thumb rest or not

[jimbullet]

Hi, just getting thoughts, those that have used both platforms, 1911/ 2011 without a thumb rest and having one, do you all like it with the thumb rest? Does it really help improve shooting? like it - dont like it - thoughts ?

 

I believe the main difference is that without it, the weak hand palm base of the thumb puts more grip on the gun. When there is a thumbrest, the pressure shifts and while I dont put pressure on the thumbrest, there is less emphasis on the part (where the base of the thumb is.

[tcazes]

grip pressure aside, its a great tool to get consistent grip placement every time. i like to shoot with one

[Honkeymcgee]

4 hours ago, tcazes said:

grip pressure aside, its a great tool to get consistent grip placement every time. i like to shoot with one

This is the biggest one for me. 

 

At one point I decided I was going to take mine off because I felt I was letting my grip slack off because the thumb rest let me get away with it. 

 

When I built my new gun I put it back on and noticed right away how much quicker I am to aquire my dot every time. So now I am running one again. 

[Bigzeke]

FWIW, none of my guns have ever had one. When I try others that do, both open and limited, my thumb never touches the rest. But I run with a thumbs up grip. Those that have them around here swear by them in open, but in limited not so much. I think if you trained with it you could see a huge difference. Just trying it out might not see the benefit.

[tomjerry1]

I put one on my limited gun, and have since removed it. My hands are small, and found it hard to reach, so I took it off. Now that I am shooting Open, I decided to give it a try again, but this time I had a tab welded to the slide stop, and it is much closer, and I like it. I think it is not so much control of the gun, but getting the same grip, the tab helps with that. Am thinking of doing the same thing to my limited gun. 

[tcazes]

1 hour ago, tomjerry1 said:

I put one on my limited gun, and have since removed it. My hands are small, and found it hard to reach, so I took it off. Now that I am shooting Open, I decided to give it a try again, but this time I had a tab welded to the slide stop, and it is much closer, and I like it. I think it is not so much control of the gun, but getting the same grip, the tab helps with that. Am thinking of doing the same thing to my limited gun. 

 

you must have been trying the nitro fin? usually the frame mounted thumbrest sit much farther back.

[scooterj]

After shooting an open gun with a thumb rest, it felt like something was missing from my limited gun so it got a rest, too. 

I’ve got mine as far away as possible to avoid undue pressure. It’s more for consistent thumb placement. 

Edited April 21, 2018 by scooterj
Photo added

[tcazes]

scooter i think you just like posting pictures of that new gun! lol

[scooterj]

1 minute ago, tcazes said:

scooter i think you just like posting pictures of that new gun! lol

The gun ain’t new. Only the grip is. ?

[tcazes]

Just now, scooterj said:

The gun ain’t new. Only the grip is. ?

 

pretty much the same thing! lol its like getting new wheels and tires lol

[scooterj]

More like a whole new suspension 

[BoyGlock]

I dont use t. rest in my std and open guns. In hindsight, I think it could prevent me to subconsciously change my grip to adopt to my ever evolving technique. Previously my support thumb is parallel to the barrel. Now I noticed its a bit elavated and angled a bit upward. And it felt better control of the gun in recoil. If I had used a rest I would be very consistent as it would serve as indexing point but my grip would not evolve as it is now. And I believe the change was for the better. 

[zzt]

I have two open guns, one with, the other without.  I'm still undecided about it.  I added one to my CZ TS limited gun, but took it off.  I use the overlapping thumb grip and find that the left hand cocked forward with thumb pointing along the bore gives me the most control and the least muzzle flip.

[Doublehelix]

I added a thumb rest a couple of months ago to one of my guns, and I love it. Now when I shoot one of my other guns, I find that I miss it a lot.

[CrashDodson]

I like the DAA adjustable thumb rest. 

[superluckycat]

The 2011 I picked up in January had a *thumb rest [generic]*.  First time I'd ever tried one.  Love it.

[HickLife]

I know you mentioned this for the 1911/2011 platform but with almost every gun I shoot that has a rail on it the bottom (lower most part) of my thumb on my support hand rides in  the groove, I normally can feel one of the gaps of the rail on a certain part of my thumb and feel for it as I get my grip. Like others have said its more of a landmark than anything, sometimes if I'm really cranking down on my grip its like a *thumb rest [generic]* but it can also throw off the shots if the grip is uneven

[Sdlrodeo]

On 4/21/2018 at 10:31 AM, tomjerry1 said:

I put one on my limited gun, and have since removed it. My hands are small, and found it hard to reach, so I took it off. Now that I am shooting Open, I decided to give it a try again, but this time I had a tab welded to the slide stop, and it is much closer, and I like it. I think it is not so much control of the gun, but getting the same grip, the tab helps with that. Am thinking of doing the same thing to my limited gun. 

 

As Tomjerry1 said, it helps with getting the same grip. I shot my STI which was drilled and tapped for a *thumb rest [generic]* and has a slide racker. I liked the thumbrest that the *thumb rest [generic]* provided.

 

Then my life changed.

 

I got my Atlas Titan with a nitrofin. Holy Shamoly! It just feels soooo much more natural. The placement is perfect for my hand size. I’m debating on wether or not I’ll keep my STI, but if I decide to keep it, its getting a nitrofin. That gun just naturally points so perfectly for me it’s crazy.

[cs62]

I thought the nitrofin thumb rest was gimmicky until I tried it, now I put it on all my Limited guns.

[Doublehelix]

Yeah, the Nitrofin is pretty awesome, and takes seconds to install without modifications. Plus, it makes the gun easier to take down because I can get a grip on the takedown lever.

[open17]

Tried *thumb rest [generic]*---didn't like.  Tried Nitro-Fin---just a wee bit too far/flat for my stubby thumbs.   Tried Phoenix Trinity----Yes.

The PT is just a little farther back and more vertical than the Nitro-Fin.   Little patch of grip tape, good to go.   YMMV

[Doublehelix]

On 5/4/2018 at 9:53 AM, open17 said:

Tried *thumb rest [generic]*---didn't like.  Tried Nitro-Fin---just a wee bit too far/flat for my stubby thumbs.   Tried Phoenix Trinity----Yes.

The PT is just a little farther back and more vertical than the Nitro-Fin.   Little patch of grip tape, good to go.   YMMV

 

Honestly, I wanted the Phoenix Trinity rest as well, but when I tried to order one a few months ago, they were out of stock. I called and talked to them a couple of times, and they said that they lost a couple of their machines, and needed to dedicate the machines they had left to building guns rather than the thumb rests. They said they would contact me when they were ready to start making more. Never heard from them, and it has been months now...

 

I ordered the Nitro Fin, and love it, but as you mention, it may not be the best fit for everyone. I really wanted to try the PT rest, but they seem to be made from Unobtainium right now.

[bjones6686]

The Nitro Fin is the go to thumb rest for me. I have one on both of my 2011 Limited guns. My small hands have no problem reaching it unlike most of the bolt on style thumb rest. After letting other shooting friends hold and shoot my limited guns they have also bought Nitro Fins to put on their guns. I wish they was legal for SSTK division. 

[gator11]

I recently purchased a 2011 that had a Nitro Fin on it. Figured I would sell it once I received the gun. Then when I finally held it I was surprised how comfortable it was. After shooting it I purchased another one. Defirnetly helps me with acquiring a proper grip faster from draw. 

[bjones6686]

5 hours ago, gator11 said:

I recently purchased a 2011 that had a Nitro Fin on it. Figured I would sell it once I received the gun. Then when I finally held it I was surprised how comfortable it was. After shooting it I purchased another one. Defirnetly helps me with acquiring a proper grip faster from draw. 

That's what it does for me also. I get a proper grip way faster with the nitro fin on a gun then a standard slide stop. Everyone I let hold and shoot my guns with the nirto fin on them all say how great it feels.