One of the most important things to keep in mind when purchasing a handgun, especially for the first time, is how well the size of the firearm fits your hand size and shape. Why does this matter, you may ask? It is something often overlooked by customers, but ensuring that you have an optimal grip on your gun is crucial and plays a massive part in the result when firing it. Although the sizing of guns can seem pretty simple, they’re just like shoes; you might be a size 9 in one brand, but that doesn’t go to say you couldn’t be a 10.5 in the next shop.

It wasn’t until recent years that manufacturers caught onto the importance of fitting guns to the user’s particular hand size. Still, more and more models are now being made with interchangeable backstops to accommodate to all customers without adjustments. However, there’s still a long way to go before this is universal within the industry. So, where should you start when handgun shopping to ensure you find your perfect fit? The first step is to get a general feel for how the firearm feels in your hands. Is it generally comfortable? Do you feel as if you have a strong natural grip on the gun? Does it feel big and clunky? These are all the kind of things that need to be running through your mind when you first get hold of your potential new gun.

After these initial checks, you might want to get a bit more specific. The next step is to place the web area of your hand as far up on the back-strap as you can and to align the weapon with your forearm. A dead giveaway that the gun your handling might be too big is if you feel tempted to tilt you shooting arm and re-orientate it to reach the trigger more comfortably. This can cause serious injuries in the long run, as the majority of the gun’s recoil is then absorbed by the thumb rather than the larger arm bones. This can also reduce your ability to shoot accurately, as the time it takes to get back on target after a shot can be much longer.

After this, it’s always useful to get somebody to take a bird’s eye view photo of your grip on the gun to be sure. Look out for the gap between your index finger and the handgun with your finger on the trigger. If your finger is flat against the gun, then this is a sign that the gun may be too big for you, and there is not much room to manoeuvre your grip when shooting. 

Overall, the most important thing is to find a handgun size that you feel comfortable both handling and shooting. The key to this is to ensure a solid and easy grip and to find a firearm you can shoot without compromising this grip. As previously stated, the growing use of hand-straps is making many guns more accessible to those with smaller hands. Still, it is essential to remember that even though you may love a particular handgun, if it is not the perfect fit, then it will not work well for you.