ProMag Archangel Grip

Sometimes even our “once in awhile carry” deserves some attention. My 1911 usually rides in my “go bag” if I have to make an unexpected trip with the kids. It's just faster to grab it and go from time to time. That doesn't mean this gun I only carry occasionally isn't on my mind. I've been staring at the smooth ebony grips on it for a long time. Every time I think, “damn I hate these things.” I just haven't been able to justify getting a new set of grips for it. At least not for a pistol I don't carry all the time. I finally started browsing Amazon for something decent that I could get past my cheap as heck mentality. I finally settled on a solid aluminum set and ordered them...about a month later. Okay, so it still took some time to talk me into it. When they arrived I excitedly tore into the package and began inspecting them. Sure I wanted them on the gun but first, I had to be a gunsmith. Here’s what I found:

Outwardly they look great. They’re extremely light. They have the texture I was missing with the smooth wood grips but not so much that they will tear up your hands with extended firing. In fact, the points on all the checkering are flattened so it could use a little more texture to them. But I’m happy with the way it is for something that doesn’t get much range time anyway. They have all the necessary cutouts for the safety, including a cut out for an Ambi Safety, and there is no fitting needed. The one criticism I will give is that the edges are a little sharp. There’s a reason for this. The Archangel grips are cast, not machined. So they have sharp edges from the casting process that simply haven’t been smoothed out before finishing. The only one that you will have to worry about, though, is on the integral mag wells. Right on the edges, you would normally slam the mag home against they have a nice sharp edge on each side. It’s nothing you will slice yourself open on but something

to be aware of nonetheless. Sharp edges are nothing for me to worry about because I can smooth everything out and Cerakote them (come on...that will get done anyway) but is is something for the average customer to watch out for. Just go into this purchase knowing that those edges are there. I do have another way around the sharp mag well. It’s something you will need anyway, with the extra 1/4” of grip necessary for the magazine well flare. Bumper pads for the base of your magazines. The extra magazine length will keep you from bashing your palm into the edge in question as well as give you the length needed to fully seat the mag while the slide is closed. Speaking of the magazine funnel on these grips, I really like this feature. Sure ProMag makes a set of grips without it but I enjoy having the added help of the funnel. I see it as one less thing that I have to be concerned about if I have to use this pistol. Any 1911 user out there will attest to the fact that it takes practice to reload under pressure with nothing but the thin, blunt edges of the frame to guide the mag. Well with this small funnel it eliminates that worry because the mag is easily guided in each and every time. These grips may have their faults but they are light as a feather and made sturdy enough to last as long as you want them to. I can see that these grips and I will have a long relationship. The one thing I haven’t covered on here is if they add a significant hindrance to concealed carry of the firearm. I will write an update on that one, don’t worry. I was expecting a new, pre-release, holster coming for it. Well, it was lost in the mail...thanks, U.S. Postal Service. I intended to test them at the same time and now that the holster didn’t show up I’m out of time for this week’s gear article. I refuse to let you

guys down with no early week article so we’ll pick up on the CCW ability of these grips shortly. I know at least one of you, when I posted a link to these on Facebook, ordered them. I’d love to hear from others that have these grips. What are your thoughts?