Finger Grooves Help Eliminate that Crappy Grip -- Article by Jeff Gonzales
Have you ever reached for your concealed pistol and realize you got a crappy grip? Have you taken a closer look as to why you got that crappy grip?
So Want to Like It
I have been working with the new mini-9mm from Glock, and I really want to like it. It shoots just like any other 9mm Glock only in a smaller package—big surprise there. I am not a fan of the Gen 4 product line, as I haven't really seen a reason to replace the Gen 3. I had no choice but to go with it for the Glock 43, and to say I am disappointed would be an understatement. Aside from some smaller issues, the biggest issue which keeps this a good gun versus a great gun for me is the omission of the finger grooves on the pistol's frame.
Ingredients to a Good Firing Grip
I heard comments on how it's not a big deal. Maybe. But let's look at what makes for a good firing grip: consistency and power. You need the grip to be as consistent as possible. Consistency will lead to accuracy and accuracy is nothing more than being consistent. We will focus on consistency for this article. How many times did you get a crappy grip in the holster only to have it get crappier as you draw to the target? Things don't usually get better when you pick up the speed; it usually makes things worse. One benefit to finger grooves is the ability to grip the gun consistently.
Memory and Consistency
I know there are some huge hands out there and literally some do not fit on any gun, much less a sub-compact pistol. One option finger grooves will do hard to do with other grip styles is drive the fingers to a consistent grip. They give you an excellent tactile register. Even if your hands don't fit or barely fit, they interface with the landscape and create memory. The memory is what helps you to be consistent, you get accustomed to feeling the grooves on certain parts of your hand and fingers. Can you do it without the finger grooves? Yes. The difference is the finger grooves give you more contact points, and the more contact points you have the higher the probability of getting a consistent grip.
Good Old Fashion Resection
It's kind of like using a resection in land navigation. When attempting to locate your position using a known position, the more known positions you use, the more accurate your plot. If you attempt to use just one known position, the accuracy is a bit sketchy. Without finger grooves, the only known position on the grip will probably be the underside of the trigger guard. Folks can use this and develop pretty good consistency. However, one of the problems we see is when they rely solely on this technique to achieve a solid firing grip the result is a firing grip that is too high. Their trigger finger has a terrible angle to the trigger and the flesh of their trigger finger makes contact with the frame, which creates errant shots.
The Top Priority
Using the finger grooves actually helps lower your grip, which allows you to have a better angle to the trigger. An angle where there is no part of your trigger finger contacting the frame. This allows you to have the most genuine trigger management possible. What I discovered was I kept getting inconsistent grips with my G43. It was very frustrating and I could not quite put my "finger" on why. It wasn't until I did a side by side comparison with my G30, which does have finger grooves, that I figured it out. I have tried several methods to help achieve a more consistent grip, but in the end I am getting one that just isn't as good as the grip I get with a pistol that has finger grooves.
There is good in finger grooves. More points of contact are a benefit that helps create greater consistency.
Jeff Gonzales
Trident Concepts, LLC
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Jeff Gonzales is a regular contributor to the M4C Newsletter and Forum. Not getting the newsletter? Click here.
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Originally Posted by 26 Inf
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