The Grip Force Adapter is a bolt-on grip enhancement for Glock pistols that promises to improve the Glock’s grip. Does it deliver?
The Grip Force Adapter consists of two parts: an extended trigger housing pin and the adapter itself.
What Problem Does it Fix?
The Glock’s grip is much maligned. Two of the more common complaints with the grip are that the pronounced hump on the backstrap (the rear surface of the grip) makes the grip angle feel too swept back and that the “beaver tail” (or grip tang) does not prevent the web of your hand from coming in contact with the slide rails when the slide is in motion.
The backstrap issue hinders the ability of the user to point the gun naturally. I don’t tend to notice issues like that and have always found that aligning the sights and controlling the trigger still results in quality hits. Nevertheless, it is an issue for some shooters. Glock shooters who have this issue would generally spend money to have a “grip reduction” completed on their pistol. A grip reduction reduces or removes the hump on the back of the backstrap. Removing the hump gives the Glock a straight backstrap and a more upright grip angle. Grip reductions work but they are permanent, expensive, time consuming, and may void your warranty. Those who are issued weapons and are unable to permanently modify them in any way can’t even consider having a grip reduction done to their Glock.
If you tend to experience the “slide bite” or “race tracks” which result from the web of your hand coming in contact with the moving slide, you used to only have two options. You could have the beaver tail extended but this has all the same downsides as the grip reduction or you could live with it.
This picture compares the G17 backstrap with and without the adapter.
How Does It Fix the Problem?
The Grip Force Adapter seeks to mitigate these issues by enhancing the grip 2 ways. It flattens the backstrap and it extends the “beaver tail” area of the grip.
It flattens the backstrap by filling in the curve above the Glock’s grip hump. The deeply curved backstrap is replaced with the flat profile of the Grip Force Adapter. This results in a fairly dramatic change in how the grip feels in your hand and changes the trigger reach surprisingly little since the Grip Force adapter is very thin.
It also covers and extends the beaver tail. This is the biggest selling point for me. I have found that it is very common for me to come home from the range with “race tracks” after working with a Glock. This is a fairly common issue for those who take a very high grip on the Glock. The beaver tail is what stands between the web of your hand and the slide rails. By extending the beaver tail you greatly reduce the chance of getting cut.
Does It Work?
The Grip Force Adapter really does deliver on its promises. The biggest benefit for me was the extended beaver tail. It is extended enough that it is virtually impossible for my hand to come into contact with the slide. I can place my grip as high as I want and not even come close to contacting the slide. This has made my range trips more comfortable.
The grip angle of the Glock has never really been an issue for me so the grip angle improvement, while dramatic, didn’t really have much of an affect on how I shoot. However, I have spoken with several other experienced shooters who are use the Grip Force Adapter and rave about the improvement. If you have always wished that Glock has a straight backstrap, this will be a marked improvement for you.
Details
The Grip Force Adapter is made from cleanly molded plastic. The instructions say that you may want to sand the edges lightly to knock down any sharp spots but I didn’t need to do any sanding.
The trigger housing pin that is provided is extended to allow the Grip Force Adapter to hook onto it on both sides of the frame. This seems to be a very secure set up. Those that want an even more secure installation can apply some RTV silicone under the Grip Force Adapter. This provides an extra measure of security but can still be removed fairly easily to return the Glock to stock configuration.
The Grip Force Adapter's trigger housing pin is longer than the stock pin.
The texture on the Grip Force Adapter is very well executed. It is slightly sharper than the stock texture and provides very good purchase without being irritating. It reminds me of the RTF4 Glock frames (Gen4) but it is still a little sharper. If you found that it was too sharp for your tastes, you could easily sand it down until is more comfortable for you.
The Grip Force adapter is made in both black and FDE colors. There is a version available for the generation 1,2, and 3 frames and a second version that is available for the new generation 4 frames. I had the generation 1,2,3 version and found it to fit easily on several different Glocks including a generation 3 G19, a stippled generation 2 G-17, a generation 3 G35 with grip tape in place, and a generation 3 G17 with the RTF2 frame. It fit everything that I tried it on.
The adapter fits this 3rd generation G19 very well.
It also fits this generation 2 G17, even with the stippling.
Issues
The Grip Force Adapter has somewhat large rounded ridges that run vertically up the beaver tail area. These are intended to make the adapter more rigid since the plastic is quite thin. The ridges are placed side by side across the full width of the adapter. The ridges in the center of the adapter are barely noticeable but the ridges on the sides can press against the first knuckle of my strong hand which is a little irritating. This is a small gripe with an otherwise excellent product and it is a gripe that can easily be fixed with a rotary tool.
The Grip Force Adapter does slightly increase the trigger reach and for some shooters this may be an issue. I have very average hands. I usually wear a medium or large size glove depending on the brand and I had no issues at all with trigger reach. In fact, I could tell no difference at all in how I was able to place my finger on the trigger. Even my wife had no problem reaching the trigger with the Grip Force Adapter installed and her hands are smaller than mine.
The vertical ridges near the top of the grip in this picture can be a little irritating while shooting. They can easily be removed.
Overall
The Grip Force Adapter is an excellent alternative to expensive and permanent grip work. It flattens the backstrap, extends the beaver tail, and enhances grip. It can be easily modified to suit your needs. I would like to see the outer most vertical ridges removed or at least reduced greatly but that is a small gripe that I can fix myself. Overall, this is a very well designed and executed product that solves a few problems for many Glock shooters.
You can read more about the Grip Force Adapters or purchase one at GripForceProducts.com.
