“Beware the man of just one gun.”
– Thomas Aquinas
…Or something like that. That pretty much describes me. If you were to plot the amount of rounds I’ve fired in the last four years it would look like this:
It doesn’t show up, but there is a teeny bar by the Shield indicating the two boxes of ammo (1 Blazer, 1 HST) I used to confirm I didn’t like it, but it worked.
So take anything I say as being not particularly representative of good advice. Now having said that, I have found that the two most important things in my putting shots on target are my grip and my trigger press; the most important thing in putting shots on target fast is the grip. I also know from my own research that the grip surface on my gun makes a huge difference in how steady I can hold the gun and how quickly I can recover from recoil — the fewer muscles/effort are necessary to actually keep the gun in my hand, the steadier the sight picture is. Swapping the factory grip panels is the single most effective upgrade I’ve made to my competition pistols, and is in fact only one I’ve made to my primaries. I am in process of determining if there are better options than my current choices, so I decided to share since this experimentation can get to be a bit on the pricey side.
From L to R: CZ factory grip, LOK Palm swell Bogies, LOK Palm Swell GridLOK Aluminum, Armanov SpidErgo
The pic is big so you can see the detail. As a general comparison, the factory panel is completely flat. While there are sharp grooves milled into it, the don’t actually provide much in the way of stickiness in my hand. Other people have no problem with them, so I’m not going to call them “bad.” The Bogies texture is my standard go-to. It’s faboo. The other choices will have to be pretty amazing to beat them. They are milled G10, which gives them an inherent roughness, and that particular pattern is often called “dimpled” or “golf ball,” but that’s really not the truth. What makes these so grippy is that between the dimples, there’s a little square-tipped spike (visible in the pic) that really sinks into your skin. These will also continuously exfoliate your palms requiring occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush or dental pick. The GridLOK Aluminum has a very sharp-feeling nutmeg grater-y texture. They are notably sharper than the brass version (branded “aggressive brass“) which, along with my gun being close enough to the division weight limit to make me nervous is why I went with the aluminum version instead. LOK is also a company from up in Michigan, so people who want to Buy American are in luck. The Armanov SpideErgo grips are made in Slovenia, which I know three things about: this woman, this youtube channel and it’s where Springfield Armory’s most popular guns are made. Their pattern also involves dimples/divots/golf ball texture, but they are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as opposed to LOK’s square, and the resultant raised area is finer than on the Bogies. One last thing to mention about the Armanov grips, is that they offer three different thicknesses and a handy hand-measuring chart for you to decide which to get. The thickness depth on the medium (which I purchased) is almost identical to the LOKs. So if you find that the LOKs are not sized right for you, these might be an option.
You probably also noticed that each manufacturer has made their grips a different length. Now when shopping for grips for my particular gun they typically come in two lengths, with the shorter versions if you install an aftermarket magwell. These are not that difference. These are all “full length,” coming down to the actual bottom of the frame, the difference is in how far UP the grip toward the slide they go, as shown here:
On the left, LOK. On the right, Armanov. Also notice how you can see the jagged edge and LOK’s is much coarser.
Will this make much of a difference gripwise in how much bare (thin) metal there is near the beavertail? Don’t know yet. Interestingly enough, these LOK Palmswell Bogies are shorter than earlier-produced ones, though I never noticed any indication of that fact on the website.
Let’s go over how these different grips arrive. The CZ factory grips come in a nice hard plastic case with cleaning utensils, three magazines and a gun. It’s really excellent packaging, but quite expensive and requires an FFL.
The aftermarket ones have, shall we say, different aesthetics.
LOK on left: Wrap one grip in foam to protect the finish, put the other one on top so it’s visible, drop them in a bag and staple to a branded hanger. Functional, compact and practical. Armanov on the right: the box opens like a jewel case all included components are immediately visible. Excellent 5S/VBM.
The LOK grips come with T20 screws AND with O-rings. These O-rings are very important for their G10 grips, since it’s easy to crush the material between the steel frame and the steel screw. I don’t know if they’re actually necessary for the aluminum grips, but they’re nice to have anyway. They also include a business card for their head salesguy and some branded stickers. The Armanov have screws with identical threads (obviously) but they’re T15 for whatever reason. There are no O-rings, but I guess it doesn’t matter if the finish under the screw gets marred. They also include stickers (both black on white and white on black if you like Dark Mode) and a package of deutsch gemacht gummi bears. Can I take an aside here and ask when stickers became a thing again? They were a big deal in elementary school, but vanished some time around puberty. And now as a grown-ass man I’m supposed to want stickers again? I will admit that they are extremely helpful in that ammo cans/pistol cases look much alike and the position/mixture of brands you can slap on them makes them easier to tell apart.
Time for a pretty picture of the guns with the new grips:
In natural light, the blacks come closer to matching. Also you can see where the older-model Bogies came up on the sides of the frame. Apple’s color-correction algorithm needs some work.
With dry-fire and square range time, these grips seem almost indistinguishable in function from the Bogies. So which should you get? It’s up to you. The Aluminum LOKs and Armanovs are almost the same price and both are only a bit more than the G10. The grip geometries are very similar, though Armanov does have larger and smaller sizes available, whereas LOK is one-size-fits-all. LOK is an American company. As far as the materials they are made of — G10 is fiberglass-reinforced epoxy. So theoretically there are solvents which will attack it, though I don’t think it’s a real concern. The material is ore brittle than aluminum, and this is a real issue if you’re not using the o-rings to install them. However, I don’t think it’s likely that these will be seeing a whole lot of damaging impacts (nor would the aluminum ones be likely to be dented for the same reason.) The aluminum grips are much much shinier than the G10 if that is important to you. And between the shiny ones, I like the regular pattern of the Armanov over the LOK griddish pattern. YMMV.
If I get enough competition time to make a judgment before we run out of content, I’ll update this to reflect that.
Update: Shot a match using the GridLOKs. Some things I noticed:
- They seem smaller overall than their Bogie brethren. This was not a problem and seemed to work better during a weak-hand stage.
- They seem just as grippy as the bogies, no issues and yet…
- The texture is much finer than on the Bogies. I don’t know exactly how that will translate into longevity or hot weather matches. It may mean that they’ll require more upkeep since the texture may clog up quicker.
- When I’m done with the stage, my hands usually show the definite, slightly painful indentations of the Bogies texture. The GridLOK leaves my hands unmarked.
That’s the last time I’ll be using that gun until July, I’ll be switching to Carry Optic (and the Armanovs) starting this weekend.
Update the second: Shot one USPSA and one SCSA match with the Armanovs on the Carry Opics gun.
- They don’t seem as grippy, but I had no trouble controlling the gun. I can’t really get a perfect comparison to my previous shooting since I literally just started shooting optics, but I’m in the same place in the standings and on the classifier stages as I have been.
- Nothing further to mention on the UPSA side, but at the end of the SCSA match, the tips of my middle and ring finger hurt. No noticeable cuts or bruising. It seems as if tose fingertips were being cruished into the grips by my support hand. Why just at that match? If I had to guess it’s because SCSA has vastly more draw/build grip steps. 5 at the USPSA match v. 30 at the SCSA.
Bro, do your farmer’s walks.
No idea what that means.
Farmer walks and deadlifts dramatically improve grip strength.
Thanks for the article, NA!
I already get rather severe tendonitis after a multi-day match form excessive gripping.
TY Tundra.
The knurling on my CZ 75 grips from the CZ custom shop were way too “sharp”. I don’t shoot competitively and don’t use gloves, so they left deep witness marks on my lily white office worker hands. I went with a thinner profile and a less deep knurl for my grips (VZ). The trigger push is my biggest issue with any pistol. The CZ trigger is so good compared to most other’s. I shot that pistol so much better than any other in my collection that is now at the bottom of the lake.
VZs are very popular. I will say that LOK makes many different patterns of grips, some with mild checkering, and will even make you completely smooth ones if you want as a custom order. They have become pickier with which custom jobs they will accept however. They wouldn’t make me another glibs logo set in G10, and “might” have been willing to do them in aluminum or brass for $400.
$400
Ouch.
Yeah, which is why I got the Al ones to see if that was even remotely something I’d consider. If they sucked, then I wouldn’t have to worry about being an idiot and spending silly vanity money. Unfortunately, they do not suck.
If they have a anodized Al coating, they should be easily patterned by anyone with a low power hobbyist laser. A friend of mine has one for making phantasy figurines and cutting thin wood for models.
For $400, I would spend a little more and buy a engraver to make my own.
https://www.matterhackers.com/store/c/laser-cutters-engravers
Hmmmmm. What would I have to learn to work that?
Xtool software is pretty much a CAD drawing along with some system settings. After that it is trial and experiment on some low cost stock prior to executing the design on the grips or other accessories like leather and plastic.
https://www.xtool.com/pages/software
Errata: The smaller of the two “Ruger Mark IV”s should be “Ruger Mark I”
I don’t think I like the aesthetics of the Bogies.
*shrug*
Oops. I meant the LOK Palm Swell GridLOK Aluminum ones.
I agree. They’re pretty ugly. But that pattern was something they decided they could do in brass. The machinists will have to explain that, ’cause I thought that brass was just about the easiest/most forgiving material you could put into a mill, especially compared to composites.
I like the looks on the new Arex 2 grips: https://www.arex.si/zero2
No idea how they feel.
The absolutely grippiest grips I’ve encountered were on a CK Arms 1911. What I think they were were a fiberglass/plastic composite (not G10, since that uses fiberglass cloth, but random glass fiber filled). Then they did some kind of solvent dip to dissolve a few hundred microns of the plastic away, leaving invisible (but touch-detectable) glass fibers sticking up that embedded themselves in your skin. Very grippy, didn’t draw blood, but did inspire a body horror reaction out of me.
If I were to shoot a pistol it would be off a bench rest at a 50 meter deer sized target. Hypothetically speaking, of course. I would shoot a few times to ensure both the gun and scope were together before entering the woods to look for an elusive quarry.
‘Course I’d check the water level in the river first.
Thanks, NA, I appreciate your efforts and if you ever want to re-locate to a land of mosquitoes there’s a vacuum since Tundra left.
Are you saying Tundra sucks?
Big time.
Naw, MN sucks without Tundra, we need him or a replacemnet
Thanks, Fourscore. I miss it this time of year.
Brass grips? For energy absorbing mass?
Yup.
Either you people really don’t read the articles, or my jokes are just to elevated for this crowd.
You mean that Aquinas joke? I secretly laughed.
The description of the packaging that the factory grips came in.
I saw it!
Ah. I just took that as usual snark.
It got a sensible chuckle from me as well.
Could be both.
I used to use grip tape on my M9 Berreta in the Marines.
My S&W 1911 has plenty of grip for my needs.
My steel Magnum Research Jericho .45 is decent, but not great.
If I were to start shooting seriously, I think I would try the aluminum grid loks.
Looking on their website, they actually have options for the Jericho, might have to get a set.
I’m mixed on the M9/92FS grip. I prefer the feel of a 1911, but despite being chunky, it’s still solid.
Wheel guns feel the least solid in my hands.
Either you people really don’t read the articles, or my jokes are just to elevated for this crowd.
Needz moar labelz.
(and dog pix)
Interesting. But, as a lover of all thing vintage, I think I will stick to my Belgian wood stocks.
And it is not Slovenian, but Bohemian that defeats the Michigandian.
NA- how do you like your Tisas 1911?
Wow! That is on sale at Palmetto for $319. If it’s a good gun, well worth it.
Huh. Mine was $400 pre-Covid.
Then again, mine is parkerized, that one is spraypainted.
Works just fine.
-But as you can tell from the chart, I don’t really have the expertise to compare it to other 1911 models. No stoppages yet (again, note the low round count).
Wow! That is on sale at Palmetto for $319. If it’s a good gun, well worth it.
I was looking at their “tanker” 4 1/4 inch barrel model on close out but I dithered too long. The “tank commander’ is still in stock, and a deal.
For those prices, you can afford to do some upgrades.
They need a “Dance Commander” model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vboGDSUGCyY
I thought Armanov was the Russian knock-off of Italian suits.
*narrows gaze*
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the wokes.
According to a report from London’s Daily Telegraph, an email sent to RAF staff on Jan 19, 2021 from Squadron Leader Andrew Harwin complained that their training courses for pilots were “predominantly white male heavy,” without enough candidates from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
“If we don’t have enough BAME and female to board then we need to make the decision to pause boarding and seek more BAME and female from the RAF,” the Squadron Leader reportedly wrote.
“I don’t really need to see loads of useless white male pilots, let’s get as focused as possible, I am more than happy to reduce boarding if needed to have a balanced BAME/female/male board,” Harwin continued.
I see you do not intend to win any future conflicts.
The Britons need to start hammering on the fact that a large helping of their white folk are “indigenous peoples.”
I’m sure any future enemy will gladly pause hostilities until those diversity quotas are met.
When was the last conflict they actually won, anyway?
Falklands War?
This one?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ba1OKY7Xc
When was the last one we won? WWII?
So they want to replace BAMF with BAME?
Let me guess what color Harwin is….
The rot doesn’t start with squadron leaders, of course.
Apparently the head of recruitment resigned over what she considered was an illegal and immoral order
https://news.sky.com/story/raf-boss-says-he-is-ready-to-test-the-limit-of-the-law-to-improve-diversity-in-the-force-leaked-transcript-reveals-12851128
The description of the packaging that the factory grips came in.
Yes. Well done.
“If we don’t have enough BAME and female to board then we need to make the decision to pause boarding and seek more BAME and female from the RAF,” the Squadron Leader reportedly wrote.
Press gangs, it is.
-But as you can tell from the chart, I don’t really have the expertise to compare it to other 1911 models. No stoppages yet (again, note the low round count).
Just as long as it’s not a shoddy malfunctioning piece of junk. I don’t mind doing some rubbing on it. I have been wanting to build another one, but I couldn’t build one for that price.
Once again:
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1664267119301738497
This is getting almost comical.
This is definitely comical
https://twitter.com/texasrunnerDFW/status/1664290618389016576
I recently posted a job and had to quickly close it after over 400 candidates applied in 2 weeks. HR was celebrating the huge number of applicants, while I’m over here thinking the economy is rapidly declining.
When they start applying for my open positions which involve actual physical labor we’ll know its bad.
The laid-off laptop warriors are not keen on that sort of stuff.
People keep applying on our old Indeed ad.
I am working on a provocative new Firster Dance that will really help me to invoke a new, rawer energy into my Firsts. I saw the results of it already when perusing through the First Time Continuum, but in that Firstline I was only supposed to develop this several years from now whereas I think an earlier introduction will really bring the right sort of energy into the now that we need to offset the seconding done around here.
Allow me.
Thought you might have gone Men Without Hats there, which would seem to be more Bro’s vibe.
I need to show that video to my kids. The “WTF?” look on their faces will be priceless.
A good post would be bizarre videos from the 80s and 90s. I think this one is fairly understandable in comparison to ohers that could be found. Shock the Monkey for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnVf1ZoCJSo
Or anything by Reynaldo and the Loaf.
Those early videos were great. The medium was new and they didn’t really “get” it. So they just tried a bunch of bizarre things. Michael Jackson started to add production and treat it like cinema.
The other day some of us were singing “Money for Nothing” and my 10 year old niece thought it was the weirdest thing that we were singing about microwaves and TV’s.
She’d be triggered if you sang the part about the “little faggot with the earring and the makeup.”
Strangely enough, the version I hear on Pandora DOES have that verse.
Duran Duran figured it out really early, too.
The first on MTV wasn’t too shabby.
Then follow up with this.
The Bud Light tranny debacle of rock videos
“Dad, is he trying to be Dylan Mulvaney?”
How about “Children of the Sun” by Billy Thorpe? There was never an actual video, but here he is performing it live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JfGplW8M_o
Not Bonnie Tyler?
Wrong version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgWUq0fdKk
The 80s is like some kind of lost Camelot world now. Anything was possible and it was all fun.
*Points to link to “Dance Commander” above
Would be perfect accompaniment.
SloJoe goes boom.
It was a stutter step.
He shouldn’t have taken the brown acid.
Who thinks we’re going to make it through this?
https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1664322935388258304
What the actual fuck was that?
A public display of the disdain the Deep State has for Americans.
A giant Fuck You to anyone who thinks we have a constitutional republic.
The last gasps of the American Empire.
Take your pick.
I’ll take all of the above.
I liked the look on his face when he was trying to joke about the Epic pass. He hadn’t the faintest idea what he was saying.
Where is the one kid screaming “the emperor has no clothes”?
Not graduating and changing oil in the motor pool for the next 3 yrs?
I watched it 4 times. It was funnier each time.
Looks like he locked out his knees standing there. The difficulty getting up is telling also.
He ain’t just a potato. He’s a sack of potatoes.
sack of potatoes*
* must be read in an Irish accent.
Right on cue.
It’s debatable whether the neocons’ stupidity or their malevolence is their defining trait.
That cadet killed the President.
Nope. It was MAGA.
Behold the retardation!
There Is No Such Thing as “Junk” Food
Well there’s a huge fucking strawman argument.
I don’t eat either of them.
Meat, fruit and veggies are cheaper anyway.
This fucking argument that proper nutrition is too expensive drives me insane.
You could eat only beans and rice and be being eating better than most Americans while spending almost nothing.
Daily Wire had an agreement with Twitter to show What Is A Woman. Twitter said they would allow it to be posted, but basically shadow ban it and place warnings on it for the crime of misgendering people. It would be called “hateful conduct.”
https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/elon-musk-twitter-daily-wire-what-is-a-woman-hateful-content-1235630370/
It seems more cleaning of the house is required.
Elon is saying it was a mistake.
Holy shit, that Trump golf ball hit is funny.