Long-grip, slim, single-stacks?

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labnoti

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I like shooting a G48. The long, slim grip feels good in my hand. So what other pistols are similar to a G43X/G48? Sub-compacts with a short grip are disqualified (like G43, P365, P938, Shield, etc.)

I thought of the Kahr first. The TP9 is the most similar, but I actually prefer the weight of a T9.

Then there's the new P365XL.

I know 1911's are single stack, but I haven't found them to be slim (<1" width in the grip). The Hi Power also seems to get pretty fat with typical grip panels.

I believe the grip widths on the P-38 and Model 39 are similarly fat even though they're single stack.

The Shield EZ is the right size but not a preferred chambering.

What else is there with a long, slim grip?
 
I know 1911's are single stack, but I haven't found them to be slim (<1" width in the grip)...

The Shield EZ is the right size but not a preferred chambering.

I see the EZ listed at 1.15" in the grip and my VBob and Valkyrie with the slim grips clock in at 1.16"

I know VZ offers several grip panels as slim options.

Edit: I also measured my Hi Power with VZ Slim grips (I believe some of the slimmest available) and it's 1.228"
 
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one of the new longer barrel XDE with extended mag? Ultra-slim aluminum grips on a 1911 would get close to your 1" mark.
 
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The BHP is a double-stack, anyway.

I bought my first Kahr, a used CW9, some years ago... expecting a crappy little plastic pistol that would be hard to shoot well. My previous experience was with something like an AMT Backup, or even a round butt J-frame... none of which I ever shot well. To my immense surprise, I got a pistol that fit my hand like a mini-1911, had a smooth (albiet long...) trigger, without all the hammer-drop safety and other nonsense of most DA/SA autos. I LOVED it. The light weight of the CW isn't a detriment under fire... the grip fits my hand so well controllability isn't an issue, and the lighter weight (vs a steel or stainless frame) certainly helps with carry.
 
Have you looked at the new Kahr ST9? It’s 8+1 and has a great grip and very shootable. A slightly less expensive alternative to the T9 or TP9. I like mine.
 
Xds or xde with a extended mag? I was also going to suggest the BHP or CZ with thin VZ grips. I know they're double stack but you'll get really close with that combination.
 
From what I read the G48 is over an inch wide through the grip. 1.100" so I've read.

"The Glock 48 is predictably slimmer. The slide is .80 inches thick, and the grip width is 1.10 inches. The 19 has a .13 inch wider slide and a .16 inch thicker grip. It doesn’t seem like a major difference, but when its pressed against your body, you feel it. The biggest difference in these guns is the capacity. The Glock 48 comes with single stack 9mm magazines that hold ten rounds. The Glock 19 comes stock with 15 round magazines but can accommodate magazines up to 33 rounds."

https://clingerholsters.com/glock-48-vs-glock-19/

The Browning Hi-Power is a double stack so it's not going to be thinner than a single stack.

The G48 will hold a 10 round single stack mag it is as tall as a G19. So the G48 is a compact gun and not a sub-compact.

Just a reminder but with any metal framed gun you can likely get thinner grips if you fancy that.
 
not so ironically, since he designed slim pistols, the Browning BDM and BPM-D were also very slim and held 15 rounds in the mag. they were something like just a hair over 1" thick at the grip. the BHP is noticeably and measurably thicker.
 
many of the modern slim pistols out there, specifically made to be slim by design and similar to the G48, fit your criteria OP. the PPS BP9CC, etc., etc.. there're are even those that may be slightly shorter then you may like but offer an extended mag, base pad or pinky rest, either factory or after-market.
 
not so ironically, since he designed slim pistols, the Browning BDM and BPM-D were also very slim and held 15 rounds in the mag. they were something like just a hair over 1" thick at the grip. the BHP is noticeably and measurably thicker.

The BDM and BDSM were only made for a few years and were/are thinner than the BHP. But hard to find these days as they were made only about 7-8 or so years. They were not popular. These also are full size service guns and not compacts or sub compact guns.

A bit more on them here...

 
I like the 3rd gen S&Ws. 3913 and 3914 are slim and very comfortable to hold with the grip just under 1" wide and all my fingers fit. (Look for the 908 for the "value" version.) If you want a bigger bullet, go for the 4513, also "slim-ish" and eminently concealable. Get the TSW for even a better action.

They ain't plastic and don't have a striker, but will feed rocks if you can stuff them in the mag; will last forever; and shoot very, very well.
 
not so ironically, since he designed slim pistols, the Browning BDM and BPM-D were also very slim and held 15 rounds in the mag. they were something like just a hair over 1" thick at the grip. the BHP is noticeably and measurably thicker.
And the BDM is one fabulous shooter.

standard.jpg
Of all my semi-automatics my 1941 Walther made P38 is without a doubt the easiest to shoot one handed either strong or weak hand. It rolls under recoil much like my SAAs and simply returns naturally to initial POA. It's the one semi I would be comfortable shooting all day long.

orig.png
 
The BDM and BDSM were only made for a few years and were/are thinner than the BHP. But hard to find these days as they were made only about 7-8 or so years. They were not popular. These also are full size service guns and not compacts or sub compact guns.

A bit more on them here...


tipoc,
Thank you for the link, when they came out were kind of pricey pistols as usual with Browning firearms.
BDM had all features you can imaging of triger safety.
Very interesting development sadly did not catch up market attention.
 
I've always considered the Browning BDM to be one of the best looking autos of its day. I've not been fortunate enough to own one, so I can't attest to the function but I've read great things about them. The .380 BDA isn't hard on the eyes either.
 
I've got a BDM - actually the first pistol I bought. It is crazy thin for a double-stack. It is pretty reliable. It also seems mechanically accurate. It was a fascinating, albeit dead-ended, branch of trigger function evolution.

It's also a terrible design from an ergonomic standpoint. The safety/decocker (it's both at once) is frame mounted (good) and down-to-safe) (dumb and bad). This means you have to keep your whole right hand below it on the grip. Combined with the relatively low beavertail, you end up with your hands forced well out of a good grip. When I moved on to other guns, I had to totally re-learn what a "high grip" meant... the BDM had very efficiently trained me into a low grip lousy for managing recoil. The trigger is also not great - moderately heavy in DA, and you can feel all the crazy complex mechanisms moving around in the slide throughout the trigger's travel (even in SA you can feel stuff going on).

But I still think it's kind of a cool gun, and, although I only shoot it about once every 3 years, I have no intention of ditching mine.
 
@labnoti Do you carry your G48? How does it conceal and carry?

Your observations on your G48 is why I'm very interested in the P365XL, 12 round standard capacity, 3.7" barrel with 15 round mag available as well. Here is a spreadsheet I put together with a lot of the carry options. I was interested (and still am) in the G48 but when the 365XL's specs came out that its slightly shorter in grip length (0.24"), shorter in overall length (0.62"), same weight essentiall, but held 2 more rounds; I preordered one. We'll see how it carries when it comes in, I think it'll be about the perfect balance of dimensions, capacity and weight for my desires. I've always thought the single stack subcompact 9mm's were too thin, but the double stack 9mm's a too thick for IWB, for my liking. I would also rather have a compact length barrel on my carry weapon, as that dimension is easier to conceal than the other dimensions.

Carry%20Gun%20Comparison.jpg
 
Ruger makes the LC9s and Kimber has the micro line. I have shot both in 9mm and would not hesitate to recommend either one. If you shoot regularly with a full size you might have a period of adjustment.
 
The Handgun Hero site has a useful search function that let's you plug in various dimensions (overall height, overall width, thickness, caliber, etc.) and it will give you pistols that fit those criteria. It doesn't have every gun but it does have common modern pistols. For example, taking the G43X and G48 as your examples, I set a length of 6-7.3", height of 5-5.3", thickness of 1-1.2" and caliber 9mm. It suggested the two Glocks, Walther PPS M2 and CCP M2, Taurus PT111 G2, Ruger Security 9, and the short- and long-slide versions of the Springfield XD-E. It's a good way to find guns that you might not have considered, though of course numbers aren't everything and handling them in person may change your mind.
 
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