Glock 19 vs. my strange hands

[xcibes]

My daily carry handgun is a Glock 19. As some of you are aware I have not been too happy with it and was thinking of switching to a cz75. One of my complaints was that I could not shoot straight with it. I found out that my rear sight was not centered properly and thus the pistol was shooting to the left. I have adjusted the the sights and hopefully this will take care of that, however the grip just felt strange and uncomfortable. What was strange to me was that the pistol feels perfect when I hold it with my left hand. This did not make any sense but what I figured out is that my right hand is about 3-4mm shorter than my left hand and this makes a huge difference in how I hold the pistol. This is annoying because if it were the other way around, the glock would fit my hand perfectly. I am not switching to shooting left handed as I am also right eye dominant and I find it uncomfortable to shoot left handed. I do understand the need to be able to shoot with both hands but I am switching everything around. Anyone seen this before? Any advise?

[JOHNO]

All of those years when you were told that using your hand would make you go blind..............you won't but it will make your hand short and stubby! Lol

I'm just messing with you Xaviar, find a quality handgun that feels comfortable to you and start getting familliar with it.

[xcibes]

I'm sticking with the glock, at least until I can afford an hk p30, but I just think it is strange.I've heard of people's feet sometimes being different, but never their hands....guess it should not surprise me. Anyone else have this problem?

[aaron_c]

The only issue I've had with handguns is that I've yet to find one that won't make this specific spot on the inside of my shooting-hand thumb really sore the next few days (bruise sore, not muscle sore). I think it's because of the spot on the grip that my thumb joint touches due to my long fingers, and the fact that there is basically no meat there to absorb the impact.

Will an HK P30 fit better or worse in your right hand? It seems like I've heard they had pretty beefy grips as well, I could be mistaken though (and assuming that's the problem).

[careboy]

All of those years when you were told that using your hand would make you go blind
http://www.primeaffiliate.com/track/images/18.games.jpg

[parishioner]

I'm sticking with the glock, at least until I can afford an hk p30, but I just think it is strange.I've heard of people's feet sometimes being different, but never their hands....guess it should not surprise me. Anyone else have this problem?

Me.

I can get a perfect grip with my left hand on my 19. The only thing I can think to do is have the backstrap reduced. My grip strength is also considerably higher in my non-dominant hand as well. I dont get it.

[uwe1]

The Glock19 has only two rows of serrations under the trigger guard front strap area while the Glock17 has three. This made the G19 significantly less comfortable for me to hold.

If you don't mind modifying the polymer Glock frame (I believe this voids your warranty?), there are a few things that can make the Glock a lot more shootable for those with shorter fingers. At least it did for me and I have medium sized hands.

The first thing I always do is thin the lower part of the trigger guard. My personal preference is to do a straight taper that is narrower at the front strap and widens slightly towards the front of the trigger guard.

The other thing I do is to sand off the backstrap texturing using the sanding attachment of a Dremel on low speed. Be careful to keep the same grip angle and you will have to maintain the curve where the sides of the grip and the backstrap meet or you'll end up with a brick. You will also have to follow the reduction higher up under the beavertail to maintain the same curve/angle. This is basically a backstrap reduction and I usually stop here and throw on a Hogue grip because I prefer the grippy rubber texture . This way, I reduce some circumference and add some back on with the sleeve.

If you don't like the Hogue grip, you can stipple the frame afterwards. Reducing the backstrap made a big difference in how i gripped the gun and improved my trigger press. During rapid fire, hammer pairs and NSRs, I no longer throw shots to the left because my trigger finger is able to make flat contact against the face of the trigger.

I've done this to all my Glocks except for one NIB spare.

[St.Michael]

I added a Hogue grip to my g19. It helps a little bit. It's cheap to try so give it a shot.

[uwe1]

If you add just the Hogue sleeve, it makes the whole grip thicker in circumference which will make the issue worse. You'll have to reduce the backstrap which then allows you to add thickness back on, that is, if you prefer to use the Hogue sleeve without altering the circumference too much. With shorter fingers, the goal is to get more of the trigger finger in proper placement on the trigger. The only way I know to do that is to reduce the backstrap.

Also, the Hogue on a G19 with a full thickness trigger guard will force the knuckle of the middle finger into the bend in the trigger guard. This is fairly uncomfortable after a few hundred rounds and causes the Glock knuckle issue. Shaving down the trigger guard reduces this problem.

[skyugo]

The Glock19 has only two rows of serrations under the trigger guard front strap area while the Glock17 has three. This made the G19 significantly less comfortable for me to hold.

If you don't mind modifying the polymer Glock frame (I believe this voids your warranty?), there are a few things that can make the Glock a lot more shootable for those with shorter fingers. At least it did for me and I have medium sized hands.

The first thing I always do is thin the lower part of the trigger guard. My personal preference is to do a straight taper that is narrower at the front strap and widens slightly towards the front of the trigger guard.



the glock 26 also has 3 rows of serrations under the trigger guard.
i don't think glock will "void" your warranty for modifying the frame, unless the modification caused the failure. i believe a new frame is ~150 bucks from glock if you do manage to wreck it with a soldering iron.

[556A2]

I tried to shoot the Glock 19 accurately, but I always had to work on it. I could never achieve decent enough accuracy to please me, and every single range session was constantly working on the G19 over the course of a year.

I switched to the Glock 17 after shooting one, and my accuracy improved quite a bit since it fit my hands better. Then I ended up going to the Beretta 92FS because my accuracy is the best with it, and I personally feel the most comfortable with the Beretta 92 series.

My point is the Glock 19 is about as "perfect" as they come, but it doesn't mean its perfect for YOU. Go try a M&P/P30/P22x/92FS/FNX/G17 and go from there.

[uwe1]

the glock 26 also has 3 rows of serrations under the trigger guard.
i don't think glock will "void" your warranty for modifying the frame, unless the modification caused the failure. i believe a new frame is ~150 bucks from glock if you do manage to wreck it with a soldering iron.

Thanks for clarifying that. I wasn't sure what the policy would be. Well I've done a number of these now, including a G17 chop to a G19 grip size. While I will say none were works of art, they weren't hack jobs either. The mods have dramatically improved things for me. That, and more trigger time, practicing the correct trigger press every time.

[uwe1]

I tried to shoot the Glock 19 accurately, but I always had to work on it. I could never achieve decent enough accuracy to please me, and every single range session was constantly working on the G19 over the course of a year.

I switched to the Glock 17 after shooting one, and my accuracy improved quite a bit since it fit my hands better. Then I ended up going to the Beretta 92FS because my accuracy is the best with it, and I personally feel the most comfortable with the Beretta 92 series.

My point is the Glock 19 is about as "perfect" as they come, but it doesn't mean its perfect for YOU. Go try a M&P/P30/P22x/92FS/FNX/G17 and go from there.

I agree. My favorite gun to shoot is currently a G17, grip-chopped to accept G19 mags.

[Quentin]

Have you tried the small grip on a Gen4 19?

[dsk]

Quentin beat me to it. I was always a mediocre shot with a Glock, at least until the Gen4 came out. Now it fits my hand perfectly and I can shoot it like a laser gun. I can shoot it and my Gen3 side by side, and the difference is remarkable. I'll probably end up getting rid of the Gen3 once I've got the few mods done that I have planned for the Gen4. The problem with the Gen3 and earlier frames that always bothered me wasn't necessarily the size of the grip, but the pronounced hump at the bottom rear that always caused the grip to want to shift the wrong way in my hand (which kinda sounds like your problem as well). The new Gen4's are noticeably flatter in this area.

[xcibes]

Good to hear, I am not switching to the gen4...at leat not until they get them right. I should be receiving an early g17 this eeekend wich shoud replace the 19 for daily carry. I can grip the 17 much better than the 19 so we will try that for now. I am not fond of messing around with the frame so unless the 17 does nit work I am not going there. I think the gen 4 would be an improvement but like I said, not until they fix the bugs which I am sure they will at some point.

[QuickStrike]

I would just stick with it more. Maybe it'll feel right after a couple thousand rounds?

I don't really put much stock in the "feeling" of a pistol in one's hand, although 1911's/M&P's/glocks feel pretty good. :D

IMO After a couple hundred press outs during dry firing, the grip angle shouldn't matter much on most guns.

XD's feel awesome in the hand to a lot of people, and that's probably why many uninformed people buy them...

[Nephrology]

I would just stick with it more. Maybe it'll feel right after a couple thousand rounds?

I don't really put much stock in the "feeling" of a pistol in one's hand, although 1911's/M&P's/glocks feel pretty good. :D

IMO After a couple hundred press outs during dry firing, the grip angle shouldn't matter much on most guns.

XD's feel awesome in the hand to a lot of people, and that's probably why many uninformed people buy them...

I agree. Grip "feel" has never been a big part of my formula for a good handgun. That said the first time I picked up and shot a Glock I chewed out the X ring on a target at 10 yards. It still occasionally feels "weird" in my hands but that doesnt stop me from shooting it well.

[EzGoingKev]

I find the my finger rubs against the stock trigger guard so I did a "trigger guard reduction" and really liked it.

I just picked up a G23 and holding it in my hand is like night and day compared to my modified pistol.

[skyugo]

Good to hear, I am not switching to the gen4...at leat not until they get them right. I should be receiving an early g17 this eeekend wich shoud replace the 19 for daily carry. I can grip the 17 much better than the 19 so we will try that for now. I am not fond of messing around with the frame so unless the 17 does nit work I am not going there. I think the gen 4 would be an improvement but like I said, not until they fix the bugs which I am sure they will at some point.

in my experience the 19 just doesn't really work for some people. it fits me great, but guys with thicker fingers for example tend to shoot the 17 much better. plus, hey, 2 more rounds!

[double-d]

My daily carry handgun is a Glock 19. As some of you are aware I have not been too happy with it and was thinking of switching to a cz75. One of my complaints was that I could not shoot straight with it. I found out that my rear sight was not centered properly and thus the pistol was shooting to the left. I have adjusted the the sights and hopefully this will take care of that, however the grip just felt strange and uncomfortable. What was strange to me was that the pistol feels perfect when I hold it with my left hand. This did not make any sense but what I figured out is that my right hand is about 3-4mm shorter than my left hand and this makes a huge difference in how I hold the pistol. This is annoying because if it were the other way around, the glock would fit my hand perfectly. I am not switching to shooting left handed as I am also right eye dominant and I find it uncomfortable to shoot left handed. I do understand the need to be able to shoot with both hands but I am switching everything around. Anyone seen this before? Any advise?


Go with the CZ-75 !!! Awesome pistol, easy maintenance, accurate as hell and uber reliable. If it fits, go for it??

[Lumpy196]

I have this problem with the 19 and 21 unless the finger groove bumps are removed.

[Hogsgunwild]

The Glock19 has only two rows of serrations under the trigger guard front strap area while the Glock17 has three. This made the G19 significantly less comfortable for me to hold.

If you don't mind modifying the polymer Glock frame (I believe this voids your warranty?), there are a few things that can make the Glock a lot more shootable for those with shorter fingers. At least it did for me and I have medium sized hands.

The first thing I always do is thin the lower part of the trigger guard. My personal preference is to do a straight taper that is narrower at the front strap and widens slightly towards the front of the trigger guard.

The other thing I do is to sand off the backstrap texturing using the sanding attachment of a Dremel on low speed. Be careful to keep the same grip angle and you will have to maintain the curve where the sides of the grip and the backstrap meet or you'll end up with a brick. You will also have to follow the reduction higher up under the beavertail to maintain the same curve/angle. This is basically a backstrap reduction and I usually stop here and throw on a Hogue
grip because I prefer the grippy rubber texture . This way, I reduce some circumference and add some back on with the sleeve.

If you don't like the Hogue grip, you can stipple the frame
afterwards. Reducing the backstrap made a big difference in how i gripped the gun and improved my trigger press. During rapid fire, hammer pairs and NSRs, I no longer throw shots to the left because my trigger finger is able to make flat contact against the face of the trigger.

I've done this to all my Glocks except for one NIB spare.

Thanks Mike, sounds like the solution to my ten year love / hate
relationship with my Glock 23s. I have always liked the Glock trigger but tend to throw a few shots per magazine on my G23 which ruins my groupings. I had written it off to ergonomics as I just do not have that problem with my P2000 or larger models of Glocks.

I especially like your chopped 17; that would be a favorite carry gun for me.