Shockwave Technologies Raptor Grip Review
The Raptor grip is manufactured from the United States from Shockwave Technologies, a Veteran owned company located in Salt Lake City, UT. The clasp is solidly molded from a dark, glass-filled polymer. Shockwave Technologies currently manufactures the Raptor grip for the 12ga and 20ga Mossberg pump-action shotguns, models 500, 535, 590, and 835 and may also match the Maverick 88 and New Haven 600.
They’re currently developing a Raptor grip for Remington 870, anticipated to be released in late spring/early summer of this year. The purview of the review is restricted to the Generation II Mossberg version of the Raptor grip, but I fully expect the Remington 870 version is going to be of comparable construction and quality. Packaging and unboxing: My clasp came packaged in a United States Postal Service Priority mail little flat rate box with suitable packaging material. The grip was sealed in a thick plastic bag which was little enough to maintain the installation hardware which was shipped inserted into the clasp, by getting lose and possibly marring the finish of the grip.
Upon liberating the clasp from its packaging, the first thing that I noticed is how secure the pin was, and how beautiful the finish felt at hand, general it felt just like caliber. Detail impressions: The texture on the Raptor clasp is a gentle, molded in stippling designed to give you great purchase on the clasp without eating your hand in hindsight. It’s evenly applied and feels excellent in hand. There’s a mold line that runs around the clasp but has been well smoothed to prevent any discomfort during treatment. The recipient interface is molded into that clasp in a neat, clean way with no extra material and should require no additional trimming or fitting.
The mounting hardware consists of: a 41/2 long, 1/4 allen head bolt that runs nearly the entire duration of the clasp to add additional construction and rigidity when installing along with a flat washer which goes beneath he is the head of a bolt. One detail of note, the Raptor grip doesn’t come with a sling stud. However, the reason it does not makes sense. Since capture is formed from a durable polymer, a sling stud can be installed almost anyplace on the grasp that the owner would like, or not at all. I want flexibility, even when it’s going to cost me a couple of bucks to get a sling stud.
Installation: The installation is simple, all that’s required is a 1/4 allen wrench. After the Installed stock or pistol grip is taken out of Raptor handle is offered until the stock port of the recipient, the installation bolt inserted and tightened with a hexagonal wrench. Some might want to also apply Loctite or another brand of yarn into the installation bolt; I chose not to as I plan to put in this grip on another job shotgun at a subsequent date. Final impressions and summary: The grip fits my Mossberg 500 JIC Super 8 flawlessly, it’s stable, sturdy and feels like its part of the rifle.
For all those of you, like me, who’ve never managed a shotgun with a birdshead design grip, I’d love to inform you will need to test one out. I’m shocked at how natural the ergonomics of the grip feel, it adds real comfort and versatility to a pistol grip shotgun. To wrap this up, if your on the fence about purchasing one of those grips, then stop screw in around on the wall, go back into your computer and put your order. These are all quality, period. The US made, Vet possessed, quality merchandise for under $35 bucks delivered.
How may you go wrong?