High grip problem on Glocks

[pointfiveoh]

I cannot seem to hold my Glock 19 or 17 without inadvertently holding down the slide stop. With a high grip, thumbs forward and my support (left) hand fully cammed down and locked, the meaty part of my left thumb rides the slide stop lever. I have big mitts at 6'5".

You can get a sense of my grip from this video. Although it's not a very close shot of my hands.
http://www.youtube.com/user/pointfiveoh?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/Ae_cvWsJE6Y (There is a bunch to work on there. Right now I'm trying to get my press out and pull back on the same line and not moving my head for starters. I'm waaaay open to other criticisms of the video!)

I'm thinking of putting the Vickers slide stop on my Glocks, but don't think that hardware will fix what seems to be a software issue. I love the pistols and I'm already invested in Glock gear, so I'd prefer to stay with Glock 9mm but I've considered switching to M&Ps if I can run them without the same problem.

This is slowing me way down on reloads and I'd like to try and figure out a way to grip the gun well, control recoil, and still utilize the features of the gun.

[JHC]

My thumbs look from the side pretty much like yours and I never have the slide lock problem but I press my strong thumb downward on my support thumb and that seems to keep it from causing mischief. Form looks pretty strong.

[markp]

Are you running the stock or extended Glock slide stop?

As one who shares the same problem, I can tell you right now the Vickers part will not relieve depressing the slide stop issue.
I reinstalled the part after a cursory test and I find myself locking the slide back with rounds stilll in the mag (same thing using the extended stock part found on the 34/35 series).

[pointfiveoh]

The slide stops on all my Glocks are currently the stock option. Only new parts are sights.

[MDS]

I had the same problem. I got used to my USP V1, where my strong thumb would just ride the safety all day. Well, when I switched to Glock, my strong thumb went to look for somewhere to rest - and the only thing it found was the slide release. So yeah, I had a few failures to lock back.

I simply retrained myself to rest my strong thumb on top of my weak thumb, slightly away from the frame of the pistol. It's habit now, and I haven't had a FTLB in 1200+ rounds. :cool:

Good luck!

[pointfiveoh]

I had the same problem. I got used to my USP V1, where my strong thumb would just ride the safety all day. Well, when I switched to Glock, my strong thumb went to look for somewhere to rest - and the only thing it found was the slide release. So yeah, I had a few failures to lock back.

I simply retrained myself to rest my strong thumb on top of my weak thumb, slightly away from the frame of the pistol. It's habit now, and I haven't had a FTLB in 1200+ rounds. :cool:

Good luck!

The problem that I am having is sort of a Catch 22. I can roll my left wrist back to neutral and lose the stability of camming it down and forward to avoid the slide stop. Or I can keep it stable and lose the slide stop locking back. The problem is the fleshy part at the base of my left thumb riding the lever when I have a solid, wrist locked grip on the pistol.

[YVK]

First step is to figure out if interference comes from strong or support hand, or both. For strong hand, rolling out the thumb is a solution, which is easy when picking a gun up, but not so easy out of holster. For support hand problem, most people would lower thumb position so support side thumb rests of the front of a trigger guard.

[pointfiveoh]

First step is to figure out if interference comes from strong or support hand, or both. For strong hand, rolling out the thumb is a solution, which is easy when picking a gun up, but not so easy out of holster. For support hand problem, most people would lower thumb position so support side thumb rests of the front of a trigger guard.

I'm going to have to experiment with the trigger guard index. That feels pretty weird right now, but so did picking up a Glock for the first time. I checked my thumbs often while shooting last time, and my right thumb rides outside my left every time so that does not appear to be the issue.

Thanks everyone so far.

[MDS]

The problem that I am having is sort of a Catch 22. I can roll my left wrist back to neutral and lose the stability of camming it down and forward to avoid the slide stop. Or I can keep it stable and lose the slide stop locking back. The problem is the fleshy part at the base of my left thumb riding the lever when I have a solid, wrist locked grip on the pistol.

So the fleshy part of your left hand is holding the slide release down? I've never heard of that - I would think your left hand would tend to push the release up if at all. Of course, you could write a shooter's encyclopedia with all the stuff I've never heard of, so. ;)

[pointfiveoh]

So the fleshy part of your left hand is holding the slide release down? I've never heard of that - I would think your left hand would tend to push the release up if at all. Of course, you could write a shooter's encyclopedia with all the stuff I've never heard of, so. ;)

I seem to come up with all the oddball stuff and I'm not even trying! :confused:

[ToddG]

I have the same issue with the P30. It's the flesh of my left thumb/palm that causes failure to lockback, not riding atop it with either thumb.

Very hard to see in your videos, but where is your left index finger, specifically, when you grip the gun?

edited to add: And I think the whole "draw and reholster along the same line of movement" thing is bunk... ever watch Tiger Woods swing a golf club? Bringing it back to its starting position is never part of the process. Ditto any major league hitter, NFL quarterback throwing a pass, etc.

[pointfiveoh]

I have the same issue with the P30. It's the flesh of my left thumb/palm that causes failure to lockback, not riding atop it with either thumb.

Very hard to see in your videos, but where is your left index finger, specifically, when you grip the gun?

edited to add: And I think the whole "draw and reholster along the same line of movement" thing is bunk... ever watch Tiger Woods swing a golf club? Bringing it back to its starting position is never part of the process. Ditto any major league hitter, NFL quarterback throwing a pass, etc.

My left index finger is in between my right index finger and middle finger, resting on my right middle finger. The tip of it just barely touches the gun right above the back side of the magazine release.

[Al T.]

Wonder if you could just grind the tab off the slide lock and use the "overhand" method to drop your slide.

[ToddG]

Get your weak hand index finger as high up and far back on the gun as you can, then rotate into your thumbs-forward grip using that as the axle. From there, try different positions of your thumb(s) without changing your wrist angle any more than necessary to find a position that allows the slide to lock back.

[pointfiveoh]

Get your weak hand index finger as high up and far back on the gun as you can, then rotate into your thumbs-forward grip using that as the axle. From there, try different positions of your thumb(s) without changing your wrist angle any more than necessary to find a position that allows the slide to lock back.

Thanks for that Todd. Time to start experimenting.

[pointfiveoh]

I had my wife make a panoramic video of what's going on in my grip. I'm still on the slide lever and I want that to stop. Again, it's the fleshy part of my left palm/thumb that rides the lever, not my right thumb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPX0ekKrqM

[rjohnson4405]

Like Todd was saying it looks like to me your weak hand index finger is kind of far forward on the trigger guard. Get it back so it rests on your right hand middle finder under the trigger guard. That may push your left hand lower, hopefully, than the slide release lever.

[JV_]

Is there a gap between your right and and left hand - on the left side of the gun?

[pointfiveoh]

Like Todd was saying it looks like to me your weak hand index finger is kind of far forward on the trigger guard. Get it back so it rests on your right hand middle finder under the trigger guard. That may push your left hand lower, hopefully, than the slide release lever.

My index finger sits right on top of my middle finger. I've got big mitts.

JV
Is there a gap between your right and and left hand - on the left side of the gun?

So far as I can tell no, my palms are joined together.

[JV_]

So far as I can tell no, my palms are joined together.Good.

[ranburr]

After being a multiple- decade 1911 shooter, I have the same issue with Glocks and XDs. My answer was to start grinding away the slide stops. I didn't want to change my grip since I continue to shoot 1911s and other frame mounted safety designs. If I were going to committ solely to the Glock platform, I would work on changing my grip. If you decide to go with the hardware solution, I take mine down where there is only enough left to lock the slide back. I have always used them as a slide lock, never a slide release.

[Al T.]

Wow, you weren't kidding about the big mitts. Your left thumb is about an inch longer than mine.

Tried making sure the heels of your hands are touching? I've been following along on your video with my G17 and that gives me a bit more of an angle, though my hands are smaller.

Ever get down to Columbia, you are welcome to try my M&P .40 or .45.

[pointfiveoh]

Wow, you weren't kidding about the big mitts. Your left thumb is about an inch longer than mine.

Tried making sure the heels of your hands are touching? I've been following along on your video with my G17 and that gives me a bit more of an angle, though my hands are smaller.

Ever get down to Columbia, you are welcome to try my M&P .40 or .45.

I will try to take you up on that. I have some buddies in the Cola area. I'll pm you when I visit next.

My palms are definitely touching. I'm 6'5" and have parts to match so my hands do tend to cover up the whole gun.

[cgcorrea]

I used to have this issue when I started taking up a more aggressive thumbs-forward grip. The meatty portion of my support hand thumb was pressing on the slide lock/release, on an otherwise very effective grip. Not only was the slide on my gun not locking to the rear on an empty mag, but the slide lock/release would sart to cut into that meatty portion of my thumb during high volume courses of fire, causing it to bleed a little. I asked Jason Falla to take a look at my grip during a break @ a course that I took with RB1 earlier this year, to see what I was doing wrong. He showed me what his grip looked like, and it didn't look much different from what I was doing except upon looking up close, I could see that he was leaving more room for his support hand on the pistol grip, than I was leaving for mine on my gun. I saw that I needed this room to place the bulk of that meaty portion of the weak hand thumb a bit further behind the slide lock/release. So I started "hitchhiking" my strong hand thumb during the draw to leave that space, and then I rest it over my support hand thumb once I have finalized my support hand placement. I began to train to this tiny adjustment, and have not experienced any failures to lock back since. I realize that it's probably difficult to picture what I'm trying to describe, so I'll try and see if I can get my wife to take some pics of what I'm talking about when I get home this evening. I have gigantor hands too, so I know how annoying it could be when handling certain guns. Hope this helps.

[Mjolnir]

I had the same problem. I got used to my USP V1, where my strong thumb would just ride the safety all day. Well, when I switched to Glock, my strong thumb went to look for somewhere to rest - and the only thing it found was the slide release. So yeah, I had a few failures to lock back.

I simply retrained myself to rest my strong thumb on top of my weak thumb, slightly away from the frame of the pistol. It's habit now, and I haven't had a FTLB in 1200+ rounds. :cool:

Good luck!

I went from 1911 "riding high" (thumbs, that is) to a Gen 4 Model 17 and I find myself actually pinching the slide with my strong hand which caused malfunctions which LAV caught immediately and had me alter my grip for the remainder of the class. The pistol was then reliable but I had to remain conscious of this so I purchased Grip Enhancers for both of the Gen 4s and it "solves" the issue for now.

It's kinda like an M&P now.

I'm missing the steel...

[SeaSoldier]

For some reason that I hadn't figured out I could run a G19 all the way through a 3 day class and not bump the slide lock up while firing. Switch to a G17 and I would bump it on the first mag. I have switched to an RTF and another stippled frame G17 and no more problem. The extra traction keeps my off side hand pretty well planted.

[JV_]

I could run a G19 all the way through a 3 day class and not bump the slide lock up while firing. Switch to a G17 and I would bump it on the first mag.I have the same issue.