Review: Grip Force Adapter for Glocks

I had a package show up at my door the other day and inside where a few of the newest after market products for the Glock... Grip Force Adapters. I saw these online a while back and was very impressed with their design and execution. I really wanted to get my hands on some, and thanks to the good folks at Grip Force Products I was able to obtain a few for testing and evaluation.

These products are an aftermarket "back strap" (for lack of a better term) that is designed to cure the issue that so many people have with the Glock grip angle.

Full review after the jump:

Now, I for one came of age shooting Glocks and the unnatural grip angle on Glock pistols has never been a deal breaker for me - basically, because that's all I ever really knew. For many consumers, however, it is a deal breaker. Either the gun does not point well and it causes them to shoot high or its just doesn't feel right as they're standing there at the gun counter trying to decide on which defensive tool to choose. I personally kinda just learned to live with it and adapted my shooting grip to accommodate the awkwardly angled grip that Glock manufactures their pistols with.

Grip Force Products has certainly not been the first company to try to address this particular problem with "perfection". There are many a gunsmith that can modify the grip of your Glock by performing a grip reduction, but they are expensive and permanent (not an option for someone stuck with a duty pistol that belongs to the department). There are also complete after market grips out there which will completely replace your pistol's lower and give you a grip that is more natural, but they too are costly and often require an FFL transfer. Grip Force Adapters, however, are an easy and affordable fix - $26.95.

Instillation is straight forward and doesn't take long at all. The product comes with full instructions and there are also videos and step by step instructions here on their website. Basically, you are gonna use a punch to remove the rear pin that retains the trigger mechanism and then replace it with the longer pin that is supplied with the adapter.

Once the adapter is installed, trigger reach is slightly extended, and my average sized hands greatly appreciated it. It naturally puts the pad of my trigger finger right on the trigger, making length of pull feel exactly right for me. There is an extra .077'' increase with a Gen 123 adapter and .091'' with a Gen 4 adapter. 

One obvious feature of this product is the extended beaver tail. From a design standpoint, the added beaver tail is intended to allow the shooter to gain leverage over the gun while firing. It allows them to really drive their hand up towards the bore line of the gun, without any part of their hand sticking up too high. If used properly, it will counteract muzzle flip by allowing the hand greater leverage over the muzzle end of the pistol. It should also theoretically eliminate limp-wristing the gun if you are indeed using a proper grip.

Another key feature of these adapters is that they can be easily modified to uniquely fit them to each user. Just a little time with the Dremel tool and some emery cloth and you can cut them down and shape them to exactly how you want them to feel in your hand. You can shorten them, sand the stippling down, or even completely chop off the beaver tail if you wanted... They are polymer, after all. Here are a few examples:

*Do a quick Google search and you can see a bunch of chop mods that other people have done.




So whats the bottom line?

Well... This product does exactly what it advertises. It does a great job adjusting the factory Glock grip to a more natural and desirable angle - and at an affordable price too! I would not say that it completely replicates a 1911 style grip angle... but its closer and it certainly makes the Glock way more user friendly.

At the range I was able to get a higher grip then my regular modified "Glock grip" and it seemed to lock my grip onto the gun much better. The result of that was faster recoil recovery and faster follow up shots. Also, because of my hand size, it puts my finger naturally into the proper shooting position which results in better trigger control.

Personally, my average sized hands have never had any issue with slide bite from a Glock pistol, but someone with much larger meat hooks - or a shooter wearing gloves - would benefit greatly from this product. There is no doubt in my mind that this adapter would 100% cure slide bite.

So if you are a Glock shooter and have never really been a fan of the grip... or you struggle with slide bite... I recommend that you give these adapters a try. They are priced right and they really will make that Glock feel and shoot better in your hand.

*Pictures courtesy of Grip Force Products