Quote History Quoted:
A good handgun needs to have a grip that will handle all fingers and not so fat it's hard to reach the trigger. Glock 26 seems to fail both criteria. I had one for less than a week so this is from memory. (Couldn't wait to dump the pistol.) Glock 17 meets the all-fingers criteria but double stack Glocks are still pretty fat. Small pistols are not required for concealed carry but a good holster is.
BTW, no one needs a "good" CHL course. The course is a "ticket punch," nothing more. NRA basic handgun course padded out to 12 hours. Bring twice the coffee you think you'll need! Buy it by price, one is a good as another. If you want skills training you need to attend a good 3-day "basic" pistol course, something on the order of TDI Ohio's offering. They down in Union County and their classes fill fast. First two days punches the CHL ticket with the difference being there's some skills acquired.
-- Chuck
View Quote
Good advice. Take the cheapest CHL class that she can, just to get the state requirements done. Then range time and training with concealed carry as the focus.
I would add to steer her away from the "micro" pistols in .380, the LCP, bodyguard, etc. They are usually very snappy in recoil, and most people even with small hands have problems with manipulations. The .380 round is really weak for the amount of recoil as well.
The shield and Kahr pistols in 9mm are good places to start, as well as some of the hammerless .38 revolvers.
ETA
while most instructors do their best to give their students the best class available, 12 hours, even of just solid range time, is not enough to prepare you to carry concealed. I don't care how much time you have spent shooting. Defensive shooting skills need to be practiced regularly, and correctly, to be of any use.
I loosely teach the basic pistol, and add pertinent information along the way. The stuff I add is always of a defensive nature, with a huge emphasis on proper mindset and when to shoot/ not shoot. I require 100 rounds minimum, and use defensive drills for the range time.
I also tell my students that my class is enough to allow them carry legally, and they can, but they have an obligation to themselves, and anyone they wish to protect, to continue their training beyond the basic course.