Semi-Auto Grips: We Pick Ahrends

We like the $60 Red Raspberry Dymondwood grips because of their checkering, color, and handfit.

The Ahrends Red Raspberry Dymond- wood Grips are made out of thermoset, resin-impregnated hardwood slabs.

The hands of semiauto pistol shooters interact with their guns primarily in three places: on the trigger face and on the grips. There’s a limited amount of changes a shooter can make to the trigger shoe to personalize how a particular gun feels, but shooters often change out the factory plastic and wood grips to get better traction, reduce or increase the grip thickness, and improve the cosmetics of their favorite .45 ACP.

Consequently, the available aftermarket grip choices are staggering, with grip materials ranging from wood to plastic to rubber, with several companies offering a variety of models. We recently purchased and tested seven models, all of which we ordered from Brownells. That gunsmithing catalog features two pages of grips ranging in price from $32 to $72. We bought three sets made by Iowa maker Kim Ahrends: the $60 Red Raspberry Dymondwood model, the $36 Cocobolo set, and the $50 Tulipwood Tactical Grips. We also bought the Wilson Combat Exotic Wood Grips Model 351E, which are made of ebony and sell for $56.95. The fifth product was Navidrex’s 1911 Auto Custom Grips, which were made of Micarta, a white plastic resembling ivory. They sold for $40. Another model was the AFS Tech 1911 Auto Slim Tech Grips, rosewood panels selling for $44.95. Rounding out the group was Rich Brokken’s Tucson Custom Grips Goncalo Alves product, which retails for $49.95.

We used the Colt 1911 National Match as the test gun for comparing these aftermarket grips. We chose the gun because the popular 5 1/2-inch-barrel semiauto .45 ACP is used in many different applications, including competition, recreational plinking, and carry. We evaluated the grips for these varied applications by shooting the National Match using Winchester Match 200-grain semiwadcutters. We replaced the original factory walnut grips with our test products.

The Colt 1911 National Match gun’s original grip set had full checkering and rampant Colt medallions in the top center portion of the panels. The factory panels weighed 0.9 ounces. The width at the top of the panels was 1.2 inches. At the bottom of the panel flare, they measured 1.5 inches. Each panel was 4 inches long. All the replacement products had dimensions very close to these measurements. In terms of thickness, however, the grips varied widely. To measure the total thickness of a grip set, we pressed the flat sides of both panels together and recorded a measurement taken at the midpoint between the grip screws. This measurement for the factory grips was 0.51 inch.

Most of the grips were easily installed and no fitted was required. To put a set of grips on the gun, we simply backed out two grip screws on each panel, removed the old grips, and installed the new set. Then we replaced the grip screws, and were ready to rock and roll. We also ordered three decorative replacement grip-screw sets. One was the Brownells 1911 Auto Allen Head Grip Screws, which cost $11.56 for a set of four stainless steel allen head screws. We also ordered the blued version of the same product, which sells for $10.10. Both the blued and stainless sets came with the appropriately sized allen wrench. The third set was the Brownells 1911 Auto Torx Head Grip Screws. We got the blued set, which sells for $10.70 for a quartet of screws. The Torx set came with a special wrench that fit the six-pointed star-shaped screw heads.

Following are our impressions of the replacement grips, along with our judgments about which panels we would buy.

Ahrends Red Raspberry Dymondwood Grips
This product is made of thermo-set, resin-impregnated hardwood slabs. The wood appears to be hand cut and checkered with a device like a Dremel tool, bringing out the color and grain of the dense Mayan Bloodwood. Our set had diamond-pattern 18 lines-per-inch checkering. The checkering was broken by smooth diamond shapes around the grip screw holes. The flat backs of the panels were signed and numbered by Kim Ahrends. We had no trouble installing the Dymondwood grips, and they had a snug fit once on the gun. We particularly liked them because the resin gave them a deep, hard finish. That made the checkering sharp and durable. We detected no flaws in the checkering pattern. The raspberry color is distinctive and accentuates the appearance of any sidearm, in our view. At the range, we noted that the Dymondwood grips filled the hand much like the factory grips did. In fact, the replacement grips measured 0.54 inches in thickness, only 0.03 inch more than the factory panels. The replacements were heavier, however, weighing in at 1.6 ounces, presumably due to the extra weight of the resin. The sharp checkering added control to the gun, we thought, and the grips weren’t unduly slick when coated with perspiration and oil from the hand. The right-hand panel had a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety.

Ahrends Cocobolo Diamond Grips
This $36 product is made of Cocobolo hardwood slabs. The wood appears to be hand cut and checkered with a rotary device, bringing out the color and grain of the oil-finished, reddish-brown panels. Our set had diamond-pattern 18 lines-per-inch checkering. The checkering was broken by smooth diamond shapes around the grip screw holes. We installed the grips without incident, and they fit snugly. The right-hand panel had a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety. Like the Dymondwood product above, the checkering was sharp and durable. We detected no flaws in the checkering pattern. The rich wood color is highlighted by dark brown stripes and swirls. At the range, the Cocobolo grips felt much like the factory grips, which is not surprising since the replacement grips measured 0.51 inches in thickness, the same as the factory panels. The replacements were heavier, however, weighing in at 1.3 ounces, which we attribute to the Cocobolo wood’s higher density. The sharp checkering aided in controlling the gun, we thought. Because of the wood hardness, we believe these grips will maintain their checkering for many years.

Ahrends Tactical Grips
This $50 product is made of tulipwood slabs. The bright yellow-andpink wood is distinctive on a blued firearm, showing an unusual contrast between dark metal and light wood color. Under magnification, our set showed burn marks on portions of the panels, probably where a high-speed cutting tool had been used to checker the wood. On the darker Dymondwood and Cocobolo samples, this flaw would not be as apparent. As it was, we had to look hard to find the burns, but they were there. Our set had 18 lines-per-inch checkering in a split diagonal pattern. The top rear portion of the grip was smooth; the bottom front portion of the grip was checkered. Supposedly, this Tactical pattern allows the shooter to slide his had into place for fast access to the grip and a smoother draw. We didn’t see that the checkering pattern helped in this regard, however. We installed the grips easily, and they snugged onto the handle nicely. The right-hand panel had a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety. Like the other Ahrends’ products above, the checkering was sharp. The light wood color was highlighted by pink-red stripes and swirls. At the range, the Tactical grips felt much like the factory grips, measuring 0.54 inches in thickness. The replacements weighed 1.3 ounces.

Wilson Combat Exotic Wood Grips Model 351E
This $56.95 product is made of ebony slabs. The black wood blends into the color of a blued firearm, lending the unit a unified, understated dark tone. But we think the grip would be striking on a stainless-steel or nickel-plated gun. Our set had 20 lines-per-inch checkering in a two-diamond pattern. The consistent color and fine grain of the wood almost made the panels look like plastic. The grips installed easily and fit tightly to the frame. The right-hand panel had a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety. At the range, we thought the Wilson grips felt much like the factory items, measuring 0.54 inches in thickness. The replacements weighed 1.5 ounces.

Navidrex 1911 Auto Custom Grips
This $40 set was made of Westinghouse Micarta, a white plastic resembling ivory. The Brownells catalog copy says the Micarta material “has the looks and warmth of real, honest-to-goodness tusks.” We respectfully disagree. They look like plastic. Had the material carried a higher gloss finish, perhaps they would have come closer to the appearance of ivory. The white plastic stands out from the color of a blued firearm—in fact, we thought the contrast was jarring, not appealing. Our set had 18 lines-per-inch checkering in a double-diamond pattern. The right-hand panel had a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety. The grips installed easily and fit the frame tightly. At the range, we thought the Navidrex grips felt like the factory items, measuring 0.51 inches in thickness. The replacements weighed 1.7 ounces.

AFS Tech 1911 Auto Slim Tech Grips
These grips were made of rosewood. They sold for $44.95. The rosewood is a medium dark-brown color with black grain stripes. The grip is constructed of laminated rosewood impregnated with resin.

These panels seek to solve problems for several groups of shooters. Men or women with small hands or short fingers can grasp the gun’s front and back straps more effectively with these grips because they create less profile on the sides of the gun. This can be seen in their overall thickness measurement of 0.32 inch. Their smaller size also reduces the overall profile and weight of a carry gun somewhat. The AFS grips weighed 1 ounce. The dark reddish wood blends into the color of a blued firearm. Our set had a laser-etched (burned) checkering pattern in a double-diamond arrangement. The right-hand panel did not have a relief cut for an ambidextrous safety due to its thinness. Installing the grips required changing out factory gripscrew bushings with replacements that are supplied with the product. The replacement thin-line bushings accommodate new stainless slotted grip screws that have a thinner head for the lowprofile panels. Changing the bushings and screws out takes about 10 minutes. The new bushings should be staked or glued in with removable Loc-Tite 242. Unlike on the other products, the replacement bushings didn’t snap the panels onto the frame snugly. But once the grip screws were run into place, the panels fit well and didn’t show any play. At the range, we thought the AFS grips felt noticeably thinner. Some shooters liked the feel of the gun in the hand with these panels in place, but we thought the lack of coarse, cut checkering that we were used to reduced the controllability of the gun slightly. This is a trade-off for using the slim grip. Also, we didn’t like the cosmetics of having stainless screws on the dark panels. A blued screw is available, and we would pick it if buying the AFS Tech product.

Tucson Custom Grips Goncalo Alves Model
This gold/tan wood contains dark brown and dark green stripes and sells for $49.95. This fancy-figured, exotic hardwood is finished with eight coats of high-gloss acrylic. It doesn’t employ checkering. Instead, it has two finger grooves on the bottom front of the grips. They wrap around the front strap, concealing the bottom 1.8 inches of the grip frame. The highly-figured wood grain and deep luster made for a very showy set of grips. However, there were a number of problems we encountered when installing the Tucson set. There was no relief cut for an ambidextrous safety. Also, our sample panels didn’t fit tightly to the frame because the relief cut for the bottom of the factory bushings next to the frame was not large enough to allow the panels to seat completely against the frame. This will require one of two modifications. The customer must open the bushing holes on the inside of the grip panels with an X-Acto knife or some similar tool, or he can purchase low-profile bushings (like the AFS Tech bushings above) and eliminate this problem. Additionally, shooters with short fingers will probably not like these grips because they are thick (0.6 inches) and long. Wrapping stubby fingers around them isn’t easy, in our view, which could reduce control of the gun during recoil. Shooters with long fingers may like the additional profile, however. The grips weighed 2 ounces.

Performance Shooter Recommends
We recommend any of the Ahrends products, but our first pick would be the Dymondwood model. It is distinctive, attractive, and adds a better gripping surface to a .45 ACP semi-auto pistol. We would pass on Tucson Custom Grips’ Goncalo Alves Model. Solving the installation problems aren’t worth the hassle, in our opinion.

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