Got a pistol finally!!!

The following comes from the perspective of someone who worked in firearm sales and low level civilian training. I'm not like Lord Newport, more like The Sommelier from John Wick. None of what follows is intended as a criticism, just an observation from someone who used to fit firearms to owners for a living.

I love the Glock 19 Gen 5. They made a lot of little changes that made it fit smaller hands than the finger-grooved Gen 4s. Even still, that latest photo has me a little concerned about fitment.

The tips of your fingers are barely making it around to the left side of the frame. It also looks like the barrel axis may be more in line with your thumb joint than your forearm. Depending on shooting style the degree to which the former can be a problem varies. The vogue right now is to have more of a pressing grip with the fingers rather than a squeeze. By this I mean your fingers press through the left side of the frame towards your palm on the opposite side. Some people still use a full-wrap squeeze (including on the front strap) so with a two handed high grip your support hand may be able to compensate, but you will likely see a huge difference in control single vs. Double hand grip.

It's the latter point that gives me pause. Hold out your arm infront of you, making a perfectly symmetrical "Y" shap with your straightened thumb, fingers, and forearm. You should be able to nestle a pistol's grip into the center valley of that Y, putting the bore axis in-line with your forearm. This allows energy to be transferred directly into the forearm, pass through the turned-out elbows (I call it the "hug" stance), to the shoulders (which should be forward of your hips due to a slight forward lean), down your straight back to your hips, and from your hips through your legs to the ground. Why fight recoil with muscle when good grip and stance can allow your bone structure to pass much of it to the ground like a lightning rod?

From the latest photo, it "looks" like you might be having to wrap your hand around the right side of the frame more (either to get proper trigger finger placement or to get any traction on the left side of the frame). Take a second to hold your hand still but waggle your thumb up, down, and in circles. That is a very fiddly joint to introduce into the equation, and you may find your thumb tired after a long shooting session from trying to fight muzzle flip with it. If properly behind the firearm, the flip is felt mostly in the wrists. Watch competitive shooters in slow motion and you may see their locked out, forward pointing thumbs don't move even as the action cycles and rocks back slightly into the meat of that middle Y.

Now, I could be seeing things due to the angle of the picture. Also, a full-wrap with a two handed grip can go a long way to mitigating the issue if it does exist, but you will likely see a huge difference in muzzle flip and control in one vs. two handed shooting.

So, a humble unsolicited recommendation? IF the 19 Gen 5 turns out not to be a best fit, go try on Glock 43X (for smallest profile, conceal carry) or Glock 48 (only difference is longer barrel). If you lay a 48 ontop of a 19, they have about the same footprint. However, the 48 has a much slimmer grip and you may find it a great deal more comfortable and controllable.

Compromises? Well, last I checked there were no rails on the 43X (VERY IMPORTANT, here, look at the 43X, NOT the original 43) or 48 models. There ARE, however, Crimson Trace lasers that mount to the trigger guards, if you still want a laser. My preference leans towards the grip activated models. They literally lay a rubber button beneath the trigger guard so you activate the laser by taking a normal grip. Comes on when you need it without having to think about extra switches. Anyway, the second compromise is magazine capacity. Both the 43X and 48 hold 10 rounds in their slimmer factory magazines than the 15 you get in a factory Glock 19 magazine.

HOWEVER, you can buy aftermarket magazines made with metal bodies, allowing more space to stagger-stack (not a true double-stack) cartridges. The result? Flush-fitting 15 round magazines. That's right, a slimmer Glock with the same capacity as the 19 model.

shieldarms.com/glock-43x-48-15-round-mag

This is why you must avoid the original 43. It has even lower capacity from factory and a slimmer magazine well. The 43X and 48 can use magazines interchangeably. Both models have been out a few years and were some of our best sellers when I was still in that field. If I had the spare cash I'd probably have a 48 right now.

Sorry for the ramble, and my apologies if my assessment of what's going on with your personal fitment with the firearm are wrong. Again, the 19 is great, the Gen 5 my favorite iteration of the line, so I like your taste. Most people just done have a "Sommelier" to help select a proper fitting model for their anatomy and life circumstances. Some gun shops will sell you whatever without a second thought. We never worked like that.

I appreciate the safety notes. I definitely am cringy about finger on trigger.

It's hard to tell in most, but that last photo looks like the firearm might be clocked more towards 1 o'clock to 1:30, aligning with the thumb joint more than the forearm.

I found this image that may explain better what I mean: 

Like my ex-SEAL buddy told me when I noticed he used a cup and saucer grip, "In BUDS, they don't care how you hold the gun. All they care about is you hitting a 3x5 index card at 25 yards. Every. Time. Shivering, sandy, or after a 25 mile run."

His method wasn't what the "cool kids" were doing those days, but he delivered on that standard of marksmanship. Even held his pistol upside down and activated the trigger with his pinky once, just to drive it home.

What works for you works for you. My unsolicited advice was to point you towards future gear that may make the "you" in the marksmanship equation have to work less. So no worries, enjoy that model, and above all stay safe!

Another subsequent observation; you do not have an effective "weld" between the web of your strong hand and the tang of the pistol...this will result possibly, when combined with your broken wrist, in shooting high from point of aim as well as unnecessary "jumping/movement" of the handgun in recoil and more time/effort to get sights on target for second/subsequent shots. If you look at the photos posted by SBG member tera, not only does the shooter have correct pistol alignment to his wrist but you can see the degree to which the web of the strong hand is wedged into the tang of the pistol. Also in SBG member tera's photos. notice that the shooters trigger finger is not :stretching/reaching" to engage the trigger". Just saying...

I want every American citizen to be a responsible gun owner; safe and competent!!! 

AS stated erlier, the G19 is the best of the Glocks IMHO. Does the Gen4 allow for different sized backstraps? You may want to take a look at the HK VP9 for max fitment to your hand. 

I totally agree and when instructing someone in handgun technique, I am hard pressed to push someone to change to correct or more correct technique if they are drilling a single hole in a target with less than ideal form. At that point, I note the variation from correct form and let the shooter decide. One should never argue with success... 

nerdthenord, for what it's worth the first handgun I bought when I turned 21 was a Glock 21, Gen 3 I think, in .45ACP. Why? Because I was a newbie, thought huge recoil was cool, and it's what my SEAL buddy carried so I wanted to be like him.

Now, the Glock 21 is a great platform. However, it's grip is like a tree trunk. There were no adjustable backstraps on this older Gen. So I had the exact same situation you do with the 19, only worse. My thumb would be sore after range trips because the tang would rock back so hard on my thumb joint and my split time was awful. I sold it later on but it was years more before I really got into the hobby beyond basic safety and learned how to fit a firearm to a person.

Everyone is different, and that's good. Likewise, what fits one person may not fit another. I've had to show plenty of people with long, thick fingers and HUGE palm width how a tiny pocket pistol model just didn't fit (Especially the Beretta Pico). They couldn't comfortably operate the controls and had way too much trigger finger through the trigger guard. I'D then show them models just as easy for them to conceal carry based on their daily wardrobe and lifestyle (do you wear suits regularly? Are you a biker? Do you go Hiking a lot? Etc.) that actually fit them, often at a lower price point.

And as a side note on safety. Where I worked, we were allowed to let a customer dryfire most firearms (no rimfire, nothing $10k+ or anything crazy) but we had to take them over to a bullet trap rated for 50 BMG. (god help everyone in the room if an ND occured with one of those with it's muzzle in a trap), we'd have them stand back as we put the muzzle in the trap, we would clear the firearm, we would remove the trigger lock, and we would maintain physical control of the firearm even while they "tried it out" empty. It was always awkward as all get out, but I kept people from being upset about it by simulating recoil with hard racks, teaching them about shooting from reset, etc.

So, short version is if it shoots great for you, no worries. You may find faster split times with a model that has ergonomics better attuned to you, but if it works and you handle it safely, I'm never going to say it was a bad choice.

If you do think of going slimmer, there are plenty of very sexy options that require no compromise over a larger model. The 43X and 48 are two great offerings by Glock, but there are plenty of other platforms that will fit you splendidly.

Lasers can be useful, in perspective. I think they are great for learning marksmanship. Keeping it on while at the range will show flinch, movement induced while engaging the trigger, milking/anticipatory muzzle drop, and quality of follow-through. When dry firing, you can really work on smooth trigger manipulation. In any case, they are good for muzzle discipline awareness. They certainly show how a tiny bit of muzzle deviation on a pistol can endanger a MASSIVE cone downrange.

For defensive use, it's what works for you. I used to swear by night sights. Now, I prefer sharp, clean, standard sights and a firearm mounted light. That works well with how I train. There is more than one correct way to run a platform. Now, training to rely on a laser is not something I recommend. Drill up on sights first, and use it as a secondary tool at best.

Probably something to seeing a light painted on your chest, thinking that is where the hole goes if a finger squeezes a trigger just a wee bit harder.