Competitive Carry optics gun for "short thumbs"?

[MikeinGA]

With a medium size hand, I'm looking for a gun I can reach the magazine release and slide release without needing to change my grip (right handed).  In the past I've switched the mag release to the Left hand side and dropped with my Middle finger, but it still causes some change to my grip.  As for slide release, a gun that would drop the slide when a mag is inserted would also help solve my "short thumb" issue like one of my older M&P's would do.  Any medium handed "short thumbed" shooters out there find a competitive carry optic gun on which they can reach the controls without shifting their shooting hand grip? 

[Joe4d]

If you are shooting slide lock in CO you are already screwed up.  So dont worry about that part.
Far as grip and mag release I think you are over thinking it. About all you can do is hit a gunshow and see if any of the major players work for you

[ColoradoNick]

I would look at the most popular guns in CO and start there. I know you can get an extended mag release for the CZ shadow 2. Like the other guy said slide lock shouldn’t matter. You could order a P320 with a small grip module as well. Im sure there’s mag release options also.

Edited May 5, 2023 by ColoradoNick

[koteris]

The Walther PPQ M2 family of pistols have extremely accessible controls. Almost too close for my liking, but give them a try. One of those steel PPQs would be competitive for sure. 

[JonasAberg]

I would also suggest looking into reduced power mag release springs. Those can help a lot.

 

[waktasz]

They help the mags to fall out for sure. 

[MikeinGA]

Thank you all for the response.  Not shooting to slide lock would certainly solve 50% of my concern.  I hadn't considered that.  I'm required to shoot to slide lock for requalification at my "day job", so just assumed I'd need to in carry optics.   When I competed years ago it was a 10 round limit, so had to deal with slide locks and lots of mag drops, so I was taking that mentality into carry optics.  

I wish I could find a gun show or gun shop that had competition ready guns in stock, but everyone I call is out of stock for what I've wanted to look at.  I  had considered the Canik Rival-S and steel PPQ, but haven't found a single one at any of the gun stores I've called.  I'll use everyones advice to help narrow my search, and hopefully find a gun to get me "back in the game".  

Thank you!

[waktasz]

1 hour ago, MikeinGA said:

Thank you all for the response.  Not shooting to slide lock would certainly solve 50% of my concern.  I hadn't considered that.  I'm required to shoot to slide lock for requalification at my "day job", so just assumed I'd need to in carry optics.   When I competed years ago it was a 10 round limit, so had to deal with slide locks and lots of mag drops, so I was taking that mentality into carry optics.  

I wish I could find a gun show or gun shop that had competition ready guns in stock, but everyone I call is out of stock for what I've wanted to look at.  I  had considered the Canik Rival-S and steel PPQ, but haven't found a single one at any of the gun stores I've called.  I'll use everyones advice to help narrow my search, and hopefully find a gun to get me "back in the game".  

Thank you!

 

Go to a match. While the Canik and Q5 SF are not SUPER popular, there's a good chance you'll see one. A CZ with thin grips is also pretty small.

ALSO, there's nothing wrong with shifting your grip in order to get to the mag button. Rob Leatham does it with a 1911, every time. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by waktasz
typo

[Boomstick303]

5 minutes ago, waktasz said:

ALSO, there's nothing wrong with shifting your grip in order to get to the mag button. Rob Leatham does it with a 1911, every time. 

 

I do not have what I would consider to be small hands, and I have to break my grip on every pistol platform I have for reloads.  The more important part of the grip on the pistol is having enough real-estate for a proper grip to be obtained.   Understand as you make the grip shrink so does the real-estate to grip the gun.  Recoil control is far more important than being able to reach the mag release without breaking your grip. Dry fire can make you reloads while breaking the your grip a non issue.  

 

 

[shred]

One of Max and Travis (I forgot which, took a class from the pair and they said one did and one didn't) also flip to hit the mag button and they do ok at reloads. The slide latch is more of an issue although it should come up far less frequently in USPSA CO and a slingshot might be enough there.

 

[Racinready300ex]

I've flipped the gun in my hand to hit the mag release on every gun I've owned. It doesn't really cost you any time to do that, you just need the mag out before the new mag finishes making the trip from the belt to the magwell. 

[motosapiens]

3 hours ago, waktasz said:

ALSO, there's nothing wrong with shifting your grip in order to get to the mag button. Rob Leatham does it with a 1911, every time. 

Stoeger said he had to shift his grip with the tanfo when I took a class from him several eons ago (back when he used to compete!). I have to shift mine slightly on some guns, but not on others. Makes absolutely zero difference to my reload times.

As far as slide release, as others have mentioned, that can be safely ignored. We disabled the slide lock on mrs moto's legion because it was occasionally activating accidentally. I don't know if the one on my shadow works. I've never shot it empty.

[whan]

I have large and skinny hands (so the easiest to reach controls) and have always shifted grip to activate the mag release, particularly for 1911s. I think the large majority of guns will need you to rotate it somewhat in your hand to get the mag release. Extended releases can help with consistency but you may be better served just learning a new technique vs. really trying to find a gun specifically for this purpose. You'll overlook a lot of other important factors for something that could be solved with training and that wouldn't disadvantage you at all

 

Given your questions around this and auto-forwarding on slide lock, I think you might be a bit focused a bit on the wrong things. Even if you were shooting locap and went to slide lock on occasion, the amount of time that would be saved having the gun auto slide-forward vs. being able to efficiently use the slide release or slingshot would be negligible. Same with worrying about any time lost shifting your grip for a reload. On a field course, you should be doing reloads on the move, so the time should barely matter. 

 

For the gun, the primary considerations should be around reliability, how well you feel you can shoot it accurately, if it returns consistently in recoil for you, and how well it naturally points / indexes.

Edited May 5, 2023 by whan

[MHicks]

Does anyone at all use their left hand thumb to hit the release? I've seen that some women top shooters do this.

[konkapot]

I've never seen a competitive male shooter do that. 

[BillGarlandJr]

I was just a kid when my dad first taught me how to reload a pistol and because of the size of my hands at the time I had to shift the pistol in my grip to hit the mag release. Fast forward 40 years….I now have XXL hands and I still shift the pistol in my hand to hit the mag release. Not a big deal as the gun is re-gripped in my strong hand before the fresh mag gets to the magwell. 

[dgl503]

I also have medium hands and I don't think there are any pistols out there where my thumb can comfortably reach the mag button without shifting my grip. A technique that works for me is I use my middle finger to hit it. It's wrapped under the trigger guard and usually right there next to the button on most pistols. It's easy for me to use that finger instead. Doesn't require me to change grip and I'm able to do it while keeping the index finger off the trigger. Doesn't work well for all guns like some 1911's or PDPs but works for just about everything else. Might be a little different for you but see for yourself. Once I discovered it, it was a gamechanger for me.

[dapribek]

Ok, so some of my right handed buddies with small hands hit the mag release with their left thumbs on the way to grab their next mag. Several of them have become B shooters and I’m sure this technique has not held them back. Hope this helps!

[shred]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:00 PM, MHicks said:

Does anyone at all use their left hand thumb to hit the release? I've seen that some women top shooters do this.

With very small hands that might be the best you can do, although usually the slowest part of the reload is getting the new mag, so dallying on the way is not ideal. 

 

I know a few ladies that reversed mag catches for use with the trigger finger.

[BMSMB]

As plenty of others have said, shifting your strong hand grip to hit the mag release is not a problem. Dry fire it a bit and you won't even realize it's happening.

 

That's typically how I do my reloads and I don't have small hands. I can hit the mag release without shifting my grip, but it is not 100% reliable. I also tend to end up with a better strong hand grip after the reload doing the shift method.