SHOOT Quick Tip: Using the Right Grip Size | Shooting USA
What’s a good handgun grip and how do you choose the right grip size for your pistol? Even if your grip feels good or seems perfectly comfortable, that doesn’t mean you have the ideal grip for controlling recoil. Shooting USA recently posted one of my Smith & Wesson Pro Tips on this topic to YouTube and their Instagram. Click to watch the IGTV or catch the YouTube video below.
Learning to Grip a Pistol
The first part of the video addresses my preferred grip — a thumbs forward grip that eliminates space between my hands. An extra bend at the wrist of my support hand allows both hands to meet up nicely and helps me control recoil. If you don’t grip your pistol this way, I highly encourage you to test it out. It may seem awkward at first, not unlike gripping a golf club properly, but it’s well worth it to give it a try.
Choosing a Backstrap
M&P M2.0’s come with 4 different backstrap options — small, medium, medium-large, and large. Just like with grip, don’t just assume you have the right size on your handgun. It’s best to test all the options. That means trying them out in both dry fire and live fire.
TIP: Got small hands? If even the small backstrap on an M&P is too big for you can simply remove it altogether and shoot the pistol without a backstrap. Use grip or skateboard tape to make it more comfortable.
For me, the medium-large and large sizes are difficult to shoot well. My finger has to stretch to reach the trigger. Because of that reach, I have to use more finger muscles to shoot. That means it’s harder for me to practice good trigger control and my finger tires very easily. That’s not a good thing if you want to push yourself to shoot faster.
Ideally, you’ll want to choose the grip size that allows your strong hand thumb to reach the magazine release button as well as one where your trigger finger can achieve an ideal placement. The full pad of your trigger finger should rest on the face of the trigger. This gives you the most power and control.
To truly test to see whether your grip is ideal you need to shoot your pistol on the range. That’s where the drill demonstrated in the Pro Tip comes in. The Bill Drill is not only a great sight tracker drill that can help you learn to shoot faster, but it can also help you determine the best grip size for your pistol too. There’s no need to incorporate a draw or picking up the pistol as part of the test. Simply shoot the drill from the ready position or have the sights on target so you can focus on what you see and feel as you shoot. Pay attention to how the grip feels as you press the trigger, the hits you produce on the target, and how long it takes you to shoot the 6 shots.
I can’t say enough positive things about working with the Shooting USA crew and this was a fun video to make. Did you catch the special cameo by Mr. Butterfly landing on my shoulder? Watch for it at the 1:37 mark.
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Want more videos with new gun owners in mind? Be sure to check out Smith & Wesson’s GUNSMARTS.
