TargetTalk

So I have been using my steyr evo 10 for about half a year now. I have monstrously large hands, as I have mentioned a few times on this board. After the first three months, I figured out that my groupings were inconsistent, and that it was most likely based on my hold of a grip (Large RH) that did not fit me. My initial solution was dollar-store play-dough, but I quickly discovered that I needed to add so much that it was unreasonable, and the tactile nature of the stuff did not create a sufficient support structure. SCATT supported my conclusions: my groupings were inconsistent as my grip changed, and the only way I could create a repeatable group was by twisting my hand "just that way" which was not only not a correct grip, but had almost no contact with the grip whatsoever.

This lead me to snooping around the forums. As I'm sure that some of you have seen, Andrew Berryhill advertises regularly on this site that he creates 3-D printed custom grips. The prices are affordable. After some convincing of my wife that this was needed, I took the plunge. This is my review of my experience.

Aesthetics
Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way before getting to the stuff I actually care about. The grip is ugly and made of plastic. It has "Precision Target Grips" embedded in the bottom left of the right side of the grip. It has about six holes drilled in the bottom of it to accept lead slugs in case I want to add weight and adjust the balance. I have not done so yet. It also has a larger hole for the grip screw. The plastic material is smooth and appears to be made off multiple layers somewhat resembling soft-serve ice cream. If you're one of those guys who wants the coolest looking gun on the line, this probably isn't for you.

I will note that the aesthetics were based on options that I chose, not him. You can get more attractive grips from him, if you would like. I just wanted something functional. Speaking of that, we'll talk about how well it works in a moment.

Process
At the time, Andrew had never worked on a Steyr Evo 10, and I am (as I'm sure some of you are aware) no engineer or handyman. He was very helpful and patient with me in taking the measurements. This helpfulness continued throughout the entire process. In total, it took us about five weeks and three printed grips to get the grip correct, as there are many small changes from the LP10. Throughout the process, Andrew would respond to me by email within a day, and was always courteous and professional. As a business owner, I can appreciate how annoying "that customer" can be, and I was certainly "that customer." My hands were huge, I had difficulty measuring things correctly. He was quite capable of explaining using both picture diagrams from a software program and good old email exactly what he needed from me.

This is harder to quantify, but Andrew is someone who "knows his stuff." I hope that you folks know what I mean. He could answer any question I had and help with any problem. This was his first Steyr Evo 10 grip, and his interest the project showed throughout it. I got the feeling that he was not just interested in pleasing me as a customer, he was genuinely interested in solving the mechanical problems of creating this grip. I was very impressed with attention to detail.

Result
What I got out of the process was a fantastic grip. It is nonadjustable, but it now shoots consistent groups in SCATT with an occaisional flyer due to trigger control issues. I love it. I will not be going back to the other grip, period. I will be keeping the old grip just in case, but it works very well. It is ISSF-compliant, and it just plain works.

A few things to note: watch the screws on the bottom of your frame if you are adjusting them. The plastic is softer than metal, and the uneven surface may cause your screws to adjust. I am considering some loc-tite, but right now I just keep an eye out and adjust if something drastic happens (this only happened once). Also, be aware that a plastic grip will radically change your gun's balance. As stated above, Andrew drills holes in the bottom of the grip for a reason. I strongly suggest that anyone who is considering buying a grip from him to do that. I will be adding in some soft lead bullets to it at some point to balance the entire thing towards the back more.

Was it worth the cost? Absolutely. It is significantly cheaper than higher-end grips, and especially custom models. I asked for and received a grip that was for my hand. I waited to post this review for a few months to see if anything odd would happen, but nothing has. It still shoots just fine.

I can definitely recommend his services to anyone who is serious about shooting. Thanks for a great grip and great service, Andrew.

Benjamin,

Thanks for the very kind words about my work making your grip. I'm so pleased you continue to be happy with it. Your review clarified something for me I've always wondered about. Styers come with an L-shaped thin piece of metal between the grip and frame of the gun. I've never understood exactly what the function of that piece was. Your comments explained it clearly. On the grips I make as well as the standard wood grips, the metal leveling adjustment screws could easily settle themselves into the softer grip material instead of doing their job offsetting the frame some consistent distance from the grip. That little L piece obviously gives them something solid to push against.

Going forward I'm going to have to be sure that my grip design allows for the transfer of that piece to my grips, or else manufacture my own version of it to include with my grips. You, and anyone else who has one of my earlier grips, can just insert a simple thin piece of metal on the bottom and rear of the frame recess of the grip to do the same job.

Thanks again for the great review of my work and if there is anything else I can do to help, just let me know. And as I mentioned earlier in our discussions, if you ever want to move that EVO grip to another gun, I've got it saved digitally and it will be an easy job to reprint for your next gun.

All best,

Andrew

Precision Target Pistol Grips
Custom Grips for All Hands and Most Guns

I'd also like to put in a good word for Andrew and his grips. The college team I help coach has 6 Pardini PGP-75 free pistols, and nobody makes after market grips for them anymore. Given that we have several women shooting free pistol, we also need smaller grips than were typically available even when the pistol was current.

Andrew didn't have a PGP-75 to work with, so I took dimensions and we began iterating. The PGP-75 is larger than a typical grip (which caused some printing issues), and the mechanical fit is also more like a bolt action rifle stock than a typical pistol that bolts onto the action only in the rear. Andrew was always patient with the process and worked very hard to get it right. Here's my pile of test grips:



One of our shooters with an Extra Extra Small grip shot her PGP-75 at the National Collegiate Championships a couple weeks ago.