My EDC X9 Journey: Small Back strap and Long Trigger even with my XL Hands

[Mobettadefense]

TLDR version: Counter-intuitively, for my size extra large hands the small backstrap and long trigger has allowed me the love the EDC X9. It works a lot better for me than the large backstrap. If you've been having trouble getting comfortable with this fine pistol try the small backstrap long trigger combination you may like it.

My journey with the EDC X9 began in earnest when I held one for the very first time at the NRA show in Atlanta in April 2017. Holding it in my hand and examining it closely, the EDC X9 seemed like a Browning Hi-Power Detective Special and a Colt Combat Commander got together and had a 9mm love child. I simply couldn't believe how small pistol was and how well it pointed. I wanted to love it but it felt really small.

Sometime after the NRA show in Atlanta I started looking to acquire an EDC X9. I actually bought my mine second hand from a pistol forum member roughly a year ago. It had a large backstrap and long trigger installed. At the range for the first time I shot it really well was happy with the sights and enjoyed how tight and slick this little pistol feels.


After several range sessions I started trying to get serious working on my draw stroke with the EDC X9 with the large backstrap and long trigger installed in preparation for making it my daily carry gun. I'm right-handed and carry what I call offensive line appendix which is basically appendix carry but instead of closer to the center line it's more around 1:15 or thereabouts.

After lots and lots of practice trying to draw this pistol and not really being comfortable I took a few classes using my EDC X9 with large backstrap installed and every session when I would try to draw the pistol in a hurry, repeatedly I would run into a problem. Sporadically throughout the session when establishing my master grip to draw the gun I would grip too high and the web of my dominant hand would ride up above the backstrap just enough to foul my grip, slow me down and often allow the web of my hand to get chewed up when the slide reciprocated. This photo shows the pistol with the large backstrap installed.


I tried to train around the issue I would go away from the EDC X9 and go back to my other guns come back and try fresh I kept thinking it was an Indian and not an arrow issue. But the reality was I could not carry my EDC X9 because I didn't have confidence I could draw it at speed and get hits on target quickly.

I trained hard to overcome what I thought was a limitation of the pistol before it finally occurred to me maybe the problem was the way I had the pistol setup. Once that light bulb came on I thought let's try the small backstrap....what could it possibly hurt.



After installing a small backstrap acquiring a master grip on the pistol from the holster is no longer a problem. To my significant amazement I discovered the small backstrap allows my master grip to get up into the pistol under the beavertail and I have now successfully resolved the problem I kept having. Drawing full speed and going hard at it no longer causes the problems I had with the other configuration.

As we all know one is none and two is one and now I enjoy my long trigger small backstrap EDC X9. Recently, I traded around and acquired a second with the Carry Melt option an orange front sight. I have it set up with the long trigger and small backstrap


I can't say enough good things about the Carry Melt but the orange front sight is not nearly as bright as a trijicon HD so I'll be going back to fiber optic.

So if you have extra large hands and you just haven't been able to enjoy drawing, gripping and shooting an EDC X9 try it with a small backstrap and a long trigger I know it's not supposed to work but it absolutely works for me and it may work for you.

BTW: The three 18 rounds mags a used in training yesterday worked perfectly!

[FNFAN]

I'm enjoying the info you're putting out on the EDC X9. I think one of these is on my list sometime this summer. I agree the small backstrap for large hands is counterintuitive.

[theJanitor]

I’ve got big hands and while my grip felt great, and it’s the most natural pointing pistol I own, somehow I’m just not consistent. I just grabbed a large back strap to try. Maybe the long trigger should have been first.

Maybe I’ll call WC tomorrow and see if they will sell me a trigger.

I’m about to pull the trigger on the True Zero optic mount, but it’s a gamble, since I’m not perfectly comfortable with my shooting performance

[Mobettadefense]

The long trigger allows me to have a comfortable and consistent portion of the pad of my finger engaging the trigger without getting too much finger into action and losing sensitivity and precision. These little pistols point very well for me (and for many people) and the thicker grip caused by the larger backstrap certainly felt good it just caused my hand to ride up too much, granted my hands are sized differently than most people. I imagine the small backstrap simply provides more area under the beaver tail to give my strong hand more access and consequently it works as designed. I do not feel any difficulty in gripping with the support hand even with the small backstrap. I suspect this is due to the overall compact nature of the grip as there was never much area for the support hand on the grip anyway and the pistol locks in very solid with the support hand having less work to do than on guns with larger diameter grips.

We can safely imagine how our hand fits on the gun is both very individual and very important. So my point in sharing my experience was to encourage people to consider non-intuitive approaches to see what works for them. The design and execution of the EDC X9 as a Commander/Hi-Power Detective love child is just exceptional in my view and is worth a little time and toil to find the best personal approach.

[LittleLebowski]

Excellent thread, thank you for sharing. Guess I'll go be poor someplace else

[theJanitor]

Excellent thread, thank you for sharing. Guess I'll go be poor someplace else

We saw the pics of the SR30, D2, and NV....