Grips make the man, or so I’ve been told. It’s probably why none of my guns sport stock grips. If they’re replaceable I end up switching them them out for something better. If they’re nonexistent because the frame is polymer, I end up stippling them. To this day, I’ve never been completely satisfied with most stock grip configurations and the Beretta 92 is no different. So in keeping with my Wilson Combat vein, I ordered some of their G10 grips, complete with Wilson Combat logo bling . . .
My problem with the OEM Beretta 92 grips is twofold. They were made out of a slick plastic and are on the beefy side. Even though the grips came checkered, they just aren’t grippy enough. I’m the kind of guy that thinks the blood-drawing serrations on the front strap of a Springfield TRP are perfect, though, so maybe I’m not quite normal. Either way, my Beretta was in need of some grip enhancement.
As to the second point, we could argue about ergonomics until the cows come home, but the fact of the matter is I wanted something a little thinner to help out with that chunky grip. According to what I could find online, G10 grips are a few millimeters thinner than the stock Beretta grips so they seemed to fit the bill.
I won’t bore you with the details on how to install these because I’m pretty sure even Carolyn “shoulder thing that goes up” McCarthy could manage it. I ended up going with the black cherry tactical slants grips because I prefer the look of wood even if it’s faux. And from previous experience, the tactical slants provide me with the degree of grippiness I like.
The logo medallion in the middle may or may not be your thing. I like the uniqueness it lends to the gun which sets it apart in a sea awash in GLOCKs, M&Ps and XDs. Side-by-side the grips honestly don’t look any thinner than the stock ones, but when installed there is a perceptible difference. The grip feels less chunky and coupled with the short reach trigger I can say the gun feels damn near perfect in my hands now. The slants cut into the G10 surface provide a lot of grip without feeling too abrasive, both to hands and love handles when carrying.
So they work as advertised and improve the gun’s ergonomics. Surely they must be perfect right? Not so fast, quick draw. There’s one major downside — the price. These grips can be delivered to your front door for $76.95 plus $9.95 shipping. For those of you playing at home that’s a whopping $86.90. Some of that cost can be alleviated by buying more than one part since Wilson charges you $9.95 for shipping no matter how much you buy. Or you can get them sans emblem for a mere $69.95.
It should come at no surprise that you pay for quality, but for $10 on Amazon you can pick up some rubber Hogue side panel grips and spend the rest on ammo. Will they work as well? I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out.
Wilson Combat Beretta 92/96 G10 Grips
Price: $76.95 with emblem; $69.95 without
Ratings (out of five stars):
Ease of Installation * * * * *
My 5-year-old could install these.
Feel and Function * * * * *
These really improve the grip of the gun both ergonomically and traction wise.
Overall * * * 1/2
I really wavered on how to score these overall. They work perfectly and look great, but cost almost a C note with shipping. When compared to some of Wilson Combat’s less expensive parts that drastically improve the function of the Beretta 92, the price brings the rating down for an otherwise excellent set of grips.
Option C-Stipple the Stock grips and call it good.No offense to WC, but if I want to spend excess money on designer gear there’s an Apple store near me.
Stippling on a alloy frame with no where to hold without stipling? Or are you saying stiple the stock grips. Either way pretty dumb comment.
Why is stippling the factory grips a dumb comment?
I had kind of the opposite gripe with the stock grips, I found the checkering up where I rest my thumb was irritating, especially after firing a couple hundred rounds at the range (yet still slick when your hands get sweaty). I picked up the Beretta wood grips ( http://www.berettausa.com/en-us/beretta-92-series-wood-grips/e00219/ ). I have large hands, so they work fine for me, but they make the fat 92 grip even fatter.
I want some nice pretty colored grips that match the color of Shannon Watts’ eyes.
Dirk, what color are her eyes?
They’re red and glow in the dark from what I hear.
Those eyes look cold and dead to me…
Dirk may not agree…
You know the thing about a Shannon, she’s got… lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eye. When she comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’. Until she bites ya and those black eyes roll over white. And then, ah then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin’ and the ocean turns red and spite of all the poundin’ and the hollerin’ they all come in and rip you to pieces.
“These grips can be delivered to your front door for $76.95 plus $9.95 shipping…”
Bwah! Ha! Ha!…………I don’t think so, Kimosabe.
I quite enjoy my Crimson Trace grips for my 92FS, granted they were given to me(which makes me like them more). They are loads better than the stock grips, still a little on the beefy side though. But the lazer holds zero very well, and my wife and mother both enjoy shooting it.
Grips also can change your natural point of aim on a pistol, especially on a revolver. People replace their grips on revolvers more than on semi-autos due to this. If you’re tending to point low on the target, you will tend to need more grip volume at the bottom, if you’re pushing to the right, you might need to remove some grip on the front right, etc.
When your grips are sized well for you, it becomes much easier to do snap point shooting with a handgun. The barrel starts aligning with your forearm the way your index finger would if you were just whipping your hand around to point at something.
This is yet another reason why I’ve never been a huge fan of the one-size-fits-all molded grips. The new inserts help, but aren’t a complete solution.
If you wrote a book, I’d buy 10 copies. I’d keep one for myself, and hand out the rest at the range in return for a little time with someone else’s cool gun.
Like so many things in life, if money were of no concern I would jump on these…But in the real world (at least mine) it’s a no-go. No offense to Wilson as I have successfully/happily done business with them several times (related to my shotgun) and will continue to do so.
Honestly, I thought that when the U.S. Military announced they were to veer away from the M9 towards a new standard sidearm the market for accessories and the like would incur a downswing…Then again, given the infamous slowwwww pace of Fed Gov bureaucracy, it will probably be 2020 before they even conduct pistol trials…
That’s not particularly expensive, compared to a lot of wooden grips out there.
I went the other way with my M9. I put the a pair of hogue grips without the finger grooves on it, made it somewhat thicker but really improved my handling. I love the look of wood grips but $24 at my LGS really swayed me to hogue.
I used to put the Hogue rubber grips on my guns but I’ve been replacing them with G10 as soon as I could afford to. Hogue Extreme G10 (and Aluminum) for my SIGs, VZ for my CZ-75B. The extra grippiness and thinner width make them worth the money to me (and they’re not tacky like the rubber ones so my clothes slide off them easier). These WC ones look great too.
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