The Drawbacks of a Subcompact Single-Stack 9mm

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Originally Posted by BJXDS

The bottom line for me is I just can't shoot them as well as a g19 size gun. The extended mag made the biggest difference, but results were still not the same and the grip length was about the size of the g19.

The biggest difference in lack of performance with the subs was with reloads.

Good luck following with interest.

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I’ve found even my shooting with a G26 is far better than with my 43. Timed, accuracy, reloads are all noticeably better. In the waste band I find they both are easily concealed, for me, and find no advantage with the 43. If anything the 43 is a disadvantage. At work when carried on the vest I find they both carry and conceal the same, again for me. I’ve decided the 26 is as small as I’m willing to go if I’m not carrying a 19. I’m fortunate that I very rarely have an occasion when I cannot carry a 19, for those time I chose the 26.

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Originally Posted by Mr Pink

I recently saw this article [URL="https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2017/10/24/the-drawbacks-of-a-subcompact-single-stack-9mm/"]The
After testing, I've decided to focus on ways to mitigate the support hand control issues. I'm thinking changing my grip, using grip tape or an extended magazine. Anyone found a technique that works?

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I'm not even close to your level but have shot my Shield in a number of USPSA matches as a test of both it and me with it since I carry it most of the time. Some of the stages look painfully slow because of the additional slide lock reloads at bad moments but it worked me through a lot of bugs that otherwise might not have come up.

As far as hand control the mentioned Ayoob Wedge is what I use but I'm renaming it the Lomshek Wedge since I came to it independently! :D

There's more to it than size, I think. I've never managed to dry fire a Shield without the front sight jumping up and to the right, but I can at least hit with an LCP Custom, which is considerably smaller. And I have USP45-sized hands.

I still like the single-stack S&W 3rd-gens. Don't take the miniaturization too far. Slim, and extra-slim if you get the enhanced-DAO version. Eight round mags, so nine in the gun. Flat and extended base plates. Pinky can be on it with the extended plates. Big enough to be shootable. Only problem is out of production and lack of support from S&W.

The 43 was just too small for my XL hands. The Talon grip helped a lot, but it was still too small and squirmy compared to a 26. I love the 42, probably because I think of it as a J-frame lite. I thought of the 43 more along the lines of a baby 26 and it’s really not, in my hands, remotely as capable. I’m sure others shoot it very well, but I never could grip it well enough for my satisfaction.

The other issue I had was the bottom of the small trigger guard rubbed a blister on my finger every range session. The gun didn’t fit me and I couldn’t adapt technique to fit it. Non +P ammo was better but not enough better for me to keep it.

After 3 or 4 range sessions, I ended up trading it to LSP972 (RIP Buddy) for a 4th gen 19.

I usually slap Talon grips on the small guns but I shoot the G43 better with just a couple of revolutions of gaffer tape. Using that stuff a lot lately. It's cheap, grippier than some pistol stock textures, comes on and off easily and a good foundation for skateboard tape and other adhesives.

I use the same hand grip with G43 as any other semi but this thread makes me think there are better alternatives.

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Originally Posted by Cecil Burch

The Ayoob Wedge. It was designed originally (I believe) to be used with snubbies, but it works great with small autos or even bigger guns. It is actually how I grip all guns now, after being shown it in detail by Paul Sharp.

The main idea is to get the upper edge of the middle finger of the support hand in hard contact with the trigger guard. Then the support hand index finger drives it's way in behind. This acts as sort of a "camming action" of the muzzle level. I have found personally that it allows me to really get a solid and hard grip on whatever pistol I shoot. It really helps on something like the PPS or P2000sk.

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Thanks for this post. I've been trying it in dry fire and it seems gun-dependent for me. Doesn't work well with P320c, better with G43 and feels great on CZ P10c. Easier to apply pressure and really forces a nice, high grip for me. Looking forward to trying in live fire and maybe incorporating into drawstroke.

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Originally Posted by modrecoil

I usually slap Talon grips on the small guns but I shoot the G43 better with just a couple of revolutions of gaffer tape. Using that stuff a lot lately. It's cheap, grippier than some pistol stock textures, comes on and off easily and a good foundation for skateboard tape and other adhesives.

I use the same hand grip with G43 as any other semi but this thread makes me think there are better alternatives.



Thanks for this post. I've been trying it in dry fire and it seems gun-dependent for me. Doesn't work well with P320c, better with G43 and feels great on CZ P10c. Easier to apply pressure and really forces a nice, high grip for me. Looking forward to trying in live fire and maybe incorporating into drawstroke.

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I have always used Talon. Recently I have been removing them from my 26 and 43 and I seem to be running them better.

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Originally Posted by Mr_White

I enjoyed watching that video - nice shooting Mr Pink!

I can't say I have any special insight on gripping the 43, beyond the obvious of feeling like it needs to be gripped hard. I've worked with mine some, but not a lot. My only real takeaway from the little bit of shooting I've done with it, is a major need for patience on that trigger. I have to be patient through the entirety of that thick-feeling pressure wall. I feel like I have to give a lot of effort to shoot it well, but that it does have a lot of capability for such a small gun.

Tried my class testing on it a while back (practice environment only though.) First time through I was able to hit the Light Pin threshold, but not quite Turbo. Second attempt I was just barely able to reach the overall Turbo level.

Light Pin level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75d7a8DXhws

Turbo Pin level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NodrRrtW8Gk

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More than enough to "ride the river".

If you want to get good grip recoil control, without impacting reliability, check out the GeePlate.

https://www.geeplate.com

I reviewed these earlier this week.

If I don't shoot my G43 reasonably often proficiency falls off fast. Decline with the G26 is less extreme. Fortunately, I've found that practice with the micros benefits larger guns where the opposite isn't true. Therefore, more G43 practice = more gooder for everything. (And practice with a J frame is even better still.) I use only a slightly modified grip with the little Glocks. Inspired by this thread, I grabbed my G43 off my ankle and shot a Test (10-10-10) cold today, which obviously included a reload. Reload was from the table top. From a starting high-ready position:

Attachment 21464

Installing Hackathorns for sites and the then-new connector has been really helpful.

I'll shoot Gabe's standards from a holster and see. Prediction: just a little outside Dark Pin territory.

No love hereabouts for the EMP, but for that silent minority the Pachmayr Officer grips make a world of difference providing some stickiness on the front strap and a larger circumference. Our EMPs are 9mm; I imagine one would be a bit sporty in 40 even with the steel frame.