In a previous article on grip tape, I examined some of the possibilities for DIY weapon modification. However, some things need a bit more than bathtub tape. I looked for a product that had all of the grip I needed without being too costly. I found it in the Tuff1 grip cover. All Tuff1 grips function roughly the same, regardless of the designs on them. They provide a consistent comfortable grip for that increases weapon control, especially in extreme temperatures and inclement weather. The Tuff1 is 1/16th of an inch thick, weighs in at half an ounce and isn’t affected by gun solvent, water, head, cold, or abrasion. If you want to run it on a subcompact pistol, that’s no problem. Simply use a pair of heavy kitchen shears to trim the Tuff1 to the desired length.
The company has been up for roughly 2 years and their products have been on the market for all of 2012. A month and a half ago, Scott Hopkins sent me 5 grip covers. I immediately put the Boa Grip Cover on my SIG P226 and have done most of my testing using this setup. 
How would the Tuff1 benefit you in regards to cold? Well, I placed my P226 in the freezer overnight to get it, and the Tuff1 grip, nice and frosty. The next morning, I retrieved it. While the metal frame was indeed painfully cold to touch, the same could not be said of the Tuff1 grip. I was able to get a much more solid grip on my weapon with the grip cover than without, simply due to the decreased heat transfer when using the Tuff1.
Heat is much the same way. After your weapon has been baking in a sun-soaked car all day, it can practically brand your hand. With a Tuff1 grip cover, the discomfort is lessened enough for you to go ahead and use your weapon. In order to test this, I placed my SIG, with the Tuff1 grip, in the oven.
Why yes, I may have suffered from brain damage at an early age, why do you ask?
While the metal was too hot to touch, the Tuff1 stayed intact and made it possible to handle the weapon, if only barely. I found it remarkable that such a small, inexpensive accessory could accomplish so much. As a side note; the grip covers will melt if heated to sufficiently high temperatures. Please don’t try to light them on fire. 
Having dropped, scuffed and generally mishandled my SIG with the Tuff1, I can say this about its abrasion resistance: if the damage isn’t enough to actually cut through the Tuff1, you’re good to go.
Water? During Hurricane Sandy, I took my AR-15 with a Thin Blue Line cover out shooting in the rain. The next day, I threw that same AR in a puddle and then put several rounds through it. The rifle, the optic and the grip cover functioned flawlessly, allowing me to keep control of what should have been a rather slippery wet pistol grip.
For proper fitting, this grip cover should be trimmed.
I’m usually not a fan of zombie products. However, the Zombie Down grip cover blends the skull motif with a dirty neon green, resulting in a truly necrotic look. If the undead are your thing, this may be the style for you. Personally, the Death pattern is a bit more to my liking.
Here you can see the proper thumb-over-bore grip executed on a Gewehr 98
As an exercise in absurdity, I even putt a Tuff1 Double Cross on an old cut-down Gewehr 98 rifle that was made back in 1916. Inspired by Chris Costa, I decided to try an aggressive “Magpul” grip and stance with the nearly 100 year-old rifle. Interestingly enough, the Double Cross grip cover did indeed allow me to have a firmer, more secure grip with my support hand. Of course, my thumb completely obstructed my view of the front sight, but that was expected. Though the results were less than effective, it did illustrate the versatility of the Tuff1.
By Allen Cosby
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I have the Tuff1 on EVERY wheel gun I own! Most of my Rugers have wooden grips and can be slippery, especially in colder weather. It’s a “must have” accessory!
I also have one on my AR and my P226 .40 cal. It gives the shooter so much more control during the shot, and it allows more control over the recoil as well.
I highly recommend picking one or two up and give them a try. You won’t be sorry!