Gotta problem...Glock 19 Gen 4

Onramp · Dec 15, 2015

Glock 19 Gen 4 with the "medium" grip with beavertail installed. New pistol to me and I am having a problem, in that my little finger on the primary shooting hand gets pinched between the magazine baseplate and the bottom of the grip. This is the first time this has happened in the 600 rounds fed thru the weapon. The difference today from previous sessions (I think) is that my hands were a bit sweaty. Holy cow, this HURTS - I have a half inch long blood blister on the middle section of my finger. After two or three pinches I started shooting with my little finger under the baseplate. Groups grew a bit, but not bad.

So I'm trying to figure this out. I shot the first 50 rounds with the stock grip (no module added). The second 50 with the medium beavertail grip added. No real difference in groups, but I liked the beavertail protection for my oversize thumb knuckle (which used to get a shaving from the slide on my G27) so I have been shooting with this configuration since. I don't know why my hands were sweaty but I started thinking about some Talon grip tape. And I'm not really sure what the sweaty hands has to do with anything other than I have to adjust my grip every now and then. I shoot two handed - right hand primary, left hand support in a "moderate push/pull" grip. Squeeze on the grip is a strong handshake.

I have been shooting pistols for over 50 years and have had lots of problems to overcome. This isn't my first Glock, but it IS the first time I have had this pinch ever, with ANY pistol.

Thoughts?

RVTECH · Dec 15, 2015

Well I am NOT criticizing any particular handgun but for me if grip is not long enough for my hand to grip it completely I simply won't own it - especially if their is a 'gap' that can pinch as you describe. I have owned short grip guns with no pinch problem (J frame style revolvers) but any semi I own will have a 'full size' grip. I will never sacrifice comfort and a good grip for the potential problem you have.

Stomper · Dec 15, 2015

So what you're saying is, your pinky finger doesn't "fit" or doesn't "stay" in the bottom finger groove?

etrain16 · Dec 15, 2015

RVTECH · Dec 15, 2015

What I am saying is I will not own a semi with a grip so short my pinky has to rest in the finger groove of the mag to complete the 'grip' - I am currently holding my 1911 without a mag in it and my pinky is well supported.

Onramp · Dec 15, 2015

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
RVTECH - this actually is a larger grip for me than I am used to. This is now my EDC, and it replaces pistols with smaller grips where I do the two finger grip. This pistol is about all I can do grip-wise as it is starting to print, where previous smaller pistols didn't print at all. It seems pretty obvious to me in the mirror, but nobody seems to notice. My 1911 prints like CRAZY, and really gets in the way when I sit in a car, ride my Harley, sit in a restaurant, stand in a line, etc. I know, nobody really notices, but to me it is a pretty awkward bulge.

STOMPER - you got it. I do have large hands. I have fired 400 to 500 rounds with no issues, but today - WOW. I smacked the mag in hard to make sure it was seated, and it occurred on all three of my mags and at various times within the 15 rounds in the mag. I guess I could go to a pierce grip extended baseplate, but worry again about the printing issue. I did inspect the mags, looked at the mag catch as best as I could, and it seems ok now that I'm home and looked at it in better light as I was cleaning it. It seemed like the mag was "looser" on some shots, creating a gap that allowed some skin in.

You know, as I think about what you both said, I think about how sweaty my hands were, and can't but help think that I might have been gripping harder to compensate, thereby forcing pinky skin in the gap between the baseplate and grip. Actually, my pinky actually fits on the little outward bump at the botton of the grip, and maybe I was slipping into the gap for the good pinch. I have seen some guns with the protrusions ground off. I think I will first try the grip tape, and if that doesn't work, maybe grind those protrusions off and reapply the tape. Better - maybe just learn to grip the thing with my pinky below the mag floorplate like on my G27. That worked just fine.

I kind of was wondering if I was starting to run into a mechanical problem, but thinking it thru I might have to admit that it might POSSIBLY (but not probably) be me. I hate it when it turns out to be an operator generated problem...

Thank you again for your thoughts.

Onramp · Dec 15, 2015

Oh - etrain16 - I'm a duff with pictures. But your comment made me take a good look at how I hold the pistol and where my pinky resides on my standard grip. I think the sweaty hands allowing the grip to move and the extra pressure I must have exerted to compensate is the root of my problem. Thank you, but posting pictures for me is like getting all the rounds in a little hole on the target after ingesting a BUNCH of caffeine...

No_Regerts · Dec 15, 2015

The beavertail adds thickness to the top of the backstrap, causing you to grip the gun slightly lower. This may be why your pinky has gone over the edge.

No_Regerts · Dec 15, 2015

Bon Sauvage · Dec 16, 2015

How did you get that Glock to balance in a ham?

Stomper · Dec 16, 2015

ogre said:
How did you get that Glock to balance in a ham?

I was JUST thinking that I've never seen stuffed ham before, let alone with a Glock!

No_Regerts · Dec 16, 2015

I got meat hooks, I know.

Onramp · Dec 16, 2015

Just got back from the range, where it was much cooler and I didn't sweat. No problem at all with the pinching. I think as I was shooting, my grip shifted enough that my pinkie slipped down into the pinch zone. Glad I think I've figured this out now before I end up in a stressful situation where my hands might get sweaty, so I'm going to order some grip tape. Also, while cleaning the gun, I removed the grip module and held the gun. By moving my hand up (without the beavertail) my pinkie actually angled down into the pinch zone, and my trigger finger had a pretty good angle on the trigger. I put the beavertail grip module back on.

Thanks everyone for your interest and help! I really appreciate it.