Glocks made their reputation on reliability, not on how they feel in the hand. I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and a good share of the Glock work that crosses my bench exists because somebody wanted the gun to fit better. Stippling, grip reductions, trigger guard undercuts. Grit Grips went at the problem from the other direction: instead of reshaping a factory frame, they build a different frame entirely.
What Grit Grips changed
The company was founded by Dusty Sroufe, who came to it with real pistol design experience, and the headline change is grip angle. Grit Grips frames alter the front strap so the gun points more naturally for shooters who never got along with the factory Glock pitch. Whether that angle is a flaw or just a preference is an old argument, and I have customers on both sides of it. What I’ll say is that grip angle is the one thing you can’t fix on a factory frame, no matter how good your stippling guy is.
The texture is engineered to be directional, so it bites during recoil without chewing your side raw during a full day of carry. Palm swells fill the hand, an extended beavertail keeps the slide off the web of your thumb, and an undercut trigger guard lets you get your hand higher on the gun. Those are the same modifications people pay gunsmiths for, molded in from the start.
The lineup
Grit Grips started with frames compatible with Gen 3 Glock 19 components and later added slimline versions for G43X and G48 builds. They also sell slides and barrels for complete builds, plus aluminum mag wells for both frame sizes. If you’re deciding which footprint to build around, my Glock 19 vs Glock 17 comparison covers the size trade-offs.
The part people forget: the frame is the gun
Here’s the detail that matters legally. On a Glock-pattern pistol, the frame is the serialized part. A Grit Grips frame isn’t an accessory. It’s a firearm, and it transfers like one, through a dealer with a 4473 and a background check. Buy one online and it ships to an FFL like mine, where the transfer runs $40 plus $10 NICS. Your slide, barrel, and internals are just parts and can ship straight to your door.
My honest take
Aftermarket Glock-compatible frames run the full range from excellent to junk, so I pay attention to design details, and everything about these reads like it was drawn by people who actually shoot. Feedback from shooters running them has been positive on recoil control and on comfort across different hand sizes. My standing advice on any aftermarket frame still applies: build it, then feed it a few hundred rounds before you trust it for carry. Fit between aftermarket frames and various slides varies, and a weekend of range work tells you more than any spec sheet will.
If you want a build like this done right, that’s what my bench is for. We handle frame transfers, fitting, sights, and Cerakote in-house here in Roanoke, and I’m glad to talk through a parts list before you spend money. Call 817-393-4000, email [email protected], or browse the online store.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
