There were at least two companies selling snatchgrips for Minis at one time, but all of a sudden both of them stopped selling their grips. Somebody made a post on pbnation about it so I asked around and apparently there was indeed demand for a small snatchgrip for Minis.
I took it upon myself to design a double-style snatchgrip and post a request for feedback (PBnation) to see what people thought. People had some alternate ideas so I modified the double design as much as possible but eventually decided to also create a single design too. Both revisions can be seen below...
I made several 3d printed prototypes of both long and short designs, and also made some pre-production modified screws so they could be installed on a marker.
The prototypes went over well, but it seemed most people prefered the short version. Additionally, people mentioned that while it was a good shape for snap-shooting, it wasn't so useful when it came to carrying the marker. As a result I changed the design so it would curve upward and be flush with the highest thumb-webbing area of the Mini frame. This version is close to the shape that was ultimately produced en masse (below).
Production:
After a few more refinements, I eventually arrived on a curved shape that would maximize the ability to both snap-shoot and carry the marker, both with the assistance of the same part. I made a moderate-sized production batch of them, which were anodized black and silver. Sometime later I started doing them in black and blue too (see further down the page).
Like all my other Mini parts, you can find these on Nummech.com. The snatchgrips come with a special re-ground frame screw since a lengthier stud is required.
Several months later, I was able to catch up with work around the shop so I decided to also make a batch of the long version too. People had been occasionally asking about them in reference to the original prototype pictures that had been floating around the internet. Making both versions was always my ultimate goal, since it allows people to have the most choice between a short or long snatchgrip.
According to sales figures, the short version seems to be a little more popular. However, the two styles are fairly close in requests. The split is probably 60/40 between short/long. Regardless, these snatchgrips will continue to be available so long as there's demand from people.