Home - Volume 2 (2007) - Issue 2 (Spring '07) - Pearce Modular Grips Review

Pearce Modular Grips

By Harwood Loomis ()

When John visited me after the S.H.O.T. show, he arrived with a suitcase full of "stuff," including samples of several accessories. Sadly, he wasn't able to bring me any sample 1911s, but he did have a pair of "Modular" grip panels, produced by Pearce Grip, Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas. He left them with me for evaluation.

The package includes a pair of black rubber grip panels molded in a traditional double diamond checkered pattern, combined with a third piece that has a finger-groove front strap cover attached to thin, flat rubber side panels that can fit under the Pearce -- or any other - grip panels to add a graspable front strap without the need to alter the pistol or give up your favorite grips. The grip panels themselves can be used with or without the front strap attachment. The combination offers a tremendous degree of flexibility in configuring a pistol to the owner's personal preferences.

When used by themselves, the Pearce grip panels are a thin grip, but remain thick enough at the screw locations that it is not necessary to install thin grip screw bushings. Between the screw locations, the grip panels thin slightly, forming a profile that when viewed from the rear of the pistol might be termed "wasp waisted." The effect is not severe, and viewed from the side would probably never be noticed, but it makes the pistol a bit easier to hold for shooters with small hands.

The thin profile really comes into its own, however, when the Pearce grip panels are combined with the finger-groove front strap. Overall, the result is similar to a Pachmayr or Hogue wrap-around grip and is extremely comfortable to hold onto and to shoot. Aesthetically, I am not a big fan of rubber, wrap-round grips for "show" pistols (those that are more for drooling over than for serious shooting), but there's no question that a comfortable grip providing a secure hold on the pistol is a must-have for self-defense or serious competition use. For the most part, however, wrap-around rubber grips have been ugly, expensive - or both. The Pearce Modular Grips change all that.

I am one of those die-hard M1911 fans who finds the traditional double-diamond grip design to be the best choice for a 1911 pistol. Used alone, the Pearce grip panels replicate that appearance perfectly, with well-executed (albeit molded) checkering and with the diamonds perfectly laid out around the screw holes. Used in conjunction with the Pearce front strap , the 1911 owner attains a traditional look with the enhanced graspability of rubber grip panels and a finger-groove front strap. It's a combination that's hard to beat.

But wait ... there's more. Because the rubber front strap is a separate piece, it can also be used with any standard 1911 grip panel. There is a small "step" between the finger-groove front strap and the flat panels that fit under the grips, to accommodate the thickness of the edge of grip panels. This allows virtually any standard 1911 grip panel to be used with the front strap and provide a smooth transition. We tried the front strap with a pair of fancy wood grip panels that were living on a Colt Combat Commander. The fit was flawless, and the effect transforms the pistol. It looked good before, but the finger-groove front strap would make a world of difference if the pistol were carried daily for serious duty.

Here is a close up of the Pearce front strap with the Colt grip panels:

Evaluation

The Pearce Modular Grips are an excellent concept and appear to be well-made and well-executed. We have not had them long enough to report on long-term wear, however. The set is available for both Government and Officers size receivers. And either the grip panels or the front strap may also be purchased individually rather than buying the complete assembly.

If you want to discuss or comment on this article, please use the following thread in our Forums Site:

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=28986


Sources:

Grips

Pearce Grip, Inc.
PO Box 40367
Fort Worth, TX 76140
USA

Phone: 800-390-9420
Fax:

E-Mail: info@pearcegrip.com
Web site: http://www.pearcegrip.com//



Home - Volume 2 (2007) - Issue 2 (Spring '07) - Pearce Modular Grips Review