Some years ago I had an issued M-9 with Pachmayer grips. The rubber of the grip decreased the slip of the weapon in my hand while wearing a glove and basically made the grip of the M-9 form fit to my hand. I liked them a lot.
Some years later a friend of mine Rick had a small band of rubber on his M-9. Being curious I asked him what in the world is that as I peered down my nose at it. He answered it's a Hogue grip. I sneered and said it isn't worth what he paid for it. It's too small and there is no way that it could do anything to improve your grip. The heated exchange lasted for a few minutes and ended with me and my Pachmayers and Rick with his Hogue.
Shortly after the above I got a good deal on a Glock 17. I am a fan of Glock ingenuity. If you can work on one Glock you can work on them all. All generations are basically the same. I wasn't too much of a fan of shooting one. My calloused and big meat hook had a hard time gripping the plastic grip of the gun, also I could feel it twist in my hand while shooting the gun. I had brought it with me on a trip Rick and I took. As I was shooting it I told Rick the problems I was having with it and then started putting skateboard tape on the grip. Rick then kept telling me to put a Hogue on it. Being thick headed I wouldn't listen to him. I did research for a better Glock grip and at the time all I could find was Hogue.
Some years later I was shooting a friends Glock 19 with a Hogue grip. This did change my mind on this grip. It did make a big difference. However I didn't run out and get one. But a few years later I finally got one.
For testing purposes I was able to get a plethora of the universal grips and some of the Glock 42/43 grips. Both grips fit just about everything out there. I own 3 Glocks (17,20, and 22) which were outfitted with the universal. I used the 42/43 grips on a Taurus PT140 Millenium Pro, and the gun I love to hate the Ruger LC-9. I also gave my friend Jim a set because he had a Glock 42. Jim and I both felt better about holding the weapons in our hands with these grips.
One thing I find about the Hogue grip is the laborious process of getting it on your gun. You gotta take it slow or else you will have tears in the grip. I applied the grip straight out of the package to my G-17 which was rough. Other techniques I used were applying talc to the grip of the gun, heating the grip in boiling water, using a small diameter screw driver under the grip, and Jim's technique warming the grip in your hands. The roughest installation was on the G-20. Again it took time and slipped off several times but I prevailed with persistence and finally got it on.
Using the G-17 I set out to test accuracy. I wanted to test the Hogue grip under stress. I started at the 50 yard line ran up to the 8 yard line. I went from the holster (position #1) to engaging the target (position #4) as quickly as possible with 5 rounds shot rapidly on a 3 inch dot. The first picture shows my shot group without the grip.
I then installed the grip and chilled out at the 50 yard line for a cumulative 20 minutes before I shot my next group. The picture doesn't lie. My group did tighten up under the same conditions.
Disregard the meters and yards difference. My mistake it was yards for both shot groups.
I am won over by the Hogue grip on performance. Another benefit of the Hogue grip is price. I researched wrap around grips and found prices between $5-$7 dollars for the Hogue. Also you can order straight from Hogue. I also found that Pachmayer now makes a wrap around grip like the Hogue grip which averages at about $10.
My plan is to Hogue all of my pistols. Hogue also sells full replacement grips for other guns go to Hogueinc.com. I got some on my S&W 686 replacing the factory installed wooden grips, there are 1911 grips, and AR grips.
Below are the listed guns that the universal grip and the clock 42/43 will fit
UNIVERSAL GRIPS
NOTE: WILL FIT SPRINGFIELD XDM
42/43 Grips
Fit like a glove on the LC-9
