Finding the proper grip size for pistols.

[Elbowtko]

Hello everyone!

I recently purchased a Glock G19 Gen 4, and I am currently inbetween sizes for grips.

I have trouble deciding between no back strap, or the medium with beavertail. Now the beavertail I feel doesn't concern me too much but more rather what the medium strap does to my arrangement with my pistol.

I have read many guides online regarding finding the right fit and based on these results I have difficulty deciding.

Trigger reach: W/ medium strap, with my hands in the proper position (in the web of the hand in the pointing towards the middle of the forearms.) I am able to gain consistent position of my trigger finger pad onto the trigger face. Right smack in the middle perfect almost every time if I put my finger ALL THE WAY IN EXTENDED. It won't go in through any further, it is almost impossible to get my first joint into the trigger face.

W/ No strap, while on the range I find it a bit more inconsistent getting the middle of the finger print area directly onto the trigger face. Sometimes it will be too far in (almost touching the first joint) and other times almost to the tip of the finger nail area. While it is less consistent, I don't think I have problems going too far INTO the trigger where it would reach my first joint (a big no no). It took more concentration to fire cause of the lack of consistency. I was just as accurate with the medium strap, but I saw that it took more time and concentration to get the same results.

Mag release: w/ medium strap I do not feel confident being able to activate every single time, unless I change my grip slightly to compensate. I don't mind buying a after market mag release if it will help

w/ No strap reliable, confident with little to no change in grip.

One hand operation and grip: w/ medium strap encircling my hand in full grasp my thumb can overlap my middle finger around half a thumb nail's width, it feels JUST BARELY secure in my hand.

No strap: thumb encircles a full thumbnail's width, feels secure in hand.

Should I just stick with the medium strap, and get a new mag release. Or is a smaller grip generally better and with more practice I will get more consistency with the trigger reach even if it is not perfect?

[Pappabear]

Run all variants for several shoots each and see what feels best SHOOTING. I am all over this topic right now, I believe people put on the grip that feels best in the kitchen and never try the other. Shoot with both and decide based on shooting the gun.

I have changed a few out AFTER shooting think one was better than the other.

PB

[okie john]

Compare the different combinations on a timer. Go with the fastest and most accurate one.


Okie John

[ra2bach]

Run all variants for several shoots each and see what feels best SHOOTING. I am all over this topic right now, I believe people put on the grip that feels best in the kitchen and never try the other. Shoot with both and decide based on shooting the gun.

I have changed a few out AFTER shooting think one was better than the other.

PB

yep. M&P small insert felt best to me - more like 1911 which I shot a lot. but side by side with a medium, I shoot the medium better. unless I'm wearing gloves which I do when shooting a carbine and jocked up with gear...

and the large insert with backstrap? ain't nobody got time fo'dat...

[Tzed250]

I know with my Walther PPS that I thought the larger backstrap felt better while gripping and handling the gun. The proof came when the smaller backstrap allowed better recoil control and consistent grip through the magazine.

[Elbowtko]

yep. M&P small insert felt best to me - more like 1911 which I shot a lot. but side by side with a medium, I shoot the medium better. unless I'm wearing gloves which I do when shooting a carbine and jocked up with gear...

and the large insert with backstrap? ain't nobody got time fo'dat...

Yes, while wearing gloves I have noticed that it is like already giving me a medium backstrap, when I have no strap at all. With a medium + gloves, my trigger finger touches the right side face of the trigger initially and I have really unsecure one hand hold.

[Army Chief]

The more time I spend around interchangeable backstraps and such, the more theoretical their advantages seem to become to me. Granted, I think it's great that we have more choice and the ability to customize, but invariably what you seem to find is that the stock/default part (medium) is the one that really does best meet the needs of the 97th-percentile shooter.

Not that this will prevent every new owner with a punch and a hammer from trying out at least one alternate panel, but the results rarely seem to be as expected. Sure, you've addressed the reach problem, but now the gun sits in your hand at an odd angle. Yes, now you can get to the mag release more easily, but you're sort of all-bunched-up on the trigger, too. You would think that this would be a no-brainer for those with particularly small or large mitts, but look at most of the guns that are actually out there getting used, and you'll probably see the medium parts on the gun, regardless of who is shooting it ... along with a few scuff marks in the plastic right around the backstrap retention pin hole that they don't really want to talk about. lol

The moral of the story? If you don't have 500 rounds through the gun, you have no idea if a backstrap change would do anything for you at all, and the odds are, it won't. This is not science, mind you, but it does seem to square well with what I have tended to observe over time. When I was paying attention, that is. ;)

Try to adapt to the gun before doing too much to try to adapt the gun to you. As with any new piece of equipment, there is usually a slight learning curve, and you don't want to spend the next six months going back and forth, trying to get comfortable with a gun that was in all probability set up correctly for you out-of-the-box.

AC

[Surf]

Hello everyone!Aloha.


I recently purchased a Glock G19 Gen 4, and I am currently inbetween sizes for grips.

I have trouble deciding between no back strap, or the medium with beavertail. Now the beavertail I feel doesn't concern me too much but more rather what the medium strap does to my arrangement with my pistol.

I have read many guides online regarding finding the right fit and based on these results I have difficulty deciding.I will first comment that results are what is important. As has been mentioned some peoples results actually shooting the weapon are different from initial "feel" in the hand.


Trigger reach: W/ medium strap, with my hands in the proper position (in the web of the hand in the pointing towards the middle of the forearms.) I am able to gain consistent position of my trigger finger pad onto the trigger face. Right smack in the middle perfect almost every time if I put my finger ALL THE WAY IN EXTENDED. It won't go in through any further, it is almost impossible to get my first joint into the trigger face.

W/ No strap, while on the range I find it a bit more inconsistent getting the middle of the finger print area directly onto the trigger face. Sometimes it will be too far in (almost touching the first joint) and other times almost to the tip of the finger nail area. While it is less consistent, I don't think I have problems going too far INTO the trigger where it would reach my first joint (a big no no). It took more concentration to fire cause of the lack of consistency. I was just as accurate with the medium strap, but I saw that it took more time and concentration to get the same results. Grip and trigger finger placement, or how to operate a trigger using varying finger placements are hard to diagnose / demonstrate via print. I will say that there those who get excellent results being in the first joint. I will also note that while a straight alignment with the forearm might be optimal for many shooters, breaking that alignment for our trigger reach or how we run a trigger might be necessary. Some even have great results with techniques that do not place that bone alignment directly in line with the bore and many of those might be professional shooters.

As for the trigger face landing directly in the first joint of the finger it is not something that I prefer, but it can be a viable solution for some shooters. So the bottom line is that there are more than one trigger finger placement locations, pull / press types, trigger reaches in relation to grip that can be successful.


Mag release: w/ medium strap I do not feel confident being able to activate every single time, unless I change my grip slightly to compensate. I don't mind buying a after market mag release if it will help

w/ No strap reliable, confident with little to no change in grip. First accuracy or getting consistent or reliable hits comes before breaking our grip to hit the mag release on a reload, however I too prefer not to have to break my grip on the pistol to hit the mag release. With smaller or medium sized hands, this is an issue I have with numerous large pistols in that I must break my grip and while I am accustomed to doing it I like that with the Gen4 .40 and 9mm and NO backstrap I can hit the release without breaking my grip. An advantage in relation to my personal shooting technique. However first and foremost the Gen4 with NO backstrap allows my ideal trigger reach, trigger finger placement for the type of trigger manipulation that I like to use.


One hand operation and grip: w/ medium strap encircling my hand in full grasp my thumb can overlap my middle finger around half a thumb nail's width, it feels JUST BARELY secure in my hand.

No strap: thumb encircles a full thumbnail's width, feels secure in hand.Not sure if you are actually shooting with the fingers clenched or touching or just making a point about grip sizing and hand sizing. I personally don't shoot in that manner with the fingers touching on a one handed grip. I maintain the same primary hand grip when shooting one handed. So using a thumbs forward grip, I don't change that primary hands grip when shooting with only one hand. So my thumb and middle finger are nowhere near one another.


Should I just stick with the medium strap, and get a new mag release. Or is a smaller grip generally better and with more practice I will get more consistency with the trigger reach even if it is not perfect?On the Gen 4's I personally like an extended type mag release over the stock release. I can seem to get to it even better with better leverage on the release. That is just my preference.


Yes, while wearing gloves I have noticed that it is like already giving me a medium backstrap, when I have no strap at all. With a medium + gloves, my trigger finger touches the right side face of the trigger initially and I have really unsecure one hand hold.You should tailor your needs to how you normally shoot, with or without gloves. Adapting to everything else follows.

I will also add that I very much like the adaptability of some of the polymer framed pistols, especially the Glock. As Army Chief mentioned, the majority of shooters are good with a standard pistol and medium grip. Only when you have really small or really large hands or when your skill levels and personal awareness with your own shooting becomes extremely intimate then the ability to really hand fit the Glock becomes a good advantage.

[beschatten]

With taking into consideration what Army Chief and Surf have said, feel free to take some sand paper and feel down the backstraps to fit your hand the best when you do figure out what feels great for you.

I ended up using the large backstrap and filing down the hump quite a bit, so much that the large backstrap has a hole where the hump is, and the original backstrap is visible there. This has left the grip straight and eliminated the hump as well. The trigger reach is perfect for me at this, and leaves the grip feeling less 'full'.