| Like most grip decisions, it's usually a personal matter.
To address your questions:
1) Based on my experience, its not the little grooves which cause a death grip. It's a tense hand and not using the grip properly. Let the grip lay in the hand but let the index and middle fingers, in conjuction with the thumb, do most of the work.
2) There is less gripping power than the other pistols but lot's more than a French. That said, it's not the solution to getting your blade pushed around. That problem is caused mostly by improper blade engagement and distance.
3) Precision is in the fingers, not the grip. Use your fingers and not your whole hand and your point control should be OK after a period of adjustment.
4) See answer 3. Additionally, Russian grips tend to be longer than other grips. I took abut 3/8 in off mine and it improved balance and the "quickness" in returning to line. This is a simple matter of geometry. All things being equal, the shorter blade is quicker.
My preference for the Russian (when I was still using a pistol) was rooted in the lack of "finger grooves" which allowed a little slack in my hand and staved off cramping. Most other grips caused my hand to cramp. I just couldn't relax the hand when it felt confined (a personal pecadillo).
However, the other pistol grips (i.e. German, Visconti and the like) allow a more precise grip which, for many, translates into quicker, more precise blade actions. This can be an advantage over Russians, Rambeaus, Zivkovics etc.
Paolo
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