One problem some shooters have with mouse guns is…they’re small. Caliber wars aside, if you have a large hand, getting to grips with a tiny niney or .380 semi can be difficult if you have what the President would consider large hands. As someone with small mitts who pocket-carries a Smith BODYGUARD 380 from time to time, that’s not a problem for me. But for those of you who are more generously endowed, pistols like the Smith or a Taurus TCP could be out of the question.
And that’s the reason Hogue and a few other aftermarket accessory companies make grip sleeves for these guns. Many are nothing more than glorified ranger bands, providing nothing more than a little added thickness to an otherwise too-slim grip.
Hogue, however, takes a more refined approach. They’ve just announced additions to their Beavertail HandALL line, a nicely textured sleeve that features a – you guessed it! — beavertail to fit the BODYGUARD 380 as well as the Taurus TCP and Spectrum guns. Here’s their press release . . .
HOGUE INC EXPANDS THEIR HANDALL BEAVERTAIL GRIP SLEEVE LINE TO INCLUDE A MODEL THAT FITS THE S&W BODYGUARD 380, TAURUS TCP & SPECTRUM
Henderson, NV – Hogue Incorporated is proud to announce the newest addition to their line of BeavertailTM HandALL® Grip Sleeves with a model precisely designed to fit Smith & Wesson’s Bodyguard 380 and Taurus’ TCP or Spectrum. “We are continuing to expand our line of sleeves for compact pistols because of high customer demand,” said grip designer Matt Hogue. “Creating Beavertail Grip Sleeves that seamlessly work with smaller frames while adding comfort and a precision fit has proven to be a very popular solution.”
The Beavertail Grip Sleeve is installed by slipping it over the firearm’s grip frame until it seats perfectly into position. The sleeve is precision manufactured to offer a more secure and comfortable fit. Once installed, the HandALL sleeve provides a single finger groove for instinctive handling and control of the firearm. The finger groove leads into a gentle palm swell that has been carefully designed to fit naturally in the hand. The beavertail built into the grip sleeve rises high along the backstrap of the frame. This provides full rubber contact with the hand allowing a higher hand-placement on the grip. In addition to protection and comfort, the beavertail also cushions the hand during recoil by providing better distribution of recoil forces. The built-in features of the grip sleeve provide comfort and confidence which in turn promotes accuracy.
The HandALL is built from a long-lasting durable thermoplastic elastomer compound. This rubber ages very gracefully and keeps a firm, tacky feel throughout the life of the grip. It will not harden, split or crack with age or usage. The surface is covered with Hogue’s familiar CobblestoneTM texture, a series of small circular bumps that provide an efficient non-slip, non-irritating grip on the rubber. This model of HandALL Beavertail Grip Sleeves has an MSRP of $9.95 for black, and $10.95 for OD green, flat dark earth, aqua, pink and purple.
Hogue Grip Sleeves are manufactured in their family-owned and operated facilities under the direct supervision of the Hogue family. Hogue, Inc. supports local dealers and encourages customers to purchase Hogue products locally. For more information please call Hogue directly at 1-800-438-4747 or visit www.hogueinc.com to find a Hogue dealer near you.
Still doesn’t solve the problem I have with tiny pistols – no place to put pinky. The last three fingers of the human hand are designed to grip together, and the grip is substantially weaker without the pinky’s contribution.
“Still doesn’t solve the problem I have with tiny pistols – no place to put pinky.”
That’s why those mag extender thingies are so popular for guns like those.
I had one of those Hogue sleeves on an AMT .380 I had years back. Worked well, for what it was.
Never should have sold that AMT. Life happens…
I don’t need a pinky on a shot glass, or an LCP.
It never ceases to amuse me how many noobs (or husbands shopping for their noob wife) will gravitate towards the pocket pistol display case. “Its tiny! So that must mean its easy to shoot!” (heavy sigh…)
It takes a few minutes of demonstrating the fit and feel of slightly larger guns to get the point across: shooting a pocket pistol is like writing with a pencil that’s been sharpened to a small nub- you can do it, but it requires more concentration and effort. Fill up your hand even a little bit more with a (slightly) bigger gun and suddenly it feels “normal”. As far as concealability is concerned, I insist that anyone can carry a larger gun than they think at first if they’re willing to put just a little more imagination into it than simply “I’ll put it in my pocket/purse/backpack/etc.”
I like the concept just would like more “beaver tail” out of a “more beaver tail grip mod”. More cow bell. C’mon. If they’re just essentially putting a heavier coating on the small beaver-ish frame, aren’t they just forcing your hand down lower on the grip [achieving a higher bore-axis]?
“More cow bell. C’mon.”
I think I could ‘get behind’ ‘more beaver’…
*snicker*
Since the beavertail has both beaver and tail how can it possibly be bad?
I have HandAll Jr. (no beaver tail) for my Kahr CW9. The original Kahr grip for my office soft hands was harsh and skinny. the HandAll not only gives a very comfortable grip, the palm swells are outright brilliant. At first it tended to slip up and down a bit, but I haven’t had to readjust it in a few months. I’d buy another. Oh–they are cheap too.
Got one too for my Taurus 709. Cut a bit off the front and it’s perfect without making it bigger. If I ever get another 380 I’d probably get this beavertail thingy…
I have one on an LCP II and it works. The .380 was never hard to shoot, but it fills the hand and is much more comfortable.
Make the grip a little thicker. Oh that feels better though the rubber makes pocket carry a wee bit more difficult. Hey a pinky finger extender would feel nice too. It might even allow an extra round in the magazine. You know what would be another helpful modification? A slightly longer barrel for a better sight radius and ballistic performance.
Or you could just carry a larger gun.
Nothing quite like buying a tiny little gun and then putting a big grip on it. Here I am, thinking why not just upgrade a .380 to a 9mm if the .380 grip is too small? More power, cheaper ammo, and a slightly bigger grip. The whole idea of a .380 for most guys is to be as compact as possible.