I ordered some grip tape for my M&P 40L way back last July from Dawson Precision. I've called every month and their promises that it will arrive soon are getting less and less convincing.

Any suggestions on a good alternative? BTW, I much prefer grip tape on the front strap and palm swell area only vs. the complete grip.

I've been using some 3M Outdoor Tread tape and it's nearly prefect for gripping - except . . .

• The 3M tape doesn't adhere to the textured plastic gun grip very well and I'm loathe to mess up the gun with some kind of too-permanent glue,
• The 3M tape doesn't like to form around 3 dimensional shapes like the palm swell.

I googled "grip tape" and came up with this website selling it. They are in Airway Heights, Wa.
I don't know anything about them and have never bought anything from them.

Stipple is the only way to go!

You could order a set of Talon Grips and cut off the side panels.

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Yeah, I found those, but they're made to cover the entire grip. I guess I could cut them down to what I want, though. They do seem to have an excellent reputation.

IF you like the results, great. If not? Well, you're pretty close to screwed. Either way, the resale of the gun went in the toilet. I prefer doing mods that are reversible or more universally popular.

Hmm. I checked them out and ordered a set for my Kahr PM40 but they don't show anything for the M&P.

On sale for just $10.99 including S/H. Super deal!

Skateboard tape from Dick's sporting good or no skid tape from Home Depot or Lowe's.

You can make any design you want.

Dan

Grip tape or aggressive checkering is detrimental in obtaining a fast, secure grip on the pistol when it's in your holster. Once you have the grip you want the tape or checking helps you maintain it, but the first shot or two in a street gunfight remain the critical shots. Fumbling to change your grip on the pistol in the short time interval between holster and line of sight is highly undesirable. The grips on these pistols as they come from the factory really needs no modification for me for this type shooting.

Nice thing about grip tape is the ease with which it can be removed.

-- Chuck

You're only stippling the insert, right?

They are about $4 a piece from S&W (or Brownell's) Stippling the grip inserts is quite popular

I stopped by a skate board shop and they gave me all the scraps I needed to put on one of my guns. In fact they gave me tan and black.

I like free best of all.

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I use skate board tape and it works fine.

I stipple back straps...an awesome hobby and fun way to dress up your M&Ps. Heavier stipple during the summer...and you can change them to suit your needs. I would get one if I were you...better than tape. Here are a couple of my examples:

M&P Back Strap Stippling

You are correct that getting a proper high grip on the gun is a critical element of the draw. The key to ensuring that the initial grip is high is for the hand to be able to slide up the backstrap to the beavertail. If the texture of the backstrap is too aggressive, then the hand sticks wherever it lands and that could be trouble.

The obvious solution is to leave the backstrap relatively smooth, allowing the hand to easily slide up the backstrap until it is stopped by the beavertail.

The good news is that aggressive texturing on the backstrap is of little importance to maintaining a proper grip on the gun. I'm certainly not alone in this line of thinking.

OTOH, there is a real need for aggressive checkering, grip tape, stippling or finger grooves on the front strap to prevent the gun from torquing in the hand on recoil. As long as the first contact of the grab during the draw is on the backstrap, and the hand is allowed to slide up the backstrap to the beavertail, then the fingers will automatically grap the gun in the proper place and there is no need for adjusting the grip later.

Here's the 'before photo' my M&P 40L with the full set of X-Treme grip tape the way I originally set it up.





Here's the 'after photo' of the 40L with a new virgin backstrap without grip tape or stippling.




And finally, Dawson Precision did come out with grip tape for the M&P. As you can see, Dave Dawson also subscribes to the idea that grip tape isn't needed on the backstrap.