Rubber Band on your pistol grip?

[DustyGmt]

I've seen it a few times in passing, I think in the Bruce Willis movie hostage I think he had a whole mess of rubber bands around the grip of his G26 but since then I've seen it a few more times here and there and was just wondering if it was an old cops trick or semi common or well known practice.....

In the absence of rubber slip on's like the Hogue I could see people back in the day doing it to modify the grip and get a higher more positive grip. I might try it out even though it's ugly as sin....

 

[FL-NC]

We made rubber bands by slicing sections of a bicycle inner tube in the military for our issued pistols, especially the Glocks and MK23 pistols. Some people did it with the M9- aftermarket grips like packmeyers can cause malfunctions with the M9 if they get too hot or too cold,

 

[doubleh]

How could rubber bands hurt the looks of a clock?

 

[Shotgun Willy]

I read somewhere that they put them there so that they stop the weapon from sliding down into your pants when it’s stuffed in your waistband.

 

[Risky buisness]

Sounds all cool and trendy, right up untill one or 2 of them migrate up and choke off access to the mag reaease, you know that thing you push if you shoot the gun dry or hsve a magizine related malfunction. But sure looks cool on the screen.

 

[VoodooMountain]

Sounds all cool and trendy, right up untill one or 2 of them migrate up and choke off access to the mag reaease, you know that thing you push if you shoot the gun dry or hsve a magizine related malfunction. But sure looks cool on the screen.

I'm guessing a person could probably cut a notch in an inner tube to help alleviate that issue.

 

[Risky buisness]

I'm guessing a person could probably cut a notch in an inner tube to help alleviate that issue.

Sure, why not? Whats to lose if it doesn't work out,
Reasonable question, right?

 

[VoodooMountain]

Sure, why not? Whats to lose if it doesn't work out,
Reasonable question, right?

...do you even have any experience with what you are criticizing?

 

[Fatcat3]

I read somewhere that they put them there so that they stop the weapon from sliding down into your pants when it’s stuffed in your waistband.

THIS! Or almost. It was there to help the stock cling to your pants, at the belt line for Mexican carry. Mostly used with snub nose revolvers back before the bottom feeders became prevalent for duty weapons. When men wore pants, not painted on jeans, or P. J.'s prancing around like... Oh Never Mind.

 

[dfariswheel]

When the first Glock's were entering police service, people had problems with the early gripping texture so they put sections of bicycle tube on the grip.
This was known as a "Glock sock".

I also saw rubber bands, but I'd seen rubber bands as far back as the early 60's on pistols to give a better grip.
What's old is new again.

 

[Risky buisness]

...do you even have any experience with what you are criticizing?

Im criticizing something that can ruin your day proven to me, luckily, at a training with a add on grip sleeve. So yea. But you do you you boo.

 

[ECVMatt]

This my 30 something year old Glock 17. I carried it daily for about four years while working in a gun shop. The bike tube was how we rolled before the Hogue Handall's came out. I have never had one slip up and block my mag release, but I could see how it might happen.

I still keep the tube on for old times' sakes and it still works pretty good.

 

[Ks5shooter]

^^nice job,straight lines.Does not look bad at all.

 

[Pat Riot]

My Dad had a friend back in the 60’s that carried a snub nosed revolver in his front pants pocket. He put rubber bands around the wood grip so it wouldn’t slide out of his pocket when seated.

 

[Coyote3855]

I have bicycle inner tube on a couple of Glocks. I have small hands and the tube is thinner than the commercial grip sleeves but still improves purchase on the grip. If the tube is the right size, and a bugger to get on, it won't go anywhere.

 

[ProPhetiQ]

I'm a big fan of Hogue handall grips, but when things get warm and or possibly sweaty, even those slipped around a bit. I've become an eve bigger fan of Talon Pro grips/Skateboard tape. No slipping around at all, hand is locked on, and is not abrasive as some might think.

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ve seen lots of inner tube, and later the Hogue, additions to autos over the years. Primarily seen on 1980’s-1990’s era Glocks due to the rather slippery grip texturing. A few guys with baseball mitt hands added them to Gen 3 S&W, Beretta 92 and SIG P-220 series guns, too.

I’ve also seen rubber bands and electrical and masking tape on lots of recovered crime scene guns. Some may have been there to assist with keeping it in place or for the shooters grip, but most looked to be holding the junky guns’ grip panels together.

Stay safe.

 

[bannockburn]

One of my friend's dad was a police sergeant with a large metropolitan police force. Keep in mind this was many years ago and the issue sidearm of the day was a S&W Model 10. Since Pachmayr grips were not permitted many officers, (like my friend's dad) wrapped a number of rubber bands around the wooden grips. While it may have initially given them a slightly better grip on the gun, the rubber bands would soon start to deteriorate (being subject to the outdoor elements) and turn the revolver's grip into a sticky, jumbled mess that ultimately affected the officers getting a decent grip on the gun.

Bottom line rubber bands make for a poor substitute for properly molded rubber grips.

 

[sgt127]

I carried my issue Glock 35 for years with a piece of bicycle inner tube slipped over it.

Another piece held the sling rolled up on my AR.

Come to think of it, my dad always put rubber bands around his wallet so it wouldn’t slip out of his pocket.

 

[Speedo66]

Some of the older guys on my job when I came on in 1969 used to put rubber bands on their revolver grips.

The aesthetics turned me off, and I didn’t think I needed them.

 

[tactikel]

I’ve tried: friction tape, bicycle handlebar wrapping tape, those peel and stick kits. All my carry guns now have Hogue slip ons. Affordable, easy to apply, great grip, and when they slick up easily replaced.

 

[Tilos]

Bicycle inner tube/glock sock has been my go-to for years.
A size that is a very tight fit were windex is used to install getting it into the proper position.
Have always wondered, but never tested, if body fluids (i.e. blood) would make it slippery...
Here's a few, more a Kahr tire than a Glock sock though:



.

 

[mac66]

When I started on the PD in the 70s I noticed a lot of guys with rubber bands around the grips of their off duty snub nose revolvers. I asked my partner why so many guys carried guns with broken grips. He laughed and said "poor mans Pachmyrs" not to mention it kept the gun from sliding down when appendix carry IWB without a holster.

Here's an old mod 10 with well worn grips and "poor man's Pachmyrs" I recently had out to the range.



As for inner tubes, I frequently use them on my pistols particularly in hot sweaty conditions. Sometimes on wood grips to keep them from being banged up.

 

[Tallball]

Things that might be good to know in an odd situation.

 

[jmr40]

Never seen rubber bands, but it looks like it would work. I've used sections of innertube on several rifles and handguns in the past. It provides a better grip while adding no significant girth to the grip.