I recently bought a Volthan Volquartsen grip for Ruger MKII from Brownells. I paid $35.50 plus shipping with my FFL discount. I am not impressed with it. Here is my take on it for those of you considering this as purchase.
I will rate it on a scale of 1-10 in each catagory to give an idea of how it fairs. 5 being average.
Fit/finish: 4 out of 10
It doesn't fit my Ruger MKII 5.5" SS guns frame that well. I had trouble getting all the screw holes to line up and I could hardly get the last screw in. There is a gap under the trigger gaurd and it doesn't fit flush at the back of the grip frame very well. One of the hex head screws does't appear to be seated all the way in but that is as far as it will go.
Comfort: 8 out of 10
Comfort is not bad but it does crowd my four fingers at the front. Under the trigger gaurd and above the palm shelf there is just enough room for me to sqeeze my finger in the finger grooves for a tight fit. It works okay for me but I have medium sized hands so I fear that most people will not be able to get a good fit with this grip. It barly fits me and I like small grips. I can get all my finger on a Kahr K-9 and it feels perfect to me. Many people have complained about the Kahr being to small to get all their fingers on the grip so if you have hands that don't fit on a Kahr K-9 or K-40, the Volquartsen may be uncomfortable for you.
Looks: 7 out of 10
I like the looks of black rubber on SS so I think it is pretty neat. The sloppy fit and somewhat cheap look of the pressed checkering are what prevent me from give a higher score. The pressed checkering is a little uneven and wavy in places. There is a small round sticker that fits into a round hole on the right side of the frame that I thought covered an emblem but I think it is supposed to be permanet. It is made of tough plastic or foil paper but when you remove it, you are left with an empty blank round hole that looks out of place. Maybe you can get something to put in that hole but I don't know what it is for.
Ergos: 7 out of 10
The thumb rest fits nice and so does the palm shelf but the tight finger groove and exposed back strap are a downer. If held tight the back strap can press into the web of your hand and make it feel like you are holding a 2x4.
Usefullness: 6 out of 10
For the intended purpose of target shooting, it works well. It is steady and confortable in one handed as well as two handed shooting. Most target grips like this are only good for one hand holds but the Volquartsen is great for a two hand hold to my surprise.
The really bad points are that you can barely reach the mag release due to the overhang of the extra large palm shelf. it is a little tricky to get too when it is compleatly covered by the grip and you have to reach up into a hollow to press the release backward. The Ruger mag release is not super easy to release as it is but with a Volquartsen grip on it, it become very difficult. The slide stop also become more difficult to engage due to the size and shape of the Volquartsen grip. No longer can I hit the slide release without changing my grip on the gun. I need to rotate the gun a little in my hand to engage the slide release now. For someone with a longer thumb, this may not be an issue however.
Value: 3 out of 10
I got this at a dealer discount price that may be less than most people will pay and I still thought it was over priced for what you get. It is a rather cheaply made grip and fits poorly yet is quite expensive. It represents what I would consider a fair to poor value for the money. If Hogue made a grip like this, I am sure it would far surpass it in all respects. My Hogues that were on the Ruger before I put the Volquartsen grips on were far better in fit and finish and looks than the Volquartsen grip. Hogue doesn't make a grip like this however so I have to give credit where credit is due and say that at least Volquartsen is making a true target grip for the Ruger MKII.
Summery:
I know it seems as if I am being hard on this grip but the fact is, for all it's faults, I am going to keep it on my gun because it does make the gun balance better, point better and allow the shooter to hold the gun steadier. The grips do their job at the cost of loss of access to controls and loss of $35.50. If you need a real target grip for Bullseye or Olympic shooting, these are a good deal considering what some people charge for similar grips. If you just want better grips than factory for informal target shooting and plinking, the Hogue grips with finger grooves would be a less expensive and all around better choice. The give you the thumb rest and the same level of access to the gun's controls as factory grips.
I hope this helps someone decide and I hope I was not too biased in my report. I like the grips but there are a few things that I don't like. I hope you understand that I am not bashing this item, just giving a pros and cons type of report.
Thanks.
P.S., Brownells is a fantastic supplier and I in no way wish to say that they did anything wrong. I give Brownells a 10 out of 10. They have great prices, people, service, support and everything that you could ask for.
I will rate it on a scale of 1-10 in each catagory to give an idea of how it fairs. 5 being average.
Fit/finish: 4 out of 10
It doesn't fit my Ruger MKII 5.5" SS guns frame that well. I had trouble getting all the screw holes to line up and I could hardly get the last screw in. There is a gap under the trigger gaurd and it doesn't fit flush at the back of the grip frame very well. One of the hex head screws does't appear to be seated all the way in but that is as far as it will go.
Comfort: 8 out of 10
Comfort is not bad but it does crowd my four fingers at the front. Under the trigger gaurd and above the palm shelf there is just enough room for me to sqeeze my finger in the finger grooves for a tight fit. It works okay for me but I have medium sized hands so I fear that most people will not be able to get a good fit with this grip. It barly fits me and I like small grips. I can get all my finger on a Kahr K-9 and it feels perfect to me. Many people have complained about the Kahr being to small to get all their fingers on the grip so if you have hands that don't fit on a Kahr K-9 or K-40, the Volquartsen may be uncomfortable for you.
Looks: 7 out of 10
I like the looks of black rubber on SS so I think it is pretty neat. The sloppy fit and somewhat cheap look of the pressed checkering are what prevent me from give a higher score. The pressed checkering is a little uneven and wavy in places. There is a small round sticker that fits into a round hole on the right side of the frame that I thought covered an emblem but I think it is supposed to be permanet. It is made of tough plastic or foil paper but when you remove it, you are left with an empty blank round hole that looks out of place. Maybe you can get something to put in that hole but I don't know what it is for.
Ergos: 7 out of 10
The thumb rest fits nice and so does the palm shelf but the tight finger groove and exposed back strap are a downer. If held tight the back strap can press into the web of your hand and make it feel like you are holding a 2x4.
Usefullness: 6 out of 10
For the intended purpose of target shooting, it works well. It is steady and confortable in one handed as well as two handed shooting. Most target grips like this are only good for one hand holds but the Volquartsen is great for a two hand hold to my surprise.
The really bad points are that you can barely reach the mag release due to the overhang of the extra large palm shelf. it is a little tricky to get too when it is compleatly covered by the grip and you have to reach up into a hollow to press the release backward. The Ruger mag release is not super easy to release as it is but with a Volquartsen grip on it, it become very difficult. The slide stop also become more difficult to engage due to the size and shape of the Volquartsen grip. No longer can I hit the slide release without changing my grip on the gun. I need to rotate the gun a little in my hand to engage the slide release now. For someone with a longer thumb, this may not be an issue however.
Value: 3 out of 10
I got this at a dealer discount price that may be less than most people will pay and I still thought it was over priced for what you get. It is a rather cheaply made grip and fits poorly yet is quite expensive. It represents what I would consider a fair to poor value for the money. If Hogue made a grip like this, I am sure it would far surpass it in all respects. My Hogues that were on the Ruger before I put the Volquartsen grips on were far better in fit and finish and looks than the Volquartsen grip. Hogue doesn't make a grip like this however so I have to give credit where credit is due and say that at least Volquartsen is making a true target grip for the Ruger MKII.
Summery:
I know it seems as if I am being hard on this grip but the fact is, for all it's faults, I am going to keep it on my gun because it does make the gun balance better, point better and allow the shooter to hold the gun steadier. The grips do their job at the cost of loss of access to controls and loss of $35.50.
If you need a real target grip for Bullseye or Olympic shooting, these are a good deal considering what some people charge for similar grips. If you just want better grips than factory for informal target shooting and plinking, the Hogue grips with finger grooves would be a less expensive and all around better choice. The give you the thumb rest and the same level of access to the gun's controls as factory grips. I hope this helps someone decide and I hope I was not too biased in my report. I like the grips but there are a few things that I don't like. I hope you understand that I am not bashing this item, just giving a pros and cons type of report.
Thanks.
P.S., Brownells is a fantastic supplier and I in no way wish to say that they did anything wrong. I give Brownells a 10 out of 10. They have great prices, people, service, support and everything that you could ask for.
