Adjustable grip backstraps

For those of us with larger lands or longer fingers it may be nice to have adjustable grip backstraps to increase the trigger reach. For something that doesn't affect the performance of the gun at all it could make a huge difference in ability to hold the gun comfortably for a wider range of shooters, and also I think add a measure of safety by keeping those long fingers further from the snub barrel. It looks like the grip texture could be improved as well, especially on the backstrap which is completely smooth.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on June 30, 2010 at 11:45am

It is true that an interchangeable backstrap is a good way of getting texturing on the back side. It is hard to do on a standard grip due to the draw direction of the mold. Some molds have sliders to put texturing on the backstrap, but that increases the complexity and cost of the mold substantially.

Getting our grips made has been a very long and difficult task (long story), and there are no current plans to have interchangeable backstraps at this point, although we don't want to rule it out for future products.

So far, all the men and women who have held the XR9, either in SLA prototype form, or the real gun, has told me that the grip is extremely comfortable (about 60 people). This grip is nothing like a Kahr or Rohrbaugh grip. It is also nothing like a Kel-Tec grip. It feels a lot more like the old S&W Sigma (9mm and .40 S&W) grip. The shape of the XR9 grip was refined with many carved samples over several years with numerous people of both genders trying it out. While there is probably no "one grip fits all" out there, I feel that I have come very close with the XR9.

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Permalink Reply by Khadga on May 11, 2011 at 3:31pm

"It feels a lot more like the old S&W Sigma (9mm and .40 S&W) grip."

I keep my 1st run Sigma 9mm only because it keeps me wicked sharp on malfunction drills, but it wasn't until the subsequent S&W M&P or Springfield XDm that I encountered an autoloader grip I liked as much or more than that of the Sigma. The grip feel versus that of the utterly superior Glock led me to buy the grossly inferior weapon b/c ergonomics is so important. In retrospect, I would've never touched the Sigma if I knew how poorly it would function, but I still consider the grip superior to any doublestack autoloader I've fired except the XDm, M&P, and Hi-Powers.

Very encouraging comparison.