Wood Grips on a Modern "Fighting" Handgun?

[Suvorov]

My recent new-to-me Beretta 92C came with checkered wood grips. I immediately replaced them with Hogue "thinish" rubber grip panels, but I have to admit - those Italian Maple grips sure are pretty. :p

Do pretty wooden grips have a place on a modern fighting handgun, or are they completely outclassed by more modern polymer, elastomer, and even metal grips on the market today?

Does anyone carry/run, a gun with wooden grips and if so, how do they hold up to the knock around abuse as well as the sweat generated by concealment?

[David Armstrong]

Lots of 1911s running around out there with wood on them, I still use wood on my S&W 39, and so on. Don't really see any reason not to use it. Plastic and metal may last longer and take more abuse but I doubt most of us will put our guns through that much abuse.

[Odin Bravo One]

I have pistols with wood grips, and have no issue using them for defensive pistols. But for a "fighting" pistol, I want something I can hold onto when it's covered in sweat, water, blood, etc. Wood doesn't give me that like plastic does.

[NETim]

G10 all the way baby! VZ's in particular. Bombproof.

And I've heard they're really, really tactical.

:)

[digiadaamore]

I have pistols with wood grips, and have no issue using them for defensive pistols. But for a "fighting" pistol, I want something I can hold onto when it's covered in sweat, water, blood, etc. Wood doesn't give me that like plastic does.

exactly! i was(and still are) a beretta guy forever and evertime id see a guy post pics of his beretta with wood grips id know that despite that gun being functionally identical to all the others, it was no where near as deadly because its owner did not have the right mindset

[abu fitna]

Ran the old style slick wooden grips on a Browning BDA for some time a long while back. (Perhaps not what one would consider a modern weapons platform due to the very small sights, but definitely among the more modern options for the time and place it was needed.) They looked good, and stood up to quite a bit of abuse... though didn't look as good after some years. Also were admittedly not ideal for sweat or blood soaked hands under stress.

Did better with an Argentine .45 (though for a relatively short time), but those were not pretty grips and while they soaked up the abuse, the checkering was blunted by the years on a very old gun. The number of chips and nicks left more imprints in the hand than the Browning medallion set into the BDA.

Having said that, a colleague swears by lovely boot grips on a small frame revolver, also slick but absolutely wonderful piece of the woodworker's art. They seem to be very dense wood, and have stayed pretty for a long time.

These days though I am onto the fantastic plastic like everyone else - brutally utilitarian and functional, but certainly nothing to look at in the older sense (though one must admit a certain appeal where form follows function). Don't even own a single wooden grip on any of my personal weapons (not even the AK; factory polymer direct from the fair land of Bulgaria).

[Tamara]

My recent new-to-me Beretta 92C came with checkered wood grips. I immediately replaced them with Hogue "thinish" rubber grip panels...

I hates me some sticky neoprene Hogues. They bind up on clothing like superglue. :o

There are good alternatives to wood for most any autopistol design out there, but the best revolver grips still come from Eagle and Ahrends, IMO.

[rsa-otc]

I hates me some sticky neoprene Hogues. They bind up on clothing like superglue. :o

There are good alternatives to wood for most any autopistol design out there, but the best revolver grips still come from Eagle and Ahrends, IMO.

Hogues nylon mono grip has been my go to revolver grip since it's interduction in the late 70's. Vertually indestructable and I never had a problem with slippage. I absolutely hated the rubber version; as Tam pointed out too sticky. Recently had to move to the Pachmayr Grippers to reduce the wear and tear on my forearms. A well made wood grip just sets off a quality firearm.

[GA_Jeff]

Wood grips may or may not be an issue. I'll put it this way. What are the odds that you actually need to draw your weapon for SD? What are the odds that the conditions make a wood grip a factor in the outcome?

To me, I don't care for wood grips from a practical perspective. There are times when I'm shooting matches, etc where it's pretty hot. I would not be comfortable with a wood grip and sweaty hands. Likewise, there are times when there's some percipitation while I'm shooting. Again, I would not be comfortable with wood grips.

However that's just me. YMMV.

[Nephrology]

Well checkered wood on an autoloader like a CZ, Beretta, SIG, 1911 etc are fine for me. Front and backstrap texture is more important that what is on the side panels either way.

that said the best texture I've ever felt on a pistol, bar none, is the Gen 3 Glock RTF. Incredibly coarse, perfect for sweaty hands. Though it also has succeeded in giving me a callous on the meat of my palm towards my wrist, something I never before thought possible.

[TCinVA]

I like wood grips from an aesthetic point of view, but they're all to slick for my preference. Of course, I'm the kind of guy who glues sandpaper to the grip of his P30 because it doesn't have enough purchase, so...

[Tamara]

I like wood grips from an aesthetic point of view, but they're all to slick for my preference. Of course, I'm the kind of guy who glues sandpaper to the grip of his P30 because it doesn't have enough purchase, so...

Wooden autopistol grips are usually too thin to checker aggressively. The checkered Eagle "Secret Service" stocks on my PC13 (http://cosmolineandrust.blogspot.com/2008/01/sunday-smith-32-model-pc-13-1995.html) will darn near draw blood with heavy loads. They grip like an 18-lpi 1911 frontstrap.

[TNWNGR]

I prefer wood grips on revolvers and non-polymer framed pistols and will always choose this option when possible. Tamara is quite correct about checkering needing a thicker grip to work sufficiently but the checkering process in turn thins the grip. Un-checkered grips become slippery when they’ve had a high gloss finish applied to them that completely fill the wood pours or long term sweat and grime build up. Deglaze the grip surface and hand rub a small amount of Tung oil into the surface, then periodically wipe the grips panels and lightly rub in a bit of Tung oil.

[skyshark]

exactly! i was(and still are) a beretta guy forever and evertime id see a guy post pics of his beretta with wood grips id know that despite that gun being functionally identical to all the others, it was no where near as deadly because its owner did not have the right mindset

Seriously? Choosing wood over plastic, rubber, or something else means a person's mindset is all wrong and that person isn't nearly as capable with their weapon? What about leather over Kydex, or AIWB vs. strong side? Do those factors alone also dictate a person's mindset? I'd want to know the reasons for choosing wood over other material before I jump to any conclusions regarding someone's mindset. (i.e. was wood chosen over something else because it is less abrasive to bare skin when carried IWB all day?)

BTW, I carry a P225 with factory PLASTIC checkered grips.

[Suvorov]

Thanks for the replies! A lot of good insight here.

In the end, form followed function and I now have a pair of the standard Beretta plastic grips on the gun. For whatever reason, the rubber grips for the compact were noticeably thicker than they are for the full sized gun and this caused issues with the pistol hanging up on the holster and most importantly issues with me operating the safety/decock and mag release. I put the original wood grips on and cut a couple coils on the magazine catch spring which alleviated the issues somewhat but I was still having issues dropping the magazine and was considering going to an extended magazine catch - not something I really wanted to do on a CCW gun. Luckily I was able to find someone on the Beretta Forum who was willing to trade me their OEM plastic grips for my rubber grips. The plastic grips are still thinner and are better recessed around the magazine release making mag changes easier (I still have to shift my grip when dropping a magazine but that is the case with all my Beretta's save my Elite with extended mag release).

So, the moral of my story - material of the grip doesn't matter as much as its ability to allow you to operate the gun's controls and hold onto it when it is rocking and rolling. I see that Hogue does make some "extreme" G-10 grips that are supposed to be ultra thin, but at $75, I really would want to see them before I buy them.

Anyhow a little bit of gun porn of my compact with the sexy wood grips and with the plain Jane plastic grips. Notice how much better recessed the plastic grips are around the magazine release.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f32/wyorca/Firearms/IMG_3065.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f32/wyorca/Firearms/IMG_3067.jpg

[shootist26]

what kind of holster are you using? I just picked up a TLR-1 and MR11 rail adapter for my 92.

I am still on the lookout for extra thin grips for my 92 Compact. I tried the Hogue rubber grips assuming they were thinner, but they weren't. My fullsize 92 is sporting Trausch grips, which seriously makes it feel like a single stack gun.

[Suvorov]

what kind of holster are you using? I just picked up a TLR-1 and MR11 rail adapter for my 92.

I am still on the lookout for extra thin grips for my 92 Compact. I tried the Hogue rubber grips assuming they were thinner, but they weren't. My fullsize 92 is sporting Trausch grips, which seriously makes it feel like a single stack gun.

Yeah, I found the Hogue grips to be way too thick for the compact. Funny thing is they are much better on the full size. Trausch doesn't make compact grips which is a bummer, Hogue may make a thinner G-10 grip but I haven't seen it yet. They say they are super thin but given their rubber grip I just don't trust them.

I'm running two different holsters usually, a Boarder Patrol Don Hume holster or a Safariland 6378 ALS. The ALS was the one that the rubber grips would get caught up on. I don't think it really mattered, but there was definitely rubbing. I run the gun with the light on, which is why I like the TICK rail as it mounts and dismounts the gun real easily. I really like my ALS, but I don't know if it will work with a rail or not.

[shootist26]

I think I am going to buy the TICK rail unless anybody knows of any particular issues with it...does it work with newer 92s with a slanted dustcover? My Surefire MR11 rail is very secure, but I need an f-ing hammer to take it off and put it back on.

[Suvorov]

I think I am going to buy the TICK rail unless anybody knows of any particular issues with it...does it work with newer 92s with a slanted dustcover? My Surefire MR11 rail is very secure, but I need an f-ing hammer to take it off and put it back on.

The TICK won't work stock with the newer dustcover, that is its big disadvantage :(

But you may be able to make one work by putting some material towards the front of the TICK in order to get it level. I have the streamlight adapter as well and I like the TICK much better for ease of use.

[Chuck Haggard]

Wood may have turned the corner to being more "tactical" over the past few years. We know that "black is whack" on weapons now since it is commonly known as "target indicator black" instead of "tactical black", while wood is naturally more camouflage-ee and much closer to being the same color as the "new tactical black" which we know is flat dark earth.

Seriously though, especially on revolvers, I'm with Tam, wood works just fine and better than many of the available alternatives.




On a side note and only marginally on topic, I went back to a wood baton, a couple of various lengths actually, for use at work a few years ago, like the grip and handling better than any plastic or expandable baton available on the market. Step out of the car on a bar fight call with three feet of Monadnock brand hard wood and people tend to part like the Red Sea.

[shootist26]

The TICK won't work stock with the newer dustcover, that is its big disadvantage :(

But you may be able to make one work by putting some material towards the front of the TICK in order to get it level. I have the streamlight adapter as well and I like the TICK much better for ease of use.

I ordered the EZ Rail (formerly known as the Tick) and it fits perfectly on my new 92. I guess they changed it. Anyways, the quick detach capability works great. I will test it out at the range this weekend.