Talon’s New Grips

I'm excited about Talon's new grips after getting my hands on them at SHOT Show 2020. These new grips, as far as I'm concerned, render anything they've had until now, obsolete.

Don't get me wrong, the rubberized ones were always pretty good, as are the granulate ones if you're looking to take your grip to the next level. However, I always thought I'd want something more in the middle of the two of them.

To have something that provided more grip than stock, but didn't suck to carry because of the abrasiveness on my love handles that actually enhanced the way my pistol feels in my hand is ideal.

Again, I wanted something in the middle. I wanted something in between the rubberized ones and the granulate ones, even if I didn't know it at the time. Now that these new rubber-ish grips are coming out, I can say that everyone who carries a gun can benefit from their installation.

While I was visiting Talon Grips' booth at SHOT Show 2020 I couldn't stop feeling the different guns in my hand. All of them are guns I've shot before and have been intimately familiar with at various times in the past.

I knew how they felt without the grips from years of experience, and the grip was enhanced on every model of gun they had on hand.

It's really hard to explain, but the grips provide a very solid purchase on the firearm without being abrasive, and the gun actually stuck in my hand well and enhanced the feel of the grip.

Before I move on continuing to sound like a company salesman or paid shill, let me say that I do have one concern about these grips. The concern I have is that the granules may work their way loose after a while, slowly falling off over time.

I voiced some concern over that, and Adam, the Talon Grips guy I spoke to, said that these are not the finished product yet, and that they have another step in the process that they've recently worked out with a stickier type of epoxy that allows them to keep their integrity.

And, they've been testing a few for several months without any issue which I'm glad to hear because I'll be first in line when these are released.

Adam told me that these go on and off the same way as the regular ones do, and don't do anything to change the configuration of your firearm. To be honest, I've never been a fan of an aftermarket stippling job. I know it's popular, but I'd rather not take the chance on damaging my guns.

MSRP is said to be the same as the other models they're currently selling, and they're expected to hit the market at some point in the next few months. They won't have other colors, as that changes the effectiveness of the grip.

I'm sure the inability to change the color will negatively impact some decisions to buy these, but to me the way my pistol looks is trumped by the way it functions or feels in my hand. I know a lot of our readers agree.

Stay tuned for a new Talon Gun Grips review by either myself or Matthew. You can read Matthew's in depth, nearly scientific review of Talon Grips, here.

About Joshua Gillem

Josh is a lifelong practitioner and student of the gun. He grew up shooting/hunting with his dad, and was given his first gun, a 12 gauge shotgun, when just a small boy. After high school, he joined the Marines where his love for firearms blossomed as he qualified with an M16A2, an M9, and a 240G. Josh has been writing about firearms and tactics for several years, owns the blog Gunners Den, is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, and believes that each individual person has the right to self-defense by any means necessary. Currently residing in gun-friendly NC, he carries a concealed gun on a daily basis, even in his own house.

9 Comments

  1. Mike on January 24, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    So the grips were made of rubber granules, or did I misinterpret?

    • Joshua Gillem on January 24, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      So, I’m not quite sure how to explain it. It’s sort of like their old grips in that its like grip tape, but with these little rubber pieces on it. It’s hard to explain, but really great in hand. I hope this helps.

      Josh

  2. Bob V. on January 24, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    One big drawback with the current grips has to do with cleaning the pistol. I like to fully clean my pistol a couple times a year which means using various gun cleaning solvents. The gun cleaner strips all the dirt and grit from the gun as well as the grip tape which renders the tape unusable. I expect it will be the same with the new tape?

    • Joshua Gillem on January 27, 2020 at 7:43 am

      Too early to tell, but I assume it would be.

      • Bryan on April 22, 2020 at 5:44 pm

        Use alcohol on the outside of the gun to clean it and put a light, very light wipe with oil to preserve the metal parts only. You should not have to use so much solvent on the gun to remove the grip tape. Try to clean your gun more often and it should require much less solvent. I shoot every week and clean my guns after each time I shoot them. I’ve had my Talon Grips on 15 guns since Talon grips were a thing and have not ever had a grip come off.

  3. Dan E. Bishop on April 22, 2020 at 5:09 pm

    Mine are cracking in some spots , will they pay for the replacements?

    • David Dominiecki on May 9, 2020 at 7:12 am

      How old are the grips?

  4. Jason on April 24, 2020 at 1:19 am

    They will not pay for replacements. I had some old granulated on a S&W m&p 9 that lost its adhesion and called them. They said the grips are a consumable product, they do change adhesion from time to time when new and better product is available. Which makes sense to me. At $17 +- I can afford to replace when necessary.

  5. grizkalla on April 8, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    Is that the Pro in this article?

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