What Are Grip Extenders?

Grip extenders are lifesavers for those full to mid-sized firearms that just do not fit perfectly in some people's hands. The following photos show a Glock before and after grip extenders are installed. Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

This is the same Glock 19 that has been used so far throughout the blog.


In some of the photos, you may have noticed my pinkie finger was a little low on the firearm. This is because I was using a grip that felt natural to me on the Glock, and as a result, sometimes one of my fingers was hanging over the grip at the bottom. Its a strange feeling and doesn't feel "right".

There's nothing wrong with the Glock. But to get my pinkie finger up to where it feels comfortable, I need to tighten up my fingers a little on the grip like in the next photo.


That "squished" grip isn't too comfortable for the rest of my fingers. Catch-22.

So what can be done? I changed the bottom plate of the Glock's magazine to a grip extender. A grip extender is either an addition to your magazine that adds some room at the bottom, or a complete overhaul of the magazine that adds one or two more rounds of ammunition capacity.


I went with the Pearce Grip Extender on this Glock. It is just a addition piece and did not add any more rounds of ammunition to the magazine.

As you can see in the next photo, the grip extender adds a little length to the bottom of the firearm and fits the magazine inside the Glock the same as the original magazine floorplate did.


With a grip extender in place, my fingers fit better on the firearm and are not crowded together at the top. Much better!

Grip extenders are not made for every firearm, and you do need to order a model specifically made for your particular firearm. And getting a grip extender on a brand new magazine from a Glock will be a real test of your patience. But if your hand is cramped, five seconds holding the same firearm with a grip extender installed will be all the sales pitch you need.

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