Looking For An Alternative To TALON Grips?

Short answer: If you like the idea of TALON Grips, a thin stick-on grip that peels off, but you want a surface with no grit and more give, the closest alternative is a silicone grip. Five Point Grips makes the only one: Terragrip™, a custom-formulated silicone elastomer, 0.5 mm thick, cut for the Glock 43X and 48 and a short list of other carry guns, $29.99 with a 60-day money-back guarantee, installed or not. If you want the most aggressive texture, the lowest price, or a kit for a gun we do not cut, TALON or Hogue is the better buy. Both cases are laid out below.

Disclosure: this page is written by Five Point Grips, so we have a side. Every TALON and Hogue figure on it was read from their own sites on October 14, 2026 and is quoted as written. We have not run a side-by-side test. Five Point Grips is not affiliated with TALON Grips, Hogue, Glock or any firearm manufacturer.

Why people look for a TALON alternative

TALON Grips are the default stick-on grip. Per TALON's own site (October 2026), its Rubber texture accounts for over 80 percent of its grip sales, and the Glock 43X and 48 product page showed 1,066 reviews when we checked. People do not go looking for an alternative because TALON does not work. They look because of one of four things.

• The surface. TALON's Granulate texture is, in TALON's words, "often compared to skateboard tape or sandpaper," and TALON recommends it "for open holster carry only." Its Rubber and PRO textures are not abrasive, but they are still a thin textured sheet with no give. Some carriers want traction that comes from the material rather than from a pattern pressed into it.
• Comfort on a light gun. A 43X or 48 is slim and light, so recoil goes into the hand with nothing to soften it. A grip that compresses slightly changes how the gun feels through a box of ammo.
• Removal. TALON's FAQ says most of the adhesive comes off with the grip and the rest wipes away with rubbing alcohol, and that a grip cannot be reinstalled once it has been removed after heating. That is fine for most owners. Some want a grip that peels off by hand, clean, with no second step.
• The return window. TALON's product page lists a 30-day money-back guarantee with an asterisk and a 90-day warranty; its terms and conditions page covers returns of damaged or defective merchandise within 10 days. Terms apply. Some buyers want longer to decide, installed.

TALON Grips vs Terragrip™ silicone, side by side

TALON figures from talongungrips.com (43X and 48 product page, FAQ, texture guide and terms page), read October 14, 2026. Our figures from this store the same day.

What silicone does differently

Every stick-on grip on the market other than ours is a thin sheet of rubber, fabric or grit with adhesive on the back. Terragrip™ is a molded silicone elastomer. The difference is in how it holds.

• It conforms to the hand. Silicone yields a little under pressure, so more of its surface sits against your palm and fingers. Traction comes from the material, not from points that bite.
• It cushions. That same give takes the edge off recoil on a slim, light frame. Nothing abrasive is involved.
• It has no grit. There is nothing on the surface to sand a cover garment or rub bare skin on appendix carry. For a gun that spends its day against your side, that is the whole case.
• It is 0.5 mm thick. Thinner than a credit card, per side. Most Kydex holsters retain on the trigger guard, not the grip, so fit is usually unchanged.
• It comes off clean. Peel it by hand. No residue, no alcohol step, no mark on the frame.

One honest limit. Silicone is not at its best when wet, and we make no wet-hands or sweaty-hands claim for it. If slick hands are your main problem, an aggressive mechanical texture is what shooters usually reach for, and TALON says its PRO texture "performs very well in wet and dry applications." Read the Terragrip™ material page for how and why we built it.

When TALON is the better buy

Buy TALON instead of ours if any of these is true.

• You want the most aggressive surface. TALON Granulate is, by TALON's description, its most aggressive texture. We do not make a grit texture and will not pretend silicone bites like sandpaper.
• Your gun is not on our list. TALON covers far more makes and models than we do, including rifles and magazine extensions. We cut for Glock and micro-compact carry pistols. If Find Your Fit does not list your gun, TALON almost certainly does.
• You want a color. TALON offers Rubber Moss, its version of flat dark earth. Terragrip™ comes in black.
• You want the thinnest grip on paper. TALON states about 0.4 mm in its FAQ. Ours is 0.5 mm. One tenth of a millimeter will not change a holster, but the number is theirs.
• Price decides it. TALON's 43X and 48 grips start at $24.99 with free standard shipping. Ours is $29.99.
• You want a long track record. TALON's 43X and 48 page shows over a thousand reviews. We are the newer company.
• Country of origin matters to you. TALON states its grips are designed and cut in Colorado from raw materials sourced in the Midwest. Our silicone sheet is made in Thailand and the kits are cut and packaged in Detroit.

The other TALON alternatives

If you are shopping around, there are two more adhesive grips worth knowing about for the 43X and 48.

• Hogue Wrapter. $18.95 in three textures: Rubber Block, Rubber Grain and Heavy Grit. Hogue lists the material as adhesive rubber and describes the profile as "30% thinner than a standard credit card," with no millimeter figure on the page. It is the lowest-priced option we found (hogueinc.com, read October 14, 2026).
• Handleitgrips. Textured rubber or sandpaper kits for the 43X and 48, priced below TALON when we last read the page in our Glock 43X grips comparison, which covers seven options with prices and each maker's own carry guidance.

All three, and ours, are reversible. If you are weighing a stick-on grip against a permanent one, our grip tape vs stippling guide covers cost, warranty and resale.

Which guns we cut for

We go deep on a short list instead of wide across every gun made. Precision kits are $29.99 each. The Glock 43X and 48 kit and the Glock 43 kit are in stock and ship within 24 hours. Kits for the Glock 19 and 17 families, Springfield Hellcat, Sig P365 XMacro, S&W Shield Plus, Shield 1.0, Bodyguard 2.0, Equalizer and Ruger LCP Max are listed as Pre Order; we will fulfill the item as soon as it becomes available. For anything else, the Cut-to-Fit Terragrip™ sheet ($19.99, 4.5 x 5.5 inches) lets you cut your own panels. The full list is on Find Your Fit, and the Glock range is in the Glock grips collection.

Switching from TALON to Terragrip™

1. Peel the TALON grip off. Per TALON's FAQ, any adhesive left on the frame comes off with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth.
2. Wipe the frame with the alcohol prep pad included in our kit. Surface prep decides whether any stick-on grip holds.
3. Align each Terragrip™ piece with the frame edges, wrap it on, and press each piece firmly for 30 seconds.
4. Wait 24 hours for the full bond before shooting or holstering hard. About ten minutes of work in total. The photo version is in the installation guide.

Common questions

Is there a non-abrasive alternative to TALON Grips?

Yes, and TALON itself sells two: its Rubber and PRO textures are described by TALON as non-abrasive. Only Granulate is abrasive. The alternative with no grit and a surface that compresses under the hand is Terragrip™ silicone, which no one else makes.

Are Terragrip™ grips thicker than TALON Grips?

By about a tenth of a millimeter on paper. TALON states "less than .5mm" on the product page and "about .4 mm" in its FAQ. Terragrip™ is 0.5 mm. Both are thinner than a credit card.

Can I put Terragrip™ on a frame that had TALON Grips on it?

Yes. Remove the old grip, clean off any adhesive with rubbing alcohol as TALON advises, then clean again with the included prep pad and install as normal.

Do Five Point Grips make a sandpaper or granulate texture?

No. We make one silicone texture. If you want grit, buy TALON Granulate, Handleitgrips Sandpaper or Hogue Wrapter Heavy Grit.

Does the silicone grip work with wet hands?

We do not claim it does. Silicone is not at its best when wet. Our case is dry traction, comfort against the body and recoil cushioning on a light gun.

What is the return policy compared with TALON's?

Ours is 60 days, money back, installed or not. TALON's product page lists a 30-day money-back guarantee with an asterisk and a 90-day warranty, and its terms page covers damaged or defective returns within 10 days. Read TALON's current terms before you buy from either of us.

Will my holster still fit?

In almost every case. Terragrip™ adds 0.5 mm per side and most Kydex holsters retain on the trigger guard, not the grip. A rig molded very tightly to the bare frame can feel firmer for the first few days. We have not measured holster clearance beyond the thickness figure. Where a grip can touch a holster, and a two-minute check for your own rig, are in Will Grip Tape Fit Inside My Kydex Holster?

Try the silicone alternative

If you carry a Glock 43X or 48 and want traction with nothing abrasive against your side, order the Glock 43X and 48 Terragrip™ kit. $29.99, precision-cut, alcohol prep pad and sticker in the box, in stock and shipping within 24 hours. Carry it for up to 60 days. If it is not for you, send it back for a full refund, installed or not.

Five Point Grips is not affiliated with or endorsed by TALON Grips, Hogue, Handleitgrips, Glock or any firearm manufacturer. TALON and Hogue prices, specs and policies were read from their own sites on October 14, 2026 and can change.