Reshaping the Glock grip

[Mifune326]

I have a Gen2 G21 and am looking to take a little polymer off the "hump" area on the rear of the grip as well as some off both sides of the upper grip area (just under the rail area where the "thumb rests" are on the newer pistols) to make the grip a little thinner.

Anyone out there have a resource to let me know how much polymer I have to work with in these areas without destroying the frame?

Thanks and all the best,

Chris

[Rob D]

The polymer isn't extremely thick in either one of those areas. The slide-lock spring sits behind the front area that you described, and the hump on the back of the trigger guard is basically an empty cavity.

I don't know about the forward part of the frame, but I know that the guys who reshape the "hump" on the back of the grip actually fill the empty cavity with some kind of black polymer filler then grind it down to wherever they want. I think Mike at Accurate Iron offers this service.

I don't think you could remove much material from either one of those areas without making the polymer extremely thin. I wouldn't do it unless you've got an extra frame/gun laying around that you can throw out and shrug off if it's ruined.

[Mifune326]

Thanks for the info Rob. I appreciate it! I don't have an extra frame laying around so I'd better consult with Mike!

All the best,

Chris

[Memphis]

Mike does great work. My G35 is going out to him next week for a reduced grip and scallops. IMO it's probably not a thinner grip you would want; it's most likely a shorter (front to back) that would satisfy you.

If you get a chance, pick up a Gen4 Glock and see if you like the grip better. If you do then just have the frame reduced. Hope this helps.

[Mifune326]

Thanks for the suggestion Memphis. I'll definitely handle one of the Gen 4s and see how it fits. BTW, love your Ronnie avatar.

[Pac8541]

FWIW, I have been unafraid of "kitchen table gunsmithing" my G21 since the day I got it. I've taken a dremel to the grip multiple times, first removing all the factory texture and adding grip tape, then reducing the finger grooves to roughly 1/3 their original size. Then I took it up to Robar for their grip reduction which removed the finger grooves completely, their high grip mod, and the removal of the trigger guard hook. In that process they added their texture back onto the grip which I am seriously considering removing altogether. I've already removed it from the very top of the back strap and placed a small patch of grip tape in its place. In doing so I found that the texture itself, which btw I think sucks because its gotten slick over the last 12 months, is probably 1mm or so thick. I'm going to call Robar tomorrow to find out for sure how thick the texturing actually is but my idea is to run grip tape in its place to achieve a more positive bite on my hands. My mods plus the work by Robar has allowed me to get my primary hand way up high on the grip and I'm no Orangutan...

I've also beveled the sharp edges at the mouth of the mag well which seems to prevent the magazines from binding there so easily during insertion.