Any guns with "full size" slides but "subcompact" grips?

OhioGuy

New member
I've found that grip length, moreso than thickness, affects my ability to conceal in lighter clothes. Slide length makes no difference at all, since I carry AIWB.

Subcompacts shorten both dimensions, but still let you use full size magazines.

When Glock released its G19 "X" it left me scratching my head. Why make a compact slide with a grip that's even harder to conceal? I'd have been impressed if they'd gone the other way...say, G19 slide with G26 grip. Then I'd have the sight radius of the G19, but concealability of G26...but could upsize to 15 or 17 round magazines depending on how I'm dressed.

I just saw that Walther will release a PPQ subcompact. Again...love the shortened grip, but would prefer the longer slide.

Going with the shortest grip, and then allowing extended magazines with grip sleeves just seems to make a lot of sense to me.

Other than sticking a P320 Compact slide on a P320 subcompact frame, does anyone make such an option?
 
When Glock released its G19 "X" it left me scratching my head. Why make a compact slide with a grip that's even harder to conceal?

Because the Glock MHS submission was designed to fit within the specifications set out by the military. Concealment obviously wasn't the top priority.
 
Just been reading about a shop that sets up a Plastic M&P Compact to take standard or even Pro slides. But it is custom work, probably not cheap.
 
10-12 years ago guys started doing exactly what you are asking about. Take a Glock 19 and chop the grip to G26 length. Use G26 mags for concealment, but have the option to stick a 19 or longer mag in when desired.

I never did it to my gun, a G19 conceals just fine for me as is.
 
I've found that grip length, moreso than thickness, affects my ability to conceal in lighter clothes. Slide length makes no difference at all, since I carry AIWB.



Subcompacts shorten both dimensions, but still let you use full size magazines.



When Glock released its G19 "X" it left me scratching my head. Why make a compact slide with a grip that's even harder to conceal? I'd have been impressed if they'd gone the other way...say, G19 slide with G26 grip. Then I'd have the sight radius of the G19, but concealability of G26...but could upsize to 15 or 17 round magazines depending on how I'm dressed.



I just saw that Walther will release a PPQ subcompact. Again...love the shortened grip, but would prefer the longer slide.



Going with the shortest grip, and then allowing extended magazines with grip sleeves just seems to make a lot of sense to me.



Other than sticking a P320 Compact slide on a P320 subcompact frame, does anyone make such an option?



Do you think the US Army gives a damn about AIWB carry????

Doesn't anyone read anymore? How many threads must we have about people wanting (exaggerating for effect) a Glock 34 with a Glock 26 frame???

Every damned thing is not for every body. Period.

C'mon, dude. This REALLY should be obvious but the world of firearms existed prior to your and my choosing to carry concealed.


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"Full length" is somewhat subjective, but I'm with you on preferring a longer sight radius in general. I don't think anyone makes a long-slide with a clipped grip, but you could certainly custom out a pistol like that. I will bet you there is a gunsmith somewhere who could get a 17L slide on a 19....or a 26...? Maybe.

I know a few guys who carry 26/27 with the 10 rnd mags and have a 15 with a grip extension as a reload. I do agree with you that the grip is the harder part to fully conceal.

I like shooting pistols with a longer sight radius, but I'm resigned to CCW compact or sub-compact pistols for ease of lifestyle without messing with a rig. I'm probably point shooting rather than aiming anyway, so it really isn't going to help me much if I ever had to skin it. I generally carry an LCP or a LC9S in a sticky. I wear a suit all the time, and just find myself not wanting to wear a Miami Classic unless I have to enter a no-go area. Either way I would not be able to take off my jacket, so in the summer my only good option is the pocket.
 
It’s a single stack, but the SA XD-S 4.0 with the smallest mag would about fit the description.


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Do you think the US Army gives a damn about AIWB carry????

Doesn't anyone read anymore? How many threads must we have about people wanting (exaggerating for effect) a Glock 34 with a Glock 26 frame???

Every damned thing is not for every body. Period.

C'mon, dude. This REALLY should be obvious but the world of firearms existed prior to your and my choosing to carry concealed.


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I probably didn't express myself very well. Yes I've read about this and yes I understand what the army requirements were. I understand the origins of this pistol. I'd simply do not see any practical use for it in the commercial Market because it does not fill any actual niche. I thought that a longer slide with a shorter grip would be something more "novel."

But thanks for the aggressive and hostile attitude :cool:
 
Kahr once produced and some people have created their own short grip pistols from the Kahr line, called the "covert". Easy to do on any polymer framed Kahr by simply cutting the grip down to the size you want that corresponds to a mag size. Kahrs come in a 6, 7 or 8 round 9mm mag, (grip length), so you could have a micro sized grip, 6 round mag or 7 for that matter, on a TP9 frame, 8 round length grip, with a 4" barrel. This would yield a very easy to conceal grip on a nice 4" long barrel/slide.
 
Like this......Glock 20 cut to 29 grip and 29 magazine baseplate modified so that grip length is same as a Glock 19.
Sold it but planning to do the same on a SF in the future.
My first chop with a 19 to 26 the same year that the 26 came out.
MidsizeGlock20.JPG
 
A while back, we bought my wife a Sig P320 in Compact. It's a 4" (3.99" according to their specs). We also bought a sub-compact gripframe for it. It is a good balance of slide/barrel length vs grip size. I personally would prefer the regular compact gripframe, or maybe even the carry size, but it seems to be quite easy to hide for her with the sub-compact gripframe.
 
Not to my knowledge and it's a shame because a short grip/long slide has a lot of advantages and only one disadvantage and that's not as fast clearing a holster when drawing. The longer barrel, sight radius, lower recoil, better concealment... they're all clear advantages.

But, I do have to point out that the premium hollow point factory ammo today is loaded with faster burning powders and will expand and work from 3 inch barrels, meaning the longer barrel is nice, but not necessary. Where the longer barrel is nice is with the JHP Winchester White Box economy ammo. Longer barrels really speed it up.

With the longer sight picture, Idk how much it helps, but it's just fact that it helps aid in shooting more accurately. I wonder if in 10-15 years and the RMR red dot sights if they'll make traditional pistol sights obsolete or if even some sort of augmented reality will become a means to aim a pistol.

If that ever becomes a reality, the need for a barrel that's 4, 5, or 6 inches will disappear and sight radius will not be as big a deal.

I always look ahead to see where I think the future is going to be, but for now a Glock 26 with a 4 inch barrel is what a lot of people want, me included. I can shoot my G27 fine with the short grip, but I think I would shoot it even better with a longer barrel and slide.
 
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XDM 3.8" compact or the XD 4.0 compact come to mind. Both guns have a rather sub-compact grip, but slide/barrel lengths like that of the g19.
 
It’s a single stack, but the SA XD-S 4.0 with the smallest mag would about fit the description.


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I hadn't thought about this one, but yes this is what I'm talking about. I guess the XDM Compact would roughly be the double stack equivalent.
 
Lone Wolf is now offering what you are seeking... They announced at SHOT.


You can get their g26 frame that can accept the g19 slide, properly, without fit issues, or exposed bits.

The TCW version I believe.
 
I understand the origins of this pistol. I'd simply do not see any practical use for it in the commercial Market because it does not fill any actual niche.

Because there are people out there who will buy this just because it was Glock's MHS submission and for no other reason.

Frankly, it's a smart marketing move on Glock's part. They already have the tooling, and if it doesn't sell well, they just stop making them.
 
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