Great Reduction - Pros & Cons?

[38SuperDub]

So I am writing this for my dad. I am getting him into USPSA shooting - the only thing he has issues with is he has VERY small hands. At first we talked about getting him into production but the more I think of it Limited may be the way to go with the allowed mods allowed to the grip.

Are there any CON's to reducing the grip on a gun - will it shoot different, recoil more? etc etc.

Thanks

Brandon

[racerba]

one of the cons I can think of is if you are reducing the plastic grips on the 2011, the grip becomes too thin and the shooters gripping the gun hard, flexing the grip and causing all sort of mag and feeding problems. The other con would be that your dad will be used to the thin grips, it would be hard to go to a backup gun unless that gun is also reduced.

[Pat Miles]

The first con that Racerba describes isn't really a con. Some folks use no common sense and get Dremel happy. If some is good more is better and soon you can damn near see daylight through the grip. Done sensibly and a little at a time a grip can safely be reduced both front to back and side to side to make it dimensionally smaller and depending on the technique used and the material applied afterwards(if this is what you want) the "grippyness" can be enhanced greatly.

I have done several with complete success. The last two I epoxied blast media to and am completely happy with the outcome.

Just take your time and use some caution.

Pat

[Del]

Did you try a Smith & Wesson M&P with the small insert?

It would allow him to shoot production.

I have shot only a couple of Glocks with the reduction.

They did feel different, but they worked. I cant remember if recoil felt differnt or not

Edited August 26, 2010 by Del

[calishootr]

if im not mistaken ROBAR does an excellent job of reducing the grips on Glocks(i know, i bought one on consignment that had it done) and you might want to call them, and 'see' if they will do this....i heard of a company that had the shooter trace his/her hand on paper and send it in with the gun(dont know if it was ROBAR or not)

and like was said before about the polymer guns, you can get 'dremel happy' i know i did on one of my 2011's...the good news in the case of a 2011 it was only the plastic frame which at the time was available for around 125 bucks for a new one

[bbbean]

So I am writing this for my dad. I am getting him into USPSA shooting - the only thing he has issues with is he has VERY small hands.

Have you considered Single Stack/Lim 10 with a 1911? Many shooters with small hands find the flat 1911 and thin grip panels a great combo.

How do small handed shooters do with a revolver?

[Graham Smith]

You don't mention you level of experience. A lot of people think that they need a smaller grip so they can wrap their index finger around the trigger.

[Aggieddad02]

Thanks all for taking the time to reply. I am the Dad and my experience as far as shooting is fiarly extensive however I have never shot competition. My biggest challenge is reaching the magazine release and have read several posts where shooters develop techinques like rolling the gun in the hand while reaching for the extra magazine and that may be something i need to practice. I have also had someone suggest looking at the CZ pistols and the 75 BD has cuaght my interest but as of yet I have not handled one. I will continue to look to you guys for your experiences. thanks all

[Bob DuBois]

Are there any indoor ranges in your area that you could visit and handle and shoot rental guns to find one that fits his hands? I've seen right handed people use the left thumb to hit the mag release when shooting freestyle. Might give that a try when looking at pistols for grip.

[38SuperDub]

He tried both the M&P and XDm so far with the changeable back plate and even with the "small" in the M&P - still has issues reaching the mag release. A 2011 is out of the question - he is looking at doing this conservatively - and spending 1500+ on a 2011 is not in the picture - the 550 on a Glock, M&P or CZ is. Has anyone ever seen the M&P w/ the backplate taken off and it just filled in with fiberglass. I have a gunsmith that does amazing work also recommended this as an option.

[G-ManBart]

He tried both the M&P and XDm so far with the changeable back plate and even with the "small" in the M&P - still has issues reaching the mag release. A 2011 is out of the question - he is looking at doing this conservatively - and spending 1500+ on a 2011 is not in the picture - the 550 on a Glock, M&P or CZ is. Has anyone ever seen the M&P w/ the backplate taken off and it just filled in with fiberglass. I have a gunsmith that does amazing work also recommended this as an option.

Plenty of folks with "normal" sized hands can't hit the mag release even with the small inserts. I can't reach it on the M&P, or my Glocks...and I can't quite reach it on a 1911 or 2011 either. He's going to have to learn to shift the gun like most of us do. It's not hard...just takes a bit of practice. R,

[bbbean]

He tried both the M&P and XDm so far with the changeable back plate and even with the "small" in the M&P - still has issues reaching the mag release.

Reaching the mag release isn't what you should be basing fit on. Base fit on whether the pad of the finger lies naturally on the trigger when he has a proper grip on the gun (this can be adjusted on 1911/2011 pattern guns), whether the gun points naturally for him, and the overall "feel" of the gun in his hand.

You can always change out the mag release button or shift the grip slightly like all the rest of us mere mortals (i.e. most people) do. if the mag release was too easy to hit, you'd have to worry about dropping mas during recoil.

[Avezorak]

He tried both the M&P and XDm so far with the changeable back plate and even with the "small" in the M&P - still has issues reaching the mag release. A 2011 is out of the question - he is looking at doing this conservatively - and spending 1500+ on a 2011 is not in the picture - the 550 on a Glock, M&P or CZ is. Has anyone ever seen the M&P w/ the backplate taken off and it just filled in with fiberglass. I have a gunsmith that does amazing work also recommended this as an option.

I shoot an XDM .40 with the small insert and I can even come close to hitting the mag release without rolling the gun. However since it has an ambi mag release, I use my trigger finger to release the mag. Its super fast for me, I dont have to change my grip and it keeps my finger far out of the trigger gaurd during reloads. Just food for thought...

[Joe4d]

Hit the mag release with the heal, right below the thumb of your weak hand, the weak hand index finger slides down the front strap and catches the magazine base pad and pushes it out of the gun if for some reason the mag doesnt drop free.

[dagger10k]

Do people really have that much difficulty reaching the mag release? I'm pretty sure I can reach the stock mag release on my Glock 20 without shifting my hand. I guess I just have big hands...

Edited August 26, 2010 by dagger10k

[38SuperDub]

To put it in prospective - my dad is about 5"7 wears a size 7 1/2 shoe - he is a man of small stature - I'm thinking that rolling the gun may be the best option -

Avezorak - do you find the mag release harder to do with the trigger finger - after all there is more strength in the thumb.

Brandon

[Avezorak]

I have NO trouble releasing the mag with my trigger finger. The mag release on my XDM is pretty smooth. It wasnt bad to begin with and after >15k rounds its REAL smooth.

[Biloxi23]

I am also one of the persons cursed with smaller hands. I have been carring semi auto pistols as a duty weapon for 22-23 years (started with a 4" Smith in 1982). Although I've carried Glocks, a Smith 645, Colt 1911'1 and a Kimber or four, I cannot reach the mag release on any of them without shifting/rolling the grip in my hand. I am new to practical shooting but I am pretty adept at the roll. I can't reach the slide stop/relese on most semi autos and even if I go to slide lock, I seem to automatically rack the slide. I found that I could get smoother and faster with practice, so I practiced. The chances of my hand getting any bigger were pretty slim. Like most things about this spsort, practice, practice, practice.

[calishootr]

I have 'smaller hands and have ALWAYS hadto shift my grip to hit a mag button on ANYTHING i shoot, dont base buying/owning a pistol purely on if you can hit a mag button without shifting your grip, if that was so, i think the only things out there are the walther PPK's that come to mind...learn as we all here have, to adapt to whatever it is you shoot well, not reload well, and its a simple task to master, and to be honest im as fast as my friends who have bigger paws and dont shift their grips

[G-ManBart]

Hitting the mag release with the support hand (there is no "weak"!) is slow. In the time it takes to get the button pushed, that hand can almost already have the next mag in it. Learn to roll the gun, it's easy, and it works across platforms nicely. R,