View Full Version : Grip Angle
It has been said before that the front strap on a Glock has essentially the same angle as the front strap on a 1911. Yesterday, I installed an arched mainspring housing on my 1911….1911a1 (1924?) style. Here’s a couple pics of it with a G44. I lined the barrels/slides up parallel and lined up the top rears of the grips. They disappear behind each other. As much as people say they prefer the 1911 grip angle to that of Glocks, they sure look alike.
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I've read that 1911's are 18 degrees and Glocks are 21 or 22 degrees. When I have handle both with my eyes closed, I do tend to point the Glock a bit higher.
Unless gLoCk has changed something in the newer models, they most certainly are not the same.
They do not point naturally for me and are different than nearly all of my other pistols.
A training issue I don’t need.
P2Vaircrewman
01-01-22, 15:47
Easy test, close your eyes, bring each up from a low ready to firing position, open your eyes. Do this several times and see how the sights align. For me the 1911 sights will always be in almost perfect alignment, Glock will be a little high.
YMMV, but I hate arched mainspring housings too. My dickskinners like flat housings and Polymer 80 glock lowers.
Good thing we have options. :)
Buy a Shadow Systems....the best of both worlds with regards to the angle...
The hump on the back of the Glock tends to alter the wrist angle to the point where many people naturally point high with them. I know I do. Shadow Systems' attempts to mitigate this by offering a selection of backstraps, one of which much more closely mimics the 1911.
Its the only reason I don't own Glocks. I don't care about the blocky grip, but the angle feels extreme to me.
PB
I tend to point a little low with a Glock. I must be a freak. Never have shot a 1911.
I never really noticed the grip angle of a handgun that much. I’ve owned Sigs, Berettas, and Glocks.
I’ve only ever shot red dots on Glocks though. Would be interesting to see how it goes with something with a lot different angle.
I never really noticed the grip angle of a handgun that much. I’ve owned Sigs, Berettas, and Glocks.
I’ve only ever shot red dots on Glocks though. Would be interesting to see how it goes with something with a lot different angle.
Have you ever shot competitive pistol?
I bet you would notice the difference in a semi-stressful situation where you are trained one way.
Dremel is your friend if you own a Glock.
I modeled my grip after a CZ, and ground it to match. Since then they point naturally to point of aim.
I shot a friends gen 5 with a holosun 507 green dot on it. As stated in an other thread I fell in love with the sight. The Glock was better than the old grips on prior generations. But my ground Glocks still feel good in my hands,
Have you ever shot competitive pistol?
I bet you would notice the difference in a semi-stressful situation where you are trained one way.
Yeah I shot USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, and a bunch of outlaw matches for a little over ten years. I usually shot Production with a Glock 17, or Limited with a 35, but dabbled with Single Stack and slicked up Beretta 92s a time or two.
gunnerblue
01-02-22, 09:15
It has been said before that the front strap on a Glock has essentially the same angle as the front strap on a 1911. Yesterday, I installed an arched mainspring housing on my 1911….1911a1 (1924?) style. Here’s a couple pics of it with a G44. I lined the barrels/slides up parallel and lined up the top rears of the grips. They disappear behind each other. As much as people say they prefer the 1911 grip angle to that of Glocks, they sure look alike.
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67052
I wonder how many people are shooting 1991's with the arched mainspring vs the flat. To me the difference between the flat and a Glock is more pronounced. For the record, I've gone from 1911 to HK to Glock and never noticed a difference in my shooting.
me2hootyhoo
01-02-22, 16:50
It’s the hump on the back strap of the Glock that throws it off. A 26, 19, 17 will all point differently as the hump drops lower as the frame gets taller. I have skinny hands, so I prefer the 17 frame as my hand rides mostly above it and points like most other handguns. I’ve had a 19x grip chopped to a regular 19 length. It works well, for me.
Business_Casual
01-02-22, 18:34
Really? Grip angle in 2022?
Glock has the same grip angle as HK's P7. Never heard anyone complain about P7's angle.
Glock has the same grip angle as HK's P7. Never heard anyone complain about P7's angle.
The P7 was single stack.
The double stack P7M10 and M13, felt terrible in the hand.
Glock has the same grip angle as HK's P7. Never heard anyone complain about P7's angle.
I'll need to check on this statement. I shot both in competition and the P7M8 points just like my other HK's when drawn as I recall. I didn't shoot the P7M8 a lot though, so may be remembering incorrectly.
Regardless, you actually have the audacity to compare a gLoCk to a P7? Balderdash, simply balderdash.
I'll need to check on this statement. I shot both in competition and the P7M8 points just like my other HK's when drawn as I recall. I didn't shoot the P7M8 a lot though, so may be remembering incorrectly.
Regardless, you actually have the audacity to compare a gLoCk to a P7? Balderdash, simply balderdash.
Yes, please check on that. Other handguns that have grip angle similar to Glock but no complaints against them are Lugers, Steyrs and some rimfires, forgot which. Caracal has more extreme angle.
It doesn't take much audacity to compare one of the practical and useful guns out there to one of most impractical and useless, even though the latter is different from everything else and looks cool.
Sorry, I forgot about this thread.
I've read that 1911's are 18 degrees and Glocks are 21 or 22 degrees. When I have handle both with my eyes closed, I do tend to point the Glock a bit higher. You may be right; on the protractor, they are in fact a couple degrees off, but not excessively so, as demonstrated in my pictures. For a gun monogamist, the ergo difference doesn’t matter.
Unless gLoCk has changed something in the newer models, they most certainly are not the same.
They do not point naturally for me and are different than nearly all of my other pistols.
A training issue I don’t need. What are those other pistols? I’m curious because usually when I hear someone say they prefer brand XYZ because it has a more 1911 grip angle, brand XYZ actually has a noticeably more vertical grip angle than a 1911. You’re right about the training issue when swapping between pistols with significant differences ergonomically or in manual of arms. Which is why I rarely shoot any pistol that isn’t a 19 or 44.
Easy test, close your eyes, bring each up from a low ready to firing position, open your eyes. Do this several times and see how the sights align. For me the 1911 sights will always be in almost perfect alignment, Glock will be a little high. This is actually why I put the arched MSH on my 1911. To make it more closely mimic a G19 for the rare occasion I feel like winning too wurld warz.
YMMV, but I hate arched mainspring housings too. My dickskinners like flat housings and Polymer 80 glock lowers. SNIP I’m not saying this is true for you, but back when I was shooting Berettas, I felt like my hand preferred the Vertec/A3 grip, but the timer showed me that I preferred the M9A1. The same was true with the PX4 backstraps. Additionally, when I started shooting Gen 4s, I found my trigger control was better with the M backstrap, despite the bare frame feeling better, so I put M backstraps on all my 19.4s. Then when I got a G44, I was too lazy to bother, and at this point I shoot either equally well in both precision and time, so I haven’t bothered to add the backstrap on any of my Gen 5s. This demonstrates something we all already know: practice trumps everything with modern reliable weapons.
I wonder how many people are shooting 1991's with the arched mainspring vs the flat. To me the difference between the flat and a Glock is more pronounced. SNIP Yeah, I think the flat is much more popular, and certainly makes the G19 feel much different in comparison. Everytime I think about getting an alloy frame 9mm 1911 to mess with, I notice that all of them have flat housings. Its cool that people have had the option for like a century, but it would appear that the market has spoken.
It’s the hump on the back strap of the Glock that throws it off. A 26, 19, 17 will all point differently as the hump drops lower as the frame gets taller. SNIP True. I switched to shooting 19s nearly exclusively when my job did.
Really? Grip angle in 2022? Yes, you’ll note that in my original post, I’m making the case that “gun is fine”. At least for a gun monogamist, its a made-up problem. Of course thats just my opinion.
What are those other pistols? I’m curious because usually when I hear someone say they prefer brand XYZ because it has a more 1911 grip angle, brand XYZ actually has a noticeably more vertical grip angle than a 1911. You’re right about the training issue when swapping between pistols with significant differences ergonomically or in manual of arms. Which is why I rarely shoot any pistol that isn’t a 19 or 44.
The direct comparison was when I actively shot IDPA, HK USP 45c.
But I own a pretty wide variety of pistols that don’t seem as foreign to point.
I wonder how many people are shooting 1991's with the arched mainspring vs the flat. To me the difference between the flat and a Glock is more pronounced. For the record, I've gone from 1911 to HK to Glock and never noticed a difference in my shooting.
I don't know the total but I'm one of those who much prefer the arched MSH on a 1911. I don't find the Glock grip angle hard to adjust to either, I don't own a Glock because I don't shoot them well. I tried for several years with different models of Glock with no joy, I wanted to like them because I qualified for blue label pricing.
BangBang77
04-06-22, 21:17
The thing is, if you predominantly carry a 1911 or a platform of similar grip angle, the Glock will point high with the eyes-closed presentation.
On the flipside, if you predominantly carry a Glock, everything else will point low with the same eyes-closed presentation.
I began my USPSA pistol shooting journey with 1911s and Glocks felt all kinds of wrong. Until I put the 1911s in the safe and shot/carried/competed with Glocks only. I now struggle with 1911s while running and gunning fast.
It is totally dependant on your time on the gun.
The thing is, if you predominantly carry a 1911 or a platform of similar grip angle, the Glock will point high with the eyes-closed presentation.
On the flipside, if you predominantly carry a Glock, everything else will point low with the same eyes-closed presentation.
I began my USPSA pistol shooting journey with 1911s and Glocks felt all kinds of wrong. Until I put the 1911s in the safe and shot/carried/competed with Glocks only. I now struggle with 1911s while running and gunning fast.
It is totally dependant on your time on the gun.
Absolutely. Monogamy has huge benefits. With guns, at least. The largest part of the point of my OP is to just shoot the crap out of whatever you have instead of mucking about with gun rag data. Like, pick a reliable gun, and shoot it until it breaks. And then get a second of the same model.
BangBang77
04-06-22, 21:59
Absolutely. Monogamy has huge benefits. With guns, at least. The largest part of the point of my OP is to just shoot the crap out of whatever you have instead of mucking about with gun rag data. Like, pick a reliable gun, and shoot it until it breaks. And then get a second of the same model.
Agreed. I've been down a few rabbit holes chasing the perfect grip or trigger or recoil impulse. I see it all over this forum as well as other forums. Guys chasing perfection, without having fully vetted their current choice or shooting to the point of intimate familiarity. They swap so rapidly, they don't know what they don't know.
At the end of the day, I think we as shooters could benefit by picking a platform with cross compatibility of mags and internals across the size spectrum, readily available across the country, in an easily sourced caliber, that is reliable, combat accurate, has aftermarket support, and will work in any environment. Grip angle can be overcome with time on the gun. Grip dimensions can be overcome with time on the gun. Trigger manipulation can be overcome with time on the gun. All a shooter needs is time and possibly some guidance and experience sharing from a more experienced shooter who has come full circle.
But to make that happen, we have to stop buying into the hype that the latest blaster on the cover of Recoil will make us Rob Latham or Jerry Miculek.
Its the Indian, not the arrow.
It is totally dependant on your time on the gun.
Yep, exactly.
Agreed. I've been down a few rabbit holes chasing the perfect grip or trigger or recoil impulse. I see it all over this forum as well as other forums. Guys chasing perfection, without having fully vetted their current choice or shooting to the point of intimate familiarity. They swap so rapidly, they don't know what they don't know.
At the end of the day, I think we as shooters could benefit by picking a platform with cross compatibility of mags and internals across the size spectrum, readily available across the country, in an easily sourced caliber, that is reliable, combat accurate, has aftermarket support, and will work in any environment. Grip angle can be overcome with time on the gun. Grip dimensions can be overcome with time on the gun. Trigger manipulation can be overcome with time on the gun. All a shooter needs is time and possibly some guidance and experience sharing from a more experienced shooter who has come full circle.
But to make that happen, we have to stop buying into the hype that the latest blaster on the cover of Recoil will make us Rob Latham or Jerry Miculek.
Its the Indian, not the arrow.
This. As long as you can reach the controls and grip it properly, not much else really matters until you hit GM level, amd even then theres not a huge difference. A GM i used to shoot with switched from CZ to a glock one match because his parts didnt show up. He won overall.
Buy a Shadow Systems....the best of both worlds with regards to the angle...
This.
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