When I bought the Ruger RXM, I fully intended to heavily modify it. With the removable fire control insert design, I already knew I was going to swap out the lower grip modules. After actually getting the gun in hand and shooting it, that decision was reinforced because I found the factory lower way too slippery and lacking in grip.
I actually took the time to stipple the stock grip, which made it much more usable in my opinion, but that was always intended to be temporary. In the background, I had the Icarus Precision ACE aluminum grip module for the RXM on backorder, and it finally arrived, so I wanted to share some of my first impressions of the product.
Currently, Icarus Precision offers the ACE grip module in two colors, Matte Black and FDE, along with two different sizes: the Compact, which is Glock 19-sized, and the X grip, which uses a Glock 17-length grip. Both of the grip modules that I own are the Compact size.
The ACE grip modules are machined from 7075 aluminum and are designed to fit Gen 3 Glock 19 slides, so the stock RXM slide is compatible with them.
These grips feature 360-degree texture that varies in aggressiveness depending on the specific diamond knurling section and where additional grip is needed most.
The trigger guard features a double undercut along with texture on both the front and bottom surfaces.
At the front of the frame are ambidextrous, contoured thumb index points that actually indent inward slightly, giving you a subtle ledge to press against.
At the rear is an extended beavertail. Honestly, this is probably the longest beavertail I’ve personally ever used. I’ve never had an issue with slide bite, so I can’t imagine that ever being a problem here.
The ACE grip module comes stripped, so you’ll need to provide a mag release spring and a Gen 4 Glock magazine release. You can transfer the mag release spring from the OEM RXM grip module, but you’ll need to source your own Gen 4 mag release. You’ll also need a slide lock and spring, which can also be transferred from the OEM grip.
Icarus also makes a dedicated magwell for this grip module, which I also own. Personally, I can fit three fingers on the Icarus grip, but my pinky still slightly overhangs by a few millimeters. My pinky actually overhung even more on the OEM grip, and I really disliked that because it felt like I couldn’t establish a solid purchase on the gun.
Again, the Icarus grip is slightly longer and the texture is significantly better, so I can grip the gun much more confidently. Even so, the magwell is still a must-have for me because it adds a bit of extra length and creates a slight curve at the bottom that helps lock my hand into place when I really crank down on the grip.
The bare grip module weighs 6.3 ounces, but you can increase that weight by another 1.36 ounces with the optional tungsten weights that insert into the two milled slots in the backstrap.
First Impressions
My first impression of this grip module is simple: it’s incredible.
In terms of grip texture, this is easily the most aggressive frame that I own. The second you grip it, it immediately leaves indentations in your skin. Again, it’s aggressive, but I still think I’d be comfortable concealed carrying it, and I fully intend to once I get a holster for it.
Icarus states that this frame should fit Zev OZ9 holsters, but there are also a few companies that advertise holsters specifically designed for this frame, so I may go that route instead.
Color Options
I wanted to address a few things that I noticed from other reviews before getting my own frame.
First, let’s talk about the color options.
These grips are currently available in Matte Black and FDE. The Matte Black is not truly matte. It’s more of a satin finish with a slight semi-gloss appearance. Still, it’s black, so it’s easy to imagine how it’ll pair with other parts if that’s what you’re looking for.
The FDE color is definitely the more unique option. Icarus calls it FDE, and I suppose “Flat Dark Earth” can be open to interpretation because there really isn’t a universal standard across manufacturers. No two companies seem to produce the exact same shade of FDE.
That’s especially true here because I’ve honestly never seen another FDE color remotely close to this one. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make matching other parts somewhat difficult.
Originally, I intended to pair this frame with my Norsso upper, but the copper barrel I had for it was way too different for my taste. Then I considered pairing it with a bronze Radian Afterburner and Ramjet combo, but that also clashed pretty heavily.
For my personal taste, I decided the frame itself would become the primary source of color while everything else around it would remain black, with the exception of the small red accent from the Timney trigger shoe.
Fitment and Installation Issues
The next thing I noticed from other reviews was people mentioning that their smaller rear pin would float side to side inside the Icarus frame. That has absolutely not been my experience.
If you’re unfamiliar with the RXM platform, the fire control insert is held in place by two pins. Once those pins are removed, the insert can be transferred into another chassis.
When I first attempted this install, I honestly thought something was wrong because the tolerances were so tight. The interior coating of the frame immediately scratched up upon inserting the fire control insert, simply because everything fit so tightly.
Once I figured out how to get the insert seated, a few more issues appeared.
Again, the Icarus frame requires a mag release spring and a separate mag release. I transferred the spring from the OEM frame and installed a Strike Industries mag release.
As a side note, if you use a metal mag release as I did, that metal surface will rub against the aluminum frame and eventually wear away the finish on both parts. If you want to avoid that, you should probably stick with a polymer mag release.
I had no issues transferring over the OEM slide lock and spring.
The final part in the OEM grip is the U-shaped spring that applies tension to the front takedown pin. On the OEM frame, this spring has legs that seat into two holes. The Icarus frame does not use those holes and instead features two vertical posts.
At first, I thought my frame was defective and that Icarus forgot to machine the spring channels, but it turns out the posts are intended to replace the OEM spring entirely.
From my experience, those posts contributed heavily to the fitment issues.
They seem to provide significantly more tension than the OEM spring, to the point where installing the front takedown pin by hand was essentially impossible. Normally, with the stock setup, you insert the takedown pin upside down and rotate it into place as it seats.
With the Icarus frame, the pin only wanted to move forward at very specific rotational positions. If it was even slightly off, it simply would not move. Because the frame was so tight, I couldn’t rotate the pin by hand and had to use needle nose pliers to twist it into position.
Even after getting past the posts, the tolerances were so tight that I still couldn’t fully seat the pin by hand and ultimately had to tap it in with a hammer. I tried to be careful, but I still ended up slightly scratching the color coating, which was definitely frustrating.
Rear Pin Problems
The rear takedown pin was an even bigger problem.
I don’t know if all RXM rear pins are like this, but mine appears to be slightly flared. The ends are narrower, while the center section is ever so slightly wider. My rear pin would only insert partially before becoming completely stuck at the wider center section.
For reference, I use a very small hammer for basically all gunsmithing work, and I’ve never needed anything more aggressive. No amount of heavy strikes with that hammer would budge the pin. At that point, I actually emailed Icarus because I genuinely thought my frame might have been defective.
The next day, I tried again using a larger mallet with no success. Eventually, I had to break out a standard metal claw hammer. And honestly, I was not being gentle. I essentially forced the pin in and out repeatedly, flipping it around several times in the process. My goal was either to slightly shave down the oversized section of the pin or to ream the frame opening itself.
Eventually, after multiple cycles of hammering the pin in, punching it back out, flipping it, and repeating the process, everything finally seated correctly.
I genuinely can’t overstate how difficult this install was. Through writing, it probably sounds simpler than it actually was, but this was easily the hardest handgun frame install I’ve personally dealt with.
Ironically, after seeing other people complain about loose pins, I don’t think that will ever be a concern for me. The fitment is so tight that I honestly don’t even know if I want to attempt removing this insert from the frame again. This will very likely become the permanent home for this particular fire control insert simply because I don’t want to repeat the installation process.
Magwell Fitment
Even after getting the insert installed, the fitment issues continued with the magwell.
Normally, installing a magwell is a very simple process, but the extremely tight tolerances continued here as well. I actually thought Icarus had sent me the wrong magwell because the holes initially didn’t line up properly at all.
Eventually, after enough trial and error, I found that I had to aggressively push the magwell upward while inserting the retaining pin to get everything aligned correctly.
Even then, the retaining pin itself had to be hammered into place. It was definitely a process.
Slide Binding Issues
Once everything was assembled, most of the fitment ended up being excellent.
Magazines dropped freely without binding, and the trigger functioned and reset properly.
The only issue I noticed was with my slide hanging up during cycling. After inspecting things more closely, I believe I identified the cause. At the rear of the Icarus frame, there’s a small protrusion that extends near the bottom of the slide, almost like an additional rail section.
You can actually see finish wear developing where the slide is rubbing against this area, so I believe that’s where the interference is occurring. Because of this, the slide occasionally hangs near the end of its travel. If I ride the slide forward slowly, it can sometimes stop roughly a centimeter short of fully returning to battery.
Obviously, that’s not ideal, but I do think this is likely just a break-in issue where the contact surfaces need time to wear into each other.
Recoil Spring Compatibility
Another issue I recently discovered is that this setup appears to be somewhat picky with recoil spring assemblies.
With the factory recoil spring, everything functions relatively fine aside from the slide binding issue. However, when I tried using my stainless steel CDS recoil spring assembly, I physically could not rack the slide far enough to even lock it onto the frame.
I still haven’t figured out exactly why this is happening, so for now I’m simply running the factory recoil spring assembly, but this may be a problem down the line when I need to replace this part.
Slide Release Design
One minor complaint I do have involves the slide release.
The Icarus frame has raised protective areas around the slide release designed to help prevent accidental activation. However, with the OEM RXM slide release that I’m still using, the release ends up sitting almost flush with the frame. As a result, it becomes noticeably harder to press once the slide locks back.
It’s not a huge issue, but it’s something worth keeping in mind. An aftermarket extended slide release would probably improve accessibility quite a bit.
Is It Worth the Price?
Finally, let’s talk about price because that’s probably the most common criticism surrounding this grip module.
When I purchased my first RXM and started researching this frame, pricing started around $450 for the Compact black version, while FDE and the larger X grip options were slightly more expensive. So yes, you’re essentially looking at a grip module that costs about as much as the gun itself.
Is it worth it?
For me, yes. Again, I knew from the beginning that I intended to heavily modify my RXM. In stock form, the RXM honestly didn’t offer much that appealed to me, especially when it came to the factory grip module, which is probably my least favorite Glock 19-sized grip that I’ve used due to how slippery it feels.
I already planned on swapping out a large number of components, so spending the money on an Icarus grip module makes sense because this was never intended to be a budget build. I wanted something excessive. Something over-the-top. That’s also why I own the Norsso upper, which will likely end up permanently paired with the second Icarus frame that I own.
For someone who simply wants a better frame without heavily modifying the rest of the gun, I still think the answer is yes, assuming the price is justifiable for you personally. This grip is wildly better than stock. Honestly, it’s not even close. This is very likely the best-feeling Glock 19-style frame I’ve ever handled. The grip texture is incredible, the contours fit my hand extremely well, and the magwell completely locks my hand into place. The additional texture inside the trigger guard and the thumb indexing points also contribute a lot to the overall feel of the frame. Even with all of the installation headaches, I still think I’m perfectly happy permanently dedicating a fire control insert to this frame. It’s that good.
The Glock 19 platform is probably my favorite handgun platform overall, and to me, this feels like the peak version of it. Honestly, I don’t think I own another lower that I’d rather carry than this one, and that’s probably the highest compliment I can give it.
I do have a second Icarus Precision grip module along with another fire control insert that I originally intended to use in a PDW-style chassis, but at this point, I may just dedicate it to the second Icarus frame instead. That’s how much I like this setup.
If you can justify the purchase price, I genuinely think this is an incredible upgrade for the RXM platform.
