One of the misleading things in our industry is aftermarket grips. I get questions about it all the time. For a revolver the aftermarket grips really add some style and uniqueness to your gun. The semi-auto can get dressed up as well, but there are some considerations.
- What will the gun be used for? If it is a show piece that comes out of the safe to impress friends, and the aesthetics are increased by aftermarket grips that makes sense. I have ivory on an engraved 1911 to increase value and aesthetics. Not so great for a carry gun. They get slippery when it is hot, and they are too pretty to bang around.
- Will this change my grip? A lot of people add Hogue sleeves to their Glocks because they believe they really need them. For my hands they are terrible because they change my grip out of the proper grip. You have to check each grip on your firearm. Don’t buy unless you get that chance. I recently bought a Beretta 92 that came with Hogue wrap around grips. I could barely hold on to the gun. I found some Hogue panel grips for it that make it perfect without changing the proper grip.
- Do you really need your wife’s name on your gun? There are a lot of grip makers out there doing some cool things. They can put a picture of you on the grips. They can laser engrave your wife’s name on the gun. Again, form needs to meet function. It may be cool, but if it doesn’t serve your purpose get rid of it.
Guns can be enhanced by aftermarket grips, but your shooting may go south. Take the time to check out the grips before you put them on your gun.