Do u use a thumb rest or no? Is it necessary, or do u find it gets in the way? i usually shoot production and standard, so using an open gun the other weekend with a thumbrest kinda messed me up....maybe just something to get used to?
open shooters; thumb rest?
- Thread starter maurice
- Start date
I find it useful now that my grip has been changed to { finger on the front of the trigger guard } hands are a bit more forward, there is full contact with the thumb rest and my hand falls naturally over the top of it. .Before that it looked to me that I had to make an effort to reach for the thumb rest, and considering it was way back I thought it did not really help me in any way.
Hey Mo, If I was you I would leave it off as you will most likely jump back and forth between divisions. I have one and I like it but I am now used to it and it has mainly become an index point for grip. I see that most of the top shooters have one but have been told by many that the disadvantages out weigh the positives. Manny Bragg swears that he has tested and proven they are a negative. I think that if you have any bad habits or any flinch the thumbrest will magnify the issue because of the ability to possibly tourque the gun with the weakhand (same idea as pulling the trigger sideways rather than back). I have taken it off my backup gun and I am going to play with both this winter to see if I can figure out which way I like best. I can tell you when you get used to it it feels funny at first when its not there.
thumb rest
like bizman89 said
better to not use it if you like to change division from time to time
it will mess your grip up
i never used one and don't think i was shooting poorly cause this widget wasn't installed on my pistol
and as i remember your a big strong guy so you probably don't need it
are you coming to mtl this january?
hope to see you there again
philippe
like bizman89 said
better to not use it if you like to change division from time to time
it will mess your grip up
i never used one and don't think i was shooting poorly cause this widget wasn't installed on my pistol
and as i remember your a big strong guy so you probably don't need it
are you coming to mtl this january?
hope to see you there again
philippe
I got one given to me from GoGuns at the Nationals (and a muzzle brake and thumb ledge for ARs) and put it on my main gun. I got used to it pretty quick and find it helpful, it helps locate your grip for consistency, you gain some leverage and around barricades it really seems to help. I didn't get a chance to work with it a lot before the gun was sent in for rebuilding and I went back to my old gun. Switching back felt a little weird at first but I don't notice it now. Maybe if I spent more time on it, it would be harder to change back, but for right now I don't have any issue going back and forth. I recommend trying one, I've never been a big fan of them but the ledges in the old days left a lot to be desired and really didn't help much, the new generation of ledges seems to work.
thanks for all the input...I think it would be put to better use on a standard gun..as it has more recoil to deal with. I can see also why the Sprinco would be usefull on a standard gun..but for the life of me I can not see it helping any with an open gun.
Note to self....Open guns in tunnels (like the Christmas match at AMA) are very unsettling as they tend to burn eyebrows...LOL.
All I saw was a huge flame....that and the displacement from the comp startled me a bit....I thought my gun jammed and racked it. Turns out no jam, just my head got dazzed and confused. Like a mini flashbang I experienced on training once...LOL
Note to self....Open guns in tunnels (like the Christmas match at AMA) are very unsettling as they tend to burn eyebrows...LOL.
All I saw was a huge flame....that and the displacement from the comp startled me a bit....I thought my gun jammed and racked it. Turns out no jam, just my head got dazzed and confused. Like a mini flashbang I experienced on training once...LOL
I have one on my standard gun, I would agree with PH above, helps locate the grip consistently and gives leverage. I find it better with a bit of the rest taken off the to so I can get my thumb right on top of the rest. I feel your grip changes a bit in terms of 'feel'. Make sure you still fit in the box as you'll be close to the max width for standard if you have a wide safety as well, nice snug fit but no problems passing 'the box'.
At the end of the day it's somewhat of a personal preference thing, I like it but others dont.
At the end of the day it's somewhat of a personal preference thing, I like it but others dont.
for me, the thumb rest is very functionnal. On top of what PH said, I am lefty and with the size of my hands, my thumb wants to rest directly on the slide stop protruding end. On regular 1911, I grind it flat to the frame, otherwise it keeps popping out during a COF
HI Phil,..thanks for the info. Maybe I had the thumb rest too far ahead? ..I will try mounting it further back, although it tends to make my weak hand thumb point upwards. If I don't find it feels right, I will just remove it. Nope, not likely I will make it to MIC,...saving my money for either the Florida Open, or South Carolina state championship in March.(family trip)
I don't have any issue switching between platforms and shooting with/without the rest. It merely requires a mental mode switch, which you will have to do anyway when switching from Production to Open. No biggie in my opinion.
Having said that; I've had a kind of dysfunctional relationship with those things for several years now, putting them on, taking them off, trying different shapes etc. What I've discovered so far:
- you have to have the right design for your needs. Everyone's hands are different so one rest may work great for you but suck for someone else. Angle and distance are the things you have to play with and trial and error is the order of the day here.
- It takes time to get used to it. You won't be able to make an informed decision with one or two outings. It'll feel weird at first but after a while it will feel weird without it.
- They are a real boon for those who shoot with a finger forward grip. This grip technique gives away the mechanical advantage inherent in the tried and true offset grip. The thumb rest compensates for this, permitting a "pinching" action as the thumb and fingers squeeze down.
- If your plan is to install a thumb rest and then "try" to actively control recoil through thumb pressure you are likely going to be deeply disappointed. This is because on different days your thumb pressures will be different depending on a whole host of variables; too little sleep, too much sleep too many carbs, bad day at work, caffeine, etc. There's no way to accurately modulate something like that and know with certainty how much pressure is exactly enough for any given shot. Also, since it is an offset pressure point you can find yourself pushing shots off in unpredictable, freaky ways and at the most inopportune time. The trick is to accept that is a rest and thus passive, rather than an active recoil compensation device. Just let your thumb sit there and let the gun do the work for you.
FWIW: I still have one on mine. I also have a bunch of different (homemade) designs I tried before I settled on what I have now. Seems to work pretty well....
Mo, note that whatever rest you choose, it should be mounted far enough back that you contact it with the pad rather than the tip of the thumb. Just let it rest there without trying to pressure/steer it. The one you have should work great if you get the distance right for your hand.
Good luck!
Having said that; I've had a kind of dysfunctional relationship with those things for several years now, putting them on, taking them off, trying different shapes etc. What I've discovered so far:
- you have to have the right design for your needs. Everyone's hands are different so one rest may work great for you but suck for someone else. Angle and distance are the things you have to play with and trial and error is the order of the day here.
- It takes time to get used to it. You won't be able to make an informed decision with one or two outings. It'll feel weird at first but after a while it will feel weird without it.
- They are a real boon for those who shoot with a finger forward grip. This grip technique gives away the mechanical advantage inherent in the tried and true offset grip. The thumb rest compensates for this, permitting a "pinching" action as the thumb and fingers squeeze down.
- If your plan is to install a thumb rest and then "try" to actively control recoil through thumb pressure you are likely going to be deeply disappointed. This is because on different days your thumb pressures will be different depending on a whole host of variables; too little sleep, too much sleep too many carbs, bad day at work, caffeine, etc. There's no way to accurately modulate something like that and know with certainty how much pressure is exactly enough for any given shot. Also, since it is an offset pressure point you can find yourself pushing shots off in unpredictable, freaky ways and at the most inopportune time. The trick is to accept that is a rest and thus passive, rather than an active recoil compensation device. Just let your thumb sit there and let the gun do the work for you.
FWIW: I still have one on mine. I also have a bunch of different (homemade) designs I tried before I settled on what I have now. Seems to work pretty well....
Mo, note that whatever rest you choose, it should be mounted far enough back that you contact it with the pad rather than the tip of the thumb. Just let it rest there without trying to pressure/steer it. The one you have should work great if you get the distance right for your hand.
Good luck!
Pretty much all the very top open shooters use a thumb rest. It helps locate your grip and will help with tracking the dot. It will not stop the gun from flipping but will help get it back on target a little faster especially on longer shots.
You need to have it fitted to your hand size and it helps if the rest of your grip is contoured to your hand as well. Basically your thumbs should be well over the saftey and pointed straight towards the target, the thumbrest will fall just under your left thumb.
I have used one for over 4 years and can easily switch back to standard without one ( can't have one in Limited in the US)
You need to have it fitted to your hand size and it helps if the rest of your grip is contoured to your hand as well. Basically your thumbs should be well over the saftey and pointed straight towards the target, the thumbrest will fall just under your left thumb.
I have used one for over 4 years and can easily switch back to standard without one ( can't have one in Limited in the US)
LOL. In exactly the same boat as your in. Lefty and my thumb will sit right on the slide stop and will push it out a bit. So i use thumb rest's and really like them.
Oh, you saw me do that did you? Well now I have enough crap sticking out of both sides of my gun I can drive a `57 Chevy underneath it without touching the sides.
