How to Choose the Best Grip for an EDC Pistol

Whether you’re new to carrying a firearm with you wherever you go or you’re a career police officer who never leaves without their duty weapon, the right upgrades can drastically improve your skills with a firearm. While the most popular upgrades are new pistol slides and red dot sights to match, there are tons of different parts that you can replace to make the firearm perform even better. Handgun grips are often overlooked in favor of other upgrades, but the right material and style can drastically improve your handling and aiming. If you’re curious about what kinds of grips are available and how they can benefit you, here is what you should know.

What Are the Different Types of Handgun Grips?

When it comes to pistols, there are countless options for parts, as each manufacturer does things in a different way that may not work for other firearms. Additionally, there are thousands of other manufacturers that make replacement parts, so the variety can be staggering, especially for handgun grips. They range from the extremely simple – wrapping hockey tape around the pistol grip – to complex and even extremely stylish, like pearl grips that you can find on ceremonial 1911’s. Each one offers different benefits and drawbacks, so here is a basic overview of the most common materials that handgun grips are made of:

• Grip Tape: Grip tape is a common material that isn’t exclusive for use on firearms. This is a type of textured tape that easily sticks to any object and provides a rough surface to grab easily. This textured surface helps prevent slipping, especially in wet conditions, so that you can stay on target.
• Rubber Grips: Rubber is one of the most popular materials for handgun grips because of its durability. It can easily absorb shocks and impacts and it doesn’t degrade when exposed to water. It also helps prevent your hands from slipping, so you can keep shooting without losing your target.
• Polymer Grips & Stippled Grips: A stippled grip is one that has a texture composed of small dots throughout the surface. This is a style of grip that can be used with many different materials, but it is usually made from lightweight polymer. By burning the small dots into the polymer, the surface becomes chaotic and extremely textured, naturally grasping anything on it. This is an extremely common handgun grip style that is often found on factory firearms. There are also polymer grip modules available that replace a portion of the entire firearm, which may or may not come with stippling.
• Wood Grips: Wood is the traditional material used for handgun grips, but it isn’t as common anymore. You can still find it on older revolvers and more decorative pistols, but it isn’t recommended for modern firearms, as it isn’t as durable.

What’s the Best Grip for a Pistol?

Now that you understand the different materials available for handgun grips, you’re probably wondering which one is the best handgun grip. This is a complicated question, as the best pistol grip depends on your needs, skill level, and shooting style. Not every grip is meant for every shooter, so one of the best things you can do is try out different styles and brands to see which one performs the best for you. Talking to other shooters and seeing what type of handgun grips or grip modules they use is also beneficial. However, it can still be difficult, so here are some popular handgun grip styles to further expand your knowledge base.

• Grip Module: This is the most comprehensive handgun grip upgrade you can make, as it replaces a large portion of the pistol’s body. The grip module is the entire part of the firearm that you hold on to and houses the fire control unit. These can be more complex to install, as they require swapping many components, but they are also the most comprehensive handgun grip update you can make.
• Grip Inserts: Inserts are much less complex than grip modules and are most commonly used and found on older firearms or older models of modern firearms. These gun grips are usually very easy to replace, as all you have to do is pop the old ones out of the firearm and then adhere the new ones into the open depression. However, if you’re planning on buying handgun grips that are more decorative than functional, you should have a gunsmith install them to ensure proper placement and minimize the potential for damage.

What Pistol Grips Should You Buy?

Now that you understand the different styles and materials used in handgun grips, it’s time to make a choice to help you improve your shooting! The best way to find a good pistol grip is to start by filtering your search for the pistol you plan on updating. For example, if you’re looking to upgrade your Glock 19 duty pistol, you should only buy grips that are designed for your specific model and generation to ensure proper fit. Then, you can start to look at the different brands available. If you’re upgrading on a budget, you can’t go wrong with TALON Grips or Handleitgrips. Both brands make a wide variety of different grips for pistols from SIG SAUER, Glock, Ruger, Springfield Armory, and more and are much less expensive than other options without sacrificing reliability. These are simple, durable pistol grips that are especially useful for new shooters who want to test out different options.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for maximum performance, then you need to check out Hogue and Icarus Precision. Hogue makes a huge selection of grips, including revolver grips, which allow you to get new parts for firearms that might be difficult to find. All of their grips are extremely durable and designed for maximum retention. While Hogue makes grips for many firearms, Icarus Precision mainly focuses on more modern styles and grip modules. 

Grip Your Firearm With Confidence at OpticsPlanet!

No matter what kind of gear you need, our team at OpticsPlanet is here to help. We have a massive selection of pistol parts, tactical gear, and shooting accessories to give you the tools you need to succeed. From first-time concealed carry holders to old experts, there is something for everyone at OpticsPlanet, whether you shop online or on our top-rated mobile app.