Proper handgun fit...

G

GomerPyle

Inactive
Greetins all,
I'm in the market for a nice semi-auto pistol. I've never owned a handgun in the past and am a little ignorant when it comes to some handgun basics. I stopped at a local gunshop here in town and looked at and held a few handguns, including a Glock 23 .40cal. I need to know what is the proper fit criteria to go by when purchasing a handgun? I have relatively small hands and it seemed that every handgun that I held today seemed to be too big for my hand. I was told by a cop that a good rule of thumb in fit is that the barrel of the gun should follow a line that passes through your wrist and straight down your forearm. Does this sound correct?:rolleyes: Makes sense to me! Second, I was told that the gun should fit the fold of skin between your thumb and the index finger. It should fit in the fold of skin halfway between the index finger and thumb. The extended trigger finger should be able to engage the trigger comfortably at the first joint from the finger tip. Is this correct? If this general guide to fit is indeed correct, than just about every gun I held in my hand today is too big. :( I held the entire lineup of Glocks, Springfield, Taurus, and Colt. Not one gun felt comfortable as far as reaching the trigger without having to twist the gun. Any suggestions?
Thanks guys
Gomer
 
Gomer, 12/20/08

Handgun fit is very important. If you are squirming with trying to get a comfortable grip then you aren't concentrating on the other important parts of firing a pistol, like trigger control and sight alignment. What you need to do is find a range that rents different types of pistols and try out a bunch until you find one that feels right. It would be preferable if you took someone with you who knows firearms. There are a number of smaller pistols which might feel better for your small hands- many of the plastic (polymer) framed pistols have changable grip inserts for small hands. Also look at the Kahr line, known for small and light (I am not partial to Kahr's but that is another story). Look at the Sig 239, another light and small pistol.
I'm sure others will chime in with more useful suggestions. Good luck.

Merry Christmas- oldandslow
 
Way too complicated

1) go to a range and rent as suggested by "oldandslow"

This will do many things for you.
a) you'll get to feel the grip of other guns of various sizes and calibers from many makers
b) just because it may feel good when you pick it up.... it's really once you shoot it.... that's where the rubber meets the road.

Just know the fit of a gun will be different for everyone. You'll have to find one that works for you. Meaning one that feels good in YOUR hand.

You may have to compromise and "custom" fit the grip to suit your needs and comforts (e.g. put different grips, or change up the size of you grips as most new firearms will come with various accessories to do this, add more friction surfaces like ladder tape or some other do dad).
 
I was told by a cop that a good rule of thumb in fit is that the barrel of the gun should follow a line that passes through your wrist and straight down your forearm.
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That's how you should HOLD the gun. Proper hold may be helped by proper fit but a proper fitting gun can still be held wrong.

It should fit in the fold of skin halfway between the index finger and thumb.
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Maybe I'm reading that wrong but it seems like another way of saying how you hold the gun, not how it fits.
 
+1 on renting. It's hard to get a good idea of the quality of your grip without shooting the pistol. You'll want to be able to maintain a stable grip through recoil (i.e. the pistol shouldn't start shifting around in your hand).

I was told that the gun should fit the fold of skin between your thumb and the index finger.
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That's called the 'web' of your hand, and yes the rear face of the grip (aka backstrap) should go there :D

Don't worry about the specific position on the web, you'll find this when you obtain the proper grip alignment.

The extended trigger finger should be able to engage the trigger comfortably at the first joint from the finger tip.
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You don't want to press the trigger w/ the joint itself. Commonly used positions are those just before or after the joint, or the pad of the finger. Some people use the second pad for double-action handguns. If your pistol has a double-action mode, it's good to be able to use a deeper finger position so that have more leverage.
 
Try taking a look at Kahr's line of single stack semi-auto's. They have everything from the economical CW line which starts at a little under $400 to the polymer P & PM line and they also have all steel guns which are pricey but are very nice guns. Chamberings are 9mm, 40 s&w and 45 acp. I have small hands too and I find the Kahrs to fit nicely in my small hand.

www.kahr.com
 
One thing I always do when considering a pistol purchase, besides renting one, is to first make sure its not loaded. Pick a target on a wall about 15 or 20 feet away, gun at your side, close your eyes and then aim at the target you chose before you closed your eyes, keeping your aim then open your eyes, you should be somewhat close especially not too high or to low. this tells me if my wrist will be comfortable. IMHO
 
Here is a video demonstrating the proper way to grip a pistol. Knowing this will help you in determining what fits and what doesn't. It doesn't help to try them out and find one that is comfortable if you are holding it all wrong, another one might feel better when holding it the correct way.

Todd Jarrett grip lesson:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4584332856867071363

There is no sure way to "size" a pistol, it really depends on what feels good. As long as you are holding it properly and it feels comfortable, you have a good match. The trick is it being comfortable WHILE HOLDING IT PROPERLY.
 
You're really not going to know how well a gun fits your hand 'til you've fired it. Since you're new to this handgun business what may feel "too big" may not, in fact, be overly large for your hand. It's very much a question of getting used to holding it and developing a consistent grip that you can maintain without thinking about it.

Don't be misled by the idea that a smaller gun is necessarily a more comfortable gun for your hand. A good general rule is that the smaller and lighter the gun, the greater the perceived recoil when you pull the trigger. And, the greater the perceived recoil, the more discomfort you will feel in your hand and wrist from firing it. A gun that is unpleasant to fire quickly produces bad habits such as flinching.

So, try out a bunch of models before making a decision. And, if possible, get a qualified instructor to work with you before you buy. It's well worth the time and the money.
 
Don't be misled by the idea that a smaller gun is necessarily a more comfortable gun for your hand.
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I have very small hands and my most comfortable pistol is a Sig P226 which many complain of being too big. The width fills my grip so I can achieve an almost perfect grip without even thinking about it and my finger naturally contacts the trigger on the pad rather than the first joint.
 
Glocks are good weapons, but for small hands, I would guess not.

Try the Smith and Wesson M&P line, the Walther line, and Springfield XDm. All three come with interchangable backstraps for small hand sizes.

I have the smallest hand strap on my M&P, and it makes a huge difference.
 
"...extended trigger finger should be able to engage the trigger comfortably..." That's the important part. Grasp the pistol like you're shaking hands. If you can't easily reach the trigger, it's too big.
Too small can be fixed with a change of grips. Too big can sometimes be fixed with a change of grips too, but not if the frame just doesn't fit. I have that issue with any DA pistol and most Smith revolvers with my wide but short hands. DA triggers are too far forward and S&W frames are just a tick too long. A Colt Government Model fits nicely though.
Try a Browning Highpower.
"...have seen a 9yo girl shoot a Glock..." And? Shooting any pistol and being able to hit what you shoot at are two different things.
 
Think single stack magazine semi autos.

Yet some of the newest semi autos can cheat that by using ingenious grip profiles.

Really the best thing for you to do is budget several weeks of just going everywhere and driving gun sales people out of their mind by checking out every type of semi auto you would want to buy.

Get it out of the gun case and hold the thing and concentrate on the holding part.

The sales guy will run likely his mouth,just ignore him.

It costs nothing to look.

One of the best feelings in the world is when you pick up a handgun and it feels like someone with EXACTLY THE SAME HAND AS YOURS designed it.

It's out there,you just have to find it.

You might check out Para Ordinance's line of d/a trigger 1911 handguns.

Whatever the gun is,you will know as soon as you close your hand around it.
 
I have very small hands and my most comfortable pistol is a Sig P226 which many complain of being too big.
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This is the pistol I was going to recommend trying out, since it is too small for my hand. I've always loved the P226, but that grip is far too small for my comfort.:( It just might be right up your alley.

Try several different guns and you'll find that some "point" better for you. That is, get a grip on the weapon and pull it up quickly and aim it at a certain spot. The quicker the sights clear, the better it points for you. This was the way I chose an H&K USP45C over a Sig P220. The ultimate design for me though, is a 1911. Since they can be had with a flat or arched mainspring housing, the grip works for many sizes of hands. Of course, I prefer the arched. And there are many makers of custom grips for all different hand sizes.

Good luck in your experiments, they're fun!
 
Sometimes it's not just size but shape. A stock Beretta 92fs sits oddly in my hand and feels "too big," but with a Hogue wrap-around rubber grip it fills my hand perfectly, even though the grip is slightly larger; I can say the same for the HK USPc9, too.
 
I find the expressions "small hands" or "big hands" to be very misleading. Everything in life is relative. Have you ever bought a mans shirt in large and found that it fits perfectly? Then purchase another brand in large to find that it looks like it belongs on a child?:eek:

The point here is that handgun comfort relies on more than a generalization of hand size. You also have to consider things such as grip angle, not just size. Like the previous posters recommended, rent the gun. Spend some time with it at the range. After you acquire some skills, you will be able to pick one up at the gun shop, hold it in your hand for ten seconds and then decide if it feels good enough to rent and shoot.
 
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