Grips for (dont laugh) small hands

charlottekid

Can anyone recommend either / or (1) specific firearm or (2) aftermarket / OEM grips for someone with small hands? I am thinking .45 ACP or 9mm, price isnt that much of object, not for concealed carry - more for target. Like 1911 look vs M&P look. Steel over synthetic.

I tried a Springfield Armory 45 mini with some brown grips - synthetic i think - with striations/grooves that fit real nice but i am neither sure of (a) gun or (b) grips.

Links would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Regards
CK

midnightrunpaintballer

best advice would be to go to your local gunshops and pick up every single firearm meeting your criteria and help narrow down what you like. then we can help you better. if you decide to go with a 1911 of some sort, they are usually in my experience thinner (due to single stack) but if you find something else out there with a single stack it may be thinner. go see what you LIKE and let us know. then we'll tell you where to look for a better deal on it or better quality. hope this helps.

perry shooter

Hello My suggestion is if you have small hands and you just want to target practice then go with a 22 RimFire. much cheaper to shoot less recoil so much less prone to FLINCH .If you learn to shoot a 22 well then go with larger Caliber. You have a large choice of quality pistols in 22 Rim Fire with small grips #1 Ruger Bearcat. #2early High Standards Pre model 101 Like a Model B #3 Pre WW II Colt Woodsman's in either 4 inch barrel or 6inch barrel. All of these guns will hold their value and may be a good investment. Also a colt 1911 in 45ACP and then buy a Marvel Conversion kit in 22 Rim Fire. This way you can practice with 22 and the change over to 45 will be very easy with the same pistol grip frame and trigger.

Edit Marvel conversion is a Match Grade 22 Rim-Fire conversion kit that replaces every thing on the top half of a 1911 Type pistol WITH OUT tools and you can change back and forth They are sold by Marvel direct as well as MIDWAY USA.

RCrosby

If you decide on the 1911 platform the Marvel conversion is definately a good idea. Also someone (sorry I don't know who, but I'm sure others do) makes a set of standard "looking" but noticably thinner grip panels for the Colt. Also if you try, or decide to buy, a 1911 that has an arched mainspring housing, replacing that with a flat one is easy and makes the grip more friendly for folks like you and me with smaller mitts.
Good luck,

charlottekid

Sorry to repost - but what is the Marvel conversion?

iwannausername

I have small hands (7.5 sterile gloves when i worked in the hospital) and a standard 1911 (mine is a Rock Island) is OK for me, but thinner grips will be the first thing I afford for it besides more ammo. There are a few makers of ultra thin 1911 grips out there.

You may also want to look at the browning hi power platform, and the CZ75 (and clones thereof) as well - both shot comfortably for me.

pickenup

Just to see if it would fit.
Walther P-99.
Comes with 3 different size straps, for different size hands.
Have the gun dealer change them out to the small ones.

moonshine

check on GB under grips they have thin ones for a .45
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Browse.asp?Cat=3033&Timeframe=0&Sort=0&Items=50&Page=1&SearchLogic=0

Wehrmacht_45

Some good gun for small hands

Walther P1/P38
S&W 39, 3906
Colt 1911 or clone
Glock 21 Slimine.
Walther p99
Walther PPS

Wolf.

--
-Hi CharlotteKid,
I have small hands, too.

There are four (4) semi-auto pistols that I find the most comfortable hand fit for me and I am sure you will find their ergonomics tough to beat as well:
--Colt M1911 (Government) .45 acp, single stack magazine.
--Browning Hi-Power .9mm, staggered stack (the original hi-cap mag).
--Colt Government .380 acp (scaled-down version of the M1911).
--Colt Mustang .380 acp (an even tinyer, scaled-down M1911).

The M1911 and the Browning Hi-Power are both John Browning-designed guns. Both the .380s are, as noted, Browning scale-downs.

As far as slim grips go, the factory grips on any of these four pistols are pretty slim already. If I wanted slimmer grips, I would try to find an inexpensive set of either factory replacements or an aftermarket set (try www.vintagegrips.com) and sand them down on a 280-grit sheet of sandpaper mounted on a hard surface. Sanding down the thickness of the grips may, in the process, also slightly decrease the width of the grip, but probably not enough to matter. I would not alter the factory grips, but save them in a safe place. Twenty to forty dollars for special thin grips is a waste in my opinion. I don't see any sense in paying more than a few bucks for a set of grips. You can probably find what you are looking for either at vintagegrips.com, Gunbroker or eBay. Heck, if you are a shooter, probably someone you know has a set they'll give you.

For targets, plinking, etc., the two larger pistols (M1911 & Hi-Power) would be the best bet for you. Any of the four guns will work just fine for self-protection or concealed carry.

He Dog

Esmeralda makes thin grips for 19ll's. Check her at http://www.esmeralda.cc/