{"id":6483,"date":"2020-10-15T07:00:27","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=6483"},"modified":"2024-09-30T12:13:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T17:13:06","slug":"who-cares-about-pistol-grip-angle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/who-cares-about-pistol-grip-angle\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Cares About Pistol Grip Angle?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever heard the phrase \u201cI can\u2019t shoot Glocks\u2026\u201d or something similar?<\/p>\n

When you peel back the layers on a statement like that, it may not be a trite statement for or against one gun make or another. There are several reasons that someone might be able to shoot Brand X well while struggling to meet the same performance level with Brand Y.<\/p>\n

\"Sig
The grip angle of the Sig Sauer P320<\/a> is nearly vertical. It points very naturally for me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, triggers are the easy variable to explore. Keeping with the <\/span>Glock example (and nothing against Glocks) that trigger isn\u2019t the easiest to master. The 5.5-pound standard weight is fine, but (in my opinion) the pull quality could be better. But then again I certainly wouldn\u2019t complain if that was the only gun I could ever shoot. Anyway, a good, crisp trigger makes accurate pistol shooting much, much easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

While triggers can certainly be a reason that someone can\u2019t shoot a Glock (or some other gun) worth beans, there\u2019s another less obvious factor.<\/p>\n

Grip Angle<\/h2>\n

Handgun makers have to design guns to \u201cfit\u201d the broadest array of humans possible. As you know, we come in all shapes and sizes. Little details like arms, wrists, hands, and fingers vary. A grip on a 1911 pistol might be perfect for you but lousy for me. Or vice versa.<\/p>\n

Sticking with our Glock just for example\u2019s sake–the Glock has a more raked grip angle relative to the horizontal line represented by the bore. In other words, you might envision the extremes of grip angles ranging from exactly perpendicular to the bore to closer to parallel to the bore like the wrist area on a lever-action rifle.<\/p>\n

While most any descendent of St. Browning’s M1911 has a more vertical grip angle closer to perpendicular (usually estimated at 18 degrees), a Glock has a shallower grip that\u2019s closer to the parallel orientation (22 degrees). I\u2019m exaggerating the extremes to paint a picture \u2013 the differences aren\u2019t nearly that severe.<\/p>\n

\"Beretta
I find that guns like the Beretta APX and Glock, which both have more raked grip angles, don’t point as naturally for me. The results will likely be different for you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anyway, here\u2019s why it matters. Based on the geometry of your wrist and hand, a gun with a steeper grip angle may point naturally for you. Or not. Maybe one with a shallower angle like a Glock works better.<\/p>\n

What Grip Angle is Best for You?<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s one way to find out. Using a verified unloaded gun in a safe location (one where you won’t take anyone by surprise by pointing a gun), get a proper grip in the low ready position. Now, close your eyes and raise the gun to an imaginary target. Be sure you\u2019re pointing at a safe wall or backstop.<\/p>\n

Now open your eyes. Are the sights pointed directly at a target at muzzle height or is the barrel pointed slightly upward or downward? When I do this exercise with a Glock, my sights and muzzle tend to end up pointed above my target and I have to consciously bring the muzzle down to target.<\/p>\n

When I do it with a 1911, Springfield Armory XD, and most Sigs, my sights are right on target. That\u2019s because those guns have a steeper grip angle that points naturally for me. I have friends who get exactly the opposite results. For them, pistols with shallower grip angles like Glocks and Beretta APX\u2019s point perfectly and other pistols point down.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an interesting experiment to see what your body naturally expects. Sure, you can train and practice to make virtually any gun work for you, but there\u2019s something to be said for choosing one that points naturally and intuitively right off the bat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The grip angle of a handgun can make a big difference in your ability to shoot well. Is a steeper or shallower grip right for you? Here’s how to find out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":57914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[449,871,1184],"class_list":["post-6483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-insights","tag-beretta-apx","tag-grip","tag-glocks"],"small_media_thumbnail":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Grip-Angle-Glock-17-300x150.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6483"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440041,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6483\/revisions\/440041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}