1792, “Domestic Intelligence: Dublin, Sept. 7, 1792”, in Walker's Hibernian Magazine or Compendium of Entertaining Knowledge for the Year 1792. Part II, Dublin: Printed by Joseph Walker, No. 79, Dame Street, page 287:
Cunningham then declared […] that he was at Mr. Lyneall's, and saw Robinson snap his pistol, which did not go off; that he heard a voice from some one, saying fire! and also heard a shot, but did not know who fired; that Condron, the approver, afterwards told him he had no pistol, as he dropped it when he fired; that Condron could not help firing, as the gentleman who struggled with him held a death grip of the pistol he fired.
1831 February, “Art XIV.—The Romance of History—France. By Leitch Ritche. In three volumes. 8vo. London: Edward Bull. 1831.”, in Ralph Griffiths, George Edward Griffiths, editors, The Monthly Review, volumes I (new and improved series), number II, London: G. Henderson, 2, Old Bailey, page 309:
The mysterious bark, though rent and shattered, still held on with a death-grip to the bridge, and the starting and splinting timbers of the latter seemed to shrink and shriek with fear and agony.
That the present calamitous civil war was not caused by the exploded dogma of "the irrepressible conflict," the reader is referred to the chapter on that subject, and to what is briefly said in the fifth number of the chapter herein on emancipation. That it was occasioned by party conflicts for the Presidency, he is referred to the discussions contained in the first volume, […] He is also referred to the death-grip tenacity with which Southern leaders of the Democracy clung to the power of making Presidents; […]
For the first mile of the trip he hung on with a death grip and said nothing.
1914, Leander Sylvester Keyser, A System of General Ethics:
You might define obstinacy as holding on to small ideas or unworthy aims with a death-grip.
1978, Steve Strandemo with Bill Bruns, The Racquetball Book:
Holding a constant death grip on the racquet throughout every swing will lead to extreme fatigue in your forearm muscles and the chance of a strained hitting arm.
1850, Pierce Egan, Robin Hood and Little John, or the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest:
"Beware of the dogs' teeth!" cried Little John, as one fellow gave tongue to the cry, in a stentorian voice. "We Saxon dogs have a death grip of our own," he continued, and striking over his opponent's guard, he transfixed him through the throat to a tree at the miserable wretch's back, and left him writhing in the agonies of death, while he sought out a new foe.
At the outset Mahmoud commanded Mehemet to withdraw his forces and to lay his grievances before his Sultan. He might as well have ordered the lion to loose his death-grip on the roe.
Again one would suppose a rodent to be squeaking his last in the death grip of a weasel, so high pitched and penetrating is the sound.
1986 October 20, Boyce Rensberger, “Only 80,000 miles separate 2 stars locked in ‘death grip’ of newly found binary system”, in The Washington Post[1], page A3:
Astronomers have discovered a double-star system in which the two members of the pair are just 80,000 miles apart — one-third the distance between Earth and the moon — and the smaller, locked into a “death grip,” zooms around the larger at the surprising rate of once every 11 minutes.
A perilous situation or stalemate where failure or death is imminent.
1888, John L. Smith, History of the Corn Exchange Regiment, Philadelphia, Pa., page 257:
[O]ne Confederate in the death grip had seized the sharp edge of a huge rock, and with feet held fast in a cleft of the rock above, hung head downwards between the two.
They act as skirmishers before the actual battle: and while the hoplites are in the real death-grip they harass the foe as they can, and guard the camp.