Get a Grip on Your Ruger 22/45 With Majestic Arms American Walnut Grips

Majestic Arms may be best known for their SPEED STRIP Kit for Ruger Mark Series pistols, but that's only one of many products they offer for rimfire firearms.  Majestic Arms was a Sponsor of the 2015 NSSF Rimfire Challenge shoots this year, and I happened to snag a pair of their American Walnut grips for my Ruger 22/45 pistol when it was my turn to hit the World Championship prize table last October.  Having recently installed the grips, I love the way they feel so I thought I would let you know a bit more about the grips.

The current trend in Rimfire Challenge competition appears to be heading to the line with the lightest pistol possible.  I traded blued steel for black polymer myself this season with mixed results. The thin grip panels on the 22/45 are great if you have small hands, but I always felt like I had more hand than grip surface to hang onto.  I was thinking I may trade out my thin G10 grips for a boring and soulless rubber wraparound grip when these beautiful walnut thumbrest grips found their way to me.

If you are worried about the wider grips adding weight to your pistol, you don't need to be. The Hogue G10 grip scales I removed from my 22/25 weigh exactly 40 grams or 1.4 ounces.  The Majestic walnut replacements weigh an identical 40 grams.  The same grip screws are used with both sets of grips so no weight change there.

For me, these grips greatly improved the feel of my 22/45.  It comes up to eye level more naturally with these grips than it did previously.  I can also get a the heel of my left hand on the grip now when I couldn't with my previous grips.  The photo below illustrates where the new grips add width to the grip versus what I had previously installed.  The change is pretty dramatic.

My 22/45 has the TandemKross "KaneWolf" Slingshot bolt release and Extended Magazine Release installed.  The new grips don't interfere with these controls in any way.  The Extended Magazine Release is actually beneficial for use with these grips as the thumb is positioned away from the magazine release.  The standard magazine release may be too short to actuate without shifting your grip when using these thumbrest grips.

Majestic Arms American Walnut Grips for Ruger Mark III 22/45 RP Pistols can be ordered directly from Majestic through their website.  If you aren't a right-handed shooter, Majestic offers similar grips that are ambidextrous.  They also have similar grip sets available for Ruger Mark II and III pistols.  The current price is $49.95.  If you are struggling to get a grip on your Ruger 22/45 like I was, the American Walnut replacement grips from Majestic Arms might be the solution you are looking for.

The left grip provides plenty of clearance for all controls.

The right grip features full checkering.  Checkering quality is what

 you would expect from a $50 set of grips.

It may look odd, but it feels amazing in my hands.