A Look At Handgun Grips

Often enough when working with a handgun the refinishing job is tedious but the end product is worth the time invested. There are times when extra details are involved. A ding on the muzzle means a recrown job in order for the refinish project to be perfect. Scratches may need to be polished out. When it comes to handgun grip panels or stocks, a poorly fitted or bad looking set of grips may adversely affect the looks of the handgun.

The owner may not have noticed how badly the grip panels fitor how rough they looked before, but now that the pistol has a bright new finish the grips just no longer suit the pistol. The grips are dinged, worn, and perhaps even missing the enamel from the medallions. While some shooters will go for the gold and upgrade to Smith and Alexander 1911 grips or something from Hogue’s wooden line, many shooters like the original looks of a set of Double Diamond grips.

On revolvers, Smith and Wesson target grips are still popular although Aherend’s combat style grips are breathtakingly done. I cannot imagine my Colt Official Police with anything but a set of original grips with the Colt Pony, but Some in the author’s storage bins are actually hand made. Some are show pieces, others are utilitarian. I have to admit the Pachmayr absorbs recoil much better. To each his or her own and this keeps us in business. Often there are compromises and we go with what we are able to obtain.

If were cannot obtain good original grips we can look to reproductions. Other times, we will refinish the grips and need to be able to Of course the grips are removed from the handgun to be reworked. Gun Parts Corporation is a source for these grips. make them a simile of the original appearance. However, it isn’t always straight refinishing. In this day of mass produced products—and a few one-at-a-time custom grips—sometimes a set of grips is delivered that doesn’t quite fit.

While sending them back to the maker is always an option I don’t think a few fi le strokes is as

Shame on the maker! Luckily, you can fix this pretty easily. much trouble as double postage there and back and the time that may be involved. Just be certain you know what you are doing because a wrong stroke means you have bought the grips no matter if they were not perfect to begin with. While completing a recent refinish job I worked with a stock set that had a few problems.

It is an aggravation when the maker provides a pair of grips that don’t quite fit but as long as we have only a difference I say go for it and use the fi le to get the job done. The work I am going to describe is not complete fabrication or a heavy duty refinish and recut of checkering by any means. It is a relatively quick fix that will provide the customer with a more suitable handgun that will afford greater pride of ownership and appreciation of your work. First, lets look at fit issues.

If the grips were on the handgun before you refinished it you already knew about the fit. If the owner included a set of grips to be fitted you may discover a bad fit after the refinish. On one occasion I was Notice the frontstrap, which may be cut and removed if desired, has begun to fray and needs to be trimmed. com. So far, I’ve had excellent luck with this company. attempting to fita set of grips to a 1911 when I noticed there was overlap on the grip frame.

In two other instances 1911 grips were supplied that did not allow clearance of the magazine release. One of these were remedied with a few fi le strokes. On the other the work would have resulted in a wider cut and odd look the owner

I have inserted a Wilson Combat foil wrap. They are OK, not as nice as some earlier grips but this is what they look like when new. would not care for. These grips were dispatched back to the factory. On other occasions owners have ordered 1911 type grips that did not accommodate a newly-fit ambidextrous safety or magazine guide. When it comes to the 1911 we have to be certain that the grip panels support the plunger tube.

I have seen cheap stock panels, including some that came from the factory that did not support the plunger tube. This is not acceptable. On another occasion when refinishing a Browning High Power, the owner supplied a rather nice set of Esmeralda O’S heehan Cocobolo stocks. The problem was this High Power was an original military version featuring a lanyard ring that required a stock cut out.

The new and expensive grips would not fit and would have required a deep cut and the refinish may not have matched the rest of the stock that was cut. Some of you may think that rubber grips and stock panels do not need to be trimmed but this is not completely true. I have seen several sets during the past few months that had extrusions requiring trimming.

The fit was OK but the front grip strap suffered from several rather ugly protrusions from the mold that gave me pause to wonder if quality control had slipped at the maker. Thankfully these were the exception and trimmed easily with an X-Acto knife. Linseed oil, finish or similar has been slopped on the roundel. Worse still, this was done to a very nice original Model 27. These checkered grips are found on a Kimber Gold Combat. Another note for those who often work on collector’s items.

I recently worked through several Webley revolvers. One old .455 had a rather nice set of original grips with a bad chip in the bottom. I was certain that the grips would crack if the pistol was fi red often. Luckily, I found a set of replacement grips at Gun Parts Corporation. The good folks at Gun Parts were careful to point out that these are reproduction grips and while they are painstakingly similar they are not

If the pistol is refinished these grips will do nothing for the pistol! Be certain to make the customer aware of such drawbacks. From Hilton Yam, 10-8. originals. In this case the shooter used the Numrich Arms grips for shooting and has preserved the originals in case the pistol is sold at a later date, an ideal solution for his turn of the century Webley revolver. Let’s address actual refinishing. As I have mentioned, often when the handgun is refinished the old worn grips do not match the new finish.

The first thing to do is to remove the grips carefully. It sounds elementary but sometimes grips are varnished to the pistol and must be carefully worked off. This is especially true of grips that have been refinished in the past. Next, take a look toward protecting the roundels or grip medallion. Nothing marks a grip refinish as an amateur effort more so than having linseed oil in the medallion area. I use masking tape in several thin layers, cut to fit and taped down, to cover these medallions.

You will find that these little roundels are easily damaged and should be protected. By the way, Colt, Smith and Wesson and Ruger are usually well secured but some competing grips may exhibit loose medallions. Now is a good time to glue them in place. Begin the refinish job by taking off the old finish, which is not the same as sanding the wood. You need a rather sharp chisel-shaped instrument.

I have used the CRKT Razel knife in some operations largely because it is on hand but it is easy enough to use the belt grinder to grind any fl at surface sharp enough. The finish is easily scraped off in a few minutes. Next, you will use pro- The grips on the right are found on a Colt 1911 manufactured in 1918. They are worn thin and actually have pieces missing on the edge. If the pistol is refinished, Kimber cocobolo grips would be a good addition. These grips are from JMB Distributing.

They were exactly correct in dimension straight from the maker. gressively fi ner sand paper to sand the wooden grips down. Always be careful to preserve the rounded edges and grip contours. After you have the grips pretty smooth you need to wet them down liberally allowing about an hour or so for them to dry. Resand again. You will find a few protrusions known as whiskers. Be certain to take care of these at this point in the process. After the grips are allowed to dry overnight examine the wood for appearance.

I seldom have to sand more than the aforementioned two initial

treatments. Next I carefully apply spray lacquer. No special formula is needed and lacquer from any department or hardware store works just fine. A smooth, even movement will prevent the dreaded fish eye or orange peel look. Go slow and smooth, keeping the nozzle about six inches away from the grip panels. Allow the grip panels at least 30 minutes to dry between coats. A nice, clear finish is achieved with three or four good thin coats, depending upon personal preference.

Remember, the finish is the finish and not the natural tone of the wood. The finish covers and protects the wood. Complete the finish with steel wool, taking care to address any runs or thick spots. At this point I should mention that some grips may need repair. I undertook an unusual repair a few months ago. A customer attempted to hand fita set of Karl Nill grips to the Heckler and Koch P 7. They area bit complicated to fit and while there is only one way they go on, Complete your American Gunsmith collection.

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