I’ve narrowed it down, and I’ve decided on some VZ grips. Right now I’m looking at the Aliens and the Operators II.
Does anyone have any of the VZ grips in “Army Green”?
I ask because I’m seeing conflicting colours on the site.
The first example of “Army Green” looks like OD.
The second example, looks somewhere between OD and Foliage Green.
The third example, is Foliage Green.
On the colours I’m splitting hairs, but I found this curious. I’d prefer to NOT go the FG route.
As far as the grips themselves, since there’s no way in hell I can lay hands on some prior to buying, anyone with experience with both grips wanna chime in?
They both appear to be solid grips, the only deal maker or breaker, as far as I can see it is the recess near the mag release button.
I have two pairs of VZ grips. Both on 4" 1911s. The first pair is the black canvas Original Gatorbacks. The second is the Tiger Stripe Operators.
My buddy has a pair of the Aliens on his Kimber SIS Pro. I really didn’t notice much difference from my Original Gatorbacks.
The Operators are more aggressive, IMO. They also feel “rounder”. The Gatorbacks feel slimmer. I really like my VZ grips and wouldn’t hesistate to recommend them. My hands get very sweaty when I shoot and I prefer the surface of the micarta and G10 over the stock rubber which have a tendency of “catching” clothing. This often results in my garment hanging up and taking on the outline of the grip.
Sorry, can’t really help you with the color selection. My tiger stripe wasn’t as “red” as the picture indicated but it’s not really a concern to me because my sweaty palms cause it to darken anyways. Come to think of it, the black canvas Gatorbacks are lighter than I was hoping. Although the colors may not have been exactly what I was expecting, the grips themselves are stellar because they do exactly what I want them to do while lookin’ dead sexy.
You’ve highlighted my main issue. The stock plastic grips on my smokewagon are slippery as hell. It doesn’t help that, like you, I can get sweaty mitts even when it’s hovering around freezing.
Neither of mine have this recess. When I execute a reload, I “flick” (for lack of a better term because I don’t flick it as in “flip” but quickly turn it with my support hand as I leave the gun and reach for my spare mag) the gun and this automatically puts the mag release button where my thumb is. My hands are medium size so instead of reaching with my thumb, I bring the gun to it if that makes sense. YMMV.
One thing I forgot, if you do order them, get the O-rings for the screws. They take up any slight movement if the screw hole is ever so slightly off and prevents the grip panel from moving around. It’ll prevent you from over torquing your grip screws and messing up the female bushing in the frame. You can do the same thing with bicycle inner tube and a hole punch but the O-rings make for a simpler chore and cleaner look. I think #60 O-rings from Home Depot will also do the job (double check that number – John had a DIY on his website).
I have a set of the Strider/Simonitch G10 grips on my Springfield MC Operator and honestly, I like the VZ micartas more.
The G10 material can get a little slick, and it’s sharp. I hit the G10 grips with some sandpaper and it made them much more useable.
Also, I’ve seen people’s grip screws, including mine, tend to come loose with the G10 material, as they don’t “bite” into the grips as much. When I switched from the stock screws that Springfield supplied and went with some Colt standard screws, that issue disappeared though.
I’ve got now complaints about any of the micarta-handled knives I have had in the past.
Now, I’ve got to pick which grip. There’s definitely no shortage of options…I’m leaning back and forth. The Aliens look pretty grippy, but the Gator Backs look smoother, less obtrusive.
i have a set of Operators and a set of Diamondbacks. I prefer the Diamondbacks, but can only shoot for about 7 hours with them without having to put on gloves. The Operators are ok, but I prefer the extreme nature of the Diamondbacks.
I have a set of Aliens on one of my Les Baers. I love them. The only issue is that they are rough on the skin when carried IWB. This gun is used mostly for IDPA CDP. NO SLIPPAGE ISSUES! Thinking about getting a different style for my Commander.
I religiously shoot with gloves, but I’d probably not want something too over-aggressive.
Right now I’m torn between the Aliens and Gator Backs in Canvas Micarta.
Not to get too “wine tasty”, but the Gator Backs don’t look as extreme in the ridges, so I’m thinking they have more gripping/surface area for my mittens.
While I can’t help with the colors as my VZs are black, I can add my name to the list of users who endorse the Gator Backs. Enough “grip” to ensure a secure hold w/o chewing up your hands.
I use the standard screws on the Wilson. I’m not a fan of anything other than standard slotted screws, since I always have some kind of tool with me that could tighten standard screws if needed.
For the minimal cost of the o-rings, you’re better off ordering them and trying them out but my bet is that you’ll appreciate them once you’ve got them on. My stock screws (hex) were fine with the grips.
I have tried the gatorbacks, the double diamond, and the diamond backs.
The double diamond are my favorite. They are less interesting to look at, but feel great offering the perfect size and aggresiveness. The gators are perfectly fine and look different. The diamond backs are too agressive for my taste and seem to be very round as compared to the others. The operator II’s look like a good grip.
Hard to beat the VZ grips for a non-wood/non-laser option. I prefer them to Gunners as well.
Also, the O-ring suggestion is a great one. I use o-rings on every 1911 with non-wood grips as it seems to help the fit AND more importantly they keep the srews from backing out, which always happened to me prior to my use of the o-rings with both VZ’s and Gunners.
My Gatorbacks were OD green canvas and the lighting has a lot to do with color in pictures. Oil, dirt, and sweat also impact the color. However, to me the impact of oil, dirt, and sweat on the color adds character, and I always liked the ever changing color of the canvas.
