Skateboard tape and draw speed

[Mirolynmonbro]

I only have it on the back strap now but it's sanded down so it's just a teeny tiny bit grippy

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[Peally]

I don't use tape or grip stuff for that reason. While it provides a hell of a sticking ability my draws go down the crapper since my hand can't slide along the gun and get into position anymore.

Probably something that could be trained around but meh, not worth the effort for me.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

Good point George. I’m quicker on the draw too, with a Gen 3 stock Glock, but slower with a Gen 3 Vickers RTF2, and slower still with the 2.0 M&P series.

When I took Dave Spaulding’s class last month, one thing he talked about with AIWB carry was aggressively attacking the front strap on the initial grip of the gun, and getting the ring finger as high as possible there. I’ve done that, and it seems to make a difference, and my frequency of fowled grips has decreased.


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[Sherman A. House DDS]

Oh, an additional thought. I noticed whilst shooting my (now DA/SA with manual safety) CZ PO7 how much I like having a relatively smooth pistol with aggressively purchased thumb rests...like the PO7. That reference point helps my index and also helps with recoil control I feel. Quite subjective, I know, but going forward, aside from the rear quarter panel, about the only place I like having aggressive texture.

I like the less-grippy frames of my 1.0 M&P’s, and I’ll be swapping to the 2.0 barrels in those, to get them up to spec. Modernizing the fleet!


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[Mr_White]

I've never quantified any of this because I make a qualitative decision about grip tape or not, but I've found, and I think it's been long known, that smooth grips are better for drawing/concealment/comfort, and rough grips are better for shooting. Trade-offs.

I've always gone with a smoother grip because concealment is the most controlling factor. There can be minor in-between steps though - on my old Gen3 Glocks, which are reasonably slippery as grip textures go, I put a 1/4" x 2" strip of 3M Safety Walk down the center of the backstrap (that was the only inexpensive product I found that was readily available in plenty of quantity that was flexible and sticky enough to actually adhere to that spot, though it still had to be replaced regularly as the grit wore down.) It helped anchor the gun in my grip for shooting, but wasn't an impediment to master grip acquisition at speed, and it didn't cause my shirt to hang up compromising concealment.

The Gen5 has a very nice grip texture and I don't put any tape on it.

[Doc_Glock]

...I've found, and I think it's been long known, that smooth grips are better for drawing/concealment/comfort, and rough grips are better for shooting. Trade-offs.

It seems obvious now, but I actually never thought of any of these trade offs til reading George’s post.

Thanks for the continuing education guys. And thanks for quantifying it a bit @GJM.

[nwhpfan]

I don't want to reveal anyone's true identity but @Clusterfrack , I believe, is an actual expert on sticky things and friction. Serious, if we revealed who he really is – two words, “mind blown”

I strongly encourage the mods, in this thread alone, if @Clusterfrack agrees to participate, the appropriate titles and banners for him if he responds.

I defer to him, but my simple mind leads me to believe (not being an expert on it) that friction can have both a positive and negative effect depending on what it is counteracting with. Mr. White has already touched on some of these conflicts.

[Clobbersaurus]

This is the only place I put grip tape on my Gen 5 ( and on the opposite side). I know it helps because after range sessions I get slight abrasion on the thenar of my weak hand. I don’t get this during dry practice, so I assume it’s biting in during recoil. I also find it helps during WHO/SHO shooting, as I roll my thumbs down onto to skate tape.

[GJM]

Tape here does not interfere with my draw and helps with traction on the quarter panel.

[GJM]

Interesting. What is your average non-grip tape draw speed?

Depends.

When I said “depends,” I wasn’t being cute. My draw speed is a pretty wide envelope, and it depends on the situation, the scoring, and the consequences. For example, with too much tape on my pistol, I got a bad grip on a classifier last weekend, and had a 1.55 draw to a partial target at 7 yards. Here is a vid, just messing around with one shot draws, no consequences to a bad one, no follow through except to the timer, and I went, as I recall .58, .54, .51, .51 and then a funny empty chamber draw. So, for that reason, average doesn’t mean much to me, except for feeeling better on the internet!