Reporting back after carrying the G43X with the new Talon Pro grip material.
Verdict: I am going to remove it.
My JM CK has a full guard, but the grip on my G43X provides quite a bit of bare-skin contact against my normal cargo shorts+untucked polo/T shirt. The Pro grip is not unlike the granulate, in that regard. Which was kind of surprising because in the hand it does not feel that rough. I guess against my midriff is a different story though. I think if I carried with an undershirt, it'd be fine. But I'm in FL and don't want 2X layers. Plus I don't really want more fabric to deal with on a re-holster.
I plan on leaving the Pro grip on the G19 for USPSA, but am going to go back to stock and remove the Talon material from my G43X.
Oh well. At least it was $5 off :|
I've got the Pro grips on my carry G19.4 now too. I think they are too abrasive for direct skin contact, although I didn't think so at first either.
They also increase friction against garments in a way that has been somewhat counterproductive for me in practice. It seems very slightly more likely to foul my draw and harder to adjust my grip if required. They tend to grab and untuck my t-shirt on the draw more, which is a nuisance for range practice.
In retrospect, I think I'd have been better served with a single piece of granulate tape on the backstrap, another small piece under the slide stop, both of them sanded down to the optimal texture.
I'll keep them on for now, but I may pull them if/when summer ever arrives in Northern WI. They do keep the gun planted in my hand nicely. If I get Talon Grips for my S&W Shield, they will absolutely be the original rubber. The Shield doesn't have the fairly reasonable texture of the stock 19.4, so it may be worth a try. I should just suck it up and break out the soldering iron. I envy the SIG guys with their modular frames!
I just ordered two sets of Pros; one for a Gen 3 G21 which I plan on carrying occasionally, and another for a PX4 Compact. I tried a set of rubber Talons on a previous PX4 and I really could not keep a grip on it (gorilla sized hands + sweat = wet bar of soap that goes bang in random directions). Figuring I didn't give the PX4 a real fair shake before (I doubt I put 500 rounds through it before moving it on), I'm giving it another shot...this time with something grippier.
The rubber versions are nice, but like others noted, they fall down (for me) when my hands are sweaty. Since I always wear an undershirt anyway, the more granular pros should work out better...but, we'll see when it all comes together!
Thanks for this thread btw, I wouldn't have known about the Pro version of the grips without it.
I’ve been carrying the 43x with the new pro grip for a few weeks now and no problem for me in rubbing against my skin. I carry in a aiwb in a JMC wing 2.0 mid cut. Carry all day and including long walks for a few miles and for me it’s been fantastic. Obviously YMMV but I don’t have a problem with them being to abrasive against my skin. For me they are a big winner.
I've found that both the granulate and rubber Talons stick just fine on my slab grip HK45C. On my P30L with the batman grip, the rubber grips stick fine and last except around the finger grooves themselves, where it isn't really necessary. The granulate is absolutely hopeless on the P30. The grips bunch up and unstick on the rear sides of the grip. I tried several times and they just don't work. I do find either grip transforming for the HK45C.
Real guns have hammers.
I can't speak to longevity, but the Talon Pro material I installed on my G19.4 seems to be very solid so far. It's a whole different level than a different brand I used on a previous project. I was careful to follow the directions exactly, and I cleaned/degreased with multiple alcohol wipes (they just inclued a single tiny one with the grips). I also used a hair dryer and worked/pressed/heated multiple times. I used the same process to install the other brand, but it didn't function nearly as well as the Talon Pro grips.
I'm really impressed by the adhesion. I won't be buying adhesive grip material from anybody else in the future.
My Talon Pro grips have softened up significantly from the time when I posted the above. I no longer have any problem with them rubbing against bare skin.
They were downright prickly in one spot when new. It was enough to abrade a hot-spot near the base of my support hand thumb while shooting, and I am a person who uses hand tools for a living. I think that particular spot was also chafing my side. After several hundred rounds and some days of carry it got way better. By now it's comfortable for me. They still provide good traction.
I've ordered another Pro grip for my Shield.
I’ve used both on a Langdon PX4 Carry. I found the rubber to be comfortable and grippy enough. The sandpaper type texture was a little much for daily carry for me.