Reviews

I have been using Rat Grip on my firearms for over a year now. It has been on pistols, AR style firearms, and my hunting rifles and pistols. Even after being on my AR for over a year, subjected to cleaners, dirt, oils, and every terrain type imaginable, the RAT grip still looks like new, and comes off the pistol grip cleanly.



Rat Grip is one of the first things I use to customize a new firearm. While other components are needed for the functionality of the firearm, no amount of components will help if the shooter cannot consistently grip and fire the firearm. Rat Grip is the tool to allow this to happen.

I just installed the rat grip on my Glock 19. Really the best grip I've ever had on a gun. I wrapped the pad all the way around the grip, not just on the finger grooves. The Glock really needs this because for some reason they choose to shape their grips like a block of wood.



I shot 600 rounds and the temp was about 80F. Did not have any slipping of the grip at all. I did not use the texture cloth because the grip feels very tacky even when dry and has alot of traction even though it appears smooth.



Now I just need a glock seal to embed in the grip for that finished look. Great idea for a companion product there.



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Since then I have shot 1000 more rounds and still it is the best addition I have done to the gun. I've put new trigger connector, striker, and trigger assembly but I would place the Rat Grip above them all in terms of impact on shooting.

I've had these grips on my Remington 700 for around two years now. The grip structure has held up great. It has been in extreme heat and cold (trunk of a patrol car). My only problem has been when subjected to the heat in my trunk, it has come off the stock a couple of times. This was probably due to there being paint on the stock. All I do is re-heat and stick it back on. Not a big deal. The comfort of the grip outweighs that far. There is no other way to get a more vertical grip on your factory stock without more time and money. Not to mention the fact that the texture allows to you keep a secure grip on those hot, humid days in the south. I plan on adding the panels on my patrol rifle very soon.

David C

Swat Officer

I am continually thrilled with the products you put out. I have experimented with Rat Grip since it's inception and the application possiblilities are literally endless and up to the end users imagination. I have applied Rat Grip to fishing poles, bows, knives, tools, even shift knobs on my jeep, actually the list of things I have applied Rat Grip to is endless and while not every application is perfect, it still shows the endless use of the product. I'm writing this however to address the main application of Rat Grip to Tactical Operators and firearm skills.



I was introduced to Rat Grip at it's inception by a friend who was doing development for you. I struggled initially with the concept as I am sure some do. "ok, so you want me to melt this plastic to my perfectly good gun and squeeze it like putty in its moltent form and that will make me a better shooter!" In a tough market where we are dominated by huge type "A" personalities and opinions, I thought you had a tough hill to climb. Flash forward to my first attempt at Rat Grip. Upon applying Rat Grip to the grip on my AR, I became intimately aware of the immense benefits. Once I felt my hand sink into Rat Grip I knew you were completely in the right business. The weapon became literally one with me not just in grip but in so many other ways. When you apply Rat Grip you customize the perfect grip in terms of your entire shooting platform. We all know precision tactical shooting is based on control. From a stable absorbent base to complete 360 degree coverage on the grip, high on the backstrap to provide a straight line from bore to forearm and eye. From that point on here is where Rat Grip comes into play. Once you have established a perfect grip on the weapon, meaning taking the time to ensure your forearms alignment with the bore of the weapon, grip high on the backstrap. A natural grip where the sights naturally come to point of aim when you bring the gun on target. This provides a consistent, repeatable purchase on the firearm everytime, as it is YOUR hand, your grip.



In terms of controllability, after establishing a repeatable consistent grip, we want to ensure or try to ensure as much coverage on the grip with both hands. Here is where things need to be examined in what I call a mold theory. when you apply Rat Grip and remove your hand, you are initially surprised at what visually appears to be a bigger grip, this is where the mold part comes into play as well as complete converage. If you look at the high spots on the grip you are now looking at what would otherwise be points of NO contact on the gun. In other words you are filling in the gaps where there was once no contact with your hand. You have now achieved true 360 degree coverage with your hands, something up until now was not at all possible and like anything new, confusing. Once past that, you find you now have better control over recoil management, transitioning from target to target, and control of double taps or sustained fire. With the full coverage of the grip it becomes literally a sped up version of muscle memory (cetainly nothing replaces repetition and consistent accurate repetition but when your consisten grip is premolded, its hard to screw up) where you naturally go the the same place everytime without thought, why? Because it's actually YOUR handprint.



Sight alignment/sight picture, since you have taken the time to form a perfect grip and with a verified unloaded weapon, pointed in a safe direction, finger on trigger ( actually drop the hammer so you know your sights don't move), dry fire, pay attention to where the web of your hand is on the backstrap, how strong your grip is on the gun, cant your support hand and form Rat Grip to your hands. Here again, repetition is king in any discipline, again and I can't stess enough CONSISTENT ACCURATE PERFECT repetition, going slow until memory builds is what separates the medeocre from the great. With Rat Grip formed to you and your perfect grip, you have eliminated a good portion of repeatable sight picture problems that exist when you draw or bring your gun on target with a slightly off grip. Once applied I found I could consistently and under stress, obtain a consistent grip on the weapon and bring it on target quicker and more consistently with an almost predictable end result of NO bobbling to find the proper sight picture and little effort aligning sights. They simply are just there. If you think of the 1911 grip angle everyone loves, the natural pointability of the gun, you now have a firm grasp on what Rat Grip provides the user with. Only you make it work on literally any weapon you apply it to. If you think about it, it really does make the end user the custom grip maker. With sight alignment and sight picture taken care of we have to make the firearm go bang with mininal but preferably no interuption to the sights alignment between the shooters eyes though the sights and on to the intended target.



having addressed 360 coverage, sight alignment and sight picture and how Rat Grip enables us repeatability in all of those important disciplines. Now with your custom grip on the firearm you have no use for the trigger finger except to perform its only task, to make the trigger travel rearward with a consistent steady press until the trigger breaks and the rounds stop where you put your sights on. I have literally found I can consistently perform double taps and strings, transition from target to target with the sights falling back on target for quicker follow ups. Speed is great but if your are missing your target, its futile and dumb. Rat Grip has allowed me better recoil management and control, shorter times between trigger resets, and more accurate shot to shot placement, resulting in smaller groups.....cool on paper, essential in survival. Under stress the body reverts back to your training, consistencey and repetition again!!! Under stress we eliminate much of the finite motor skills we need but don't practice enought to engrain into muscle memory and return to what we and our bodies naturally know, gross motor skills, those skills that require little thinking and concentration, think charging your slide with two fingers or hand over the slide, which takes more thinking? lets face it up close most of us don't need much from our rear sights to be combat accurate. however at distance, being able to align sights on varying sight planes (long guns, pistols, etc) is crucial to accuracy. We as shooters have to come to terms with the fact that what is mininal natural sight movement on the target at short distance is magnified as we move rearward. With Rat Grip custom formed to your hands this becomes more managable and like pointing with your finger, Rat Grip helps the firearm become a natural extension of your hand in the sense that you have custom fit it to point naturally for you. That said, at distance, once you can naturally place the firearm on target with a steady control over the natural arc of the gun as you hold, breath move, you are better able to break the shot more consistently and in the right place.



Rat grip is not the solution to poor shooting, nothing fixes poor shooting except and honest dedicated shooter. Rat Grip is however the pinicle of everything mentioned above. When you eliminate everything else but the steady rearward movement of the trigger, you improve. You improve on solid consistent training, tactics and fundamentals. Your improve speed and accuracy through elimination of things to think about consciously. Rat Grip HAS improved my shooting, speed and accuracy. Shot to Shot times speed up due to quicker on target follow up after recoil. Rat Grip has so many other applications as well, I have it on my precision rifle as a cheek piece custom fit to me. My sniper Grip ensures me a consistent grip on the gun and precise placement of my trigger finger on the trigger. I have sent you some photos of some of my projects so you can see what I've done. Again, thank you for the products, and as a final word of advise to anyone who purchases Rat Grip products, don't cheat yourself with this stuff, think outside the box, this stuff is reusable, remoldable, and with imagination.......no end to its use.



Thanks again Ron,

Regards,

Randy Gard

Iowa LE

Officer/ instructor

I was introduced to RATGrips two years ago. The ability to mold perfect custom grips and cheek welds that solve some long-time immediate action problems really got my attention. Since then, I�ve developed a custom grip and cheek weld for my model 700, and custom grips for several of my pistols.



Pistol Work

The really dynamic fix with pistol work is consistency in grip placement on initial holster draw. In setting the grip, I took the approach of dialing in my natural point of aim with the grip mold. When gaining initial grip out of the holster, my pistol is now consistently positioned in my hand so that my natural point of aim is matched to weapon sight alignment. The second thing I noticed was positive initial grip retention throughout recoil. It almost eliminates re-adjustment needs following multiple rapid discharges. There is also a big bonus with this material and weapon control in severe weather conditions. Outdoor winter shooting in the Pacific Northwest is wet, cold, and often icy. I�ve found that RATGrips performance in this environment is exceptional.



Rifle Work

I initially used RATGrips to develop a cheek weld on a model 700. The ability to move into a position of perfect eye relief without effort is a time saver in getting sights on target. The material provides a positive weld and is really nice on either end of extreme weather conditions. I found the grip on the same rifle as well as on shotguns and assault rifles was advantageous. The grip allows for reduced trigger hand pressure on the grip while still providing sufficient control. This has an immediate positive effect on sympathetic connects to trigger finger function. RatGrips provides for custom gun fitting in your own garage.



RATGrips get the job done. They're simple, easy to install, affordable, and the material is tough.



GF

Former SEAL/Retired Police SWAT

Ratgrips allowed me to achieve in minutes what would take a custom gunfitter hours, or even weeks to complete. And instead of paying hundreds of dollars for customization/fitting work, I paid less than one hundred dollars for an exact fit. The end result was not just a grip that fit my hand closely; it was a grip that fit my hand exactly!



After trying it on my handgun, I gave it a run on my precision rifle. The end result was the same! On top of having my exact grip on the rifle, I also had my exact cheek weld. I was able to layer the RAT PAD on my stock to elevate my eye to line up exactly in the center of my optic. And since the RAT PAD is an exact imprint of my cheek, I get a consistent and repeatable cheek weld every single time.



This is an amazing product, and for what it does to customize your weapon exactly to you! it is worth way more than they are asking!



Thanks for your innovation,

J. T.

Detective

Special Response Team member

Federal Task Force Team member

I have been experimenting and researching many different ways to fill the voids in my grip. I thought I needed to contact a gun fitter to customize my shotgun but first I wanted to give RATGrips a try. I was surprised to find RATGrips did everything I wanted. It filled the voids in my hand and gave me a perfect molding of my hand on the stock without permanently altering the stock. I was so pleased with the results of the hand mold, I decided to install a cheek weld and I'm just as happy with the results. My eye to sight has never felt more natural. The fact that I have a perfect personalized grip and cheek weld, AND that I could remove both with no damage to the stock and reuse the material gives RATGrips the edge over any other products I've found.



Thanks RATGrips!

Approximately six months ago (wow, has it really been that long?), I heard about a new product being introduced into the market by a company called RAT Grips. They claimed to have a "thermally moldable grip system" that could be reused multiple times or even applied to multiple firearm platforms. As anyone involved in precision, tactical or self-defense shooting can attest, attaining that "perfect grip" is paramount in getting your rounds on target accurately and in a timely manner. In the case of defensive carry, it could even be a matter of life or death.



I contacted RAT Grips to find out how to acquire their product with the intent on doing an unbiased review. Now in all fairness, I was excited about the prospect of this product, but as anyone that knows me can tell you, I can be rather difficult to impress once the product is actually in hand.



A few days later I received a phone call from Mr. Ron Reimer, a representative of RAT Grips. Ok, now this caught me a little off guard. I had expected a return e-mail, maybe instructions on whom to make the check out to, but in this day and age, a phone call starts to tell me a little something about a company.



After asking Mr. Reimer a ton of questions, he offered to send some of the material out for an evaluation. I offered to pay for the material, as I told him I was going to do a "no holds barred" review of it. Much to my surprise, he told me that that is exactly what they wanted. Ok, they are feeling confident in their product. I can respect that.



A few days later, a rather non-descript cardboard box arrived. After opening the box, I pulled out what appeared to be a square of black, shiny plastic. Really? Seriously? This is the material that is getting so much hype? Instant disappointment began to creep in. I had such high hopes.



The next day I broke out the heat gun, and after watching the videos on RAT Grip's website, decided to give the application a shot. I grabbed one of the SPRR grips out of the box and after cleaning a Sig Sauer P229, began to heat the material. Within a minute the material began to liquefy a little and I applied it as per their instructions. Once it cooled down I began to look it over. It fell off. Ok, there went my hopes.



The next day, Mr. Reimer called to ask if I had received the product sample. I told him about my experience of applying it and he suggested that I heat the material a little more thoroughly and reapply. I was a little skeptical, but agreed to give it another shot. Breaking out the heat gun, I heated the sample piece to the point that it was almost completely liquefied and re-applied it as per the directions. Now, it's a bit unnerving to see steam lifting off of where your wet hand was just sitting, but I didn't feel any discomfort at all.



About 10 minutes later, when the RAT Grips had cooled, I began to examine the Sig. This time, the material held fast. Ok, so the first application was an error on my part. Hey, I'm man enough to admit it. I heated the "exterior" of the material, wet my hand again and proceeded to mold my grip. Once that was done, I wet down and applied piece of netting material to give it a little texture and let it cool down once again.



Picking the P229 up after the application process was nice. It had a very distinctly comfortable, balanced feel to it. My hopes began to rise up again. When I was able to get it out to the range, I noticed a difference in the way it handled. Follow up shots were quicker and much more accurate.



I decided to try a very rapid "mag dump" just for giggles. The first thing I noticed was that my grouping dropped down to about 50% of what it would normally be at an extremely high rate of fire. Slow, concentrated groupings feel a bit more controlled. Rapid drawing feels more natural, as my hand automatically finds "the sweet spot". The only downfall is that the grip is now a little wider. It's not enough to hinder concealing the firearm, but it is noticeable to new clients until they try gripping it themselves.



Since applying the product, it has been left in a car interior that got up to around 130 degrees without any loss of imprint with either my grip or the texture that I applied to it. I've had female clients with small hands remold it to their grip, making the firearm much more comfortable to them. It's been bathed in solvents with no apparent change to its function. Ok, color me impressed. I had originally intended to evaluate this product and relocate it to "the holster box" where other products usually end up, yet here we are six months later and it's still on my daily carry piece.



I now have two products that I recommend to clients without reservation, the first one being a particular holster and now RAT Grips.



Ted C. Pfirrmann

Owner / Senior Instructor

Omega Firearms Training

Hi Ron, Thanks for helping me set up my pistol grip for my trip to Front Sight. I enjoyed the consistant gripping position that the Ratgrip provided for me. The training is very fast as you progress each day. With the Ratgrip I found that my handling of the weapon maintained great consistancy. There was even a couple of times where 2 of the instructors checked out the grip with live fire and commented that the gripping action felt unique. Thanks Ron for what I believe has helped improve my shooting skill.

I have to say I am extremely impressed with the grips. Just takes a couple of practices to get them just right. I tried something a little different by using a cheap wool glove with the little plastic dots on the grip (see picture). This worked even better for me by holding moisture in and putting a neat even texture also. The more I work with them the more impressed I am.