SP101 .327 for a small lady?

[Dannix]

Right now she has a Kahr K9 that I'm letting her borrow, and that seems to fit her small hands sufficiently well, but she cannot rack the slide, so that's obviously not a good solution for her.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking of picking up a SP101 in .327 Federal for her to try, but I'd like to stick with semi-auto if there's any recommendations you may have.

I did notice the Springfield XDS banner above the forum and checked that out, and while I'm not a fan of the XD pistols in general (perhaps I'm just a Glock snob), that is a consideration. (The M&P Shield is out since a manual safety is a no-go for me for a striker-fire pistol.)

Hum, would Kahr's 45ACP line have an easier to rack slide? I'm not crazy about the Kahr trigger, but since this is for her, not for me, that's a bit moot.

Thanks

[Hickory]

The sp 101 in 327 are hard to find.
I don't think Ruger made them over a year or two.

[Cosmiceyes]

They make lady Smith still. A 4 inch Mod.14 is a easy find in .38 special.Wad-cutters are deadly accurate,and make huge mushrooms at target loads.A pair of compaq grips are made for small hands.The 38 will only kick more than a 327 if loaded hot,and heavy.If mine need to defend herself in winter,I recommend the 38 as it will go through layers of clothing still reaching vitals.The 327 will not.Practice make confidence with any gun.
The Ruger 101 is a pound heaver,and a bigger gun overall compared to the J-Frame smith.So small hands fit better.As a NRA firearms safety instructor I found women prefer the revolver over the auto in defensive weapons.In target shooting a semi auto 22LR is enjoyed in their hands.

[wlc]

I bought my wife a SP 101 in 38/357. She does fine with it in 38. Haven't tried her on the 357's yet, but I figure it'll be ok as well as she shoots my Glock in 40 S&W with no problems.

[knifemaker]

If she is having problems racking a slide on a semi-auto. She would be better off with a smaller revolver in 38 spec. caliber. S&W and Ruger both make a excellant small size 38 spec. revolver that would serve as a house defense gun, and small & light enough that she would not mind carry it in her purse if she should decide later to obtain a concealed weapons permit.
I have trained a lot of women in firearms as a firearms instructor and have found that on average most women prefer and do better with a smaller size revolver in 38. For practice wadcutter ammo is cheap and has light recoil that is comfortable enough that they injoy practicing with it. They can switch to 110-125 hollow points for their defense loads.

[MaryB]

I just picked up a Walther PK380. I have arthritis and shoulder issues making heavy slides hard to pull back and this I can rack with 2 fingers.

[LenH]

I've had a SP-101 38/357 for about 10 years, .38 special is easy to shoot but the .357 mag can hammer your hand pretty bad.
But not as bad as some of the 9mm compact pistols. You might consider a Lady Smith in 38 special, it is a bit lighter than the SP.

[Wayne Smith]

DON'T choose her pistol!! Take her to a range that rents them and have her shoot several until she finds what she likes and with which she is comfortable. Then buy one of those.

[Echo]

I use a Ruger LCR in 38 Special to teach the ladies. I suggest it for anyone, for a bedside table gun. Light, DA only, safe, easily carried in a purse, &cetera. They also make it in 22 MRF, and I am seriously considering it as preferable for the distaff side - not nearly the recoil, LOUD Bang, and flash, and capable of doing great bodily harm. Possible for the lady to shoot (and hit) 5 times, something not likely with the 38, or especially the 357. Granted, not the power of the CF cartridges, but a friend saved his own life, and several others, in Saigon when a VC popped into the bar he was in and started shooting. Jim ended it with his High Standard derringer.

[jmort]

"I'm not a fan of the XD pistols in general (perhaps I'm just a Glock snob), that is a consideration."

It is impossible to be a "Glock snob", a Glock fanboy yes or a Glock drone yes. I could see someone saying they are a (Insert name of custom) 1911 .45 acp snob or a Freedom Arms snob. I agree with the idea of letting her try out a few guns and let her choose.

[casca]

I have a glock 21 & a couple of 1911, my small frame big top wife like to have the SP101 with plus P 38 specials when we need to tuck somethin away for trips.

I think the SP101 is a great choice but the 357mag pistol better selection

casca

[1Shirt]

A small frame 38S double action revolver that goes bang every time you pull the trigger is one of the best for a small woman. Little autos that require a slide pull to load are not ideal for a small female, and carry with a round in the chamber is not necessarily a smart move either. Small double action 38's hardly ever bind up, but small semi autos often to and require practice to clear.
1Shirt!

[jonp]

I have all of the pistols you mention although the sp101 is 357. my wife is 5ft2in and 110lbs. She has no problem racking the slide on my k9 or her mk9 and her kahr cw45acp. If your wife can not I would not get an auto for her. The sp101 in 357 is a great gun. Use 38sp for practice and carry 357.

[fredj338]

I like the sp101, but not a fan of snubs for inexp shooters. A 3" sp101 in 357mag, shooting 38s- is a better bet IMO, but that is me. Nothing smaller than a 9mm for a SD round. What I like about the rev is it can easily be made to fit any hand size. The DA pull does require more practice to be effective with, but can be learned. The downside to any rev is ammo cap, but for a HD gun, 5-6rds probably handles 95% of any situation in the home.
FWIW, racking the slide does not require strength but proper technique. Teach her proper tech, any semi is easily handled.

[dondiego]

The OP is asking about an SP 101 in .327 Federal Mag. and I think that it is an excellent choice. The .327 Fed. has a lot more oomph and penetration than you might expect without the recoil of a .357 mag or even a .38 spl. +P. you also have the option of shooting .32 H&R Mag, .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W, and even .32 ACP. The .327 Fed is similar to shooting a .32-20 or .30 carbine.

[pdawg_shooter]

If she carries for protection, go with a 38...not a 32.

[novalty]

I purchased a SP101 for my carry piece, and my wife didn't have any troubles firing 38 Special loads out of it--but doubt she would want to shoot much 357. She did mention in the test batch loads I had made up of 158gr. SJHP's, that she noticed the recoil increase around mid-level loads. She didn't complain that it was too much, nor did it affect her accuracy.

[dondiego]

pdawg - Have you ever shot a .327 Federal Mag?

[pdawg_shooter]

No, I have no use for sub-caliber hand guns.

[JeffinNZ]

DON'T choose her pistol!! Take her to a range that rents them and have her shoot several until she finds what she likes and with which she is comfortable. Then buy one of those.

+1 on that.

My concern with the 327 is it will be loud and crisp.