Grip Tape

[Guest Astra900]

Okay, this may not be a big secret to all of you, but maybe it will help one or two noobs.

Go to your local skate board shop and ask for a sheet of black grip tape. If they want any more than 7-10 bucks they are raping you. It will be about 12 or 14 inches wide by like 3 foot. Now, cut it out and stick it on everything! It's like sandpaper, but the adhesive used for skateboards is super sticky and water proof. I use it for:

*The finger release on my BlackHawk! holster. It helps locate it in stressfull situations.

* I put a piece the size of a quarter on the slide of my Mossy 12g. It has a side saddle carrier, but I kept the original wood stock. The wood had to be notched to clear the carrier. If your grip isn't forward a bit and very positive, it's a lovely pinch point :D

* I have sat down and carefully cut out grip panels for my XD's, they look GREAT, and work well in case of wet/cold hands. BTW, be sure to cut from the back side or you can kiss your Xacto knife goodbye!.

It's got unlimited tactical and tacticool usues. I like to put it on certain grip points of my EBR's so I get assurance of repeat lock up.

Well there you go, don't ever say I didn't give you any usefull info!

Edited December 11, 2008 by Astra900

[Guest eyebedam]

From some of your post in the past Ive wondered if you apply it to your toilet paper as well.

Actually that is a good bit of info & im sure someone will put it to good use I just couldnt resist throwing the TP joke out there.

[Guest Astra900]

What's "TOILET PAPER"???

[et45]

I use 3M stair tread tape.

[poak]

I use 3M stair tread tape.

The plus for skateboard grip tape is that it's generally thinner, and lays well on most all surfaces.

[Guest Astra900]

I use 3M stair tread tape.

Is that stuff any cheaper? Does it seem to work good? Where do you get it?

[et45]

Ace Hardware is where I buy it.They sell it by the foot,can't remember the price but it was less than 5 bucks.It might be a nut hair thicker than skateboard or precut grip tape but I have never had a problem with it sticking to Glocks.

[Oh Shoot]

You do NOT want to use skateboard grit tape on your pistol. The grit rubs off, can get between your holster and metal of your gun and scratch it. Bad juju.

Also, the 3M traction tapes that are gritty do the same thing.

3M does make a couple of traction tapes that are great for this purpose however.

One is the same one that seller "tractiongrips" on eBay uses. I can't find the type right off, and he doesn't specify it, but after extensive searching, I couldn't find it except in $100 dollar rolls, anywhere on line, (or local, Home Depot, Lowe's etc). It is a Safety Walk product, I'll see if I can find the number again.

I bought a set of his (tractiongerips) for my XD, and used only on outside grip and inside thumb slot, they work fine.

There is one 3M traction tape you can buy by the foot at Ace Hardware, number 7740 (gray) and number 7732 (black), that is a sealed type surface that's pretty decent (but I could only find the gray version in Knoxville or Chattanooga).

I have a set of Decal Grips on my Kahr, but first set peeled right off after a cleaning, they replaced them, am being more careful with this set, dunno if I got solvent underneath or what. AFAIK, Decal Grips uses their own manufacturing specs for those, as even their "sandpaper" variation does not flake off.

Again, though, caveat emptor re gritty grip tapes from skateboard tape or 3M types!

- OS

[Guest Astra900]

You do NOT want to use skateboard grit tape on your pistol. The grit rubs off, can get between your holster and metal of your gun and scratch it. Bad juju.

- OS

Appreciate the warning, and I don't want anyone to think I don't take good care of my stuff, because i am meticulous with maintenance, but on my carry and "kombat" type guns, scratches don't mean spit to me. I have safe queens in my home, but they are bench rifles and single action revolvers. The ones I mean to shoot and carry daily, screw 'em. I use 'em, that's what I bought 'em for.

Honestly though, I rub the edges of the grip tape with my thumb after cutting it out; I've never had any problems with "stuff" flaking off. THat's just me though, Maybe I should pay more attention:D

[poak]

The ones I mean to shoot and carry daily, screw 'em. I use 'em, that's what I bought 'em for.

Sums up the thoughts on why I bought my Glock. The day I bought it, I was deciding between single action Sig P220 and the Glock 19. I chose the Glock because I wanted a gun I could throw around, leave in my glove box, WHATEVER, and not be upset about it. I can assure you the P220 would be sitting in my safe, or at best in my nightstand drawer.

[Smith]

Has anyone tried this heat shrink derma grip stuff? I found it on a Walther accessory site but I'm sure it would work on other grips as well.

http://www.carlwalther.com/p99acc.htm

[poak]

Pretty cool. Looks like a great alternative to the permanent stippling that seems to be so popular with polymer pistols.

[MikeW]

I use grip/grit tape... I have a stippled front strap Clark Custom gun and I like the tape just as well. I ran across a site where the strips are sold in pre-cut and in different colors ... but now, I cannot locate it. I was going to order a few to try but since I cannot locate the link, I will just stick with my roll of grit tape.

[Oh Shoot]

I use grip/grit tape... I have a stippled front strap Clark Custom gun and I like the tape just as well. I ran across a site where the strips are sold in pre-cut and in different colors ... but now, I cannot locate it. I was going to order a few to try but since I cannot locate the link, I will just stick with my roll of grit tape.

And I can't find the friggin 3M Safety Walk brand number that TractionGrips uses. I can't believe it's not embedded in my cortex, since I spent so long looking for it in person and searching the web for anything less than a $100+ dollar role.

But I will find it, dangit.

- OS

[Farman]

Looks and sounds good. My BDA 380 has plastic grips and they get slippery. I found this http://www.brookstactical.com/index-2.html. Seems pretty expensive though. It still may be worthwhile.

[Oh Shoot]

Looks and sounds good. My BDA 380 has plastic grips and they get slippery. I found this http://www.brookstactical.com/index-2.html. Seems pretty expensive though. It still may be worthwhile.

Opinions seem about 50/50 on Agrip.

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

Okay, first is Decal-Grip on Kahr PM9, I used on both sides. This is the "rubber" texture, really great, I mean, REALLY great, increases grip quality 100%, doesn't add any noticeable thickness. Decal-Grip also makes "sandpaper" texture, not as rough as real sandpaper (or skateboard tape) plus it doesn't flake, can't get down tween gun/hoster and scratch. Anyway, the first set of these I put on lasted till next Kahr clean - these are supposed to be pretty impervious to solvents, oils, whatever, and I guess the surface is, but a day or two after cleaning, I gripped the gun and whee, the tapes all just slid off like they were floating on oil, and the sticky was gone. So I emailed Decal-Grip, they admonished me to clean surface well with alcohol before applying, I retorted that I had done so, and they told me to send them in for free replacement, which I did. This set has stayed put, but I've been careful not to get any cleaning stuff on them, and especially nothing up in magazine well where it could come out underneath them through mag release gaps.

Incidentally, this material is a proprietary manufacture, just for Decal Grip company. It's not a rebranded 3M or similar product, to the best of my knowledge.

Next is my XD with TractionGrips. I think they only sell on eBay under that name, although they have a website. This is actually stamped out of 3M Safety Walk #310. I searched Lowe's, Home Depot, and two Ace Hardwares in two towns, nada. Can find it online, but only in big rolls, like $125 worth, only. 3M makes a bewildering array of traction tapes, but #310 is THE one, rubbery, good grip, doesn't flake.

Anyway, the stuff is almost as good as Decal Grips, and so far after maybe 5 cleanings it has stayed stuck, though I've been careful to not get cleaning goop on it.

Last time I looked on eBay, there are also now a couple of folks selling sections of the 3M #310 where you can make a pattern and cut your own grips out of it.

I only put it on the outside grip, and on the inside thumb well. Even though I'm a pretty big guy, don't have huge hands and my main purchase on the fat XD grip is on the outside main grip and the inside thumb place. Also, carrying IWB, since the inside butt rides against Oh Shoots tender midriff since he doesn't wear undershirts, I didn't put one there for to cause me no pain.

All in all, great stuff and maybe we should do a group buy of a roll. Could do all the plastic fantatics owned by everybody on TGO!

This last example is 3M "step" or whatever grip tape, is carried by Ace Hardwares, found in both Knoxville and Chattanooga. BUT, could only find the gray. Gray is 3M Product # 7740, black is 7732, I found out, but haven't found it. They gray is Ace Hardware product # 64174. Note that this is not in 3M's "Safety Walk" line.

Anyway, I haven't put it on anything. I think it would significantly improve grip in the way the above ones do, but it's definately not as good, and experimenting with a wet hand, not in the same league as the other two.

I do have a piece of skateboard tape and I also found another 3M step grit product at Lowe's I think it was, but both of these, if you rub them, the grit does indeed come off. And they are REALLY gritty, and even if I didn't mind that much abrasion in my hand shooting a hundred rounds or more, I sure as heck wouldn't want to sand my old waist side off, I'll try to maintain my weight the old fashioned way, thanks.

So there is the benefit of more of my obessive/compulsive inquiry into grip tapes thus far. Perhaps next I'll do an in depth of how to find the perfect spare magazine carrier in only 6 months and $200 or less!

- OS

Edited June 22, 2010 by OhShoot
add'l info

[Guest Astra900]

For a spare mag pouch, I usta use the pouch my Gerber Gator came in for my PT145. If my shirt rode up in the back, a knife pouch doesn't send up a red alert like a dedicated mag pouch. No need anymore since I carry a revolver now. My spare mag pouch (speed loader) rides comfortably up front next to my cell phone holder.

I swear, between my cell, my knife, speedloader pouch, and handgun, all I need is a cape and a dorky name, and I could be a super hero. My wife has made fun of me in the past when we get ready to go out; You got your utility belt on?

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

I used some of the 3M stuff on a Ruger P94 I used to have. I slapped some Hogue grips on it, which really improved the way it shot, but still felt like my grip could be better. So I taped up the backstrap, and boy howdy, that bastard wouldn't shift around after that.

I've thought about doing the grip panels on my XD, but don't really feel it's necessary... I'd just be doing it basically for the pure hell of it. (not that there's anything wrong with that....)

[Oh Shoot]

For a spare mag pouch, I usta use the pouch my Gerber Gator came in for my PT145. If my shirt rode up in the back, a knife pouch doesn't send up a red alert like a dedicated mag pouch. No need anymore since I carry a revolver now. My spare mag pouch (speed loader) rides comfortably up front next to my cell phone holder.

Yah, I've got any number of pouches that will hold spare XD 16 rounder, all incognito even if seen. But I've made a special effort to really not print at all, with anything, at least until having to steeply bend or squat (I can squat, just can't get back up) ;)

Anyway, after beau coup experimentation, looks like I've settled in on this Safariland horiz. holder:

The horiz. aspect of it really tucks and hides well. I also use a horiz. phone case. I used to keep it in my pocket (Razr), but of course I need all the pocket space I have for all the other crap now.

I swear, between my cell, my knife, speedloader pouch, and handgun, all I need is a cape and a dorky name, and I could be a super hero. My wife has made fun of me in the past when we get ready to go out; You got your utility belt on?

Hey, Astra 900 ain't a dorky superhero name? :p:p:p

Sounds perfect to me! Like R2D2's cousin.

To share the razz, I think I'll change mine to OldShoot in 5 years

- OS

[Guest Astra900]

To share the razz, I think I'll change mine to OldShoot in 5 years

- OS

Nah, you can't be superhero in a walker.

[MikeW]

Before my tape job.

After with Rosewood ambi-safety grips and new screws

[et45]

That looks much better.Those Hogue finger groove grips are blasphemy and should be banned from production.

[S391]

Yup I agree, they should be banned.

[Guest RISC777]

New for 4/09 - Pachmayr.