What size Backstrap do you prefer?

[Edos]

Go easy on me...this is only my second post :)

It would be interesting to hear some opinions on this topic. Perhaps there is only one right answer…

I was listening to a firearms podcast today and one of the questions that were sent in to the host was. “What size Backstrap should you use on your handgun”?

Well most people might shot out….”the one that feels the best” but is that true?

Option 1: Should you use the smallest one that allows your strong hand to fully wrap around the grip and gives you a great feel and grasp, but leaves no room for your support hand to take up on the other side of the grip panel and leaving only the ability to wrap your support hand fingers around your own strong hand.

Option 2: A larger Backstrap that doesn’t offer you a full grip, but leaves the necessary gap on the other side of the grip panel to place the palm of your support and allows you to apply an equal hand crush grip with both of your palms.

I would think Option 2 makes the most sense and the one I prefer to use.

BUT I’m also thinking if I could only use one hand in a self-defense situation. Maybe the support hand was holding onto a child or I sustained an injury … maybe the full wrap around grip would be a great option and best for dealing with one hand shooting and recoil with multiple shots…

Any Thoughts…

[Luke]

I want two things out of my back strap.

1. I want a clean trigger pull. I want to pull the trigger straight to the rear and I want hand placement to help make that possible.

2. I want room for my support hand.


I shoot a 320 and love the small grip trigger wise, but not enough room for my support hand, the medium is a happy medium (ha!).


Chasing different backstraps sizes is a deep dark scary never ending hole. Be careful.


Keep in mind what feels good has nothing to do with what is actually good. Facts matter, feelings can lie :) use a target and a timer to help make the decision.

[Kennydale]

Have average male hand both Glocks G17 gen 4 and G19 gen 4 NO BACKSTRAPS. Fits my hand perfectly !

[RJ]

1. I want a clean trigger pull. I want to pull the trigger straight to the rear and I want hand placement to help make that possible.


I agree with Luke. Whatever gives you the least front sight movement.

So maybe spend an evening dry firing all your combinations? You could probably cover it while doing it Mr.
White's 'Press Six Hundred' drill.

I definitely know what you mean. I have three backstraps on my M&P. My HK VP 9 had 3 backstraps, PLUS 3 left and 3 right side panels. Right now I have small panels/backstraps fitted on both guns. I find it's somewhat trial and error. My problem is I'm pretty new to shooting, and finding good diagnostic instruction in shooting is pretty hard. And of course doing it over the Internet is problematic.

Can you find a good teacher in your local area?

[PNWTO]

XL gloves for most brands. I used the medium 'straps on my 4th gens.

[Sero Sed Serio]

Keep in mind what feels good has nothing to do with what is actually good. Facts matter, feelings can lie :) use a target and a timer to help make the decision.

This. When I was playing with M&Ps, the small backstrap FELT the best, but I PERFORMED the best with a large backstrap, even though it felt the worst. Take what you have to the range and run them all. Use whatever backstrap (or combo for you P30/VP9 folks) gives the best performance.

[Robert Mitchum]

Large on my M&P 45 .. I go by feel and results and Large just works for me.

[EricM]

I started a similar thread (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?13036-Ideal-fit-with-interchangeable-grip-panels-Is-there-a-science-to-it) a couple years ago. Ignore my final post in that thread, I later came to different conclusions and now shoot Glocks lol. I just bring it up because there was some good input from others there.

I have settled on Gen 4 Glocks with medium backstraps (or Gen 3 as they come). I've tried all the factory backstraps on a 19 and 17, grip reduction, cutting off portions of backstraps, all three Grip Force Adapters, even gluing together backstraps and Grip Force Adapters in ways nature never intended. I was obsessed with finding the right combination so then I could focus on the shooting and never worry about it again. Deep dark scary never ending hole is right...been there, done that, still in rehab. :) I do think I've emerged with a better understanding of what matters (at least for me)...but was it the most effective use of my time and ammo?...uh, no.

One thing I've come to feel is important is having your strong hand palm flat on the side of the grip. Too large or too small of a grip and I start to get a gap that can make it easier for the gun to shift in my hand and also lead to inconsistent indexing. If you grip the gun lightly with your strong hand, watch the sights, and then squeeze harder, the gun shouldn't move much...if it does, something in your grip is not neutral. Same thing when adding the support hand into the mix...grip moderately with your strong hand, take a sight picture, add your support hand lightly, then clamp down with your support hand and see what happens. To be clear, an issue here isn't necessarily due to the grip size, but that can be one of the factors involved.

As mentioned, strong hand only and weak hand only is important when evaluating a grip setup. I have experienced what you described, in that an XL grip feels good freestyle, with lots of room for the support hand to get on the gun, but is too big for a solid grip when shooting one handed, causing recoil management and trigger control to suffer. To maximize support hand influence on a smaller grip, focusing your support hand pressure at the top of the grip can be useful (such as by raising your elbows while gripping hard without unlocking your wrists), as that area is less obstructed by the strong hand fingers. May require grip tape or stippling as not all guns have texture in that area.

[BCL]

I usually use whatever a particular gun comes with, with few exceptions:

On Gen4 Glocks, I use the medium beavertail backstrap so I don't get slide bite.
On HK P30/VP9s, I use the small side panels to make the grip as flat as possible on the sides.

As long as I can physically reach the trigger I typically don't mess with it. I did several years ago when I first got a P30, then figured out it didn't change anything for me time- or accuracy-wise so I leave it alone now.
I have average size hands FWIW.

[spinmove_]

Personally I still experiment from time to time, but by and large, I generally just stick with whatever comes as "default" with most pistols. So with Gen4 Glocks, I've transitioned back to using no additional backstraps. On M&Ps, I typically use the medium backstrap. As long as you can get enough finger on the trigger and manipulate it without disturbing your sight picture (apart from other gripping anomalies like milking, flinching, and torquing) then you should be fine.

It's a rabbit hole that I wouldn't recommend exploring as it really can lead to paralysis by analysis. Start with the "default" and work from there. Timers will tell you the truth, don't trust your feelings on this one.

[JHC]

With longish fingers I have at times convinced myself that I shot better freestyle with the Large backstrap on Gen 4 Glocks. Those performance measurement advantages didn't really hold up over time and then I got to consistently working on SHO and WHO. That led me to conclude that no backstrap is the all around best set up.

[okie john]

That led me to conclude that no backstrap is the all around best set up.

This.

It takes me about a case of ammo fired over a couple of months of careful slow fire and speed work to get used to a particular setup. Once I've done that, I can shoot it about as well as whatever I was running before.


Okie John

[JonInWA]

The best process I've come across was as described on the hkpro sight, dealing with HK P30 and VP platforms (but pretty generically applicable to any platform):

"With leaving the side panels alone, swap out the different backstraps, while trying the following: Look at the target object with the pistol at your chest prior to press-out; Close your eyes and keep them closed; Press out the pistol to your natural extended shooting position; Open eyes and see where the front sight s vertically; If the front sight is too low, install a larger backstrap and repeat the above steps; If the front sight is too high, install a smaller backstrap and repeat-ultimately you want to get the front and rear sights aligned for elevation on the target after your press-out."

That made a huge amount of sense to me, so I've applied it to both my HK VP40 and Gen4 Glock G22. What I've found is smaller is better, backstrap-wise, on both platforms. I'm still experimenting with the side panels on my VP40 (finding that the gun shot slightly to the left with a Medium right panel and a Small left panel, I'm now running it with a Small backstrap and Small side panels.

On my Gen4 G22, I started out with the supposition that using the Medium Beavertail backstrap would give me the same profile of my Gen 3 Glocks, and provide greater control/steerability to better deal with the quick pressure spike/higher pressure characteristics of the .40 cartridges I was using. Emoirical use established that I was wrong-with that backstrap, I shot towards the left (and yes, I'm aware of the tendency of the Gen4 G22s to shoot to the left, and my rear sight was moved towards the right of the side to compensate). The problem was significantly diminished by removing the additional backstrap, and running the Gen4 G22 "bare;" i.e., without any additional backstrap.

Best, Jon

[Nephrology]

On my Gen4 G22, I started out with the supposition that using the Medium Beavertail backstrap would give me the same profile of my Gen 3 Glocks, and provide greater control/steerability to better deal with the quick pressure spike/higher pressure characteristics of the .40 cartridges I was using. Emoirical use established that I was wrong-with that backstrap, I shot towards the left (and yes, I'm aware of the tendency of the Gen4 G22s to shoot to the left, and my rear sight was moved towards the right of the side to compensate). The problem was significantly diminished by removing the additional backstrap, and running the Gen4 G22 "bare;" i.e., without any additional backstrap.

Best, Jon

100% my experience, except that I also shot left with my Gen 3s too... hence why I bought into Gen 4s.

[LSP552]

With longish fingers I have at times convinced myself that I shot better freestyle with the Large backstrap on Gen 4 Glocks. Those performance measurement advantages didn't really hold up over time and then I got to consistently working on SHO and WHO. That led me to conclude that no backstrap is the all around best set up.

I have XL hands and long fingers also. I shoot my gen 2 and 3 Glocks pretty well, but I've come to prefer no backstrap on the 4th gens also. The smaller circumference allows, for me, better control with less grip pressure variation issues.

[Beat Trash]

I have XL hands with long fingers also. I use the large grip on my issued M&P9.

Off duty, I carry a Gen4 Glock 19. Ever since I retired my Gen3 Glock 19 and started carrying the Gen4, I've used the large backstrap. I recently went to the medium and was surprised at how the combination of sinking more finger and of the smaller size improved my consistency. I didn't even think to try the Gen4 without any backstrap. Now you have me thinking...

[Wondering Beard]

The gen4 G19 I bought a while back felt great at the LGS without any backstrap. The I went to the range and it didn't work at all (too much hand, not enough gun), I put the medium backstrap on and it felt (and worked) as well as my Gen3s. Tried the large backstrap and it was ok but a bit too much. The gen3 size on Glocks seems to be my sweetspot, probably because of the time I have on them.

Strangely enough, I expected the medium backstrap on the VP9 to work the same but it didn't. The hump just dug unpleasantly in my palm and actually lowered my hand in the grip (the same way that a high hump can do the same on a G26, though without the hurt); I put on the large backstrap and the problem went away. Maybe I should try the small one on the VP9 to find out if it makes a difference.

[StraitR]

Whatever helps me get the most consistent grip and trigger pull.

I use none on Gen 4 Glocks. Feels best and I shoot best.

I use Medium on P30. Small feels best, but I shoot better with small sides/medium backstrap.

I used Medium on M&P 9 FS and Compact. Small felt best, but shot better with Medium.

I used Small on M&P 45 FS and Compact. Small felt best and I shot best.

[Nephrology]

FWIW, I actually compared Gen 3 and Gen 4 (no backstrap) 9mm glock 19s and 17s using a variety of tests. Turns out that I shoot drills best with whatever gun I used most recently, and the differences are small and the variance pretty large.

However, when shooting on a square range at a fixed target with no time limit or transitions, I find that I don't push shots left with the Gen 4 guns, but do with the gen 3 guns. When you put me on a timer, the left push goes away. Super weird, but it's why I carry the Gen 4.

[nwhpfan]

I like to have as much as my support hand as possible touching the gun and I realy smash and clamp it in there.... Too big seems to be better than too small.

[Corey]

This. When I was playing with M&Ps, the small backstrap FELT the best, but I PERFORMED the best with a large backstrap, even though it felt the worst. Take what you have to the range and run them all. Use whatever backstrap (or combo for you P30/VP9 folks) gives the best performance.

This. I shoot an M&P and played around with all three sizes. Small felt the best and large felt the worst but the timer and the target don't lie so I use the large.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was wrong, DON'T trust your feelings.