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Took my wife to the gun show at Dallas Market Hall on Saturday......she found some pistols that she liked, but not yet wild on anything. So, looking for suggestions for her, though there are a couple of "requirements":

1. She prefers a 9mm caliber
2. Light-weight
3. Left-handed - she insists on an external safety, so must either have a left-handed model (thumb safety on right), or ambidextrous (like the springfield XD9)
4. She doesn't want a pink gun
5. She's not a fan of full-size (harder to conceal) or smallest sub-compacts (she feels they look like toy guns)
6. She wants a semi-auto, not a revolver

I have a Glock 19, which she doesn't mind shooting at the range, it just doesn't feel "quite right" in her hands and the lack of a thumb safety switch is a deal-buster for her on Glocks. (The one she liked the most for feel is the Ruger LC9, but the safety is on the wrong side and Ruger only makes a few left-handed bolt action rifles, nothing else.)

So.....post those suggestions, got 6 months to find her something she'll love so she'll have it under the Christmas tree!

m&p 9c has one that has an external safety also px4 type f has a compact and a sub model.

Well, I'm a lefty and don't personally find any gun (right-handed controls or not) that hard to operate. You just have to figure out how to operate them. Personally I'd rather shoot guns for right-handers - that way if I ever need to, I can use a gun that's not mine naturally without having to re-learn right-handed controls.

I'm a fan of the Beretta PX4 models. I hate the way Glocks feel in my hand and the PX4's rounded grips really work well for me. The new compact model is fully ambidextrous - slide release, slide-mounted safety, magazine release (the mag release button takes less than 20 seconds to reverse - only tool needed is a paperclip). If you don't need a slide release to be on both sides, the full size is another option (but with everything else adaptable to lefties) as it's not much bigger than the compact.

If she likes the XD and other striker fired guns, there's always the M&P line. The new ones have a frame-mounted thumb safety that is ambi.

That said, I think it'd make the most sense not to outright buy her something. If she doesn't like the way Glocks feel (very few people I know feel that way), what's the chance you'll find one she really does like?

can2boy wrote:m&p 9c has one that has an external safety also px4 type f has a compact and a sub model.

Jinx?

My wife is also left handed and wanted something with a 'manual' safety in 9MM. However, she had the opportunity to shoot a XDsc in .40 S&W and really liked it. The XD does not have a manual safety--it does however have a grip safety and ambidextrous magazine release. The safety on back of the hand grip must be depressed in order to fire it. She found this acceptable to 'her safety standards'. She shot both the .40 and 9MM and like the feel of the .40 over the 9. YMMV

All of the HK pistols have controls on both sides.

can2boy wrote:m&p 9c has one that has an external safety also px4 type f has a compact and a sub model.

+1 on the 9c. I'm a lefty and i really like it,

With the replacable back straps you cant go wrong.

Anything in the M&P iine gets my vote.

• M&P9c
• Springfield EMP
• Kimber Solo
• Kimber Ultra Aegis II

There's 4 right off the top of my head. All have a thumb safety. All are in 9mm. All are small. All are light. All but the M&P9c are single stack guns.

I'm a lefty too. The Aegis would have to have an ambidextrous safety added.....not that hard to do.

smith wesson 3rd gen like a 3913 or 3914tsw.

adamcsills wrote:That said, I think it'd make the most sense not to outright buy her something. If she doesn't like the way Glocks feel (very few people I know feel that way), what's the chance you'll find one she really does like?

Not planning on just buying her one, looking for suggestions for specific models so I can find ranges in the area that have them available as rentals so she can shoot and figure out what she likes the most. But test firing guns can get expensive (especially at places like the Bullet Trap where you also have to buy their range ammo), so was looking for a narrower list.

That said, thanks for all the suggestions, gives me a good choice of models for her to try.

plano2001 wrote:

adamcsills wrote:That said, I think it'd make the most sense not to outright buy her something. If she doesn't like the way Glocks feel (very few people I know feel that way), what's the chance you'll find one she really does like?

Not planning on just buying her one, looking for suggestions for specific models so I can find ranges in the area that have them available as rentals so she can shoot and figure out what she likes the most. But test firing guns can get expensive (especially at places like the Bullet Trap where you also have to buy their range ammo), so was looking for a narrower list.

That said, thanks for all the suggestions, gives me a good choice of models for her to try.

Kahr has a 9mm with a thumb safety option. The PM9 is my favorite for concealed carry. The P9 is also easy to conceal but not as easy as the PM9. They are not offered for lefties but few weapons are. I have a friend who shoots left handed and his accuracy and ability doesn't seem handicapped at all.

plano2001 wrote:

adamcsills wrote:That said, I think it'd make the most sense not to outright buy her something. If she doesn't like the way Glocks feel (very few people I know feel that way), what's the chance you'll find one she really does like?

Not planning on just buying her one, looking for suggestions for specific models so I can find ranges in the area that have them available as rentals so she can shoot and figure out what she likes the most. But test firing guns can get expensive (especially at places like the Bullet Trap where you also have to buy their range ammo), so was looking for a narrower list.

That said, thanks for all the suggestions, gives me a good choice of models for her to try.

How about a $16 visit (for two) to a gun show to narrow the search by holding one of every model before renting? You can try more out before having to spend money renting.

Springfield EMP would fit your requirements well if she's willing to carry a single-action auto.