Proper grip on a handgun

[Gentoo]

Holding a handgun, should you be able to work all the controls (magazine release, safety, etc) without adjusting your hand? (one handed)

Example:

I can drop the mag on my Glock by only moving my thumb. The gun will stay on target during the whole reload.

My wife can't - she has to reposition the Glock in her hand to access the mag release, and the gun is not pointed at the target while she does so, but kind of angled away.

[joffe]

'Proper grip' or not, I'd say that's because of her small hands, not the way she grips it. I can't drop the mag on a Glock (or pretty much anything actually) without shifting the gun in my hand, because my hands are tiny. Not much you can do about that except substitute the Glock with something that doesn't have a 2x4 grip.

If you think it's an issue, maybe let her try something like an M&P, Kahr, even a 1911 with slim grip panels?

[Failure2Stop]

It is not necessary to access all controls without altering the grip.
The only must is to be able to access the trigger and safety (if so equipped).
Secondary to access of the trigger and safety is access to the slide lock/release.
Most shooters I deal with are unable to access the magazine release without canting the pistol. The amount of shift required will change depending on hand and finger size and the pistol used.

If the necessary shift is excessive the shooter can release the mag with the thumb of the left hand (I assume the you and your wife are right handed, as hitting the mag release with left hand fingers is pretty easy, though it has its own set of issues), but one-handed manipulations will definately suffer.

Either way, while the gun s being reloaded the shooter needs to ensure that orientation of the pistol and its position in the hand facilitates a reload. While shooting, the shooter needs the grip and hand position to facilitate shooting. If the hand position is the same, good, but shifting the hand is not something to be concerned with unless it is excessive.

[R Moran]

I flip/shift the gun in my hand, to hit the mag release. Just about everyone does, and its taught by most instructors.
I even remember seeing an old Gunsite video, demonstrating it.

As far as keeeping it oriented towrd the target, I couldn't care less. I don't watch the bad guy either.

Bob

[YVK]

Holding a handgun, should you be able to work all the controls (magazine release, safety, etc) without adjusting your hand? (one handed)

I am 6'1'', I wear large gloves and I can't reliably engage magazine release on grip-reduced 1911 and Glock 19 without shifting my hand.

[John_Wayne777]

Holding a handgun, should you be able to work all the controls (magazine release, safety, etc) without adjusting your hand? (one handed)

Example:

I can drop the mag on my Glock by only moving my thumb. The gun will stay on target during the whole reload.

My wife can't - she has to reposition the Glock in her hand to access the mag release, and the gun is not pointed at the target while she does so, but kind of angled away.

Sounds normal to me....

Everyone does not have the physiology to manipulate all of a weapon's controls without shifting the weapon in the hand. It's nice if you can do it that way, but it's not strictly necessary.

[ToddG]

There are two different schools of thought on this issue.

1. Speed: The less you need to move the gun around in your hand to reach the mag release and slide release, the faster you will be. While people may feel like it takes "no additional time" to flip the gun in and back, that's not exactly true. The difference may be very small, but it is there. Also, every time you flip the gun you are adding a certain amount of inconsistent movement to your action which affects both speed and accuracy. The most common example is that many people fail to recover the proper grip after a reload.

2. Security: If you can hit your mag button without changing your shooting grip, there is a chance, some say, that you'll hit it inadvertently. So "forcing" a grip change helps prevent mistakes.

As with most things that sound more "tactical," #2 in my experience is often used as an excuse for poor ergonomics or when people choose a gun that is just the wrong size for their hands. No question that if you actually drop mags inadvertently then something needs to change. But as a boogeyman what-if, not so much.

For most Berettas & SIGs as well as my M&Ps, I put the mag release button on the opposite ("lefty") side of the gun so I can reach it with my trigger finger. If I can also reach the slide release lever with my strong hand thumb, this means I maintain my master grip on the pistol at all times.

But if you cannot reach everything and you do have to flip the gun, it is not the end of the world. Being able to manipulate a gun properly is far more important than being able to manipulate it quickly.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

[Jay870]

I have to shift my grip to to engage the mag catch on my Glock, even with the OEM extended catch installed.

It used to concern me but like so many other things it is simply a matter of practice.

This video has a great slow-mo sequence showing how significantly Max Michel shifts his grip when reloading. Does shifting slow him down? Maybe... but he is still "holy $hit" fast.

http://www.doublealpha.biz/shop/images/3GM_clip3.wmv

[Gutshot John]

It seems like you're talking about two issues, grip and manipulations. What you're describing in terms of your wife is either undergrip or overgrip.

Yes it's entirely normal for you to have to alter your grip, moreover imo there is little to be gained by keeping the weapon on target during the whole reload. If your wife doesn't have an issue reaching the trigger (which mine did) than she's fine. As others say it's simply a matter of practice.

1. I agree with Todd that the mag release is best actuated with your trigger finger, not the thumb. This will minimize any shift you have to do.

2. If you're locking the slide back, who cares if you shift your grip since your gun is no longer functional and you probably wouldn't be doing it if there was still a threat.

3. When the gun goes "click" or slide-locks, your whole purpose in life is to get that gun back into the fight. That SHOULD include putting eyes on the chamber to make sure it's a simple reload instead of a more serious problem so you're going to have to move the gun off target and reach for a mag. You're not losing any time by shifting your grip at this point.

4. Relevant to overgrip or undergrip, When the gun is back online...I recommend going through the same process of re-establishing your grip and re-indexing your presentation...every time. Because if you're over/under gripping and don't re-establishing it, you/she will have to muscle the sights back into alignment and onto target, this will work ok for the first shot you fire, but the sights will gradually shift back off-target with each shot fired until you restore the proper grip/index.

It takes practice