I find the Glock G48 to be an excellent 10-round, single-stack carry pistol. I have had the Glock G26 as a constant companion when I needed (or wanted ) to have a viable firearm for self-defense in off-body storage. The Glock G26, of course, is also a 10-round carry but in a staggered magazine arrangement that adds bulk to the grip of the short-handled firearm. I like bulk in a grip of a small, medium, or large pistol and it has to do with grip width rather than length for the most part. With my hands, I usually have more of an issue with being too short to be desirable, more than with grip width. I like a pistol grip to fill my hand; wherein, I feel that I have more control of the firearm.
The Glock G48 has a thin grip, although the grip length is long enough with a magazine extension to meet my needs, as does its thicker brother the Glock G19. The trigger reach, at 2.64-inches, is identical to the G19. The grip width of the G48; however, could use some help (in my case) to be a tad fatter without encroaching in G19 territory.
I like Talon grips, or at least the concept, and I have tried several only to remove them. Unlike Hickok45, who uses multiple layers to get a pistol grip to his liking, I cannot pull myself in that direction. A grip sleeve does more to satisfy me with some pistols.
When I first purchased the Glock G48, grip sleeves for the G48 and Glock’s G43X were not yet available. The Glock G48 was relegated to the safe until such time a grip sleeve became available for it. A recent check of things grip sleeve revealed that Hogue had come out with a ‘Handall’ grip sleeve for the Glock 43X and G48. I ordered one through Hogue, due to quicker delivery than the 3rd party seller at Amazon could provide, and the wait for it began.
Let me introduce you to the Hogue Handall grip sleeve for the Glock G43X/G48.
Precision fit for GLOCK® 43X, 48 models
- Color: Black
FEATURES:
- Gentle palm swells fit comfortably in hand
- Finger grooves naturally position fingers for optimal grip
- Textured with Hogue’s famous Cobblestone™ pattern for increased comfort and grip
- Beavertail™ cushions the hand on recoil and offers increased hand comfort higher on the grip
- Made from long lasting durable thermoplastic elastomer that ages gracefully for years of service
- Designed for a tight and secure fit engaging with the texture and contours of the firearm’s frame
If you did not catch it in the features, the Hogue Handall grip has finger grooves. The Glock G48 does not have finger grooves and I actually don’t miss them. However, I do like finger-grooved grips as long as the grip fits my hand and finger spacing is not compromised. Finger grooves assist in drawing the pistol from a holster, as the grooves act as a ‘catch’ of sorts…something for the fingers to hook into while extracting the pistol from its resting place.
The Hogue Handall grip that I ordered does have a ‘beavertail’ extension that does conform to the frame’s extension at the top of the grip. I have been slide bitten by other Glock pistols when I get too high of a hold on the pistol, simply because I have a ‘fleshy’ thumb area. The ‘beavertail’ of the grip helps to distribute my fleshy thumb parts away from the slide even with a high hold. I do like ‘beavertails’ as much as Beavers like them, but for different reasons.
The texture of the Hogue Handall grip is pebbly in nature and provides an excellent gripping surface, even with wet hands.
The thickness of the Hogue Handall grip sleeve, while adding some dimension to the grip of the Glock G48, does not interfere with the concealment factor of the pistol, as the slimness of the G48’s grip hold is diminutive as it is.
Magazine release button clearance is not affected as the styling of the grip sleeve allows for plenty of clearance for the large magazine release button regardless of which side of the pistol it is actuated from.
The slight palm swell of the grip makes the grip quite comfortable in the hand.
Installing the Hogue Handall grip sleeve for any pistol can be as complex or as simple as you chose. When the product finally arrived, it sat in the mailbox for a day in cold weather before I finally went out for the mail and retrieved it. Rather than forcing warmth on the product, I chose to simply let it come up to room temperature. Then, with a tad bit of dishwashing liquid, I lightly coated the interior of the sleeve. Using a front and rear walking motion, the sleeve was in place and final alignment was performed on it. Letting the dishwashing liquid evaporate and dry for a bit resulted in a ‘ready for prime time’ grip sleeve.
What a difference the Hogue Handall grip sleeve for the Glock G43X/G48 has made to the feel of the pistol in the hand. The grip now feels more natural to me and I don’t feel that I am going to lose control of the pistol when firing it, as I did with just the standard Glock grip without the grip sleeve.
The Glock G48 is, now that it has the Hogue Handall Grip Sleeve, is going to replace the Glock G26 as a PDA (Personal Defense Assistant). The Glock G48 now fits my hand better than the Glock G26 with its short and thick grip, as I feel that I have more control over the pistol.
In Closing:
The Hogue Handall grip sleeve for the Glock G43X/G48 has transformed the Glock G48 from a pistol that I did not want to carry to one that replaces the Glock G26 as my primary ‘off body’ carry and even would be considered for IWB in a good holster or other storage device.
The Hogue Handall grip sleeve for the Glock G43X/G48 comes in a variety of colors. If you own, or are thinking about owning a Glock G43X or G48, look into the Hogue Handall grip sleeve for the Glock G43X/G48 as part of ownership.
Also, check out my other reviews of the Glock G48 and related products:
- Glock G48 – Nice, but Necessary? – https://guntoters.com/blog/2019/08/12/glock-g48-nice-but-necessary/
- GLOCK G48 – HOLSTERS FOR IWB CARRY – https://guntoters.com/blog/2019/09/15/glock-g48-four-holsters-for-iwb-carry/
- ALIEN GEAR CLOAK TUCK IWB HOLSTER (INSIDE THE WAISTBAND) FOR GLOCK G48 – https://guntoters.com/blog/2019/09/09/alien-gear-cloak-tuck-iwb-holster-inside-the-waistband-for-glock-g48/
