Big Hands- Small Grips

[Fat Boy]

I have what I consider to be large hands (I wear an xl size glove, and it is on the "smallish" size)

I have tried to shoot j-frame Smith revolvers, and had trouble holding on to them in firing- I have typically believed that it is just my lack of training/practice with the gun; in other words, if I worked with one long enough, I could get to a good ability with it.

My goal in shooting/working with j-frames, has been along the lines of a defensive firearm...


However I am curious; do large hands create problems with these small frame guns, and if so, can grips fix this, and finally is it worth it, or should I just go with a "compact" frame semi-auto? Say a Colt Commander or similar-sized Sig, or other gun? Or maybe another brand (I know,S&W lovers, sacrilege) of small-frame revolver with a slightly larger frame? I am kind of "shooting in the dark" here (pun intended... ) as I don't know if other makers (other than Colt Detective Special) have frames larger than the Smith j-frame...what about a k-frame Smith? Say a snub-nose model 10?

Thanks!

 

[mesinge2]

If you do want a J Frame I recommend just getting larger grips that let you place your last finger on the grip.
I have large hands as well and I replaced my grips. It has worked out very well.

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[mesinge2]

If you want a K Frame a used model 10, 15, 64, 67, or even a 19 in 357.
They can usually be found quite cheap and will last forever if treated right.
I got this 3" model 64 and this 2.5" model 19 for less than $400 each:

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[Prosser]

I'm in the same boat, same hands.

I've had two j frames, 63 and 360PD.

With the above sanded, custom grip, I can shoot the gun a bit better then with the grips on it currently:

But loose it's main purpose, CCW.
It shoots pretty much like a shotgun, at 15 yards, with the small grips.


I was aiming at the main target, by the way.

The J frame is fine, at 7 yards, and, at that distance and closer does a few things most guns don't. First, it recoils like crazy, but, the tradeoff is I don't need a flashbang grenade or flame thrower to stun my attacker if I miss. Chances are good the attacker is going to be deaf, blind, and on fire even if he doesn't catch the bullet.

My conclusion is it isn't a target gun. I can't make head shots with it with the small grips, or would have a hard time, at point blank range, compared to other guns I shoot. Noteably, the PM9 has a very small grip, as well, but, I shoot it MUCH better then the 360PD. Part of that is a 10 pound DA trigger on the 360, and a 5.5 pound on the PM9. Part of it is ergometrics. I just don't think my big hands get comfortably on the trigger, and pull on a 360.

That said, I see no reason, SA, that with the big grips I couldn't shoot the 360 very well, except perhaps, the super fast, 45-55 fps recoil, with heavy loads. The SA trigger is excellent, by the way.

All that said, grips are critical to accuracy, and, with certain calibers, I can't even shoot the gun unless I've got custom grips on it, fitted to MY hands.
If you look at the FA and the Ruger maximum in this picture,

you can see stock grips for small hands on the .475 with the scope, and beautiful, custom buffalo horn grips on the Ruger Maximum, but, for small hands.
Both of these guns were unshootable for me until custom grips were put on them, lke the grips on the Seville at the top.
That said, I have no problem shooting thinner grips on either of the 1911's, probably since I have about 500k rounds through 1911's with slim grips.

As for other revolvers, don't forget Rugers, which when all is said and done, are going to be your best choice, in stainless steel for such stuff.

Or, how about this S&W?

 

[glassman]

I also have big paws. I have a M642 that is my summer carry. The boot grips that came with it were a bit small and I changed them out for a set of pro series grips. They are only about a half inch longer but it was enough to make it right. As far as thickness goes, I prefer slim grips so it works out for me.

 

[Wolfeye]

I had a similar issue with my j-frame when I used the little boot grips it came with. I swapped them for Pachmayr compact grips, and they're just right for getting my pinky around. For refereence, my hands are a hair under size L - size M is just a little too snug. I might suggest full-sized grips if you decide to stick with a j-frame. Hogue makes them in wood & rubber, Eagle has them in wood, and Pachmayr makes them in rubber.

There's nothing wrong with going up a notch in frame size. Ruger's SP101 is a little larger than a Smith j-frame, but not by much. The factory grips on mine are big enough to wrap half of my pinky around, and they're probably the smallest grips available. It's easy to find full-sized grips for them from all the major grip makers. Their larger GP100 is also available with a short barrel & fixed sights, but it's a bit of a tank for daily carry.

Smith & Wesson has a line of lightweight L-framed revolvers. The only one off the top of my head is their model 386 Nightguard. It's expensive.

There's also the Charter Arms Bulldog, a snub in .44 special. I think they also sell a version of their Undercover built on the same frame, and making it a small 6-shot .38 special.

Hope this helps!

 

[Webbj0219]

Glocks Ive heard have about the biggest grip. But you can also adapt to a small grip, you just gotta practice a bit more with it to compensate.

 

[cmfireman]

My wife shoots her LCP much better than I do, but I shoot the Glock 26 with Pierce extension much better than her.

I have huge paws, and hers are tiny. It works out well though, because I can conceal the Glock as easily as she can conceal the LCP.

 

[BCRider]

Instead of longer grips I'd suggest that you may just need wider grips that let you get a good grip with the number of fingers that are actually in contact with the grips. If what is there fills your hand well then you'll have decent support from that amount.

Of course the optimum is a set of grips that you can get full contact with all fingers. But since these are concealed carry guns you likely won't want to deal with a full length grip for a big hand. So what you DO have should at least fit the portion of your grip that it does fill.

 

[jad0110]

I'm 6'7", and have similar issues. Though I've found the stock Uncle Mike's boot grips on my 642 work adequately, given proper technique. I find that curling my pinky up under the butt of the gun works best, giving decent control and acceptable accuracy.

My 642 is a dedicated pocket-only gun, so putting on bigger stocks just doesn't make sense for me. For IWB carry, I carry larger guns such as a Ruger Police Service Six, S&W K frames and even an N frame.