View Full Version : Glock beaver tails worth it?
I really have never had a problem with slide bite but I saw these and was wondering what your opinions are? Do they really offer anything in terms of a higher grip or are they just a waste of money?
ICANHITHIMMAN
08-04-13, 09:02
I really have never had a problem with slide bite but I saw these and was wondering what your opinions are? Do they really offer anything in terms of a higher grip or are they just a waste of money?
In my opinion yes, however the back strap will also need to be thinned out, to allow the pistol to sit lower in your hand.
So the beaver tail will require some modification to be practical? I currently use the thinnest of back straps my glock came with, so I can only assume they make a one size beaver tail?
I have one om the Gen 4 G21 and G23 I have for work. I like them. Seems like a good investment to me.
FYI, current new Gen4s are shipping with them (2x regular backstraps, 2x Glock OEM beavertails).
Best, Jon
ICANHITHIMMAN
08-04-13, 09:33
Oh you have a gen 4, you should have said that. I made the assumption you were going to add a bevertail the hard way. You wont need to do what I said before.
Gary1911A1
08-04-13, 11:40
I've added the Grip Force to my competition and the Glock 19 I occasionally carry. I like the grip angle, more 1911 like. I also found it increases the distance to the trigger allowing me to use the pad of my trigger finger more comfortably for better control.
What competition do you use it for? Does the Grip Force push you into another division?
I usually think beavertails are overrated and eschew them on anything but 1911s. The beavertails on the Sig P series pistols are, to me, especially superfluous.
With that being said, I have been very pleased with the beavertails on my Gen4 Glocks--I am not sure if it is because of the grip angle or grip shape, but the beavertail seems to improve my ability to manage recoil and increase the overall ergonomics. This is especially true for me with the smaller Glocks, like the Glock 26.
xjustintimex
08-04-13, 13:23
do the gen 4 beaver tails increase the lop like the grip force adapters do?
thopkins22
08-04-13, 13:27
What competition do you use it for? Does the Grip Force push you into another division?
It puts you in Limited in USPSA.
As I understand it you get bumped to ESP in IDPA.
But the IDPA rules are conflicting and I doubt it would matter for local matches. Pretty sure in the 2012 or 2013 rule book they made a clarification, but I don't know which way it sided.
8.2.1.3.2. Grips may be changed to another style or material that is similar to factory configuration and do not weigh more than 2.00 oz/56.7 grams more than the factory standard weight for that model.
Excluded Modifications in SSP
8.2.1.4.12. Aftermarket grip tang extensions or beavertails.
It is similar to a factory configuration, and yet it is an aftermarket extension. :confused:
For those who experience slide bite, which is a real issue for some, the beavertail is a big deal. For myself I don't have a slide bite issue and I do not like the added sizing of the adapters so I don't run them as a default. When I did run one during my own testing I did not notice any differences in recoil mitigation with or without the beaver tail, of course I did this testing on a 9mm G17.
do the gen 4 beaver tails increase the lop like the grip force adapters do?
They do. If I am not mistaken, they increase the overall grip length by 2mm and 4mm respectively.
Gary1911A1
08-04-13, 14:50
What competition do you use it for? Does the Grip Force push you into another division?
I use the Grip Force Beavertail in GSSF Matches where Glock has ruled they are legal in all divisions since they are very similar to Glock's Beavertail they are now including with their Gen. 4 Models.
dwhitehorne
08-04-13, 18:14
Try it as see. I for one had an epiphany when I tried a grip force adaptor. I was with a department twenty years ago that transitioned from the S&W model 65 to the Glock 17. I never could shoot the Glock well and always rode the slide stop with my thumb. I moved on and really haven't been interested in Glocks for years.
A few weeks ago I picked up a G19 in a trade and it came with the grip force that has the smooth top. I really can't believe how this little piece of plastic completely changed my shooting ability with the Glock. David
I got a few for my G19's because I get slide bite from them. I was a little skeptical at first until I tried them out.
I love them
because when I come home from working my glock my right hand is no longer bleeding
Ok maybe I will try them out....I didn't know gen 4 glock were coming with them now....when I got mine it only had he standard back straps with 2 other thickness options..lame....is there much of a difference between the oem and grip force?
I do get slide bite from shooting glocks and GFA is mandatory for me.
I am tempted to get a gen 4 G19 just to try their beaver tail.
My Gen4 does not have them, but I have a GFA and it does two things:
- gets rid of slide bite
- gives you a 1911 angle.
If the new Glock backstraps add LESS distance to the trigger reach/LOP, I'd be interested.
Gary1911A1
08-05-13, 12:05
Ok maybe I will try them out....I didn't know gen 4 glock were coming with them now....when I got mine it only had he standard back straps with 2 other thickness options..lame....is there much of a difference between the oem and grip force?
Yes, the Grip Force just fills in the area at the top of the backstrap, more between your trigger finger and thumb. Glock's version fills in the whole backstrap all the way down to the heel of your hand. The Grip a force gives a more 1911 angle where the Glock keeps it more Glock like. I prefer the Grip Force as You might guess from my On-Line Name.
Magic_Salad0892
08-07-13, 05:46
They cause my hand to sit at a little straighter an angle, which helps me pull the trigger straighter, if that makes sense.
They helped recoil for me a little as well.
Slide bite wasn't an issue for me on the 9x19mm guns.
(Minor issue on the .40 guns though.)
Who's selling the OEM medium with beaver tail?
Who's selling the OEM medium with beaver tail?
You can order them direct from Glock.....
Part # 30818 for Gen4 17, 22, 31, etc.
Part # 30819 for Gen4 20, 21
Part # 30820 for Gen4 19, 23, 32
My buddy at work had a big problem with slide bite on his Gen3 21c. He has recently switched to a Gen 4 21 and loves the new beavertail grip. And I got a 21c for less than half retail cost.:D
My small dept. just transitioned to Gen4G17's from Gen3 G22's and Gen2 G23's. We gave officers the option to test the beavertails for themselves vs. not having them on their pistols. Every officer on the dept went with the beavertail installed. The vast majority preferred the medium.
jvg
Plumber237
10-17-13, 21:48
Just received my blackstrap kit from rockyourglock for my gen4 19. I installed the medium beavertail, and it's perfect. It fits much more secure than the grip force adapter, and required no modification (where as the GF needed filing down to smooth it out). The only downside for me is that I had to remove my grip plug, as the backstraps hook into the same opening. Great product, and I highly recommend it to anybody that gets slide bite from their glocks.
FozziestBear
10-17-13, 22:25
As other have already said, I've shot a Gen 3 Glock 19 without and wasn't fond of the grip angle and also compromised a high grip due to wussing out over potential slide bite.
I added the Grip Force Adapter for the reasons noted, a preferred angle and no concerns over slide bite. I have small hands, for reference, I wear a medium glove/size 9 and it gives me what I feel is an ideal grip to reach the stock trigger with the pad of my finger.
I love the Glock beavertails. If I had it my way though I would design the next gen Glocks more like the lone wolf frames in terms of the grip dimensions and beavertail.
I bought one and ended up not liking it. More than anything I didn't like how there was a different thickness throughout the whole back of the gun. The ones that are one piece might be better. Either way, I didn't care for it at all.
I have always liked and respected Glocks. Owned a few but not any more. When shooting a Glock I always pull left [right handed], the faster I shoot the more left I go. By comparison I shoot a DA revolver dead on.
So, for those who have the new beavertail, does the modified grip angle and slightly increased LOP help one pull the trigger w/o pulling the muzzle right or left?
Thanks,
19852
Plumber237
10-18-13, 15:27
I think a few of you guys are mistakenly talking about the grip force adapters. This thread is about the newer factory glock gen4 backstraps, the newer gen4's are coming with 4 backstraps now, a medium (2mm) and large (4mm) regular and a medium (2mm) and large (4mm) beavertail. These do not change the grip angle and do run the whole length of the back of the grip. The medium beavertail makes the grip the size of a gen3 glock, just with a beavertail at the top, and the large makes the grip an additional 2mm thick; these don't change the grip angle. Glock recently released these as a separate kit, for those of us who bought gen4's before the beavertail kits.
I think a few of you guys are mistakenly talking about the grip force adapters. This thread is about the newer factory glock gen4 backstraps, the newer gen4's are coming with 4 backstraps now, a medium (2mm) and large (4mm) regular and a medium (2mm) and large (4mm) beavertail. These do not change the grip angle and do run the whole length of the back of the grip. The medium beavertail makes the grip the size of a gen3 glock, just with a beavertail at the top, and the large makes the grip an additional 2mm thick; these don't change the grip angle. Glock recently released these as a separate kit, for those of us who bought gen4's before the beavertail kits.
For me, the beavertail is my second choice on a Glock. I suffered for years with Glocks because they didn't fit my hand and they are the only pistol I can use on duty with my agency. The grip angle never felt natural, and I got slide bite on every Glock I ever shot except the 26/27 sizes.
Once I discovered the GFA, I was able to freely love, shoot, and own Glocks without the pain and suffering. lol! A couple recently purchased Gen 4's came with the 4 panels you describe and I've tried the medium beavertail on a 19. The beavertail does fix the slide bite problem for me, but it doesn't address the grip angle. I always felt like the "hump" in the Glock backstrap was too low.
I will be buying more GFA's even for the Gen 4 guns I have that came with beavertails. They have the advantage of not adding bulk to the entire pistol. They fill in the curve and make the pistol point better for me. They also have the advantage of "fixing" Gen 3 guns if you buy the right model. Also, the GFA's can be added on top of the OEM backstraps if the shooter so desires.
If the GFA didn't exist, then yes - I'd be all about using the factory beavertail. It has remedied the slide bite that Glock pretended for years was not an issue.
I have a 2011 Glock 19 Gen 4 and a newborn Glock 23 Gen 4. I have the 2mm panel on the 19, and the 2mm beavertail panel on the 23. I LOVE the beavertail. I feel really locked in as soon as my hand gets on the grip, and it helps with slide bite. I finally traded my 23 Gen 3 in on the Gen 4 because of the beavertail.
The beaver tail to me is the easy solution to using the wrong grip on the glock. Choke up on it and keep a firm grip. The beavertail is a waste of money in my eyes.
And if you like the 1911 grip style then don't go glock.
The beaver tail to me is the easy solution to using the wrong grip on the glock. Choke up on it and keep a firm grip. The beavertail is a waste of money in my eyes.
And if you like the 1911 grip style then don't go glock.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean here but isn't that exactly what causes the Glock to bite some peoples hands? Apparently Glock has recognized the problem too.
Plumber237
10-18-13, 21:48
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean here but isn't that exactly what causes the Glock to bite some peoples hands? Apparently Glock has recognized the problem too.
I thought the same thing when I read that post...everyone's hands are different, it's not a matter of not using the correct grip. For me using the proper grip with the full sized glocks I'm fine, but with the mid size glocks I get slide bite on the thumb side. The glock beavertails and/or the grip force adapter are far from pointless, there are a lot of people who have problems with glock slide bite.
The beaver tail to me is the easy solution to using the wrong grip on the glock. Choke up on it and keep a firm grip. The beavertail is a waste of money in my eyes.
And if you like the 1911 grip style then don't go glock.
Wow... That's fantastic advice... You must be a firearms instructor. :rolleyes:
There are plenty of shooters who get cut by the slide while using the correct grip. As for your second brilliant suggestion, some of us work for agencies where Glock is the only choice. But I suppose I could just tell our administrators that some internet expert said I should carry a different gun because a $20 piece of plastic that alleviates both issues is a waste of money.
Does slide bite occur because some have bigger hands so that a beavertail will effectively act as a sort of meat barrier?
I've never had a slide bite problem as my hands are kinda small...
I tried one on a G30sf Gen 3, but it increased the width and caused the gun to shift too much during following up shots. Took it off, it's sitting in a box somewhere. I found I was more accurate without it.
I have European (read girl) sized hands, I couldn't get slide bite if I wanted to. I know guys with huge hands who have to watch how they grip the glock if they get too aggressive they get slide bite.
Depends on the hand size I guess.
WickedWillis
10-21-13, 17:14
I have European (read girl) sized hands, I couldn't get slide bite if I wanted to. I know guys with huge hands who have to watch how they grip the glock if they get too aggressive they get slide bite.
Depends on the hand size I guess.
I have smaller hands as well, and I did not like the LOP on my new Gen 4 17 in FDE like I thought I would. Took it off, and it's not in the random gun parts box. I love the idea, it just does not work for me personally.
I need a beaver tail. I have a G19 gen 4. My hands are fat, and my shooting hand is thicker, so I get slide bite whether gen 3 or 4. I currently use a GFA, but would not mind trying the OEM beaver tail. If it feels like a normal gen 3. I might like it, but I also don't mind the 1911 angle of the GFA.
Plumber237
10-21-13, 18:11
It feels exactly like a gen 3 19, I think you'd like it. I had been running a grip force adapter until I saw that Glock released the separate backstrap kits w/ beavertails...the medium (2mm) beavertail is perfect for me, like a gen 3 19 with just enough of a beavertail.
The beaver tail to me is the easy solution to using the wrong grip on the glock. Choke up on it and keep a firm grip. The beavertail is a waste of money in my eyes.
And if you like the 1911 grip style then don't go glock.
What are you talking about? "Choking up on it" is exactly what leads to some people getting slide bite and it has absolutely nothing to do with using the "wrong grip."
LowSpeed_HighDrag
10-24-13, 02:51
I have medium sized hands. A beavertail did nothing for me on my old G17 except make the grip bigger. It looked cool for a few days...then reality set in. Just my experience though.
I was kind of "meh" about adapters. Then I ordered a GFA and my mind changed to "How did I survive without it?"
Slide bite: It's about meaty hands not size. If the web is thick you might get bite. Without bite the beaver tail does nothing. But... The GFA changes the angle to a 1911 - whole different thing.
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