I've read the previous threads on backstrap and grip size selection. I've done some live fire testing, but honestly, the results seem more than adequately accounted for by statistical noise based on my own personal variances at a given time than anything concrete.
One of the issues with the previous threads is that they predominantly focus on two-handed shooting. To that end, there appears to be a significant amount of focus on the amount of support hand real estate that is available in the grip to help control recoil.
I'm wondering if the considerations change very much or if there are any rules of thumb that I might want to be aware of if I am interested in predominantly focusing on single handed shooting?
I saw a nice list that went like this: 1. Reliability 2. Controls 3. Accuracy 4. Speed 5. Comfort.
I'm talking about my Px4 and APX at the moment, both which have three backstraps. In the Px4 I generally need to "roll" the gun to hit the magazine release in any size backstrap. I get a *lot* of trigger finger on the gun with the small backstrap, and less with the large. I can reach the slide release any which way, and the safety/decocker is the same story. On the APX I can pretty much reach the magazine release without rolling with any of the backstraps, but it's trivial with the smallest and just at the far end of "too far to reach" with the large, I can do it, but I'd be more comfortable with a slide roll. The slide stop is similar.
So, #1 and #2 both seem a wash to me based on how I'm reading things. Accuracy against seems totally dependent on the day. If I use the right finger placement to account for the appropriate reach for each backstrap, and I remember to keep things aligned properly, and I don't compensate for lighting conditions incorrectly in the sight alignment, then it's all good. On days where I don't get those things right, then I'm either consistently left or consistently low-left with any of the backstraps.
Speed and comfort are also things that just don't seem to come to any statistically significant measures.
My take from this is that I need to practice more. :-) On the other hand, it would be nice to "settle" things in my mind a little bit about the backstrap. I have this somewhat irrational obsession over it, and I just seem to keep changing around and being unable to figure out what to stick with to continue to refine my training.
And that leaves me with the thought about single hand vs. two handed. If I were only focused on two handed, then I can see that I have more real estate for my support with the larger grips. However, if I am only focusing on single handed, I'm wondering if there is another mitigating factor that I might use to "make my decision."
Suggestions welcome! I'm happy to post pictures if anyone cares to see how the various grips compare in my hands and is willing to provide advice based on that if they think it would help.