Shaved down polymer frame guns

[Jason_2111]

Howdy all,

So for the longest time, I've struggled with finding the right gun to fit my wife's little bitty hands. My criteria: Must hold 10+ rounds, must be .40, no manual safety, no polygonal barrels (I reload).
After almost a year of trying on everything, she actually decided that the one that fits her best is the Sig P250 compact with the small frame. Yeah. For reals.
So I get her one, and it's actually not a bad gun... she's damn accurate. However, that 8 pound DAO trigger is too much for her, and after 50 rounds, she's got a bag of ice on her hand. In training, this has proven to be totally crappy, because she can barely get through rapid fire drills.
After watching her drop steels at 15 yards using only her support hand, then get worn out and missing things, I've decided to get her something else.
Her teacher, who is also a glock armorer, strongly reccommended a small-frame glock, shaved down and stippled.

That's be great, but we're not a glock family.

As a big time M&P fan, I'd like to get her an M&P and have it shaved down to fit. (my full size .40 with the small grip still feels "too big" for her hands) However, I haven't seen anyone do this.

Has anyone seen anyone who does this sort of custom work on M&P's or possibly other polymer framed (non-glock) guns?

[cannon]

Would a trigger job be possible on her current pistol?

Would shaving the frame weaken a pistol?

Please post the solution when you get it. You are not the only one in this boat.

[Canucky]

http://www.youtube.com/smithwessoncorp

[Meety Peety]

I can't give advice on reshaping the grip.. but I thought I'd suggest looking into a Kahr. They are pretty slim, and meet the rest of the criteria you mentioned. Definitely let us know what you do find in terms of shaving the grip, specifically how much you are able to end up shaving before you start to weaken the frame. I would think it wouldn't be enough to notice the difference in width, more just shape.

[Lead Waster]

That's be great, but we're not a glock family.

Any particular reason why not, if it seems to fit the bill?

[c3 rolling]

You have me stumped with your requirements. I've never seen a non-Glock that has a heavily reduced grip circumference. I reccomend Cold Bore Customs for grip jobs but I dont think they do that to non Glocks....If you wife cant handle a 6-8 pound DAO, you should look at getting her a Springfield EMP .40 while sacrificing some of your requirements... Very thin grip and you can lighten the trigger as much as you wants.

[kielbasavw]

There is always away to fix the trigger, if your so damn picky, you must have the back pocket to back it up

[Jason_2111]

The DAO on a sig P250 can't be changed. It's one of their worst designs, and despite the extremely cool factor of easily changing out calibers and profiles due to it's modular design, you can't do anything to the fire control unit other than swap out the trigger with a "short reset" trigger, which doesn't affect the pull. You really can't do anything to a P250 trigger, that's the problem. Chopping coils off of the hammer spring to reduce the trigger pull ends up resulting in light strikes. (This is a known problem, and reason #whatever to not get a P250)
The reason for the long pull (and it's really long), is to get old timers that are used to DAO revolvers into the world of automatics. It was designed specifically for LE, but many agencies and departments (like the BATF) gave it the thumbs down... so you don't see a lot of them.

Why no glocks? Without turning this into a pro/con glock thread, I shoot 100% reloads. Most of my guns that I use in training and practice are .40, so I like to keep my ammo consistent. I shoot a lot, so I like to keep things as cheap as possible ammo wise, and that means going with either polymer coated lead (like precisionbullets.com), or el-cheapo plated lead (i.e. Berry's). These don't work so well in glocks, or USP's for that matter. There is also the issue of the unsupported chamber making the brass pregnant. With 45, it's not a problem. With the higher pressures of .40 and even 9mm, it can lead to failures... (which some will debate, but like I said, this isn't the point of this thread), and at the very least will prematurely f-up my brass.
If I wanted to spend a lot more money buying factory ammo, (and not that steel cased russian garbage, but real ammo), a glock would be a no-brainer. However, I load my own for around $7 a box of 50, so that means lots of happy bang-bang time, and more training.

No thumb safety, striker fired, and decent capacity are for tactical reasons.

I'm looking into the shaving route after getting to hold one of these this last weekend:

http://www.robarguns.com/glock.htm

The reduced circumference of the grip will better allow her to reach the trigger, and since it'd be ANYTHING but a P250, there will be a lot more options for what I can do to the trigger.
As an armorer, I can tune up the trigger and such, but I'm not comfortable risking shaving down a frame myself.

I don't remember which Kahr she tried out, but it was on the "no" list. However, at this point, I'll take 85% ergonomics to get her to a SA trigger. I'll take another look at them.

There are two other women in the group we shoot with, both run M&P's I believe, but they have bigger hands and the small backstrap works just fine for them.

I'll give the Springfield a look too.

[redrex]

As a big time M&P fan, I'd like to get her an M&P and have it shaved down to fit. (my full size .40 with the small grip still feels "too big" for her hands) However, I haven't seen anyone do this.
(non-glock) guns?

I would strongly suggest not shaving a polymer grip. I'm a strong supporter of poly guns but they are engineered that way for a reason.

If she really loves the gun then just get a trigger job. If not then I whole heartedly second Peety's advice. Try a Kahr. The CW models have standard, non polygonal, rifling. They are slim as they were designed for concealed carry.

I have a CW in 45 that I'm selling, its in the back of my truck right now. I'm in the southbay, in Sunnyvale at my office, if you'd like to swing by and take a look at it you are welcome to. I know you are looking for a .40. I'm just saying that if you take a look at this and see how slim it is and then if you think might work, then track down a .40.

The Kahr's are well known for their build quality and the CW's are a real bargain considering how much the P's go for.

[Lead Waster]

OK, I see. I bought a replacement barrel for my G21 for the same reasons you cited ("glocked brass", polygonal vs standard rifling, etc).

IF it's just the barrel and a G23 would fit your needs otherwise, you can get an aftermarket normally rifled and normally supported chamber for it for about $100, just as an option IF a Glock would fit your wife's hand and it meets her criteria otherwise.

Too bad about the 250's trigger.

Have you considered a CZ-75 in .40 cal? It's not polymer, but the grips are not horribly large on CZs and are in fact very ergonomic. I think there is a polymer version called the P-01 or Phantom or something. Something to consider anyway!

[Jason_2111]

IF it's just the barrel and a G23 would fit your needs otherwise, you can get an aftermarket normally rifled and normally supported chamber for it for about $100, just as an option IF a Glock would fit your wife's hand and it meets her criteria otherwise.

Now that's really, really interesting. I didn't know such an aftermarket mod existed!
This is exactly why I threw the question out there. I'll look into it tonight!
Glock reliability and customization, plus no kaboom... sounds like a win-win.
I'll get some into her itty bitty hands and find out what works.

[nocomply25]

the new M&P shield? seems tiny to me...but its not 10 rounder

[mark2203]

http://www.bowietacticalconcepts.com/

[Noah3683]

How about something like this? 5.5 trigger, and it has a very slim grip with the smallest backstrap. Uses Walther p99 parts... Had one in 9mm and it was great

http://www.gunsamerica.com/922987278/Guns/Pistols/Smith-Wesson-Pistols-Autos/Polymer-Frame/990L_w_Nite_Sights_4_125_2_tone_40S_.htm

[Lead Waster]

Now that's really, really interesting. I didn't know such an aftermarket mod existed!
This is exactly why I threw the question out there. I'll look into it tonight!
Glock reliability and customization, plus no kaboom... sounds like a win-win.
I'll get some into her itty bitty hands and find out what works.

Here's a sampling

http://glockstore.com/index/2_Barrels/

from glock store. I think "Storm Lake" and "Lone Wolf" are the popular ones. I have one from "Accurate Arms" which I bought 15 years ago, and they are no longer in business, but the barrel is pretty good.