If you’re not familiar with Grip Force Adapters, you should definitely check them out (if you’re a Glock person). They basically lengthen the tang on the Glock so it’s more like a 1911 tang, and ever so slightly straightens out the grip angle. 

I’m not a huge Glock mod guy and steer clear of most of them. The only aftermarket items I have on my Glock 17 (RTF2) are an extended slide release and Grip Force Adapter. The installation of the GFA is quite easy and took about 5 minutes. You basically remove the pin on the backstrap, replace it with the longer pin included and snap into place.

The great thing about this product is that it doesn’t really change your grip at all. It just gives you an exaggerated tang, allowing a nice high grip. I’ve never had an issue with my grip riding above the stock tang, but having it a bit larger does allow for more contact with the pistol. I think the biggest benefit, by far, of this product is the ease of indexing your grip on the draw. This gives you a more noticeable index point which is always a good thing.

Grip Force Adapters has recently started shipping an SC (smooth/contoured) version with all of it’s adapters. It’s always nice when a company listens to user feedback and offers changes to their products. So, you now get both the original and the SC with all orders. I’m still a fan of the original, but it’s sweet that you get to try out both and decide for yourself.

Grip Force Adapters are available in black or flat dark earth for Gen’s 123 or 4 at their website – GripForceProducts.com. All versions retail for $26.95 and are made in the USA.

Author – Bill Janson is a former Recon Marine and founder of Eleven 10, a Kydex and nylon gear manufacturer specializing in self-aid/buddy-aid products for law enforcement and military. www.1110gear.com