No one likes to mention how big their hands are more than gun guys on TH-cam. Kudos for being man enough to put it out there that you have small hands. I have very short fingers and honestly never realized it until I started shooting pistols and watching pew tubers.
you are 100% correct, the overwhelming majority of guntubers have for some reason size XXXXL hands and their advice does not translate well. Covering the entire grip with my hands eliminated so much muzzle flip really does make all the difference
I’m 6’ tall and 200+ lbs with medium size hands with short stubby fingers. Retired now but was a lead instructor for a police department. You info is excellent. 90% of adult men have hands too small for a glock pistol. Can it be shot? Of course. Is the trigger reach too long? Absolutely. M&P and p320 are almost an inch shorter in trigger reach.
Same problem here with Glock 19,26,17 etc… My 43x grip is perfect for my hands. Have you held a Sig P365 legion or x macro or shadow systems ?They felt good also.
This video gets a short thumbs up 👍 from me! Seriously, it seems like most gun channels feature guys that can pick up a basketball with one hand, and just about all pistol manufacturers cater to them. Plus they are practically useless when it comes to suggestions from less than large handed shooters.
The bore lining up with the arm bone is something I was also struggling with. Would love another video detailing ypur grip pressure and what you're doing with your elbow/wrist joints to control recoil. Great video!
Unfortunately this is just a small time hobby for me. Whenever I can get a camera to the range with me though I will try and put together another video to compliment this one better.
I got the same problem with my hands. They are small. Some woman have larger hands than I do which is embarrassing. I don't get it. My dad has HUGE hands. ALSO people, the saying for "if you got small hands...…" is not true just for the record.
I feel ya man :D ... I am 32 and I have met only one guy with smaller hands than mine :D, there are definetly a lot of girls with longer fingers, mine are just small and stubby. Buying gloves is fun, because I would need like L/XL for the width/size of my palm but s/m for my fingers :D. I dont care about the size of my fingers, ladies never actually seems to bother (if you know what you are doing, they dont care) and they are usually quite surprised when I point this out. First time I had problem with this was when I was trying to shoot glock 17, it just doesnt felt right for my hand, glock 43x felt good, but then again 10rds magazines are the minus. I ended up with Walther PDP pro SD, compact and it feels quite good so far.
Thank you for making this video dude. Im learning with my first firearm and I've felt like crap about it. Ive never thought I had small hands or a bad grip. If anything people have always said my hands were large. I guess my fingers may be short though because the Glock 19 I got is so hard for me to hold the way you were talking about at first. There's even been times that I've been practicing drawing with one hand and shooting and I haven't been able to get the trigger to pull because the edge my finger wasn't on there enough to depress the trigger safety. Doing what you mentioned here though has made it so much more comfortable and I don't feel so bad about myself anymore.
Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦 Thank you for posting this! I've just recently started shooting and have been struggling with how best to grip with my very small hands (I wear extra small gloves). I'm also left handed so this was even more relevant for me. I've tried the high forward thumb and found my control to be almost worse than just trying to cover the grip itself. I will definitely try what you recommended next time I hit the range!
You're 5'1"??? You look huge on camera! I feel ya though, I'm a small frame stocky guy myself with wide medium hands. I have trouble with a lot of the double stack pistols but have learned I can get a great hold on my Glock 19X. Your advise on trying different guns and techniques is spot on. Great vid!
Glad to find this. I'm a gun guy, but also 5'1", so double stacks with a single exception are hard to get purchase with. This video is helpful. Thanks.
Thank you! When I saw you covering the grip the "normal" way and you were shooting high and right, I could clearly see why I, as a right-hander, have been shooting slightly high and left. I have to cover the grip as best I can with small hands. I'm also looking into a smaller backstrap.
thanks for this video, im working with a friend of mine who has small hands on his first handgun purchase, he was convinced for a while that he would have to buy a smaller pistol to fit his hand.
Great presentation on something not often talked about. I just got a Shield Plus after handling a lot of different guns, still learning how to make it work for me, but I do really like the trigger.
Good video. Encouraging that I'm not the only one dealing with this issue! I have a Sig Sp2022 and have lately been thinking about looking for another pistol with a shorter trigger reach, or something with a single stack mag. I also have a Bersa Thunder 380 which fits my hand like a glove but I much prefer the full size 15 rnd 9mm capacity. I love my 2022 but have to do what you do with going slightly off axis to gain appropriate purchase on the trigger. After watching your video I think I'm going to continue working with what I have rather than starting over. Thanks for the encouragement!
That’s my problem too. I keep trying different ideas. Sometimes I imagine shooting his hat and pinch my index finger bases inward. This is closer to the barrel and it’s alignment..!
I have weird hands 😂 I’m a smaller guy too, 5’8” and skinny 130 pounds. I have short (fingers to wrist) palms, but kind of long fingers. So I end up with too much finger in the trigger guard but struggle covering the entire grip with my palms. I’m going to try these tips tho because I too have been trying to keep the bore in line with my forearm like everyone says is the “right” way. But the recoil is still causing the pistol to move in my hands. One thing I’ve found that makes my shooting better is using a slightly bladed stance instead of square and bent over. Almost like I’m shooting a shotgun. Might be because I didn’t own a pistol until recently but have shot rifles and shotguns all my life. It’s just a more comfortable position for me and seems to let me lock my strong (right) arm and wrist out better.
It took half way thru the video to say it, but the bottom line is find a gun that fits your hand. Also RENT IT and try it before buying. what feels good at the store counter may not feel as good when pulling the trigger and feeling the recoil.
Left handed with small hands, thank you! Ive thought and felt exactly the same about keeping your hand/arm aligned with the bore! Same with hand position. Have you been in my head? Thanks for the encouragement and yes, I shoot my CZ P06, better than my Sig P365XL, which I carry. Seriously, do you hear my thoughts? Lol 😆😆 Good vid! I subscribed!
Thank you for the tips! I'm a woman with pretty small hands and I've been shopping around for a pistol to suit my grip. I know now that I need a pistol with a short trigger reach. Do you have any thoughts about the HK VP9 SK for a small handed shooter?
I have to rotate my shooting hand around the grip to comfortably reach the trigger, so i can’t use the standard grip that is taught. Also have normal-sized palms and short fingers. Annoying, but being unable to replicate a textbook grip isn’t going to stop a motivated shooter. Life is accommodation.
Yup, feel your pain. Reloads and reaching the mag release was though to adapt to, but got it down with lots of practice. Walther PDP F-Series was a life changer for me.
What I did for me in my grip was keep the thumbs forward grip but straighten the off hand and put my pointer finger of the off hand on the trigger guard. I have found that helps negate the recoil issues you mentioned with the main hand. It's also how I learned to shoot my Glock and control it. This META stuff with hand grips and stuff is great and all, but never be afraid to modify, adjust, and experiment. On another note, What instructors would you recommend personally?
Excellent presentation. While I don’t have small hands (I don’t know why this loaded on my recommendation list) weirdly, I just changed to the small blackstrap on my PDP. Out of curiosity, on the range, I switched. Yes, I have heard the argument that a wider surface area will disperse the recoil. After a box of 50, I felt more in control so I might just stay with smaller blackstrap. Most definitely, your argument towards the end of the video…more control is supreme.
Thanks a bunch for this, I just got back into shooting and also have small hands. In addition to which I have a messed up right thumb that I broke as a kid and never got taken care of, so it doesn't function quite right, and I shoot right handed. I can now customize my grip knowing that I am not alone.
Just found you channel. It is exactly what i was looking for. I am small / left handed. Great info here. Sad that you haven't posted in 2 years. Hope all is well
Not sure if you're into revolvers, but it'd be cool if you did a video on them. I bought my first gun recentrecently ( Ruger GP100 4.2 inch specifically) and didn't even consider my small hands into the equation. I've been practicing different grip positions, but it always centers around being able to fully reach the trigger and/or hammer. (I also thought I want going to want to carry it; as in I'd buy a smaller pistol by the time I got my carry permit. Permit's here; more concealable gun isn't... yet.)
Big revolvers are kinda tricky. I have to qual with a revolver once a year at my job so I have some experience with them. But I can't try to give you advice on shooting them considering you probably have more time behind one than me at this point.
Yeah I also bought the GP100 years ago on the advice of a comrade who was a top competition shooter in his youth Like you I have small to medium-sized hands and especially with those big hogue grips it was a no-go. I really love the D frame of the SP101 and it sounds like the Colt King Cobra would also be great. You might also check out the enthusiast group Snub Noir. There's a lot of people there who's been shooting revolvers for ages.
Hey, thanks for sharing this video with the rest of us small handed shooters. I've had a gun or two that was harder to control because of the size of the grip. I think you should choose a gun that you are sure you can shoot one handed. Anyway I only have one gun these days. I just bought the CZ P-10c and it seems to fit good, though I think I have been using your recommended technique without realizing it till now. I'm doing better with it, but I just need more and more practice. Lol Subscribed
thank you for this advice! these tricks have already come in handy during my dry fire exercises. On a separate note, i just wanna say to anyone out there, this dude's energy and attitude toward working with what he's got -- thats the kind of attitude that tells you for almost 100% certain that he's good in bed. Just sayin.
Thanks for the tips.i never noticed hand size impacts trigger control since the only only hand guns I've put alot of rounds through are my dad's 38 snubnose & m&p9 which I had no trouble with.im restricted on what pistols I can get for competition/home defense in 9mm since I live in CA(you wouldn't believe how small the list is for approved 9mm pistols on CA roster) I've decided on a Glock 17 gen 3 since all gen 4 & 5's are banned unless I do a CA-CA PPT & overpay $800-$1000 for a used gen 4,I wouldn't feel comfortable spending that on a used pistol even if I wasn't on a $600 budget.alot of people on TH-cam are saying that the 17 gen 3 trigger reach is difficult for small hands.. have you ever shot one before? & Have you ever dribbled a grip??
I have never done anything to a grip really so I can't comment on that yet. But can you get a glock 19 instead? I would recommend that before getting the 17 any day really.
Thank for the video. I've been shooting low left because I think I'm not getting enough finger on my trigger. I keep wanting to get up tight into the beavertail with the web of my hand which doesn't leave me with a lot of finger to get on that trigger. Same issue with my support hand and wanting to push my hand forward leaving a lot of grip uncovered.
Great video bro I def needed to see this, I see you have a cz p09 how do you handle/shoot that gun. I own one too and I’m on the fence on the sz of type of hand I have for that gun but it fits so well with that full sz type of gun.
Springfield XD mod 2 is a good gun for hands with shorter fingers because I've found the trigger reach is shorter than a lot of other guns. Also 1911's because of how slim the grip is and the light trigger pull. Good video. I've been shooting pretty much the same way you do.
This popped up in my feed while researching 10 mm's of all things, lol. Anyway, never felt so adequate about my hands, lol, and I truly mean that in the best way. I'm just under 5' 8" and have relatively small hands, but, apparently large enough that only the biggest of pistols has ever felt really big. I mean, sure, a Glock 20 is pretty huge in my hands. And, never liked the grips of Beretta 92's. Or even the Glock 17. But, no worries, Glock 19's fit like a glove. But, otherwise, no real issues. My first two pistols way back in the day were a Sig P220 in 45ACP, and a S&W 686 Plus. Both fit my hands fine. Not bragging, just appreciative that my my "gun grip size" issues over the years could have been much worse apparently.
Great Video My Friend! I do have 1 issue I am fighting. I have a Canik tp9sfx and I am hurting the knuckle at the base of the thumb. When the pistol recoils up the very back bangs down on it. I know it is because I am rotating my hand around to reach the trigger and this action places that knuckle right under it, but was wondering if you had any suggestions. I am going to try the shoot 5 rounds change shoot 5 more etc.
very good video, although i have "average" sized hands, i have found i have an oddly proportioned set of hands. also, for whatever reason i have a hand that when i pull a trigger a small muscle in the heal of the hand bulges slightly (enough to throw the shot off with MOST autoloading handguns. good 'ole smith and wesson 357, springfield mod 2, and sig 226 shoot well for me, but i have difficulty manipulating controls on sig, i can reach the controls, but cannot operate them as the knuckle of my thumb is almost an inch in diameter. still working on it...
That sounds like something you will have to just work on in your own time. Taking a class might help if the instructor is really good and understands how to fix small things like that. But in my experience sometimes the only thing you can do is practice in your own way til you find something that works for you.
Had some really bad trigger pull problems at a class recently. Now realizing because i was trying to get a better grip to manage recoil instead of trigger reach. Thanks man!
I would love to own and shoot a DA/SA handgun, but with my small/medium hands it is an impossibility. Having discovered this I am stuck with shooting exclusively striker fired pistols. Also, there are things that a person can do to a pistol that will allow it to be shootable with small/medium size hands. With Glocks, for example, the trigger's pre-travel can be shortened or eliminated so as to make the trigger reachable with the shooter's trigger finger. Additionally, the stock trigger can be stippled around the trigger safety, so as to allow the trigger finger to easily grip the trigger.
How about 1911's? My hands are tiny cuz I'm tiny 4'10", but I can shoot a Springfield accurately. Much more accurately than single stack striker-fired pistols.
Very relatable. I can't engage the controls of a SIG P series,Beretta M92, CZ-75 style pistols. I like the 1911,but the grip safety engagement is a concern. So far the only autos "perfect" for me are the Glock 17, Walther PPK. Not necessarily my fave platforms. The lack of firearms and aftermarket availability in my country doesn't help.
Really great video man, sadly it’s difficult for me to find a decent and pistol to use on my hands. And what makes it worse... is that I live in Cali so there’s isn’t much to choose from as opposed to the rest of real America
I was at the range today and there was a cop there with small hands like me. (5’5”). He adjusted his grip like I’ve never seen. I tried it and it was night and day . He also changed the pistol grip to a smaller grip and it was a huge improvement shooting his gun. He had a Sig 226 .40 and I had a 229 .40. Ordered my E2 grips .
My hands are super small lol. Smaller than average. But the best three pistols that I can grip good is the smith and wesson 2.0 , sig p320/m17, and the taurus pt111 g2. I just bought the sig p229 compact and I still can't grip it good even with the slim e2 grips. I just practice alot. I do actually move my hand forward to reach the trigger better to. Good information. 👍
Great video, would love to see the talking dog to... Any thoughts on controlling a big gun with small hands, in a situation wherein the gun is a "duty/issued" pistol... I.E. Glock 21 or Glock 30?
Jim Cirillo of the New York Stake Out Squad had a similar problem. He cheated on the grip almost holding sideways. The other thing is they were in the business of ambushing criminals so I think usually he didn't have to deal with grabbing the gun under high-stress at a moment's notice and having to point shoot which I think would be a big problem with a gun that was too big.
7:33 how about having your non dominant hand palm go super high almost touching the slide? I see PewView suggest this and I see a lot of female pros do something similar
Hey, could you post your hand measurements here , index finger length, palm width etc. , It's hard to get a good idea of exactly how small your hands are...I think mine are even smaller than yours, and I struggle with a lot of guns.Thanks for the video, cheers.
Have you tried a cz p07 with the small backstrap yet? That pistol has a great trigger reach for small handed shooters and is very easy to get a good grip on. My hand is very thick yet stubby, it gives looks a lot bigger than it really is. about 3x3 in on the palm, 3 in index finger ruffly. I hope you find a gun that works for you bud.
I checked the site of the gun store I visit and they don't have p07 so i'm gonna have to search for it elsewhere , but they do have p09 I hope the dimensions are the same as p07, i'll also go check sig p320 I've heard that it works fine for all hand sizes,also M&P and Gen5 some of those should work fine, and yea your hand is bigger than mine.Thanks for the reply, cheers.
I also have a p09, other then the longer grip the dimensions are the same. Both are great guns and will serve well. Good luck man, and you can check CZ Custom.com and see if they have anything in stock. they normally do.
Hi, I realise this video is a year old but I have a question. Do you rotate your grip to reach the mag release? I have medium to smaller hands as well and I can never drop a mag without breaking my grip. This is on every gun I own including my sig p938. I was just curious if you have learned any tricks to make your mag change faster.
I rotate grip as well. I have hands like the guy on the Burger King commercial and my Glock 19 gen three and 17 gen three I just barely get good trigger placement. And if I put the gun totally in line with my arm and completely in my palm I can barely touch the trigger and obviosuly would be pushing the gun and trigger which would throw al my shots to the left cause I’m right handed. So I have to cheat my grip and have it more toward my thumb rather than my index knuckle like he talks about in this video. Cause if not I can’t reach the trigger in order to pull straight back with the middle of my first finger pad like I need to. And even then ya a stretch. I hate it. But my m&p 9 2.0 compact and original m&p 9 full size with my small backstrap feels perfect. And my ruger sr9 compact and even the full size sr9 both I can reach trigger good. But Glocks are a little big and just a hard longer to reach for me but I can make it work like in this video like he does. I’m 6 foot tall but have little small girl hands and tiny ass sausage fingers. And in my experience the XDs and the entire m&p line and the walther ppq and the FNS and FN-509 and beretta apx and Glock 19 are best ones with m&p being the smallest trigger reach. The old smith and Wesson sdve 9 and 40 have small trigger reach even more so. Those are perfect for my small hands but I’m not a huge fan of that gun. So the gun that feels best and has best trigger reach for me is the m&p 2.0 compact and full size and the shield feels really good too. Only because it’s a single stack. But double stacks I have a hard time getting good placement without gripping a little over more
To me, all the automatic pistols Ive held feel weird with their rectangular grips compared to the handle bars of my bikes I can actually hold onto. I guess that's what you get when you have a mag built into the grip.
They work pretty well. If you have any trigger reach problems then I would suggest installing a good short reach trigger. Atlas gunworks will sell a really good one.
ZipsTactical And thin size grips I got on all of my 1911’s great fix little expensive because they cost around 70 + you need to change bushings and screws all around 100 dollars for each gun but looks and feels great
Depends on the weapon. I change the mag release over most of the time considering I have a tendency to release the magazine while shooting. If I do not switch the mag release over then I use my trigger finger.
good video. Video tip....Look at the camera and not the screen. If you look at the screen, we don't feel as though you're talking to us. If you look at the camera, we feel you are speaking to us directly. Just a friendly bit of advice if you don't mind. Not a criticism. I have small hands too but if I don't align with my forearm, everything ends up low and left. Forearm alignment helps me hit my target and that's really what it is all about.
I will defiantly keep that in mind in the future. I am not sure when I will start making videos again. But I hope to make this channel better than this someday.
I have small hands, but the thing is. My hands are small and SWEATS a lot, my palms and fingers would be a waterfall within minutes! It's annoying and depressing... not many people can relate to that which makes it feel so much worse for a gun loving-person such as myself.
Tell you what man, I bought a set of Wilson Combat ultra thin grips for my m9a1 and even for my tiny hands. It feels AMAZING, night and day difference, I think they make those for the m9a3 as well? I may be wrong
I have large hands but my right trigger finger is about a half an inch shorter than my left and because of that I cannot shoot DA guns well. I either have to put my hand further around the grip to reach the trigger well or only have the tip of my finger on the trigger which throws the shot. After years of experimenting I am just going to stick to SA guns and revolvers since you can always fit their grip to a smaller hand.
Your “small hands” look giant to me. I have extra small hands as well as wear a children’s shoe size. So this is a problem for me ad well! Thanks for the video...
Glad it helped man, the struggle is real for us short fingered shooters! I mostly compete at a local gun club near me. Once a month they hold a USPSA match, and an IDPA match.
Small hands and left handed also. I notised that almost all guns with external hammer is not usable to me. In IPSC Production u need lower ure hammer and first shoot need to be with cock ure hammer with trigger. SA is fine. But DA... no. I choose striker fire guns becouse most of them works fine with my small fingers.
Glad to see a gun guy say he has small hands. Most gun channels always say how big their hands are.
No one likes to mention how big their hands are more than gun guys on TH-cam.
Kudos for being man enough to put it out there that you have small hands. I have very short fingers and honestly never realized it until I started shooting pistols and watching pew tubers.
you are 100% correct, the overwhelming majority of guntubers have for some reason size XXXXL hands and their advice does not translate well. Covering the entire grip with my hands eliminated so much muzzle flip really does make all the difference
I’m 6’ tall and 200+ lbs with medium size hands with short stubby fingers. Retired now but was a lead instructor for a police department. You info is excellent. 90% of adult men have hands too small for a glock pistol. Can it be shot? Of course. Is the trigger reach too long? Absolutely. M&P and p320 are almost an inch shorter in trigger reach.
Same problem here with Glock 19,26,17 etc… My 43x grip is perfect for my hands. Have you held a Sig P365 legion or x macro or shadow systems ?They felt good also.
Thanks for being upfront and truthful most vids aren't honest about gun handling you just helped me get further in my decision to buy a firearm
Great video, I appreciate the way you articulated what you have been through. My wife will benefit from this.
This video gets a short thumbs up 👍 from me! Seriously, it seems like most gun channels feature guys that can pick up a basketball with one hand, and just about all pistol manufacturers cater to them. Plus they are practically useless when it comes to suggestions from less than large handed shooters.
The bore lining up with the arm bone is something I was also struggling with. Would love another video detailing ypur grip pressure and what you're doing with your elbow/wrist joints to control recoil. Great video!
Unfortunately this is just a small time hobby for me. Whenever I can get a camera to the range with me though I will try and put together another video to compliment this one better.
I got the same problem with my hands. They are small. Some woman have larger hands than I do which is embarrassing. I don't get it. My dad has HUGE hands. ALSO people, the saying for "if you got small hands...…" is not true just for the record.
Matt's Horsemanship
😂 Thanks! That was funny comment! ✊🏼
I feel ya man :D ... I am 32 and I have met only one guy with smaller hands than mine :D, there are definetly a lot of girls with longer fingers, mine are just small and stubby. Buying gloves is fun, because I would need like L/XL for the width/size of my palm but s/m for my fingers :D. I dont care about the size of my fingers, ladies never actually seems to bother (if you know what you are doing, they dont care) and they are usually quite surprised when I point this out. First time I had problem with this was when I was trying to shoot glock 17, it just doesnt felt right for my hand, glock 43x felt good, but then again 10rds magazines are the minus. I ended up with Walther PDP pro SD, compact and it feels quite good so far.
Thank you for making this video dude. Im learning with my first firearm and I've felt like crap about it. Ive never thought I had small hands or a bad grip. If anything people have always said my hands were large. I guess my fingers may be short though because the Glock 19 I got is so hard for me to hold the way you were talking about at first. There's even been times that I've been practicing drawing with one hand and shooting and I haven't been able to get the trigger to pull because the edge my finger wasn't on there enough to depress the trigger safety.
Doing what you mentioned here though has made it so much more comfortable and I don't feel so bad about myself anymore.
Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦
Thank you for posting this! I've just recently started shooting and have been struggling with how best to grip with my very small hands (I wear extra small gloves). I'm also left handed so this was even more relevant for me. I've tried the high forward thumb and found my control to be almost worse than just trying to cover the grip itself. I will definitely try what you recommended next time I hit the range!
Shauna, I'm in the same boat you are with x-small hands and left-handed. Best of luck, good shooting!
You're 5'1"??? You look huge on camera! I feel ya though, I'm a small frame stocky guy myself with wide medium hands. I have trouble with a lot of the double stack pistols but have learned I can get a great hold on my Glock 19X. Your advise on trying different guns and techniques is spot on. Great vid!
I am 6, but fit size "s" or "m" gloves... Finally some one talked about this...I have exact the same hands like you...big palm and short fingers.
Amen brother good video. Something people don’t address. Glad some of this lines up with what I have told students.
Glad to find this. I'm a gun guy, but also 5'1", so double stacks with a single exception are hard to get purchase with. This video is helpful. Thanks.
Great video. I’m a lefty and have short hands. All the problems and solutions you gave are right on. Good job.
Thank you! When I saw you covering the grip the "normal" way and you were shooting high and right, I could clearly see why I, as a right-hander, have been shooting slightly high and left. I have to cover the grip as best I can with small hands. I'm also looking into a smaller backstrap.
thanks for this video, im working with a friend of mine who has small hands on his first handgun purchase, he was convinced for a while that he would have to buy a smaller pistol to fit his hand.
Great presentation on something not often talked about. I just got a Shield Plus after handling a lot of different guns, still learning how to make it work for me, but I do really like the trigger.
Thank you so much for this video. Theres pretty much nobody on TH-cam that talks about this topic
You packed a lot of great information in your video. Thanks for doing this. It is very helpful.
Fellow lefty small-handed guy here... Great video; thanks for posting!
What a good video.
Thanks for taking the time.
Good video. Encouraging that I'm not the only one dealing with this issue! I have a Sig Sp2022 and have lately been thinking about looking for another pistol with a shorter trigger reach, or something with a single stack mag. I also have a Bersa Thunder 380 which fits my hand like a glove but I much prefer the full size 15 rnd 9mm capacity. I love my 2022 but have to do what you do with going slightly off axis to gain appropriate purchase on the trigger. After watching your video I think I'm going to continue working with what I have rather than starting over. Thanks for the encouragement!
Excellent advice. Thank you.
Hey brother, thanks a bunch! I'm another lefty with small hands. Great encouragement and video.
Thanks, buddy. Also, I shoot low because I am over-squeezing my shooting hand when I pull trigger to compensate.
That’s my problem too. I keep trying different ideas. Sometimes I imagine shooting his hat and pinch my index finger bases inward. This is closer to the barrel and it’s alignment..!
I have weird hands 😂 I’m a smaller guy too, 5’8” and skinny 130 pounds. I have short (fingers to wrist) palms, but kind of long fingers. So I end up with too much finger in the trigger guard but struggle covering the entire grip with my palms. I’m going to try these tips tho because I too have been trying to keep the bore in line with my forearm like everyone says is the “right” way. But the recoil is still causing the pistol to move in my hands. One thing I’ve found that makes my shooting better is using a slightly bladed stance instead of square and bent over. Almost like I’m shooting a shotgun. Might be because I didn’t own a pistol until recently but have shot rifles and shotguns all my life. It’s just a more comfortable position for me and seems to let me lock my strong (right) arm and wrist out better.
It took half way thru the video to say it, but the bottom line is find a gun that fits your hand. Also RENT IT and try it before buying. what feels good at the store counter may not feel as good when pulling the trigger and feeling the recoil.
Left handed with small hands, thank you! Ive thought and felt exactly the same about keeping your hand/arm aligned with the bore! Same with hand position. Have you been in my head? Thanks for the encouragement and yes, I shoot my CZ P06, better than my Sig P365XL, which I carry. Seriously, do you hear my thoughts? Lol 😆😆
Good vid! I subscribed!
I have small hands too. My wife has bigger hands than me. I have found that revolvers are my best friend. YMMV
Thanks for this video. Which M&P do you have? I have small hands I picked up the PDP F
Older video but awesome content. Thanks.👍
Thank you for the tips! I'm a woman with pretty small hands and I've been shopping around for a pistol to suit my grip. I know now that I need a pistol with a short trigger reach. Do you have any thoughts about the HK VP9 SK for a small handed shooter?
Try the Walther PDP F-Series.
Made especially for us with compact hands.
I have to rotate my shooting hand around the grip to comfortably reach the trigger, so i can’t use the standard grip that is taught. Also have normal-sized palms and short fingers. Annoying, but being unable to replicate a textbook grip isn’t going to stop a motivated shooter. Life is accommodation.
Yup, feel your pain.
Reloads and reaching the mag release was though to adapt to, but got it down with lots of practice.
Walther PDP F-Series was a life changer for me.
What I did for me in my grip was keep the thumbs forward grip but straighten the off hand and put my pointer finger of the off hand on the trigger guard. I have found that helps negate the recoil issues you mentioned with the main hand. It's also how I learned to shoot my Glock and control it. This META stuff with hand grips and stuff is great and all, but never be afraid to modify, adjust, and experiment.
On another note, What instructors would you recommend personally?
Great info. I have to sacrifice alignment for trigger reach to get a smooth trigger pull. But I practice enough to learn how to shoot that way.
Excellent presentation. While I don’t have small hands (I don’t know why this loaded on my recommendation list) weirdly, I just changed to the small blackstrap on my PDP. Out of curiosity, on the range, I switched. Yes, I have heard the argument that a wider surface area will disperse the recoil. After a box of 50, I felt more in control so I might just stay with smaller blackstrap. Most definitely, your argument towards the end of the video…more control is supreme.
Yes!!! Got me a P320 Scorpion and glad I did! Got me dem small hands to!
Thanks a bunch for this, I just got back into shooting and also have small hands. In addition to which I have a messed up right thumb that I broke as a kid and never got taken care of, so it doesn't function quite right, and I shoot right handed. I can now customize my grip knowing that I am not alone.
I learned a long time ago that the way everyone else does things may not always work for you. I am glad it helped man.
Good thin leather gloves help leverage your hands of any size, even better if custom fit. Good Video.
I feel yeah. I'm 5,4. Big palms, sausage fingers.
Just found you channel. It is exactly what i was looking for. I am small / left handed. Great info here. Sad that you haven't posted in 2 years. Hope all is well
Thanks mate much appreciated. Michael (Australia)
Great tips and gives me something to explore during my next range visit.
Not sure if you're into revolvers, but it'd be cool if you did a video on them. I bought my first gun recentrecently ( Ruger GP100 4.2 inch specifically) and didn't even consider my small hands into the equation. I've been practicing different grip positions, but it always centers around being able to fully reach the trigger and/or hammer. (I also thought I want going to want to carry it; as in I'd buy a smaller pistol by the time I got my carry permit. Permit's here; more concealable gun isn't... yet.)
Big revolvers are kinda tricky. I have to qual with a revolver once a year at my job so I have some experience with them. But I can't try to give you advice on shooting them considering you probably have more time behind one than me at this point.
Yeah I also bought the GP100 years ago on the advice of a comrade who was a top competition shooter in his youth
Like you I have small to medium-sized hands and especially with those big hogue grips it was a no-go.
I really love the D frame of the SP101 and it sounds like the Colt King Cobra would also be great.
You might also check out the enthusiast group Snub Noir. There's a lot of people there who's been shooting revolvers for ages.
Hey, thanks for sharing this video with the rest of us small handed shooters. I've had a gun or two that was harder to control because of the size of the grip. I think you should choose a gun that you are sure you can shoot one handed.
Anyway I only have one gun these days. I just bought the CZ P-10c and it seems to fit good, though I think I have been using your recommended technique without realizing it till now. I'm doing better with it, but I just need more and more practice. Lol
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thank you for this advice! these tricks have already come in handy during my dry fire exercises.
On a separate note, i just wanna say to anyone out there, this dude's energy and attitude toward working with what he's got -- thats the kind of attitude that tells you for almost 100% certain that he's good in bed. Just sayin.
Thanks for the tips.i never noticed hand size impacts trigger control since the only only hand guns I've put alot of rounds through are my dad's 38 snubnose & m&p9 which I had no trouble with.im restricted on what pistols I can get for competition/home defense in 9mm since I live in CA(you wouldn't believe how small the list is for approved 9mm pistols on CA roster) I've decided on a Glock 17 gen 3 since all gen 4 & 5's are banned unless I do a CA-CA PPT & overpay $800-$1000 for a used gen 4,I wouldn't feel comfortable spending that on a used pistol even if I wasn't on a $600 budget.alot of people on TH-cam are saying that the 17 gen 3 trigger reach is difficult for small hands.. have you ever shot one before? & Have you ever dribbled a grip??
I have never done anything to a grip really so I can't comment on that yet. But can you get a glock 19 instead? I would recommend that before getting the 17 any day really.
Thank for the video. I've been shooting low left because I think I'm not getting enough finger on my trigger. I keep wanting to get up tight into the beavertail with the web of my hand which doesn't leave me with a lot of finger to get on that trigger. Same issue with my support hand and wanting to push my hand forward leaving a lot of grip uncovered.
Yo appreciate it bro, tiny hands unite!
Great video bro I def needed to see this, I see you have a cz p09 how do you handle/shoot that gun. I own one too and I’m on the fence on the sz of type of hand I have for that gun but it fits so well with that full sz type of gun.
Springfield XD mod 2 is a good gun for hands with shorter fingers because I've found the trigger reach is shorter than a lot of other guns. Also 1911's because of how slim the grip is and the light trigger pull. Good video. I've been shooting pretty much the same way you do.
1911's ftw
Great video! I’m working on an HK p2000, the magazine release is right below the trigger guard and I can’t quite reach, any advice?
This popped up in my feed while researching 10 mm's of all things, lol. Anyway, never felt so adequate about my hands, lol, and I truly mean that in the best way. I'm just under 5' 8" and have relatively small hands, but, apparently large enough that only the biggest of pistols has ever felt really big. I mean, sure, a Glock 20 is pretty huge in my hands. And, never liked the grips of Beretta 92's. Or even the Glock 17. But, no worries, Glock 19's fit like a glove. But, otherwise, no real issues. My first two pistols way back in the day were a Sig P220 in 45ACP, and a S&W 686 Plus. Both fit my hands fine. Not bragging, just appreciative that my my "gun grip size" issues over the years could have been much worse apparently.
Thanks for making this video. I have the exact same issue.
Great Video My Friend! I do have 1 issue I am fighting. I have a Canik tp9sfx and I am hurting the knuckle at the base of the thumb. When the pistol recoils up the very back bangs down on it. I know it is because I am rotating my hand around to reach the trigger and this action places that knuckle right under it, but was wondering if you had any suggestions. I am going to try the shoot 5 rounds change shoot 5 more etc.
very good video, although i have "average" sized hands, i have found i have an oddly proportioned set of hands. also, for whatever reason i have a hand that when i pull a trigger a small muscle in the heal of the hand bulges slightly (enough to throw the shot off with MOST autoloading handguns. good 'ole smith and wesson 357, springfield mod 2, and sig 226 shoot well for me, but i have difficulty manipulating controls on sig, i can reach the controls, but cannot operate them as the knuckle of my thumb is almost an inch in diameter. still working on it...
That sounds like something you will have to just work on in your own time. Taking a class might help if the instructor is really good and understands how to fix small things like that. But in my experience sometimes the only thing you can do is practice in your own way til you find something that works for you.
Thank you for some great tips
Great info thanks. 👍
Had some really bad trigger pull problems at a class recently.
Now realizing because i was trying to get a better grip to manage recoil instead of trigger reach.
Thanks man!
Glad it helped!
I would love to own and shoot a DA/SA handgun, but with my small/medium hands it is an impossibility. Having discovered this I am stuck with shooting exclusively striker fired pistols. Also, there are things that a person can do to a pistol that will allow it to be shootable with small/medium size hands. With Glocks, for example, the trigger's pre-travel can be shortened or eliminated so as to make the trigger reachable with the shooter's trigger finger. Additionally, the stock trigger can be stippled around the trigger safety, so as to allow the trigger finger to easily grip the trigger.
I have struggled with finding DA/SA guns that worked real well for me. The CZ p09 and p07 have worked real well for me so far.
How about 1911's? My hands are tiny cuz I'm tiny 4'10", but I can shoot a Springfield accurately. Much more accurately than single stack striker-fired pistols.
Very relatable. I can't engage the controls of a SIG P series,Beretta M92, CZ-75 style pistols.
I like the 1911,but the grip safety engagement is a concern.
So far the only autos "perfect" for me are the Glock 17, Walther PPK. Not necessarily my fave platforms.
The lack of firearms and aftermarket availability in my country doesn't help.
Really great video man, sadly it’s difficult for me to find a decent and pistol to use on my hands. And what makes it worse... is that I live in Cali so there’s isn’t much to choose from as opposed to the rest of real America
Try J, D and whatever frame size they call the Cobra/ king cobra for Colt
I hate that I have to use my left hand to operate slid releases on full size guns, also to use my trigger I tend to pull to the right like you.
I was at the range today and there was a cop there with small hands like me. (5’5”). He adjusted his grip like I’ve never seen. I tried it and it was night and day . He also changed the pistol grip to a smaller grip and it was a huge improvement shooting his gun. He had a Sig 226 .40 and I had a 229 .40. Ordered my E2 grips .
My hands are super small lol. Smaller than average. But the best three pistols that I can grip good is the smith and wesson 2.0 , sig p320/m17, and the taurus pt111 g2. I just bought the sig p229 compact and I still can't grip it good even with the slim e2 grips. I just practice alot. I do actually move my hand forward to reach the trigger better to.
Good information. 👍
@@antoniomontana3555 I'm not sure
Great video, would love to see the talking dog to...
Any thoughts on controlling a big gun with small hands, in a situation wherein the gun is a "duty/issued" pistol... I.E. Glock 21 or Glock 30?
Jim Cirillo of the New York Stake Out Squad had a similar problem. He cheated on the grip almost holding sideways. The other thing is they were in the business of ambushing criminals so I think usually he didn't have to deal with grabbing the gun under high-stress at a moment's notice and having to point shoot which I think would be a big problem with a gun that was too big.
Nice job. Thoughtful video.
Hi man. I’ve small hands but i’m looking for a Glock41. I run my G17 Gen4 without big problems
This was super helpful. Thanks!
Yes, small hands too bro. Thank you 😊
great video. Thanks for posting.
7:33 how about having your non dominant hand palm go super high almost touching the slide? I see PewView suggest this and I see a lot of female pros do something similar
Hey, could you post your hand measurements here , index finger length, palm width etc. , It's hard to get a good idea of exactly how small your hands are...I think mine are even smaller than yours, and I struggle with a lot of guns.Thanks for the video, cheers.
Have you tried a cz p07 with the small backstrap yet? That pistol has a great trigger reach for small handed shooters and is very easy to get a good grip on. My hand is very thick yet stubby, it gives looks a lot bigger than it really is. about 3x3 in on the palm, 3 in index finger ruffly. I hope you find a gun that works for you bud.
I checked the site of the gun store I visit and they don't have p07 so i'm gonna have to search for it elsewhere , but they do have p09 I hope the dimensions are the same as p07, i'll also go check sig p320 I've heard that it works fine for all hand sizes,also M&P and Gen5 some of those should work fine, and yea your hand is bigger than mine.Thanks for the reply, cheers.
I also have a p09, other then the longer grip the dimensions are the same. Both are great guns and will serve well. Good luck man, and you can check CZ Custom.com and see if they have anything in stock. they normally do.
Hi, I realise this video is a year old but I have a question. Do you rotate your grip to reach the mag release? I have medium to smaller hands as well and I can never drop a mag without breaking my grip. This is on every gun I own including my sig p938. I was just curious if you have learned any tricks to make your mag change faster.
I have the same issue. All I can say is just work through it with practice and you'll become so efficient that it won't matter.
I do rotate my grip to hit the mag release. mike is right the best thing you can do is train and become better at it. good luck bud.
I rotate grip as well. I have hands like the guy on the Burger King commercial and my Glock 19 gen three and 17 gen three I just barely get good trigger placement. And if I put the gun totally in line with my arm and completely in my palm I can barely touch the trigger and obviosuly would be pushing the gun and trigger which would throw al my shots to the left cause I’m right handed. So I have to cheat my grip and have it more toward my thumb rather than my index knuckle like he talks about in this video. Cause if not I can’t reach the trigger in order to pull straight back with the middle of my first finger pad like I need to. And even then ya a stretch. I hate it. But my m&p 9 2.0 compact and original m&p 9 full size with my small backstrap feels perfect. And my ruger sr9 compact and even the full size sr9 both I can reach trigger good. But Glocks are a little big and just a hard longer to reach for me but I can make it work like in this video like he does. I’m 6 foot tall but have little small girl hands and tiny ass sausage fingers. And in my experience the XDs and the entire m&p line and the walther ppq and the FNS and FN-509 and beretta apx and Glock 19 are best ones with m&p being the smallest trigger reach. The old smith and Wesson sdve 9 and 40 have small trigger reach even more so. Those are perfect for my small hands but I’m not a huge fan of that gun. So the gun that feels best and has best trigger reach for me is the m&p 2.0 compact and full size and the shield feels really good too. Only because it’s a single stack. But double stacks I have a hard time getting good placement without gripping a little over more
To me, all the automatic pistols Ive held feel weird with their rectangular grips compared to the handle bars of my bikes I can actually hold onto. I guess that's what you get when you have a mag built into the grip.
Does your p320 fit with small frame? Thanks
Excellent Video !!!
Get a CZ P10C! It perfectly fits my small hands.
Mike Justice so true p10 is heaven for small hands loo
Hk vp9 has excellent grip for small hands.
You aren't playing. Every time I have handled one its impressed me.
I agree!
I love my vp9, only complaint I have is for me, the trigger reach is a little long, nothing an upgraded flat trigger wouldn't fix
How do you handle full size 1911's? Do they work good for you and your size? And great video too man! (:
They work pretty well. If you have any trigger reach problems then I would suggest installing a good short reach trigger. Atlas gunworks will sell a really good one.
ZipsTactical And thin size grips I got on all of my 1911’s great fix little expensive because they cost around 70 + you need to change bushings and screws all around 100 dollars for each gun but looks and feels great
How do you manipulate the mag release? Do you rotate your firing hand, use your non firing hand, or use your trigger finger?
Depends on the weapon. I change the mag release over most of the time considering I have a tendency to release the magazine while shooting. If I do not switch the mag release over then I use my trigger finger.
good video. Video tip....Look at the camera and not the screen. If you look at the screen, we don't feel as though you're talking to us. If you look at the camera, we feel you are speaking to us directly. Just a friendly bit of advice if you don't mind. Not a criticism. I have small hands too but if I don't align with my forearm, everything ends up low and left. Forearm alignment helps me hit my target and that's really what it is all about.
I will defiantly keep that in mind in the future. I am not sure when I will start making videos again. But I hope to make this channel better than this someday.
I have small hands, but the thing is. My hands are small and SWEATS a lot, my palms and fingers would be a waterfall within minutes! It's annoying and depressing... not many people can relate to that which makes it feel so much worse for a gun loving-person such as myself.
They say the Vertec Grip on the M9A3 by Beretta is for small hands. I'm not feeling it
Tell you what man, I bought a set of Wilson Combat ultra thin grips for my m9a1 and even for my tiny hands. It feels AMAZING, night and day difference, I think they make those for the m9a3 as well? I may be wrong
Good shit dude
Great video man!!
I have large hands but my right trigger finger is about a half an inch shorter than my left and because of that I cannot shoot DA guns well. I either have to put my hand further around the grip to reach the trigger well or only have the tip of my finger on the trigger which throws the shot. After years of experimenting I am just going to stick to SA guns and revolvers since you can always fit their grip to a smaller hand.
Your “small hands” look giant to me. I have extra small hands as well as wear a children’s shoe size. So this is a problem for me ad well! Thanks for the video...
What do you compete in?
I too have a wide hand but short fingers. This has given me some things that I'm going to work on in dryfire.
Glad it helped man, the struggle is real for us short fingered shooters! I mostly compete at a local gun club near me. Once a month they hold a USPSA match, and an IDPA match.
Small hands and left handed also.
I notised that almost all guns with external hammer is not usable to me. In IPSC Production u need lower ure hammer and first shoot need to be with cock ure hammer with trigger.
SA is fine. But DA... no.
I choose striker fire guns becouse most of them works fine with my small fingers.
Yes ! You are as short as me !!!
Awesome!
P365 is great for small hands :)
I got small hands I shoot my XD pretty good I picked my XD over Glock due to hand 🖐 I just can grip it way better
Your hands are giant compared to mine😊
My hand looks like a damn spider.
Dude has huge hands
Manlets and handlets represent
His hands are still larger than mine.
Just get a smaller gun. So many great ones out there. Easier to conceal as well.