Sometimes, the ergonomics on our pistols just stink. They are uncomfortable in hand, look horrible, and can even be bad for concealed gun carriers because the manufacturer decided to put an aggressive-feeling texture right on your love handles, which was the issue I was having with my own concealed carry handgun.
Talon Grips: The Cure for the Common Pistol Grip
If you remember correctly, I gave the Springfield XD Mod.2 rave reviews. I loved that sub-compact little carry piece so much that I ended up buying one. But it was made clear after a few weeks of concealed carry, that the pistol's “grip zone” was going to drive me nutty. After each step I took, my love handles rubbed on the textured grip.
And when I sat down in the car? Forgetaboutit!
So, instead of losing weight to get rid of my love handles, I did what any self-respecting American would do: I searched the World Wide Web for a solution to my issue.
I found and contacted Talon Grips, to see if they could help me out. They sent me a few different style grips, for different handguns that I have.
I can honestly say that so far, I've been carrying my Mod.2 with the rubberized grip and I have no complaints. The Talon Grips don't take away from the look or the in-hand feel of the gun, and, in all actuality, I got rid of the tacky “grip zone” that so many Springfield fans were stunned to see printed right into the grip.
Overall, it is a win-win because I got a better-looking pistol, that didn't feel dramatically different in my hand and was able to keep the shooting characteristics of it as well.
The grips are cut to fit your specific pistol and resemble the sticky tape I used to throw on my childhood skateboard for better traction. They retail for $17.99, which isn't bad especially when you consider that I had retired this gun and was about to sell it to the highest bidder right before I thought I'd try one more idea.
One buffoon commented on the Mod.2 gun review I wrote over at guns.com. He said that I spent way too much money on holsters and trying to figure out how to make the grip not irritate my fat self, and that the best bet would be for me to sand the textured grip down. Well, besides being idiotic (because who in their right mind would destroy a gun so it had no resale value?), it was just plain stupid.
But one of the great things about the Talon Grips, is that I could sand them down to achieve a different texture without having to deface the gun itself. Furthermore, if I ever decide to sell this, or any of my other pistols with these sexy grips, I could just peel it off and use some alcohol swabs to get the excess glue off.
Not too shabby.
Talon Grips makes rubberized and sandpaper-like grips for a wide range of guns. They are guaranteed (from their website) to work, and I can attest to the fact that they do not tarnish the gun at all, in any way. After I had one of the grips on one of my other pistols for a bit, I pulled it off just to see what it would do. To my surprise, the grip came right off, and the excess glue disappeared with some alcohol.
I give my stamp of approval to this company and its product. I can honestly say that while I was given this product for review, I would buy these Talon Grips with my own hard-earned money, any day of the week.
Sound Off Gun Carriers! What type of grip do you use on your pistol? Do you use the stock grip? Or, do you use an aftermarket one that adds ergonomics to it? Let us know in the comments below. Then, make sure you like the Gun Carrier Facebook page to stay up-to-date.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 26, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
I have talon grips on a few of my weapons, the only problem I have is they tend to lift off the grip. What type of glue can I use to reapply the grip? I was thinking a rubber cement. Someone told me super glue, not sure which is better.
On Talon’s the best application lve found is to heat up the grip slightly with either a heat gun or hair dryer blower prior to application…NO GLUE.. allow to sit overnight without handling..mine never have slipped .. removal is the same
I, too am a fan of Talon Grips. My work situation requires deep concealment. A .380 acp pocket pistol solves all concealment issues. The rubber Talon Grip gives my hand enough extra purchase on the pistol to improve control and accuracy.
I have Talon Grips on all three of the polymer shells for my sub-compact Beretta Nano 9mm. I can switch to any of the three different colored shells and still have the great extra hand purchase that the Talon Grips provide me. For the price, there isn’t a better add-on that you can purchase for your pistol, especially for smaller compact pistols.