Advice needed for grips
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I would choose neither, actually, mostly because I don't care for the aesthetics. A similar product I would choose, though, is VZ Grips' Gatorbacks, 320's, or Operators. They are grippy, yet not clingy, which I like for carry, and I like the aesthetics.
www.vzgrips.com
www.vzgrips.com
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840 Posts
Range gun or carry gun?
I generally go with synthetic material that has good gripping and recoil-absorbing characteristics for range pistols (especially if it's a pistol I'll put 200 or 300 rounds through in a session). GunnerGrips are fine for a range gun, but I tried the Carboncreations on a friend's pistol and they just seemed a little slick on a hot day.
For carry pistols, I prefer checkered wood because (1) it just plain looks better and (2) doesn't cling to shirts, sweaters and jackets causing printing. My two favorites are rosewood and cocobolo and a good double-diamond pattern by a maker such as Kim Ahrends not only look great, but are totally functional.
I generally go with synthetic material that has good gripping and recoil-absorbing characteristics for range pistols (especially if it's a pistol I'll put 200 or 300 rounds through in a session). GunnerGrips are fine for a range gun, but I tried the Carboncreations on a friend's pistol and they just seemed a little slick on a hot day.
For carry pistols, I prefer checkered wood because (1) it just plain looks better and (2) doesn't cling to shirts, sweaters and jackets causing printing. My two favorites are rosewood and cocobolo and a good double-diamond pattern by a maker such as Kim Ahrends not only look great, but are totally functional.
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I like Hogue's checkered grips. They're shaped right for my hand, look good, and are reasonably priced. You might also want to look at Alumagrips. Their Slimlines feel good to my hand, look good, are reasonably priced, and extremely durable. I understand that they're now available in various degrees of sharpness in their "checkering" so you probably could find whatever satisfies your needs.beardo said:
Hi
For Bullseye pistol shooting, THAT newsgroup recommended wooden grips. They abosrb sweat and in bullseye you shoot the gun 10 shots, in 10 minutes so you can hold on to the gun for a while. Hogueauction.com has decent factory seconds in 1911. Their sight lets you see the exact grip you're buying before you bid.
If you target shoot, there are several good brands of adjustable grips for the 1911.
Mike
For Bullseye pistol shooting, THAT newsgroup recommended wooden grips. They abosrb sweat and in bullseye you shoot the gun 10 shots, in 10 minutes so you can hold on to the gun for a while. Hogueauction.com has decent factory seconds in 1911. Their sight lets you see the exact grip you're buying before you bid.
If you target shoot, there are several good brands of adjustable grips for the 1911.
Mike
I'll second the vote for checkered wood. I'd gone round and round on what grips to buy, never finding anything that really looked right. But then I found an inexpensive pair of double-diamond-checkered walnut grips at last weekend's gun show, and when I installed them everything just kind of fell into place. They look right and feel right.
Smith & Alexander actually has excellent prices on this type of grips...they're around $20 per pair, depending on the exact type you select.
Smith & Alexander actually has excellent prices on this type of grips...they're around $20 per pair, depending on the exact type you select.
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I agree with Seraph, VZ Grips or some from Davison Knifes. I dont own them yet but thats what I am going to be going with in the near future.
http://davidsonknives.com/grips/grips.htm
http://davidsonknives.com/grips/grips.htm
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562 Posts
Checkered grips are more 'clingy' on fabric than smooth grips.
If you have a checkered frontstrap and checkered mainspring housing you'd be fine with smooth grips since 90% is your grip is on those other two areas.
If you have a checkered frontstrap and checkered mainspring housing you'd be fine with smooth grips since 90% is your grip is on those other two areas.
I just want to clarify that I didn't mean to imply that synthetic grips are my favorite type. I only suggested the VZ grips as an alternative to the synthetic grips mentioned in the original post. FWIW my actual favorite is double diamond hardwood grips. I agree with the poster above who says that Hogue hardwood grips feature pretty nice checkering. Generally, though, I tend to go for nice custom grips, which I think polishes off a pistol's feel and image like no other item, because it's usually the first and last part of your pistol you feel or see. I like fine checkering, with a slight amount of the tooth sanded off, which keeps them from clinging to your clothes, or chafing your side.
Cacique, I missed out on these grips when they were for sale, but I keep going back to the picture, imagining these on a stainless pistol:
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Cacique, I missed out on these grips when they were for sale, but I keep going back to the picture, imagining these on a stainless pistol:
I had Carbon Creations and didn't like them. The smooth acrylic did not offer much of a gripping surface for my sweatty hands. Even the checkering didn't seem to grasp my hands well. Another forum member bought them and is quite happy.
I just got my first set of Gunner Grips and these are the cat's a**! They grip my hands like nobody's business. The gun will not shift one ioda (sp?) even with long strings of full-power loads. However, they are a bit on the sharp/abrasive side. If you planned on carrying them against your exposed flesh (CCW) then you'd either have to sand them down a bit (the package gives directions) or maybe consider another manufacturer. For duty carry I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately opinions like these are purely subjective. You'd have to try them out yourself to really see what's what.
I just got my first set of Gunner Grips and these are the cat's a**! They grip my hands like nobody's business. The gun will not shift one ioda (sp?) even with long strings of full-power loads. However, they are a bit on the sharp/abrasive side. If you planned on carrying them against your exposed flesh (CCW) then you'd either have to sand them down a bit (the package gives directions) or maybe consider another manufacturer. For duty carry I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately opinions like these are purely subjective. You'd have to try them out yourself to really see what's what.
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They looked as good as you imagined!
The only smoothie grips I have are on my CCW gun, a Baer Stinger. The gun has a 30 LPI front-strap and MSH. The metal checkering is enough to get a decent purchase on the gun and the smooth grips make carrying against the skin more liveable. For a CCW gun it's definitely a consideration. My Stinger wears Thuya Burl grips I won off E-Bay and refinished with tung oil.
For a duty or game gun, which will be worn in the open and exposed to the elements, fully-checkered or textured grips would be the way to go. They obviously offer more gripping surface while comfort is not an issue.
For a duty or game gun, which will be worn in the open and exposed to the elements, fully-checkered or textured grips would be the way to go. They obviously offer more gripping surface while comfort is not an issue.
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