It is no secret I am a fan of the Glock, speaking up for polymer practitioners everywhere. However, I’m not so one sided as to have completely lost objectivity. I do realize that the Glock design though admirable, is not, in fact, perfect, it has some small weaknesses. One of which is its lack of aggressive texture along the grip panels. For the record, I do think that the Gen 4 grip texturing has improved this deficit satisfactorily, but many of us still have Gen 1s, 2s, & 3s.
Because of the inherent merit of the Glock design (as a no frills fighting handgun) and its resulting unparalleled popularity, an entire aftermarket has developed to service every customization whim of the Glock wielding hordes. One niche within this aftermarket, is filled by those companies who have an answer for the smooth grip panels (mentioned disparagingly above). Now I know that some of you Gen 3 Glock lovers will not think this is a legitimate concern, after all you can shoot your G17 just fine without the need to re-grip between shots. I do not doubt that, but if you consider the Glock as more than a range gun, you may discover that things like sweat, rain, mud, and (God forbid) blood can turn it into a slippery little devil. So you could cover your hands with super glue before you draw your weapon or you could consider some of the offerings flooding our market.
This niche in the market can be divided into permanent solutions (like stippling) and replaceable solutions (like adhesive grip panels). Though stippling looks cool in many cases, and is functional, I’ve personally never opted to send one of my guns away for this treatment, nor have I chosen to bust out a soldering iron myself. If you go for that—more power to you, I just like changes that I can undo if and when needed. I have, however, chosen to make use of some of the various grip panels on the market and have had success with the offerings from DECAL GRIP. Decal grip offers grips in both the sand granule (skate board tape) and synthetic rubber varieties. I opt for the latter for my carry gun. I find that the synthetic rubber is aggressive enough to aid me in grip retention but not so aggressive as to make everyday carry un-sustainable. Whether you choose to use the real little rocks (sand), or the synthetic little rocks (rubber), I do recommend that you rock your Glock!
Would that little G26 on my ankle be more comfortable without the grip panels? Probably. Is a slight discomfort something I have learned to love because it serves a purpose? Definitely. Why not put some grip panels on your Glock? Go ahead, pull your socks up, strap your Glock on, man up and rock your now “grippy-er” Glock.
Update: This article was originally published a couple years ago. The content is still valid. You’ll notice rubber Talon Grips in many of my pics and videos these days. They do the job well too!
I agree with the article completely and have been using Talon Grips on my Gen-3 Glock 19 carry gun for several years. I use and love the Granulate Grips, but concealed carry was an issue that forced me to keep the skin side of the grip covered. This led me to design and market a hybrid holster that covers the entire grip without overly encumbering my draw. We market these under the brand name of Tango-7 Tactical http://www.tango7tactical.com or Well-Dressed Guns http://www.welldressedguns.com for woman’s holsters. Anyone interested can also check us out on Facebook at Tango-7 Tactical or at Well-Dressed Guns. Fully covering the entire skin side of the firearm with leather makes for a very comfortable holster and solves the problem of discomfort with granulate grips, stippled grips, or even the RTF and Gen-4 grip eritatin your skin. I hope you find this helpful.
The stock checkering on my Ruger SRs is perfect. Grippy, but not painful and even when sweating badly, my gun goes nowhere. AND…..it’s not ugly! 😀
JunkfoodZombie Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 😉
Yeah, I slipped a Hogue HandAll on my 2nd Gen G17 years ago and have had no problems with it. Although not my first choice for a 9mm pistol, the G17 is one reliable handgun.
Perhaps, but…..I AM the beholder! Mwahahahahaha!!!!
JunkfoodZombie exactly, as am I. 😉
I always wondered about the comfort/stippling you mentioned earlier. Now I know :]