Why the size of a pistol matters
One thing I absolutely love is to help someone select their first gun.
When making their first gun purchase, many people are directed to the subcompacts and pocket pistols, or maybe a smaller caliber gun, or sometimes small revolvers. These guns are often perceived as easier to use and perpetuate the myth that it’s difficult to handle a full size gun.
These small guns are often used as primary guns, as well as back up guns, because they can be easier to conceal, but they can be more challenging to manipulate and shoot than a compact or full size pistol. So the question is, is a smaller handgun always the best choice for every day carry?
When it comes to compact or full size guns, the ability to lock the slide back and manage the weight of the gun are often considered detractors. But the fact is, locking a slide back and gripping a pistol have less to do with brute strength and everything to do with principles and technique. I recently trained a 14-year old female novice and she was handling a Glock 48, loading, unloading, clearing malfunctions and shooting single rounds accurately at 3, 5 & 7 yds in one lesson.
There are a lot of things to consider when making your first gun purchase, not just the gun, but keep in mind, smaller might not be better. There are many advantages to carrying a larger gun, including better recoil management, higher round capacity, and, with a longer barrel, they are capable of better accuracy at distance.
Working on 6” steel target at 25 yds.
The Sig P365 was recommended to me. I trained with it and carried it for a while. It’s a great little gun. But after getting a bit more experience under my belt, it’s not my go-to for EDC. And after years of training, I find the benefits of a larger grip, reduced recoil, better accuracy at speed and distance, as well as the higher round capacity that you get with the larger frame of a Glock 19 to be far more important.
So when making your first purchase, try to consider a longer horizon and where your training might lead.