Almost everyone who shoots a pistol wants to become better skilled with it. There is no end to aftermarket add-ons you can buy to “trick out” your pistol. There are very few tangible items that can assist your performance in meaningful ways, as opposed to the real gains to be made with proper instruction and diligent training. However, there is one thing that can help you to shoot a pistol better, because it improves your ability to master one of the fundamentals of shooting a pistol—your grip. And that one thing you can buy is an improved grip. Here are a few alternatives that can be purchased.
Why Grip Matters
Before we talk about what exactly you can buy, let’s discuss why grip matters so much. The importance of grip is why you hear people discuss “mastering the fundamentals.” Grip is probably the most important part of shooting a pistol.
It’s important to understand that grip plays a role in how you control a pistol, which gives you the ability to do everything with it better and faster—from holding the pistol aggressively enough to recover from recoil more skillfully in order to pull the trigger again sooner, to how you manipulate the gun if you have a malfunction or need to change magazines. A good grip gives you more control.
If your grip involves too much of your fingertips, this can cause you to “pull” shots away from your intended aiming point (for right-handed people, think “low and left”). Some sort of texture on your physical pistol grip will give your hands better contact or interface, and allow you to grip with your palm and fingers, but not your fingertips.
In the act of gripping your pistol, if your grip technique is not built to hold the gun with enough “interface” between your hands and the actual pistol, the pistol can slide around under recoil. This makes it difficult to control and increases your time recovering from recoil. If you see a new pistol shooter constantly re-positioning their hands or re-gripping, their inability to grip well is likely why. This is also why you see competition shooters use modifications to improve their grip on the gun.
While the skills you have actually trained are going to yield more improvement than the gadget you buy, when it comes to actually making the pistol easier to hold onto, the money and time invested is well worth it. It is so valuable that you should not be afraid of making this modification if your pistol is difficult to grip.
Options in Grip Modifications
There are essentially four options to modify your pistol grip: grip tape, stippling and aftermarket replacement grips.
1. Grip Tape
Grip Tape is usually pre-cut and comes in different options, usually from brands that sell aftermarket grips for common pistols. Sets of grip tape for a pistol will come pre-cut, and you apply them to your pistol. A set often comes with alcohol wipes and instructions for application, so it’s great for first timers.
You do not have to purchase a set; you could find skateboard grip tape in a color and texture that you like and cut your own. The benefit of this approach is that you can tailor the tape to your needs, choose a color or grit that you like, and it’s less costly.
The downside to grip tape is that you will have to replace it about every year, especially if you compete in hot conditions or get oil or solvent on your grip tape when you clean your gun. This is another reason I prefer to cut my own grip tape—it’s easier to replace with a big sheet of material to cut new pieces from.
2. Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide is essentially permanent grip tape. Epoxy is used to embed the grit (silicon carbide) into the grip. The grade or size of the silicon carbide varies as well as color. Usually applied by gunsmiths who modifying guns for competition. I have done a lot of silicon carbide work on our family’s pistols and shotguns, and for someone capable, it is not difficult work.
The downside of silicon carbide is that it is permanent. Usually, the grip texture from the manufacturer is either roughed up or smoothed out (sanded down) before an epoxy layer is added, and the silicon carbide applied over the epoxy. This is a bit complicated in that you might have to take down material on the grip and you do not want to damage the grip in the process. The areas where you do not want epoxy also must be masked out and some technical know-how in working with epoxy is helpful.
One upside to this process is that you can apply it to metal. For example, on my 2011s for competition, I add texture to the part of the slide stop where my thumb rests. It allows me to landmark by feel where my support hand thumb is and even add a little pressure.
This is my favorite way to apply grip texture to any firearm for competition.
3. Stippling
Stippling involves using a heated tool to create texture in the grip of your pistol. As opposed to an additive measure, like grip tape or silicon carbide, stippling simply uses what material is there and changes the texture. Most polymer pistol grips already have some sort of texture, but often it’s not enough, and why people change it to more aggressive textures.
The downside to stippling is that it is permanent, and it can be done wrong, ruining the grip. The heated tool can get the grip material so warm that it can deforms the grip. Stippling should only be done by someone who knows what they are doing.
The upside is that it is basically free. You just need a wood burner, and a brass screw that threads into it.
For the stippling work I’ve done, I researched the tools people make and used a Dremel tool with a cut-off disc to turn a brass screwhead into something similar. Working in small areas, say ½ inch square at a time, is advisable, so you do not over-heat the grip material. Do not take this project on without first accepting that you could ruin it and have to buy another grip or in the case of a Glock, another lower half of a gun.
This is my least favorite way to add grip texture, since it is risky, and permanent.
4. Aftermarket Grips
There are also aftermarket grips for many popular pistols. From glock sleeves that slide over your Glock grip, to grips that replace your factory grip , there are many options. For your competition pistols, there are metal grips available with really aggressive texture and sometimes an aggressive price tag. (This is why I prefer silicon carbide.)
Consult a Pro
All four of these options can be found as services through a gunsmith. If you’re considering one of the permanent methods, sending it off to a professional might be your best bet. But if you’re looking for a fast, simple upgrade that can actually improve your grip, getting some grip tape might be something that helps you improve your grip in a way you can feel.
