Grip Angles

[Qwikdraw45]

So, where are people measuring grip angles? The biggest complaint I hear about Glocks is "the grip angle". Does a 1911 or Browning HP feel better? Yes. Even a S&W M&P grip "fits" better, but I guess you get used to what you have available.

So, where exactly are they measuring the angle? Also, it seems like there's a lot more than just the angle, such as how much (or how little) backstrap "hump" (think straight mainspring housing vs. arched) and so forth.

What does a 1911 grip angle run vs. a Glock grip angle, for example.

 

[Picton]

I honestly don't know.

I'd guess it's the angle between the bottom of the frame and the frontstrap. Usually frontstraps are more or less straight; it's the backstrap that ain't.

Good question. Here's what the interwebs say.



Bottom of the slide, it seems.

 

[milktree]

So, where are people measuring grip angles? The biggest complaint I hear about Glocks is "the grip angle". Does a 1911 or Browning HP feel better? Yes. Even a S&W M&P grip "fits" better, but I guess you get used to what you have available.

So, where exactly are they measuring the angle? Also, it seems like there's a lot more than just the angle, such as how much (or how little) backstrap "hump" (think straight mainspring housing vs. arched) and so forth.

What does a 1911 grip angle run vs. a Glock grip angle, for example.

It’s like fitting shoes. You can’t really math it.

Glock front and back strap’s angles are really different, and the grip angle of a 1911 and 1911A1 are different, and a CZ has that cutout up under the beaver tail and some guns are more rounded…

Shoot what points naturally for you.

 

[Sunny]

I read a while back that there are two main grip angles: American (18 degrees) and European (22 degrees).

What Polymer80 did was take the Glock european angle, and give it an American 1911 grip angle to give the best of both worlds.

 

[milktree]

I honestly don't know.

I'd guess it's the angle between the bottom of the frame and the frontstrap. Usually frontstraps are more or less straight; it's the backstrap that ain't.

Good question. Here's what the interwebs say.

View attachment 941946

Bottom of the slide, it seems.

Always compare the tops of the sights, as that’s what you’re amazing with.

 

[G4Y4HK]

I noticed more and more of today's operators have moved onto more vertical grip angles. Any advantages? New tacticool findings in science?

 

[pewpewpew]

I noticed more and more of today's operators have moved onto more vertical grip angles. Any advantages? New tacticool findings in science?

View attachment 941950View attachment 941951

I read somewhere that it has to do with the tucked elbow position (which I guess is relatively new?). The steeper the grip angle, the more your wrist will get jammed at the end range which is very uncomfortable.

 

[whatluck]

The steeper grip angle of the glock lets you drive the pistol more, getting more of your body behind the gun and giving you faster follow up shots.

 

[F2386]

I noticed more and more of today's operators have moved onto more vertical grip angles. Any advantages? New tacticool findings in science?

View attachment 941950View attachment 941951

Angled grips feel more comfortable in a more bladed stance. Upright, as in less angled, allows you to be in a more squared stance. Squaring up to a target exposes more of your body armor to danger. I prefer more vertical as it's more comfortable in prone. Ultimately, it comes fown to what feels right to you as both work just fine.

 

[VTski4x4]

I read somewhere that it has to do with the tucked elbow position (which I guess is relatively new?). The steeper the grip angle, the more your wrist will get jammed at the end range which is very uncomfortable.

So, IMO the tucking the elbow isn't so much "new", it's more-so that the Mil doesn't use/teach the Hasty Sling like they did before the 90s. Chicken winging your arm was for support while properly using a USGI hasty sling position. It's extremely functional still and IMO should still be taught. Vertical grip angles are certainly not better with a sling, nor using a sling when prone. My old school A2 grips are much better for prone shooting, but since I don't hasty sling with my most used rifles, they have much more vertical grips on them.

 

[jkelly1229]

I honestly don't know.

I'd guess it's the angle between the bottom of the frame and the frontstrap. Usually frontstraps are more or less straight; it's the backstrap that ain't.

Good question. Here's what the interwebs say.

View attachment 941946

Bottom of the slide, it seems.

I thought it was the back strap...i thought a 1911 was a 17 ° angle and a glerk was 19

 

[Picton]

I thought it was the back strap...i thought a 1911 was a 17 ° angle and a glerk was 19

 

[milktree]

I thought it was the back strap...i thought a 1911 was a 17 ° angle and a glerk was 19

The back strap is much more important, because it touches the part of your hand you can’t adjust easily.

You can easily wrap your fingers more or less, but your palm is where it is.

 

[drgrant]

Measuring? I think the measurement is more or less "does it feel right? Does it point right?" And obviously for anybody's hands it's going to be different from person to person.....

 

[whacko]

I noticed more and more of today's operators have moved onto more vertical grip angles. Any advantages? New tacticool findings in science?

View attachment 941950View attachment 941951

It's not science

And the manufacturers of fire arms and after market parts don't make small changes all the time due to "new findings". They do it to sell people more shit.

Look at gen 1 to 5 glock......ffs finger grooves....no finger grooves.....then finger grooves. Jesus christ and its still the same shoe box pistol after 5 "generations".

Fwiw......many of the folks i run into at the club and other events that are CONSTANTLY talking about their "upgrades"......or in the process of buying more "upgrades"......couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a snow shovel.......or the side of a barn if they were standing inside it. Many a day I've had as an ro at an event listing to this f***ing constant babble and I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "for the love of f*** just shut up and shoot". cuz "no......your god damned flat face trigger will NOT improve your shitty 5.8 second 6 plate run"

 

[kalash]

I don't think there are such things as "objectively better angle" or "natural angle". It's just what you get used to.

Also, 99% of people bring the gun up and have to adjust it to catch the sights or "find the dot" so I don't see why grip angle matters to them at all. How does a gun "point naturally" for you if you have to twist it around to get on target?

 

[PatMcD]

I noticed more and more of today's operators have moved onto more vertical grip angles. Any advantages? New tacticool findings in science?

View attachment 941950View attachment 941951

It's not tacticool at all. I've switched all my competition AR's over to the magpull k2+ grips, because it puts my wrist at a more natural angle in all positions. It's not much of an angular difference, but it is more comfortable.
Elbow out (chicken wing) was/is a thing you do with a wood gun when shooting offhand. M1/M14's "hang" off of that shooting hand because you're over the top with it instead of underneath like with a AR.
European target pistols are where you find exaggerated shallow agle grips. They claim there's a skeletal/ligament advantage to it but I don't really like them. I switched out my Pardini grip for a 1911-angle.

 

[gerrycaruso]

I guess the angle is measured relative to the bore. It's a very subjective thing. I don't care for the grip angle of a Glock but my son loves it. If I shoot a Glock I just adjust. A good shooter can shoot anything. A bad shooter, shoots like Stevie Wonder no matter what he's shooting.

 

[Dennis in MA]

My first gun was a G19. NIB 2nd gen. I don't shoot much anymore, but I pick up any gun and close my eyes and bring it up. . . . if it's a glock, it's on target. Anything else? Nada. LOL

Allegedly, Gaston sat there with 2 pieces of wood and a screw and tested a pile of people to find the "best" grip angle that fit his test group.

 

[Mark from ?]

It's not science

And the manufacturers of fire arms and after market parts don't make small changes all the time due to "new findings". They do it to sell people more shit.

Look at gen 1 to 5 glock......ffs finger grooves....no finger grooves.....then finger grooves. Jesus christ and its still the same shoe box pistol after 5 "generations".

Fwiw......many of the folks i run into at the club and other events that are CONSTANTLY talking about their "upgrades"......or in the process of buying more "upgrades"......couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a snow shovel.......or the side of a barn if they were standing inside it. Many a day I've had as an ro at an event listing to this f***ing constant babble and I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "for the love of f*** just shut up and shoot". cuz "no......your god damned flat face trigger will NOT improve your shitty 5.8 second 6 plate run"

That's it...your officially off the "tacticool operators" mailing list.

 

[JDL]

I personally shoot all pistols and don't even think about the angle. This has never been an issue. As far as I am concerned they all seem to shoot the same with only a slight adjustment of my grip. The angle has never effected my shooting. For me it is about grip fit, I personally like large grips, for a 1911 you can change the back strap spring housing to make the grip larger or a S&W 2nd or 3rd gen with wider grips.

 

[Wickedcoolname]

Angle shmangle. Buy whatever gun you like and train with it until hitting with it is second nature.
The whole Glock grip angle thing grew out of the old die-hard 1911 fans who thought anything else was inherently inferior.

 

[kalash]

The whole Glock grip angle thing grew out of the old die-hard 1911 fans who thought anything else was inherently inferior.

Even that's silly because a 1911 with an arched MSH points the same as a Glock.

 

[Broc Tuah]

Shoot what points naturally for you.

This. X100

Everyone has a different opinion, different hand sizes, different grip, different experience ... forget what they say. Hold the gun and decide for yourself.

 

[Broc Tuah]

I read somewhere that it has to do with the tucked elbow position (which I guess is relatively new?). The steeper the grip angle, the more your wrist will get jammed at the end range which is very uncomfortable.

Is it new?

My girl was taught to shoot that way while in the Amry in the early 2000s.

 

[APFSDS]

I notice the grip angle a lot when using an optic. I got used to a sig p365 and totally effed my Glock presentation with a rds. With iron sights I can adjust pretty quickly but point shooting is off. Also, I draw the gun into thumb/pectoral close contact index then drive it straight out. Once I get a g43x I’m retiring the p365 except for when I need something really concealable and just running only Glocks.

 

[Golddiggie]

For me, the grip profile of the 1911 just feels better in my hand. Of course, I only have 40+ years of shooting one (started when I was between 8 and 10). The CZ TS2 profile is close enough (if not the same) that it's not any issue. The last time I tried out a grock (in store) it just didn't feel right to me. I'd rather be able to easily switch between any of my pistols and not have to remember what's different about them. Be that a range trip, or grabbing my bed side pistol (to get to my home defense bigger item).

Just like all my ARs use the standard angle grips. I basically decide on one and put that on all of the ARs. Again, makes moving between them far easier.