Brillianter.com

I agree, a Glock 26/27 with a +0 floorpate is more concealable than a Glock 19 due to the backstrap being bobbed causing less printing. It gives me a more secure grip on a concealed draw as well. I also agree that a +2 is pointless on a standard 26/27 though, you should go for a 19/23 at that point.

I agree with you that the +2 adapter is pointless and gives you a Glock 19 length grip minus 3 rounds.

But I like the +0 adapter as it does not add to the rear of the grip.
I would liken it to the Ed Brown Bobtail where he chopped the rear corner off a 1911 as that was the part most likely to print.

Also there is no reason not to reload the 26 with 17 round mags. I don't see a whole lot of gain from shorting the grip on a bigger gun.

It's Lance, Giant Hands, again. As established in a previous post, yes, I do have gorilla hands. I find my Glock 27 grip just a bit short, and I prefer to use an mag extension as shown. I usually carry concealed with a shoulder holster (MUCH easier to access inside a car with a seat belt on), so it is the heal of the handgun that tends to print. With this particular mag extension only the front of the grip is extended, so it doesn't make much difference for concealment. Although it does help me maintain my grip with my gorilla hands, since my pinky finger grips nothing but air with the Glock 27.

Site radius doesn't really make that much difference at defensive pistol distances. I was able to hit a small reactive target at 30 yards with a single shot from my factory Glock 27 at a IDPA event a while back. Of course everyone wanted to know what kind of "magic" gun I was using to make the shot. I told them it was the kind that sends bullets in the same direction the barrel is pointed. In other words "It ain't the gun." Practice, practice, practice. That doesn't mean seeing how many rounds you can send down range in a single afternoon, it means firing 3 shots, looking for shot placement, and determining why they did or didn't go where you wanted them to go. Then firing three more and seeing if you were able to correct the problem.

I also carry a Glock 22, depending on what I'm wearing, but I'm equally adept at using either of them. Based on my calculations (please chime in if I'm wrong here) the difference in site radius between the Glock 22 and the Glock 27 translates to ~.25 inches at 20 yards. Most ammunition has a greater variance than that all by itself. Your mileage may vary, but my experience has been that I could shoot either one and not tell which one I used simply by looking at the targets. That's good enough for me.

And my experience has also been that if you are unable to end a lethal encounter with a firearm in the first 3 rounds, you are very likely going to be seriously hurt. With a 17 round mag that just means they'll find my carcass with 14 rounds left in the mag vs. 9 rounds left in a smaller mag. Sure, I'd rather have extra rounds rather than be short a round I really need, but seriously, if you can't get the job done with 12 rounds you're more of a danger to society than you are to your opponent. I've fired 17 rounds from my Glock 22 at a human sized silhouette at 100 yards, rapid fire, and 10 rounds hit what is normally considered "center of mass" (even if a couple were right on the fringe of center of mass). So even at the extreme, one mag should get the job done.

Generally speaking, I can see your point. But just the same, that's my two cents worth.

Lance, A few quick comments:
1. The seat-belts/shoulder rigs raises a lot of questions: driver or passenger (and left or right handed)? What is the scenario where you are going to remain seat belted and still draw?
2. All holstered guns print at some point. Adjusting the fit and angle of the holstered gun will optimize for some situations to the detriment of others.
3. I probably overstated the sight-radius point, there are a lot of factors that you correctly pointed out are more important than an inch or two of site radius.
4. I don't make any predictions about what the round count of a gun fight will be, nor the situation where it will occur. I carry a reload primarily for redundancy, but the extra rounds don't hurt.

I understand your point. I don't think it creates an "easier" draw, since all of the the relevant digits need to be in the same place. One can certainly fish the gun out in whatever manner possible, but ideally we would like a full firing grip and the base plate doesn't change that.

The most interesting point is why one would choose appendix carry and then optimize one's equipment for it. I guess I am looking for a compelling reason or situation where appendix carry does something for me that I am willing to accept the many negatives that derive from it.

For someone who appendix carries, the barrel length is the most difficult dimension to deal with, and the longer grip creates an easier draw without compromising concealability. It's all in what you need.