Custom Grips (or, left grip...)

[st_albert]

Who was it, long ago, that was trying to have custom Silver grips molded?  Richard?  I don't recall....

Anyway, I've always thought that having clear polycarbonate (PC) grips, a la the Asp, would be cool.  (yeah, yeah, but bear with me for a moment...)  Now, I realize that the RIGHT grip has certain structural features that would be hard to duplicate, especially since PC probably has a lower modulus (i.e. more flexible) than the carbon-reinforced stock grips.

But what about the LEFT grip?  Making that from a transparent material would allow you to check your ammo supply, like the Asp, though it would probably be considered to be aesthetically, well, horrible.

IIRC, whoever was trying to make silver grips ran into trouble.  What kind of trouble? and might it be overcome if you just made the left grip.  Or is there something magic going on with the left grip too?  (I've never pulled the left grip off my pup, so I don't know.)

Also, that great artist of custom grips, Hakan Pek, reports that polycarbonate is a **** to work with.  He tried one pair (for a 1911 I think) and says he'll never do another.  And 1911 grips are easy!  But there's a new material on the horizon from Eastman that might work easier.  Same problem with modulus, though.

What're your thoughts?

Albert

P.S.  Regarding the Asp (see http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg147-e.htm ), I have always felt that the Rohrbaugh is the high-tech "spiritual heir" to the Asp and its design goals.  Hence my urge to add the transparent grip.  I won't go so far as the guttersnipe sight, though.  That's a battle for someone else.  (Betcha the brothers R considered it, though!  -- however fleetingly.)

[John]

The only think I know the left grip does is keep the trigger pin from falling out. Which as long as the sear bar and spring are connected to the trigger all is good.

[Richard S]

Albert:

Yes, I'm the one who tried to have a pair of sterling silver grips cast for my R9. However, with the two small screw holes widely spaced on each R9 grip panel, the tolerances are practically nil.  A friend of mine who is a custom silversmith attempted at least eight times to reproduce the R9 grips for me in sterling silver using the lost-wax process. Even using the most modern "no-shrink" casting materials available, there was still just enough shrinkage with each casting to prevent the screw holes from aligning. It would probably require a CNC machine shop to produce a pair of silver grips, and the cost of setting up the program together with the cost of silver, casting, fitting, and polishing would probably be about as much as the pistol itself.

For grips having only one screw per panel, though, the lost-wax process of silver casting can produce some beautiful results. As an example, I offer this photograph of my G380 adorned with a pair of sterling silver grips my jeweler friend produced:

[Holster by R. J. Hedley]

[st_albert]

ummm, and what a beauty that NAA is!

Thanks for the response and information.  So, the problem was inability to reproduce the exact positions of the grip screw holes, due to dimensional instability in the lost wax process.   I have heard of the lost wax process, but I never thought of that.  I can see where it would be a problem in this case.  But maybe it would not be a problem for a process of rough-cutting a blank, then filing or grinding and drilling to fit.  With polycarbonate, not with Silver!

Guess I'll keep thinking about it...

Thanks,

Albert

[Brenden]

Richard,

You have to give a guy a "Bling Alert" when you post that pic!!

Give me time to put on the shades,,

[Richard S]

Brenden:

BLING ALERT!!!










Ready?   OK, here goes . . . .    

 

[PsychoSword]

If you know of anyone who has removed the grips from their R9, let me know. I would like to know how they did it.  

[Richard S]

I remove the grips on my R9 each time I clean it.  I know it's not necessary, but I tend to be somewhat obsessive/compulsive about cleaning my guns. I take care not to overtighten or strip the grip screws, and I use a top-of-the-line 1/16" screwdriver hex key (sometimes referred to as  a 0.064 Allen wrench) for the job.  Here's a link to one source for such a tool:

http://www.crawfordtool.com/bondhus_hexdrivers.html

[PsychoSword]

I remove the grips on my R9 each time I clean it.  I know it's not necessary, but I tend to be somewhat obsessive/compulsive about cleaning my guns. I take care not to overtighten or strip the grip screws, and I use a top-of-the-line 1/16" screwdriver hex key (sometimes referred to as  a 0.064 Allen wrench) for the job.  Here's a link to one source for such a tool:

http://www.crawfordtool.com/bondhus_hexdrivers.html

I used one of those. I rounded it off. I actually had a craftsman one break on me. I'm going to have to send it back to the factory I think to get the screws removed.

[CNO53]

Brenden:

BLING ALERT!!!


Hey Richard,

"BLING"?  Did you mean "BLIND"?  I put on my sunglasses and I still couldn't see it.    That must be your "Night Gun"  If you pulled that out during the day you'd blind anyone within 100 feet.  

That gun is beautiful...I think...well the part I could see was.  

[Richard S]

PS:

Back in 2004 when I was still getting to know my R9, I overly tightened one of its grip screws and stripped the head while trying to remove it after a trip to the range. After a couple of days of thinking about the problem, I finally decided to try a small damaged screw remover mounted in a B&D power drill set on slow reverse. With the pistol placed on a towell for padding and my wife holding it firmly in place, I was able to remove the offending screw without any damage being inflicted to the CF grip panel, the frame of the pistol, or -- most importantly -- the well-manicured hands of my little wife.

Looking back, I think all of that may have been a reckless act on my part and that I just got lucky that time. I should have paid to send the pistol back to the factory rather than risk screwing up (pun intended) a $1,000 handgun -- not to mention ruining my wife's manicure   .  To paraphrase that famous comment by Senator Lloyd Bentsen in his 1988 vice presidential debate with Senator Dan Quayle: I know a gunsmith. A gunsmith is a good friend of mine. I'm no gunsmith.

Since that time, I take care not to overtighten my R9's grip screws and keep a supply of spares on hand.

Good luck to you!

[Richard S]

I WANT one of those!  

(Edit:  I NEED one of those!      )

[st_albert]

Yeah, CNO53!  That's what I'm talking about!  And is that a little Minox camera peaking up from the bottom of the frame?  Sweet!

[PsychoSword]

Richard, I have three that I have never been able to remove as the screw heads stripped out. One I was able to remove, but the head is now stripped out for the most part. I am going to have to sent it back to the factory to get them removed. Hopefully they have some slotted screws they can sell me as well. If not, I will try to find some from another source.

[jecrhrbgh]

I have been tossing around the idea of creating custom grips for the R9.  I decided to make a rough trial run of my idea this afternoon.  I used cheap 1/4" plywood.  Here is what I came up with:





Obviously, this is a VERY rough first run.  Disregard the extra holes cut into the grip.  (These will be used as guide holes on the next attempt.)  The next step is to create a version made out of a hardwood; probably ipe, with an oil based hand rubbed finish over that.  The final product will hopefully include checkering and a slight thumb rest/groove on the left side.  Let me know what you think of this idea.