The Gen 2.5/3 with finger grooves were a perfect fit. The Gen 5, for my hands, needed the med back strap w/o beaver tail to fit dimensionally. The lack of finger grooves made it squirmy. The 3M tape mod introduced here by GAP made it workable for me.
That's pretty much where I was. My Gen2.5 with the grooves was fine...but I always thought I'd prefer something more svelte, despite only having a medium sized hand. I was wrong. When the Gen5 showed up, it was too squirmy in the hand and I could see and feel where the voids were in my fist.
When I put the medium back strap on, it solved the issue of the voids, I just had to get used to the rougher texture due to a hand injury back in 2016 which left it a bit hypersensitive. (My Gen4 G17 didn't create the same sensitivity issue, or the need for a back strap due to the way the grip's curve fit my hand more naturally.)
Anyway, I got used to the texture and I love the gun but I bet this mod will make the grip feel even more natural in my hand and I'm looking forward to it.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Fit is definitely fickle. I've got hands that just make it into the XL range with oddly long, monkey thumbs, I run my 19.4 with the medium beavertail backstrap and while large, I find my 20.3 quite comfy to hold and shoot.
I've owned and sworn off the 26/27 platform at least three times and still don't like them with finger grooves. Inspired by GAP's "one gun for all seasons" reasoning, the physical necessity to carry IWB and the desire to be concealed at work, I've dedicated myself to the 26.5 with the 10rd OEM mags for the last 18mos and I'm still smitten with the pistol. Oddly, I distinctly prefer it with no added backstraps.
I think I have a roll of 3M stair tape somewhere in my house. I want to try it on my front strap. I use the medium backstrap with the beavertail on my G26.5, but I use the large on my G19.5. I thought they'd be the same for both, but nope. The large beavertail felt wrong on the G26.
--Jason--
Glad to see that comment made sense for others. I’ve tried to make the G19 fit that role but in the middle of summer it was less than optimal, especially with young children climbing all over me and running around. I see others split up their carry between a G19 and a G43 or a J-frame. I thought, there’s a pretty significant drop off in performance and capacity between a G19 and those two examples. It made sense for me to choose something that I can shoot as well as a G19 and only give up a few rounds of capacity.
Additionally, I have long, thin fingers and slim guns do not work well for me. Perhaps that is why the small, thick grip of the G26 fits. My body type is muscular, but narrow. Therefore, my shirt drapes adequately to hide double stack guns, but doesn’t hide longer grips to my satisfaction. Finally, the application of the traction tape made it even easier to handle with sweaty or cold hands.
At the end of the day, I carry a tool to give me leverage over someone trying to harm my family. I have it to get out of a bad situation, but I also want to live my life and enjoy these moments with my kids. The gun is purposely fit around my lifestyle, but for many folks it seems to be the other way around.
I suppose many of my thoughts on CCW align with DB’s wisdom in this podcast:
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ry-Modcast-253
This thread is filled with great info.
And you're right...there's just not one simple way of determining in advance who will use which back strap, or none at all.
@TC215 and I have spoken on the phone about our G26's numerous times. He has large hands and uses no back strap. I have medium hands and use the medium back strap on mine. (Yet use no back strap on the Gen 4 G17.)
For me it came down to the feeling that without the backstrap, there were "voids and gaps" left where the flesh of my palm and hand was not fully contacting the grip of the gun. That seems to be the best way I can describe it.
The G26 is the gun I keep if I can only have one gun. It is the (near) perfect one gun solution...and adaptable to most any circumstance or capacity requirement. That's why it's the only gun I have two of.
Last edited by blues; 01-10-2021 at 09:59 AM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
@GAP
You've done the G26 proud in this thread. It's been my favorite and go-to gun since 1995 or 1996, and I think you've done a great job of pointing out all the reasons why.
There's nothing civil about this war.