38/357 may also be worthy of a look.

 

[LadyApparent]

I'm thinking the S&W EZ as well. Also, my Brother's wife was practically in the same situation as you and we searched, she finally settled on the Sig P238 and she loves it. Both worth looking at.

Hi,
I have put it on my list and will try it out at the store.
Thank you so much for your help!

 

[tony pasley]

Southernboy is correct don't leave out revolvers in your search. The trigger can be a lot lighter pull, speed loaders make reloading simple.

 

[LadyApparent]

Welcome to the club LadyApparent....

May not be what yu are looking for....But- my wife carries a Beretta Tomcat 32. It has a tip-up barrel so no need to rack the slide. It has a DA/SA trigger so- the first pull will be a little stiff and all following shots will be easy. It has a 7 round magazine. I believe they also made a 380 in that model a little larger- which may be a better gun to carry.
All the sub compact pistols I have are quiet stiff. So- a slightly larger pistol may be better for you.
I also have a Beretta 85 in 380 that is very easy to rack the slide. Slightly smaller than that Glock 19- but may be a good choice for you.

Perhaps some of the other folks will chime in here and offer some info that is helpful.

Good luck....


Edit: One other thing...Sig Sauer has released their newer P-365 in 380 now. I haven't seen one, but hear very good things about it. Reduced recoil, light recoil spring, 4 oz lighter weight. If you see one of those it may be worth looking at.

Hi Higgs,
I will definitely try those guns at the store. I really appreciate all your help.
Thank you very much!

 

[LadyApparent]

Welcome to the club LadyApparent....

May not be what yu are looking for....But- my wife carries a Beretta Tomcat 32. It has a tip-up barrel so no need to rack the slide. It has a DA/SA trigger so- the first pull will be a little stiff and all following shots will be easy. It has a 7 round magazine. I believe they also made a 380 in that model a little larger- which may be a better gun to carry.
All the sub compact pistols I have are quiet stiff. So- a slightly larger pistol may be better for you.
I also have a Beretta 85 in 380 that is very easy to rack the slide. Slightly smaller than that Glock 19- but may be a good choice for you.

Perhaps some of the other folks will chime in here and offer some info that is helpful.

Good luck....


Edit: One other thing...Sig Sauer has released their newer P-365 in 380 now. I haven't seen one, but hear very good things about it. Reduced recoil, light recoil spring, 4 oz lighter weight. If you see one of those it may be worth looking at.

Thank you for all your help. I will try them out at the range and see what works.
Thanks again!

 

[LadyApparent]

Southernboy is correct don't leave out revolvers in your search. The trigger can be a lot lighter pull, speed loaders make reloading simple.

Thank you!!

 

[LadyApparent]

I would suggest Smith&Wesson EZ series or Walther F-series, they both seem to be offer to those with limited strength.
A mid size frame revolver in .38/357 may also be worthy of a look.

I will try them out at the range. I didn't even think about a revolver. Great idea! Thank you

 

[LadyApparent]

For your specific situation, you may want to consider a concealable revolver in .38 Special. No slide to rack, no slide stop to release, no hard to load magazine, and no external safeties to worry about. Give this some consideration.

I didn't think about revolvers. I will try them out at the range. I really appreciate your help.
Thank you!!

 

[LadyApparent]

Southernboy is correct don't leave out revolvers in your search. The trigger can be a lot lighter pull, speed loaders make reloading simple.

Thank you!!

 

[BackyardCowboy]

The link I'll post is for a Halo 'add on" for a Ruger Mark IV 22 pistol. I don't know if there are any comparable adapters for other pistols. Perhaps some other folks will be aware of any.

Ruger® Mark IV™, Mark III™ & 22/45™ Charging Handle | TANDEMKROSS
This is a ring that clamps on to the back of the slide, and to rack the slide you hold the pistol in your dominant hand (Finger OFF trigger), place a finger of your other hand thru the ring of the Halo and pull the slide back to chamber a round.
Wife has used one and loves it due to the arthritis in her hands. Yes, a 22 cal is not much on stopping power, but if you hit your target in the 'correct' location, it'll ruin their whole day.

Again, perhaps there are similar add on devices for other pistols.

 

[CodeSection]

I will try them out at the range. I didn't even think about a revolver. Great idea! Thank you

^^^^^^^^^That is an excellent plan. One thing you should consider, with time, your condition will worsen. While no one may know when that may occur and how that may affect the mobility of your hands, wrists, and arms, I would recommend against a semi-auto pistol.

Frankly, by the sounds of it, I seriously doubt you could clear any type of jam that might occur. Let's say at this point, with training and you can clear all types of failures. But just how long could you if your condition worsens?

For decades my wife carried a Sig Sauer P228 9mm semi-auto pistol. Now that she is older, her strength is as such that she does not want to risk limp-wristing and causing a jam or being unable to clear a jam. Thus she carries a Kimber 6-shot K6S revolver (K6s Stainless). Matter-of-fact, both my daughter and DIL carry the same revolver.

I believe buying a revolver is the best route to take now and for your future. There are simply fewer potential issues with a revolver, especially with your condition. My recommendation is to buy a 6-shot revolver. While a 6-shot may cost more than a 5-shot from another manufacturer, in a life and death situation, you want as many rounds as possible and that extra round may just save your life. Granted, you can use speed loaders (my wife does now) to reload, but you may not be able to in the future.

Thus, in my mind, a 6-shot revolver is best for your situation. Good luck in your search!!!

ETA: Even though the Kimber K6s is a .357 revolver, my wife, daughter, and DIL carry 38 Special +P 130 gr JHP Winchester Ranger LE (Premium 38 Special +P 130 Grain Bonded JHP Ammo From Winchester Ranger for Sale At Lucky Gunner - 50 Rounds) as they have excellent expansion with far less recoil when compared to a .357 round.

Here are some ballistic data that compares various rounds....

.38 Special .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

.357 .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

 

[Babbalou1956]

If you try a revolver make sure you can cock the hammer back because not everyone can. My sister-in-law struggled with shooting my revolver double-action (Ruger LCR 38) so she tried my Ruger LCRX 38 but could not cock the hammer back to shoot single-action.

 

[LadyApparent]

If you try a revolver make sure you can cock the hammer back because not everyone can. My sister-in-law struggled with shooting my revolver double-action (Ruger LCR 38) so she tried my Ruger LCRX 38 but could not cock the hammer back to shoot single-action.

^^^^^^^^^That is an excellent plan. One thing you should consider, with time, your condition will worsen. While no one may know when that may occur and how that may affect the mobility of your hands, wrists, and arms, I would recommend against a semi-auto pistol.

Frankly, by the sounds of it, I seriously doubt you could clear any type of jam that might occur. Let's say at this point, with training and you can clear all types of failures. But just how long could you if your condition worsens?

For decades my wife carried a Sig Sauer P228 9mm semi-auto pistol. Now that she is older, her strength is as such that she does not want to risk limp-wristing and causing a jam or being unable to clear a jam. Thus she carries a Kimber 6-shot K6S revolver (K6s Stainless). Matter-of-fact, both my daughter and DIL carry the same revolver.

I believe buying a revolver is the best route to take now and for your future. There are simply fewer potential issues with a revolver, especially with your condition. My recommendation is to buy a 6-shot revolver. While a 6-shot may cost more than a 5-shot from another manufacturer, in a life and death situation, you want as many rounds as possible and that extra round may just save your life. Granted, you can use speed loaders (my wife does now) to reload, but you may not be able to in the future.

Thus, in my mind, a 6-shot revolver is best for your situation. Good luck in your search!!!

ETA: Even though the Kimber K6s is a .357 revolver, my wife, daughter, and DIL carry 38 Special +P 130 gr JHP Winchester Ranger LE (Premium 38 Special +P 130 Grain Bonded JHP Ammo From Winchester Ranger for Sale At Lucky Gunner - 50 Rounds) as they have excellent expansion with far less recoil when compared to a .357 round.

Here are some ballistic data that compares various rounds....

.38 Special .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

.357 .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

^^^^^^^^^That is an excellent plan. One thing you should consider, with time, your condition will worsen. While no one may know when that may occur and how that may affect the mobility of your hands, wrists, and arms, I would recommend against a semi-auto pistol.

Frankly, by the sounds of it, I seriously doubt you could clear any type of jam that might occur. Let's say at this point, with training and you can clear all types of failures. But just how long could you if your condition worsens?

For decades my wife carried a Sig Sauer P228 9mm semi-auto pistol. Now that she is older, her strength is as such that she does not want to risk limp-wristing and causing a jam or being unable to clear a jam. Thus she carries a Kimber 6-shot K6S revolver (K6s Stainless). Matter-of-fact, both my daughter and DIL carry the same revolver.

I believe buying a revolver is the best route to take now and for your future. There are simply fewer potential issues with a revolver, especially with your condition. My recommendation is to buy a 6-shot revolver. While a 6-shot may cost more than a 5-shot from another manufacturer, in a life and death situation, you want as many rounds as possible and that extra round may just save your life. Granted, you can use speed loaders (my wife does now) to reload, but you may not be able to in the future.

Thus, in my mind, a 6-shot revolver is best for your situation. Good luck in your search!!!

ETA: Even though the Kimber K6s is a .357 revolver, my wife, daughter, and DIL carry 38 Special +P 130 gr JHP Winchester Ranger LE (Premium 38 Special +P 130 Grain Bonded JHP Ammo From Winchester Ranger for Sale At Lucky Gunner - 50 Rounds) as they have excellent expansion with far less recoil when compared to a .357 round.

Here are some ballistic data that compares various rounds....

.38 Special .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

.357 .38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

You are correct about me not being able to clear an obstruction in the Glock 19. I couldn't rack the slide either. The Glock 19 was a brand new gun and very stiff. The glock 19 that I rented from the range was much easier but, I still couldn't lock the slide. I will try these revolvers at the range and the store. I now that I will grt worse. That's why I am asking for everyones opinion. This disease affects everyone differently so, there is no way to gage how I will progress. Thank you so much for your candor and all your suggestions. I really appreciate it!!

 

[Shipwreck]

I too would recommend the Shield EZ for a self defense gun.

Two other options - about 10 years ago, I took my 70 year old mother to the range a few times. She wanted a gun. The only two semi autos she could manually work the slide on was the Bersa 380 Thunder and the Hk USP compact 9mm. She didn't want to spend the money on the HK, so she ended up with the Bersa.

Take a look at those two.

 

[LadyApparent]

I too would recommend the Shield EZ for a self defense gun.

Two other options - about 10 years ago, I took my 70 year old mother to the range a few times. She wanted a gun. The only two semi autos she could manually work the slide on was the Bersa 380 Thunder and the Hk USP compact 9mm. She didn't want to spend the money on the HK, so she ended up with the Bersa.

Take a look at those two.

I will thank you!!