Shadow 2 grips, fit and choice

[Artemas2]

I switched from a Glock 34(medium BTBS) to a shadow 2 for USPSA last January and fell in love with the gun, however I never found a set of grips that fit me.
Most discussions online were either people wanting smaller grips or "just get palm-swells". The factory grips lack meaningful texture and are too thin for me so I
started chasing grips for nearly the entirety that I have had the gun and since I am crap at returns... a rather pricey journey. Hopefully this post can help someone avoid that mess.
If anyone has more to add, please do. I know that there are some incidental grip discussions in the Shadow 2 thread also.

I first ordered the LOK palmswell "boogies" grips which were better, but I could not get comfortable with the coke bottle shape of them, I then ordered the LOK "thin grips"
which are flat and Lok says are slightly thicker than factory. Again still too thin for me.
Next was the Henning group contour grips which I used for this past season. Now I am trying the new Shooting Sports innovations(SSI) "Scales 4.0"

All measurements are taken from sides while on the gun at about the middle of each grip
I tried to keep my blurbs objective as possible

Factory/LOK boogie thins: 1.135"/1.160"
I used these the least as it was clear that they were too small. With these grips I pulled shots to the right(Strong hand) more frequently when doing things like bill drills
or lots of transitions (el pres, blake drill, etc). The boogie texture is very aggressive which I like, if you have soft hands either try a less aggressive texture or lightly sand.

LOK Palmswell Boogies: 1.490" (lok measure them at 1.475")
These seem to be the go to grips for many people, just not me. The size of these fit me ok. The palmswell is too big and the shape of them did not work for me.
Anything from the holster I found it difficult to get a consistent index and wasted time looking for the front sight. I also had a difficult time getting good finger placement for DA
My hits on most drill were acceptable. These grips do work well for me on my Sp01 shadow.

Henning Contour grips: 1.295"
I used these the most last season and just worked on learning them. They are still too small and I tend to peel my strong hand fingers off when I complete my grip, but they worked well enough.
The shape of the contour is vaguely similar to 1911 grips
The checkering is decent, however in the humid months some kind of grip enhancer is a must.
The DA reach is good, however on SA I smash my finger tip on the mag catch if I am not careful.

SSI Scales 4.0: 1.407"
These for me are the best feature off all the above grips, flat, big, and grippy is the right spots. I also have good DA reach without feeling like ET on single action. SSI sells weight inserts for them as well, I did not purchase those.
I have not had a chance to shoot with these yet, hopefully next week when deer season is over and the ranges open back up.
Some quick cons I ran into is that they are more difficult to install (it took me over an hour....) SSI did suggest that some guns may need gunsmith fitting.
I found the screw holes difficult to line up straight and I had to lightly dremel a relief for the mag catch. They do not come with O' rings and require locktite which I don't care for on non-bushing frames
Also not included was a T15 torx wrench.
My only practical complaints with them so far is that aluminum and January is not a combination I want. The front edge is not tapered an makes table starts more difficult.
I also suspect that in humid environments that grip enhancer will be a good idea.


First for reference I wear a large mechanix glove



SSI, Henning, LOK thin, factory


Hennings


SSI/Henning


SSI/Palmswell


SSI/Lok thins


SSI

[backtrail540]

Another option, that i found enjoyable, were Armonov. They have some grip tape that is recessed so it doesn't move and can be had in 3 widths, each 2mm wider than the previous, to fit different shooters. They worked out well for me on my S2.

[YVK]

LOK made several sets of custom grips for me. I also don't like palm swells so I asked them to make straight profile but palm swell thickness. They did and I never looked for anything else. Later, when I switched to CO, before weight rules changes, they made 2 pairs of lightweight grips of same extra thickness. Some surcharge to reprogram his machine but ended up cheaper in long haul, for not having to go through other choices.
@cheby told me that LOK made some huge grips for his buddy. I find them to be a very responsive company.

[cheby]

LOK made several sets of custom grips for me. I also don't like palm swells so I asked them to make straight profile but palm swell thickness. They did and I never looked for anything else. Later, when I switched to CO, before weight rules changes, they made 2 pairs of lightweight grips of same extra thickness. Some surcharge to reprogram his machine but ended up cheaper in long haul, for not having to go through other choices.
@cheby told me that LOK made some huge grips for his buddy. I find them to be a very responsive company.

Yeah, just call Jayson at LOK grips and tell him what you want. Most likely he will make them for you. BTW, my favorite grips for CZ are these:
https://shootingsportsinnovations.com/cz-scales-2-0/
They are as close to 2011 as I could find.

On a side note, @YVK, someday I will find your old grips and will send them back to you.

[BigT]

I've got a set of the CZ retro grips on my S2. They fit my large mammal paws and give nice traction. They also looks tits.

[foxj66]

I have used nothing but the hennings seriously, at nationals I tried some of the SSI grip and found the size much better for me. I havent shot with them a lot yet. It feels much closer to a 2011 to my hands and I just feel locked into the gun.

For reference I wear a XXL glove hand measures about 8-1/4" from palm to tip of middle finger. As for the grip enhancer you should just plan on always using it as I find even in the winter months I still want it on my hands while shooting so its the same everytime.

[Clusterfrack]

Yeah, just call Jayson at LOK grips and tell him what you want. Most likely he will make them for you. BTW, my favorite grips for CZ are these:
https://shootingsportsinnovations.com/cz-scales-2-0/
They are as close to 2011 as I could find.

On a side note, @YVK, someday I will find your old grips and will send them back to you.

Ditto on Jay at Lok.

Since I don’t have any 2011s, that aspect of the SSI grip isn’t attractive. But the open grip is a hard pass in any case. I had a detonation caused by a ring of lead at the front of my chamber that would have fragged my hand with brass with those grips.

[cheby]

Ditto on Jay at Lok.

Since I don’t have any 2011s, that aspect of the SSI grip isn’t attractive. But the open grip is a hard pass in any case. I had a detonation caused by a ring of lead at the front of my chamber that would have fragged my hand with brass with those grips.

I am pretty sure Jay could make his grips shaped like the SSI ones if asked. It's probably going to cost more but still similar to the SSI grips

[Clusterfrack]

I'll add my data to the pile. I have a drawer full of grips as well, but think I've finally found what works best for my smedium hands.

Lok standard Bogie S2 "Full height, full texture" on the left side.
Lok standard Bogie for CZ75 on the right side, with texture sanded down smooth at trigger finger height.

The Hennings are a close second, but aren't tall enough on the left side, and aren't as grippy on the rear edge of the left panel as the full texture Loks. They also get cold as fuck in the winter.

I've dialed way back on the grip enhancer. It's like a drug: the more you use, the more you need to keep using. And if it gets wet, it's slippery. I apply a small dab of Ultimate Grip to my palms, my support side fingers, and the backs of my strong side fingers. I wipe off any excess with a microfiber cloth. I just want enough to add a little friction.