Full Grip + Short Slide?

[Styx]

I see that multiple companies are coming out with the disproportionate pistos with a full sized grip with a short 3ish inch slide. Other than maybe for AIWB carry, can someone explain what's the point? I'd think that a short grip and a 4" slide would be more popular, but it most companies do not offer such a thing.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Personally I don’t understand it much either. For me a full size grip is a benefit but not a necessity for SD shooting skills and a shorter grip with longer barrel is easier to conceal than the other way around.

However I’ve heard folks who like the full grip note that you get several benefits that include higher capacity, a quicker pointing gun, and no pinky dangle. Also, depending on the holster can’t and how deep the gun is IWB, they tend to conceal just fine.

I plan to stick with smaller and easier to conceal guns for carry, but variety is a wonderful thing and I think it’s great the manufacturers are trying to accommodate folks who want something different.

 

[JTQ]

It may seem like it's a new phenomenon, since Glock has recently introduced the G19X and G45, but it is a concept that has been around for a very long time. Think Colt Commander.

I know we live in a "Glock World" and it seems everybody seems to want a G19 grip with a G17 slide, but the facts are just about every gun maker on the planet made a full size grip gun with a 4(ish)" barrel, from S&W, to FN, to Beretta, to Ruger, to well, just about everybody. Glock was just the lone holdout to this idea until recently.

A couple of advantages to the 4" barrel with the full size grip...

- Easier to sit (think patrol car) with a straight drop duty holster.

- Full grip is easier/more comfortable to shoot, and easier for reloads than the short G19 size grip.

- Gives full capacity magazine.

- Perception that the slide cycles faster and flatter than the long slide.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Easier to sit (think patrol car) with a straight drop duty holster.

That’s a major plus in my book. If you’re getting in and out of a car a lot, a longer barrel on the hip makes it hard in some cases.

It can lead to a weird sitting position, which is never good for posture or anyone with back issues.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Full grip is easier/more comfortable to shoot, and easier for reloads than the short G19 size grip.

Shorter maybe but not short. The G19 holds 15 rounds while the G17 only adds 2 rounds. Hardly short, sorry. The concept is correct.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Depending on your method of carry, a shorter barrel can most definitely be easier to conceal. Not everyone is dedicated to IWB.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I definitely see the benefits if you are sitting a lot or wear jackets that down go down much beyond waistline. There is a market for. I think the G45 is kinda cool. I’ve read reviews that it even feels more balanced when shooting

 

[JR24]

It may seem like it's a new phenomenon, since Glock has recently introduced the G19X and G45, but it is a concept that has been around for a very long time. Think Colt Commander.

I know we live in a "Glock World" and it seems everybody seems to want a G19 grip with a G17 slide, but the facts are just about every gun maker on the planet made a full size grip gun with a 4(ish)" barrel, from S&W, to FN, to Beretta, to Ruger, to well, just about everybody. Glock was just the lone holdout to this idea until recently.

A couple of advantages to the 4" barrel with the full size grip...

- Easier to sit (think patrol car) with a straight drop duty holster.

- Full grip is easier/more comfortable to shoot, and easier for reloads than the short G19 size grip.

- Gives full capacity magazine.

- Perception that the slide cycles faster and flatter than the long slide.

Very true, I used to trot out a list of all of the other guns that are basically the same size as the 19x/45 and it's about everyone that makes one, many considered excellent CCW pieces by many.

The shorter barrel, especially with the fatter slides like a Glock make less of a bulge below the waist band for me as well, it's a slight thing but noticable between my 17 and 19/19x with the same style holster. Not so noticable with a thinner 1911 Commander.

Of course that's pretty contingent on body type, holster and location.

Shorter maybe but not short. The G19 holds 15 rounds while the G17 only adds 2 rounds. Hardly short, sorry. The concept is correct.

My grip covers a whole Glock 19 grip with my pinky hanging between frame and mag base plate. I consider it short and the 17 length comfortable.

With the elimination of the ginger grooves and the cutout on the front strap my new Glock 19 MOS Gen 5 finally produces a 19 grip that feels good to me. They always have shot well, but now it feels pretty good too.

But it will never feel as good as a 19x, the extra lip everyone complains about on the front really makes it go for my hands.

The longer grip does hinder concealment a small amount under light t-shirts for me, especially lighter color ones, but it's pretty minor.

 

[Tinman357]

I always liked the "covert" concept myself. So much so that I shortened the grip on a Kahr CW9 to take the PM9 magazines, the 6 rounders are more reliable anyway. Then I put a slide and barrel for a TP9 on it. Made a handy little carry gun. Short grip, 4" barrel.

"Chopped" a G17 to G19 size. Made a better gun for me. I won't mention what I did to a G41, I'm sure I'd get banned after the furor died down.

Now I just use a P365 and not worry about it. I do find myself wishing Sig would come out with a 4" slide and barrel for it.

The current trend of longer grips is what a lot of people want. The manufacturers wouldn't do it unless there were the customer demand for it. I'm sure there are many people out there that this has helped for their situations. I just hope the pendulum swings the other way and I get that short frame P365 with a 4" slide one day.

 

[Styx]

I always liked the "covert" concept myself. So much so that I shortened the grip on a Kahr CW9 to take the PM9 magazines, the 6 rounders are more reliable anyway. Then I put a slide and barrel for a TP9 on it. Made a handy little carry gun. Short grip, 4" barrel.

"Chopped" a G17 to G19 size. Made a better gun for me. I won't mention what I did to a G41, I'm sure I'd get banned after the furor died down.

Now I just use a P365 and not worry about it. I do find myself wishing Sig would come out with a 4" slide and barrel for it.

The current trend of longer grips is what a lot of people want. The manufacturers wouldn't do it unless there were the customer demand for it. I'm sure there are many people out there that this has helped for their situations. I just hope the pendulum swings the other way and I get that short frame P365 with a 4" slide one day.

I agree, but one would think the longer slide and shorter grip would be more desirable.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I agree, but one would think the longer slide and shorter grip would be more desirable.

Why?

 

[FAL'er]

My G45 is my most carried pistol, and my Sig P220 carry is on deck awaiting testing. Both are shorter slides with full size grips. I'll say that with XXL size hands the grips are better for me all the way around and being a larger man I have no difficulty concealing a full size grip.
I don't have a bunch of bullet points as to reasons why I like those better, I'll just say there is a psychological factor in having a pistol with a full size grip.
I carry a Glock 43 in my cargo pants pocket at work all day, I'll be fired if it's known that I carry at work so, it's that or nothing.
I would never choose that G43 to go out and about on a day off. I don't know if this makes any sense to you folks, but that's one man's take on it.

 

[Fiv3r]

Why?

I dont mind a longer barrel but the length of the grip is harder for me to conceal. I put a compact grip frame on my full size slide of my p320 for that reason.

I never liked the looks/feel of the 4" barrel with 17 round frame of the FN 509. When they came out with the midsize, it was an instant hit for me. It basically made it a Glock 19 with the feel and handling of an FN.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Following the demand. Lots of extended magazines sold for small handgun’s

 

[FL-NC]

I agree. To me the G19X/G45 and similar formats of the XD don't make sense. I did the opposite and shortened a G17 frame to have the longer barrel and compact slide to use G19 mags.

 

[Palolosj]

I see that multiple companies are coming out with the disproportionate pistos with a full sized grip with a short 3ish inch slide. Other than maybe for AIWB carry, can someone explain what's the point? I'd think that a short grip and a 4" slide would be more popular, but it most companies do not offer such a thing.

They want to wear guns that are harder to hide on the body just like some wear mechanical watches because quartz ones along with cell phones are more accurate and usually more affordable. I gave up on understanding trends.

 

[JDR]

The idea of a shorter length slide & barrel, with a full length grip has worked for commander length 1911’s since Colt introduced it in 1950. And I’ve liked my Glock 19x since the first time I picked it up, and I believe that I shoot it better than my Gen3 17 which has better Wilson Combat Vickers Elite sights, and a better APEX trigger system on it.

 

[Styx]

I dont mind a longer barrel but the length of the grip is harder for me to conceal. I put a compact grip frame on my full size slide of my p320 for that reason.

I never liked the looks/feel of the 4" barrel with 17 round frame of the FN 509. When they came out with the midsize, it was an instant hit for me. It basically made it a Glock 19 with the feel and handling of an FN.

Exactly.... I've always had a harder time concealing the grip even when I was carrying AIWB.

 

[Styx]

The idea of a shorter length slide & barrel, with a full length grip has worked for commander length 1911’s since Colt introduced it in 1950. And I’ve liked my Glock 19x since the first time I picked it up, and I believe that I shoot it better than my Gen3 17 which has better Wilson Combat Vickers Elite sights, and a better APEX trigger system on it.

From what I read, the idea behind the commander sized 1911 was to save weight on an all steal pistol... That's not really an issues with the current light weight polymer framed pistols on the market today. If you even take this thread for example, i do not believe anyone has meantioned weight saving as a reason for them carrying a commander size polymer striker fired pistol.

 

[tarosean]

A proper grip is paramount to shooting good. That said we have to decide what is good enough for carry situations.

 

[sigarms228]

From what I have been reading the Glock 45 has been a hit for those that duty carry OWB.

Those of us non LEO/agency/security that carry IWB seem to mostly prefer a Glock 19 size pistol for IWB CCW that gives most of us a full grip and 15 rounds yet fairly easy to conceal well/discreetly. I am sure that some CCW IWB the Glock 17/45 fine IWB but I expect that is a small minority especially for summer carry.

As always it is best to have options.

 

[Hangingrock]

There are individuals that fall into the categories of physically fragile, fat and lazy whom complain about size and weight of the handgun in regards to concealed carry. Apparently the fix is selection of a weapon of over all dimensional envelope and weight that corresponds to their physical condition limitations. Thus comfort-comfort and comfort is their primary concern.

 

[jmr40]

In my opinion they have it backwards. Instead of the G19X, which is a G19 slide and barrel with a G17 frame I'd have preferred the longer G17 slide and barrel mated to a G19 frame. If the need for more magazine capacity is called for longer G17 mags could be used. In fact that is a fairly common modification where people cut down the frame of full size guns to accept shorter magazines.

Instead of buying the G19X I'd much rather have the standard G19 and simply carry G17 mags in it. This way you have the versatility of using 15 round mags in a compact pistol. Or 17 round mags, 17 round mags with +2 extensions or 33 round mags. Glock did the same thing with the G43 with the G43X. Sig has the better idea with their P365. It comes with grip length 10 round mags, but will accept longer 12, and 15 round mags with built in grip sleeves. Glock designed the G43X and G48 so that their longer 10 round mags wouldn't fit the more compact G43. Dumb move, and I'm a Glock guy.

 

[earlthegoat2]

In my world the grip is way harder to conceal than the barrel.

The Commander is not the greatest example relative to what is normal these days. Full grip and 4-4 1/2” barrel is pretty normal on autos for the last few decades.

I am more of a fan of the opposite methodology. That being a shorter grip on a longer slide/barrel. I had a Para Ord CCW with an Officers’s model grip on a Commander slide. LDA trigger. Great carry gun.

My Glock 19X is a regular G19 with a +2 extension.

 

[JTQ]

From what I read, the idea behind the commander sized 1911 was to save weight on an all steal pistol... That's not really an issues with the current light weight polymer framed pistols on the market today. If you even take this thread for example, i do not believe anyone has meantioned weight saving as a reason for them carrying a commander size polymer striker fired pistol.

Well, if you're just reading 1911 Commander history, the original idea was an aluminum frame gun with a 4.25" barrel. The weight savings was largely in the aluminum frame.

Jeff Cooper often commented about the lightweight Commander as the perfect self defense handgun. He also commented, that if you're choosing the steel framed Combat Commander, you might as well simply pick the Government model as you don't really save any weight.

In any case, most of these guns in discussion, the G19X, G45, etc., with the full grip and shorter slide, were specifically asked for by some organization. Glock provided those folks what they wanted and then offered them to the public. If you don't like them, that's cool. You can still buy your G19 if that's what you prefer, but these guns were built for a reason. It may not be what you want out of your gun, but somebody was looking for it.