Size matters ...
Trying on a Handgun
By Kathy Jackson
Before you plunk down your hard-earned money for a handgun -- especially
a defense handgun -- it is a good idea to make sure it will fit
your hand. Here's how to do that.
Check by sight and by feel to be sure that the gun is unloaded. For semi-automatics,
remove the magazine and run a finger into the magazine well to make sure
it is empty. Lock the slide open and visually look in the chamber. Then
run the tip of your pinky finger into the chamber to be sure that there's
a hole in there rather than a live round. Visually check the chamber again
before you close the slide. For revolvers, roll the cylinder open and
visually count the holes. Then run your finger over the holes and count
them again by feel. Visually count the holes again before closing the
cylinder.
This sounds obsessive. Let me explain with a visual illustration why it
is important to check twice, and count the holes by feel.
Take a quick glance at the picture below. Only a glance. Is the gun unloaded?
Position your mouse pointer over the image
to double-check.
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This is why we check twice, and touch the holes. When distracted
or under stress, it is surprisingly easy to miss seeing things we really
didn't expect to see anyway. And it is just as easy -- or easier -- to
do the same with a semi-auto, and miss seeing the round in the chamber
or the magazine in the butt of the gun. So use your hands as well as your
eyeballs to check, and never take anything for granted.1
Okay, gun's empty. Now, with the gun pointed in a safe direction which
includes a safe backstop, put the
crease of your trigger finger on the shooting-hand side of the trigger
face. Do not simply place the tip or the pad of your trigger finger on
the trigger. Use the crease.2
This part of the trigger finger ...
Rests upon the shooting-hand side face of the trigger ...
With your finger's crease thus on the trigger and without pulling the trigger
back, wrap the rest of your hand around the gun to get a good,
one-handed firing grip.
It is especially important not to cock double-action revolvers or to pull
the trigger back on DA/SA semi-automatics, because doing so moves the
location of the trigger in relation to the rear of the gun. That means
the trigger is not in the same place it would be when you first pick up
the gun. You want to know how the gun will fit when you grab it in a hurry
-- not just how it fits under ideal range conditions.
Notice the location of the trigger in this uncocked double-action Sig
pistol.
Now see how far the trigger has moved to the rear when the pistol is cocked.
There is a similar change that takes place when a double action revolver
is cocked. Cocking the gun shortens the trigger reach, but this is no
help to someone who plans to use the gun for defensive purposes. You need
to know how the gun will fit when you first pick it up.
So keep your finger resting lightly on the trigger and wrap the rest of
your hand around the gun to attain your firing grip. Now look at how the
gun fits in your hand.
A Perfect Fit
With the crease of your finger on the trigger, if the gun's backstrap
is firmly centered in the web of your hand, midway between your thumb
and forefinger, then the gun fits your hand perfectly. Notice how a correctly-sized
gun lines up perfectly with the bones in your forearm. The recoil will
go directly into the web of the hand and be transferred along the long
bones of the arm, allowing a strong and natural grip without much strain.
Small Gun
If your hand has a lot of extra slack, with your trigger finger curving
far out from the side of the gun (so that you would be able to put a large
portion of your trigger finger through the trigger guard), then the gun
is small for your hand. Note that the small gun still lines up well with
the forearm bones.
A gun that's small is rarely too small for effective shooting, so don't
let this deter you if the gun is otherwise suitable for your purposes.
Unless the gun is really radically undersized, it's generally easy to
adapt to a small gun. But you will need to pay special attention that
you don't get too much of your finger on the trigger while firing.
With as much trigger finger poking through as in the picture below, it
is nearly impossible to pull the trigger at all -- let alone to pull it
smoothly and well. But this is an easily-corrected shooter error, not
a problem with the gun.
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Poor Technique: too much trigger finger!
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Too Large
If the gun's backstrap cannot be centered in the web of your hand, midway
between thumb and forefinger joints, while the crease of your trigger
finger is on the trigger, then the gun is too big for you.
In the picture below, notice that the too-large gun does not line
up nicely with forearm bones, and the recoil is going more into the thumb
joint than into the web of the hand.
Provided you are able to reach all the controls, you can probably work
with a very slightly too-large gun. You may be able to work with
it as-is simply by scootching your hand around, so the backstrap is slightly
off-center when your finger is on the trigger. Or you might consider putting
a shortened trigger in it, which will reduce the distance between trigger
and backstrap.3
However, if the gun is very much too big for your hand, the recoil will
be going straight into the joint at the base of your thumb when your finger
is properly on the trigger. You may be able to shoot that way, but it
isn't a very secure hold and it will probably be painful to fire a lot
of rounds. Even if it doesn't hurt, it can cause joint problems down the
road and really isn't worth it in the long run. You will need to look
for a different gun.
Incidentally, one possible cause of limp-wristing may be firing a gun
that is too large for one's hands. Notice the direction the recoil will
go in the picture above, and compare that to the solid platform provided
by the long bones of the arm when the gun is the correct size for the
shooter.
After checking for grip fit, also check to be sure you can reach and use
all of the gun's controls.
- Thumb safety: You must be able to flick the safety
off with the thumb of your firing hand. If you need to use your
non-dominant hand to put the safety back on again, that is okay. But if
you cannot flick the safety off with your firing hand, that's a deal-killer.
- Magazine release: It's best if you can drop the magazine
by pressing the magazine release with your firing hand without losing
your firing grip. If you cannot, that's bad but you may be able to work
around it, either by scootching your hand around so you can reach, or
by using your other hand to drop the magazine. If you'd like to compete
in any of the action pistol games,
pass up any guns that do not allow you an easy reach to the magazine release.
- Decocker: Don't worry if you can't reach the decocker
easily. No one has ever needed to decock a firearm in a hurry. You
can plan to use your non-dominant hand for this one if you need to.
- Slide Lock/Slide Release: You should be able to lock
the slide back without extreme effort. To do this, you will need
to be able to lift up on the slide lock lever without shifting your hand
so far around that you have no leverage to retract the slide. (Read
more about slide manipulation here.)
It is okay if you need to shift your hand a little so you can reach the
lever. But it is not okay if you need to shift your hand so far
that you cannot lift up on the slide lock and pull the slide back
at the same time.
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Slide Lock / Slide Release
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It is good to be able to send the slide forward again by using the slide
release without losing a solidly correct firing grip. But if you
can't do that, it's really okay. Just plan to use the slingshot or
overhand technique to send the slide forward. Note that if you want to
play any of the action pistol games,
however, releasing the slide using the lever is generally quicker than
using slingshot or overhand. If you plan to compete, get a gun with an
easily-used slide release.
Just as you would try on a pair of shoes before buying them, if it is
at all possible, try to fire the gun or one like it before you purchase.
Many gun stores and ranges have rental guns. While rental fees can
be expensive, paying such fees can often save considerable money in the
long run because of the mistakes thus avoided.