Thread: Thumb Rest

I recently got a 10° thumb rest for my M40. It is incorporated in the slide catch. (Locating it back further than most I have seen but suits my small hands....I think)

I have asked the same of someone who's opinion I value, but the more feedback the better I reckon.

I have shot probably 500 rounds using the rest since I have got it and am getting inconsistent results so far.

I haven't tried anything with any form of speed, but have just experimented with attempting to get a sound grip and accuracy.

Using it as a place just to rest my thumb I have shot the some of the best double taps I have ever produced at 15m.

When applying a bit of pressure to tighten my grip a bit, I have done the same.
I see some mericans talking of a gas pedal aid and using it to get higher on the gun and aid reduce muzzle flip by pushing down on it. (It appears to be way steeper than mine)

For those of you who use a rest how do you use it?
I would like to get into a good technique as early as possible.
I am unsure how to utilize it correctly and if anything, I see it as an aid to a consistent weak hand placement on the gun.


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I have very little pressure applied to mine, I have more pressure on the thumb safety from my strong hand or possibly the same amount its hard to tell. I do however apply a death grip on the gun but my hands are applying that pressure through my fingers and palms of both hands, both my thumbs and trigger finger are exempt to applying any force as far as I can tell, or very little.

So in my case its purely there as an index for my grip, I pay very little attention to it but if I shoot a gun without one it just feels so wrong.

I've recently installed the Double alpha one with a C-more mount but unfortunately it seems my Czechmate has a CZ factory mount not a C-more mount. So had to modify it to work. Installed it the night before an inter club match, bit of a gamble, but found it very very natural feeling.
I used to stick a strip of rough emery paper on my sight mount so I always knew my thumb was in the correct place. So probably use it similar to Towely, more as an index to get the grip on my left hand perfect every-time and locked up. Also I think it's more a combination of the thumb pushing down on both the safety and thumb rest that gives a good recoil reduction but have heard all different kinds of theories, with a few people thinking they apply firm pressure on the thumb rest to reduce muzzle flip.
Does it really help that much under match pressure at full speed, when not paying attention to pushing down??? I don't know, but I can't see any downside to it.
Did notice I had some awesome Doublealpha grouping in that match but haven't shot much since to attribute it to the rest.
Love it when starting with gun resting on a table, holds the grip up perfectly to get the right hand straight on fast.

Only question though is whether the slide catch mount is a good place, I know 2 people that have replaced slide catch thumb rests with forward mounted rest directly onto the optics mounts because and they were both top shooters

I use it as an index point too. It also helps to get your left wrist at the right angle - canted forward to help naturally oppose recoil.
In my opinion, you really need to just generally crush with your left hand, but it's not a conscious 'downward pressure' with only that thumb on the rest itself. It's important that both of your hands move with the gun as a bound-up unit when you break the shot - if you start to introduce a push down on one thumb then you'll get all sorts of funny torque-y things happening and struggle to get the gun to settle for a follow up shot...


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Originally Posted by specweapon

I've recently installed the Double alpha one with a C-more mount but unfortunately it seems my Czechmate has a CZ factory mount not a C-more mount. So had to modify it to work. Installed it the night before an inter club match, bit of a gamble, but found it very very natural feeling.
I used to stick a strip of rough emery paper on my sight mount so I always knew my thumb was in the correct place. So probably use it similar to Towely, more as an index to get the grip on my left hand perfect every-time and locked up. Also I think it's more a combination of the thumb pushing down on both the safety and thumb rest that gives a good recoil reduction but have heard all different kinds of theories, with a few people thinking they apply firm pressure on the thumb rest to reduce muzzle flip.
Does it really help that much under match pressure at full speed, when not paying attention to pushing down??? I don't know, but I can't see any downside to it.
Did notice I had some awesome Doublealpha grouping in that match but haven't shot much since to attribute it to the rest.
Love it when starting with gun resting on a table, holds the grip up perfectly to get the right hand straight on fast.

Only question though is whether the slide catch mount is a good place, I know 2 people that have replaced slide catch thumb rests with forward mounted rest directly onto the optics mounts because and they were both top shooters

Cheers for the informed replies fellas.

I decided on a slide catch one because I tried one mounted further forward on a gun exactly like mine and it didn't feel comfortable. Tried a slide catch one on an Akai and it felt good. I have smallish hands.

In saying that I haven't done enough to know what works for me yet and it could all change.
I am thinking of getting my safety modified to have a better purchase for my master hand thumb on it.

I haven't done much from the holster yet but trying with and without downward pressure I was getting the majority of my double taps touching and in the guts. A lot more than I ever have done before anyway.
I would police up my brass and have another go only to be no where near as good.
I seem to have a sweet spot with my grip but can't find it every time, even when concerntrating, which is frustrating me a bit.
I was told that it would take a while to get used to having a thumb rest 😆


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Originally Posted by R93

I decided on a slide catch one because I tried one mounted further forward on a gun exactly like mine and it didn't feel comfortable. Tried a slide catch one on an Akai and it felt good. I have smallish hands.

Yeah another shooter at our club that recently bought a Darkside with a sight mount Thumb rest also has small hands and he now shoots so fucking badly it's like he's shooting strong hand one handed, but with his left hand somewhere on the left side of the grip but never in the same place.
So I guess that shows the trap of forcing something to work that isn't comfortable to begin with.

You should come up to Nelson for a shoot sometime

Originally Posted by specweapon

Yeah another shooter at our club that recently bought a Darkside with a sight mount Thumb rest also has small hands and he now shoots so fucking badly it's like he's shooting strong hand one handed, but with his left hand somewhere on the left side of the grip but never in the same place.
So I guess that shows the trap of forcing something to work that isn't comfortable to begin with.

You should come up to Nelson for a shoot sometime

I have been planning to come to Nelson for a heap of reasons lately but something always stuffs it up. @sneeze tells me he has a good whiskey stash 😆

I will let you know when I eventually manage to come up and bring my gear if your free to setup a shoot?



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Originally Posted by R93

I have been planning to come to Nelson for a heap of reasons lately but something always stuffs it up. @sneeze tells me he has a good whiskey stash ��

I will let you know when I eventually manage to come up and bring my gear if your free to setup a shoot?



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Yes you have, yes I have , yes you need to.
The pistol range is about 5mins from here.

Originally Posted by sneeze

Yes you have, yes I have , yes you need to.
The pistol range is about 5mins from here.

I am flat out when I get home next break as well. Won't even get a hunt in for myself the way things are going.

The fella at the whiskey tasting bar at Brisbane duty free rubs his hands together when he sees a mug like me show up, so I have a few nice bottles to sample for when I do get up there.

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Originally Posted by R93

I will let you know when I eventually manage to come up and bring my gear if your free to setup a shoot?

Always free for shooting, and you don't even have to go to the wrong side of the tracks where @sneeze lives

Originally Posted by specweapon

Always free for shooting, and you don't even have to go to the wrong side of the tracks where @sneeze lives

Ha you want those alpacas dead or alive?
I have a key for that other range as well

I ran one for awhile (mounted of the side of my C-more) with ok results.
It was mounted high up so my thumb was about 30 deg of horizontal which inabled me to get more force into it.
The down side was my c-more scope worked loose every 1k rounds even using red lock tight plus I over drove the gun.
Wrapping my weak hand forefinger around the the front of the trigger guard works better.
I have shot like this for years. Try putting different amounts of pressure through you forefinger and see how you go.
See about 11:35 into the following video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSazF41q-s

Just a question, wont a slide mounted thumb rest trip the slide ? when ( if ) you run dry ?

R93s particular model replaces the slide lock pin, they lock in place and don't protrude into the frame far enough to be tripped by the magazine follower, they also don't have any up and down movement like a normal slide lock so applying thumb pressure to them doesn't lock the slide back. Nice piece of kit, have one on my open gun.

The problem with the 1911/2011 design is if you have the slide locked open and try and shove a big stick into them too hard then the mag can actually force its way far enough into the grip that it hits the ejector and breaks stuff, the mag catch is the only thing stopping it from doing this and can be over whelmed with the force you can apply to a 29 round mag when reloading on the clock. If you use certain shaped projectiles and/or load a long oal the projectile can also trip the slide lock prematurely, most open shooters will disable the slide lock back feature. I know of some standard shooters who do as well.

Yup mine was and still is disabled.

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