Volquartsen Volthane Grips

My new Volquartsen Volthan grips arrived today, and I wasted no time in installing them on my customized Mark-III Hunter. The gun already has a Volquartsen trigger, Clark hammer and bushing, LCI filler and removal of the magazine disconnect; the grips just sort of complete the package.

I'd been using the Hogue wraparound grips, which are very good, but I wanted something larger as I have largish hands. These fit the bill- they're almost too big for my hands. I can get a very secure grip and I think I have a steadier hold with these than with the Hogues or the stock grips. They're $60, which is a lot for synthetic grips, but not a lot for target grips. Volquartsen's wood grips are $130, and the adjustable anatomical wood grips I found were $180. I suppose if I was a serious Bullseye competitor I'd spring for the $180 grips, but these will do fine for my informal shooting. (Herrett has some nice wood bullseye grips for about $80.00.)

The grips come with an extended magazine release button that slides into the grips, an extended bolt release, and a set of blued screws and washers.  Installation of the extended bolt release (some call it a slide release, but the gun doesn't have a slide) requires partial disassembly of the lower unit, something I didn't bother with although I may do it later. Having the extended release does make it a bit easier to lock the bolt open, something you may need to do at a match or when doing a target check at a range. Releasing the bolt when it locks open on an empty magazine normally doesn't involve touching the release; you just insert a loaded magazine, pull the bolt back, and release it.

Installation of the grip itself is a snap. Slip the extended magazine release button into the grips, and attach using the supplied screws and washers. One installation tip: Don't overly tighten the screws, or you'll pull the washers through the soft grip material. Just snug them- they won't work loose.

While I like the look at the feel of the grips, the proof, as they say, is in the shooting. I'm heading out to the range tomorrow or the next day and we'll see if they improve my shooting. BTW, if you're interested in getting a set to try on your Ruger, Brownells.com has good prices. If you're looking for a set for your Mk-II, Amazon has them as well. Incidentally, if you're looking for in-depth info on Ruger .22 auto pistols, I would recommend The Ruger .22 Automatic Pistol: Standard/ Mark I/ Mark Ii Series for info on the Mark-I and Mark-II series guns.