Top Categories

Talon Grips

By on May 10, 2012 in Gear Reviews

A year or so ago, I was having trouble with the front checkering on the grip of my Kahr CM9. Whenever I shot more than 50 or 100 rounds in one range session, the checkering would really start to dig into my middle finger. My first thought was to wrap the grip in skateboard tape to fix the problem, but then I found Talon Grips and decided to give them a try.

How It Works

Talon Grips are one piece custom decal style adhesive grips for many popular polymer pistols. Essentially they work just like you would expect – you peel off the backing, line them up per the cutouts and/or the included diagram, and they wrap around the grip of your gun.

While they do fit very tightly and securely, they can be removed if you want, though you probably won’t want to (just sayin’). Talon Grips come in two different textures, rubber and granulate.

Granulate Texture

If you like an aggressive grip, the granulate texture is for you. It feels very similar to skateboard tape or fine sandpaper. Personally, I find this texture a little too aggressive, but some people love them. If you carry inside the waistband (IWB) against bare skin like I do, you might want to opt for the rubber texture.

Rubber Texture

The rubber texture is my preference. It gives you a decently aggressive grip texture, while also providing a little padding. There’s just a tiny bit of “give” in the grip with the rubber Talons, which I like. I think they make shooting smaller guns less punishing on your hand.

Shooting

I have Talon Grips on both my Kahr CM9 and my Smith & Wesson Shield. This is personal preference, but I don’t think the grips are essential with the Shield (though some shooters I know disagree with me). The CM9 is a different story. Having shot the CM9 both with and without, I wouldn’t, and haven’t, gone back. Talon Grips make the gun easier and more pleasant to shoot.

Wrapping Up

Talon Grips are excellent value. At the time of writing, you could purchase Talon Grips for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield for $14.99. If you find yourself wanting a better grip, or want to make shooting your small gun more enjoyable, I think Talon Grips are well worth the money.

, , , ,

27 Responses to Talon Grips

  1. Dr. L. May 10, 2012 at 10:14 am #

    Are they difficult to apply properly? It looks like you did a perfect job applying them to your Shield.

    • Brandon May 10, 2012 at 10:24 am #

      No, it’s really easy to line up.

  2. Mark H. May 10, 2012 at 12:27 pm #

    Great review! I just ordered the granulate grips for a XD .45, and Glock 23 , now I think I’ll try the rubber ones too. Love the site, thanks for all the great info.

    • Brandon May 10, 2012 at 12:36 pm #

      Thanks Mark!

  3. Rodger May 14, 2012 at 5:51 pm #

    I have installed the Talon Grips (rubber) on my Ruger SR9C, and they are very nice and comfortable. I have since ordered the grips for my Glock 19 Gen4 and XD .45. I highly recommend these grips, and they can be easily trimmed to fit any handgun. I am going to try to rig one to fit my Steyr.

  4. Avi May 15, 2012 at 8:57 am #

    Is there any reason i should spend $15 on Talon grips when i could buy a sheet of skateboard tape on ebay for $6 am i getting anything more with talon?

    • Brandon May 15, 2012 at 9:27 am #

      Maybe, maybe not. Talon Grips will likely be custom fit to your gun (depending on what gun you have), potentially giving it a “cleaner” look, and Talon Grips also come in the rubber texture. You’ll have to decide if either of those reasons are important to you.

  5. Aaron May 17, 2012 at 10:37 am #

    Brandon, Are they hard to remove?

    • Brandon May 17, 2012 at 10:51 am #

      Well I’ve not removed them before, but I don’t it would be difficult. When applying them the first time, I had to make a slight adjustment which required me to pull up the grip and realign it, which gave me an idea of what removal might be like. My guess is that at worst you’d have to clean off some of the sticky residue, which wouldn’t be a big deal.

  6. KC May 23, 2012 at 1:46 pm #

    I have order Talon grips but I did not received it over 3weeks. I’ve e-mail him but he have never responded to me. I’ve e-mail him over and over to this day no respond.I will have to dispute charge with PayPal. Beware of this company!

    • Brandon May 23, 2012 at 1:51 pm #

      Thanks for the heads up KC. Someone else tipped me off that this was going on yesterday, and looking at the Talon Grips Facebook page, it sounds like something bad happened. Like potentially a death in the family. All I can say is I’ve had two great experiences with them, so whatever is going on isn’t their normal mode of business.

      • KG June 2, 2012 at 4:19 pm #

        Yeah, if you go back to the website now you will see they have suspended orders. Apparently the owner of the company has passed away suddenly.

  7. Linejudgemick July 13, 2012 at 9:01 am #

    For anyone who is interested, Talon Grips has resumed business. I ordered a set of the rubberized grips for my Beretta Nano and received them in 3 days via USPS. They installed easily and I believe I will like them – of course they’re brand new, so it’s easy to feel that way now. Time will tell.

  8. Jay October 30, 2012 at 9:49 am #

    I just got my Talon grips for my SR9c yesterday, very easy install and feel great (rubberized version) I went with the rubber because I plan on concealed carry so this will be less abrasive on bare skin.
    The grip feels good and it’s not bulky in the least. If you are looking for a better grip on your firearm, this is a great way to get it at a very low cost.

  9. Talon Grips March 25, 2013 at 5:32 pm #

    We have been back up and running since June of 2012. We now have about 50 firearms that we outfit, and wanted to thank you guys for the great review. Happy shooting!

    • Brandon March 25, 2013 at 5:48 pm #

      That’s great to hear!

    • Linejudgemick March 25, 2013 at 8:09 pm #

      Darn, You guys have grips for the Taurus TCP now… I put Traction grips on it when you didn’t have them for it before. I really like the rubberized Talons I have on my Nano!

  10. Rodger Miller March 25, 2013 at 6:12 pm #

    I am so glad that I found Talon Grips years ago. I have installed the rubber grips on 6 of my handguns and they are so easy to install and they stay in place. I recommend Talon Grips to everyone. For under $20 and ship free and fast, how can you go wrong? This is the model that all companies should follow.

    • Talon Grips March 25, 2013 at 6:14 pm #

      Very kind reply Rodger… We appreciate all of our customers that have allowed us to fulfill our dreams. Thanks to everyone!

      • Rodger Miller March 25, 2013 at 7:41 pm #

        Thank you!

  11. Dave Hall April 6, 2013 at 12:04 pm #

    Just got my Talon rubber grips yesterday for my new SR9c. Very easy to apply and offer a great positive grip. Took me 5 minutes to apply and look perfect. Talon also sent me material to put on my extended mag at no extra charge. I call this a no-brainer..

  12. Kenneth F April 25, 2013 at 3:23 pm #

    How are these in terms of longevity? I had some from TractionGrips for a P3AT and the adhesive balls up and the rubber falls off.

    • Rodger Miller April 25, 2013 at 3:29 pm #

      Kenneth, if you apply like the instructions say, then they should last a long long time. I have used them on many of my pistols and have never had one start to peel. I carry and draw practice almost daily. I like the rubber grips best.

      • Rodger Miller April 25, 2013 at 3:31 pm #

        This is a very good quality product, inexpensive and ships fast. How can they stay in business?

    • Talon Grips April 25, 2013 at 3:30 pm #

      we guarantee them for six months, but many owners have had them last years. Thanks.

  13. Tom October 15, 2013 at 8:23 pm #

    Have you had any problems with them coming off from overuse/wear and tear??

    • Brandon October 15, 2013 at 9:07 pm #

      Not at all Tom.