Cut down handles in autos - is there a reason?

[Bulletski]

Hi all:
i have two pistols: an M&P 2.0 in 45 and a Glock 30s both having cut down handles. To make up for the short handles, both guns have plastic pieces at the bottom to make up for the short handles and I'm sure a lot of you are already familiar with it.

I'd like to know if there's any logical reason for this? In the case with the 30s, the pinky falls into the crack between the end of the handle and the magazine extension so that every time the gun is fired, the pinky gets pinched which is unpleasant to say the least. Glock obviously didn't think this out and is a ridiculous oversight.
Is there some logical reason that any gun maker uses the cut down handle design or am I missing something?

Thanks for replies

 

[1KPerDay]

Concealment

 

[JohnKSa]

The grip of a handgun tends to be the part that prints the worst during concealment. Having the shorter grip makes it a bit easier to conceal, but only if one uses the short magazines instead of one that is longer than the grip. Some people will carry the gun with the short magazine but then carry a spare magazine that is longer.

Glock grips can sometimes benefit by some careful trimming right at the bottom. I've found some models have sharp edges that can be removed to improve shooter comfort. It doesn't require removing a significant amount of material, only rounding the edges.

 

[tominboise]

If by handle, you mean grip frame, smaller pistols meant for concealed carry have shorter grip frames and reduced capacity magazines. Usually one can get 3 fingers on the grip, with the pinky under the mag (depends on one's hand size, of course). Makers offer longer magazines or extended base plates that allow a user to get 4 fingers on the grip frame. To make the gun easier to shoot at the range, for instance, or if you are carrying in such a way that the grip length doesn't matter as much.

 

[Outlaw75]

Hi all:
i have two pistols: an M&P 2.0 in 45 and a Glock 30s both having cut down handles. To make up for the short handles, both guns have plastic pieces at the bottom to make up for the short handles and I'm sure a lot of you are already familiar with it.

I'd like to know if there's any logical reason for this? In the case with the 30s, the pinky falls into the crack between the end of the handle and the magazine extension so that every time the gun is fired, the pinky gets pinched which is unpleasant to say the least. Glock obviously didn't think this out and is a ridiculous oversight.
Is there some logical reason that any gun maker uses the cut down handle design or am I missing something?

Thanks for replies

I think the bigger question here is why did you buy a G30 when a full size G21might have suited you better?

 

[trackskippy]

I never really understood the mag extensions on the smaller guns, and like you, they always pinched the crap out of my hands, both while shooting, and if you werent careful on the reload.

I figured this out pretty quick with my first Glock 26. Wrapping your pinkie under the grip/mag, is a much better option, and I actually get a better grip on the gun than I do with an extension on it.

I had a 30S as well, but its grip was more like a 19, longer, but a bit crampy, but with the factory mags, pinching wasnt an issue.

The whole point of the shorter grip is to make it more concealable and able to be carried in places where you normally wouldnt a full sized gun. The trade off is, they are generally more of a challenge to get a good, quick, proper grip on and to shoot with.

Why people would buy a smaller gun, and then start making it bigger by putting the extensions on them never made any sense to me, and is just counterproductive. Get a gun that fits you, and you shoot well with, and youll be a lot better off all around, and in most cases, the bigger guns are just as easily carried and hidden.

 

[Ethan Verity]

I never really understood the mag extensions on the smaller guns, and like you, they always pinched the crap out of my hands, both while shooting, and if you werent careful on the reload.

I figured this out pretty quick with my first Glock 26. Wrapping your pinkie under the grip/mag, is a much better option, and I actually get a better grip on the gun than I do with an extension on it.

I had a 30S as well, but its grip was more like a 19, longer, but a bit crampy, but with the factory mags, pinching wasnt an issue.

The whole point of the shorter grip is to make it more concealable and able to be carried in places where you normally wouldnt a full sized gun. The trade off is, they are generally more of a challenge to get a good, quick, proper grip on and to shoot with.

Why people would buy a smaller gun, and then start making it bigger by putting the extensions on them never made any sense to me, and is just counterproductive. Get a gun that fits you, and you shoot well with, and youll be a lot better off all around, and in most cases, the bigger guns are just as easily carried and hidden.

Mag extensions give you more options... perhaps to carry the gun with a flush mag, then put an extended mag in the gun when at home in the nightstand. Or, you can carry with a flush mag in warmer months, then add the extended mag in colder months when concealing with a jacket.

I don't do this personally, since I own both compact and full size guns and prefer just an overall bigger gun when possible... but I can understand the appeal of just owning a compact frame gun, and having mag extensions as an option.

 

[jmr40]

My favorite pistol. It's about versatility.

I cut this Glock 19 grip down to G26 length. The barrel/slide is only 1/2" longer than a G26 and doesn't make any real difference when concealment is an issue. It makes it a tiny bit more shootable and still has the rail which the G26 does not have. It's only 1/2 shorter than the full size G17.

I couldn't find a G26 mag to use as a guide when doing the cutting, but did find a MagPul G26 12 round mag. The one on the far left. With that mag in the gun, it is pretty small, but with just enough room to get my little finger on the front of the mag. For reference the next mag is a G26 with a +2 extension. Even without the +2 extension it isn't noticeably smaller than the Magpul 12 round. It also takes G15, G17, G19X, Magpul 20 round mags and Glock 33 round mags.

Over the years I've accumulated a "butt load" of Glock mags and they all work with this gun. I can have a G26, G19, G17 or a G18 simply by changing mags. There is no way I can make a G26 or G19 mag work if I choose the full size G17. Over the years I've accumulated a "butt load" of Glock mags and they all work with this gun.

I usually carry it with a Magpul 12 round mag in the gun and 17 round G17 mags for spares. But depending on the situation sometimes will carry with one of the 15 or 17 round mags.

 

[Tinman357]

The procedure is called a "grip chop"

I did this to my two G17's to use the G19 magazines many years ago. No regrets. I get the full benefit of the longer barrel/sight plane and the concealability of the compact model. The chop allowed me to carry a full sized sidearm longer into warmer weather. I considered it a plus, still do.

I did the same to a Kahr P9 to take the PM9 magazines. Grip is still big enough for me. But in addition to increasing the ease of carry, I resolved the well known issue of the 7rd mags losing rounds.

More than once I'd pull out a 7rd mag that lost 2 or 3 rounds out of my pocket. I considered that an improvement. with the market responding with a better, metal follower the shedding issue is pretty much resolved.

Later, I improved it even more by getting a TP9 slide and barrel. I prefer a barrel of at least 4" for 9mm as premium SD ammo is far more reliable at getting consistent expansion than the 3" barreled guns do. At the time, back then, this Kahr was the best CC sidearm that I could find.

It met all my personal requirements and still performs the job very well.

There are much better options today.

The fine P365XL with the standard grip module and modified 10rd mag gets you 13rds on tap and anywhere between 10rd to 18rd mags as spares. Add in an extended, threaded barrel and you get one capable sidearm that, in my opinion, is hard to beat. Smaller, lighter, easy to shoot, and very accurate.

For now it's the best I have been able to come up with. For now.

All that said, I still prefer a full size 1911. And always will. But there are times that I cannot reliably conceal it and have to compromise to a smaller sidearm.

 

[CapnMac]

There is an argument, that less frame = less weight (e.g., that the mag extension is less obtrusive).
I'm a touch either/or on the issue.
Too many times, that "extra bit" on the mag gets "optimized" into adding more rounds, so the mag body is longer. Or the extension dingus has to get engineered up to support the spring and ammo.
As pointed out above, mostly all it does is advance a pinch point up the grip.

For my 2¢, I'd rather have the frame be the frame, and the mag be the mag. That's me. There are simply too many choices in the CHL market that no one answer will fit all. With the benefit that each can find what works best for them. Your Goldilocks is yours.

 

[Bulletski]

I think the bigger question here is why did you buy a G30 when a full size G21might have suited you better?

I think the bigger question here is why did you buy a G30 when a full size G21might have suited you better?

The 21 is full size and I didn't want that.

 

[TonyAngel]

I'm not going to assume that all Glocks have the hump on the grip, but for those that do, there is a Glock "GripFix" hump eliminator kit available. Makes removing the hump about a 30 minute job. I did it on both my 19 and my 43X.

 

[CDW4ME]

Cutting the grip of the Glock 36 short and not offering a flush fit mag is illogical; the Glock 36 wouldn't need a oversize magazine base to make up the difference if the grip wasn't pointlessly cut short.

I much prefer a grip that does not rely on the magazine as a place for my pinky, Glock 19 is a minimum that I can get all my fingers on (barely).

 

[JTQ]

Is there some logical reason that any gun maker uses the cut down handle design or am I missing something?

Concealment

That's why.

 

[JTQ]

The 21 is full size and I didn't want that.

Why was it you didn't want a full size gun? Is it because it is harder to conceal than the G30?

 

[Charlie98]

Some people will carry the gun with the short magazine but then carry a spare magazine that is longer.

Correct. That's what I do when I carry my Kahr CM9 or PM9... it gets the flush, 6rd magazine, but I carry a 7 or 8rd mag as a spare...

 

[trackskippy]

Correct. That's what I do when I carry my Kahr CM9 or PM9... it gets the flush, 6rd magazine, but I carry a 7 or 8rd mag as a spare...

Thats what makes the most sense to me, and exactly what I do with my Glock 26's. 10 round factory mag in the gun with a 17 or 27 round back up mag along.

 

[Outlaw75]

Why was it you didn't want a full size gun? Is it because it is harder to conceal than the G30?

I think that was his reason. After rereading the original post a couple of times I think he's really talking about grip extenders on magazines. Although I don't know why that would be an issue with a G30 since Glock doesn't do extensions and the only M&P's that have them are the Shield line.

 

[Alllen Bundy]

In the case with the 30s, the pinky falls into the crack between the end of the handle and the magazine extension so that every time the gun is fired, the pinky gets pinched which is unpleasant to say the least.

This pinching also happens when you use a P365 with the 12 rd magazine. The grip also feel squishy with the 12 rd magazine. This is one of the reasons that I installed the taller P365XL grip module on my P365. It prevented the pinching with the 12 rd magazine and the grip now feels solid.

The only time that I use the shorter P365 grip module is when I occasionally need to pocket carry. But for shooting I much prefer the taller grip module.

 

[FL-NC]

I think Glock seriously missed the mark with the 26, 27, 29, 30, and similar sized pistols.

 

[trackskippy]

I think the 19 (and similar) is the screwed pooch in Glocks line up, but thats me. Its either too big or not big enough with no advantage in the middle.

I like the 26 a lot better, as I can carry it in places I cant the 19, and it still shoots just as well as the larger guns, and can have the same capacity as any of them, with a simple mag change.

Personally, if I could only have one Glock, it would be a 26.

 

[The Night Rider]

I think Glock seriously missed the mark with the 26, 27, 29, 30, and similar sized pistols.

Elaborate?

 

[The Night Rider]

I don't have any experience with what I'm about to say I'm repeating something I read on another forum.

This question came up on pistol forum and all the gurus over there said that for Glocks at least they do it because apparently Glock magazines have issues when they make them California compliant.

So for instance They'll take a Glock 19 and cut the grip down to a Glock 26 size and then instead of using the California compliant Glock 19 magazine they use a standard Glock 26 magazine

 

[JTQ]

I don't have any experience with what I'm about to say I'm repeating something I read on another forum.

This question came up on pistol forum and all the gurus over there said that for Glocks at least they do it because apparently Glock magazines have issues when they make them California compliant.

So for instance They'll take a Glock 19 and cut the grip down to a Glock 26 size and then instead of using the California compliant Glock 19 magazine they use a standard Glock 26 magazine

Yeah, that is something that is done, but what is the connection to the OP's issue with the G30, which is not a modified gun. It came that way from the factory, unless the OP left out some detail, or I misunderstood the OP.

I'm still not completely clear what is the core problem the OP is having. He didn't want a full size G21, which is perfectly fine, so he bought the more compact G30. Part of that compactness is that the grip is shorter top to bottom. Because the grip is shorter, most people's hands will fit on the grip differently than the full size G21.

 

[Outlaw75]

I don't have any experience with what I'm about to say I'm repeating something I read on another forum.

This question came up on pistol forum and all the gurus over there said that for Glocks at least they do it because apparently Glock magazines have issues when they make them California compliant.

So for instance They'll take a Glock 19 and cut the grip down to a Glock 26 size and then instead of using the California compliant Glock 19 magazine they use a standard Glock 26 magazine

Why do they do that? Just to have a G19 with a shorter grip?