[Only a 1911]

Browning Newbie question....I and my wife love smooth thin grips on my 45's. The stock grips on her HP Practical (wrap around rubber) are so thick activating the thumb safety from the fire position is darn near impossible. Is there such a thing as smooth, thin wooden grips, or is the problem/solution in replacing the stock ambi safety, or both?!

She doesn't like stippling or checkering on the front/backstraps either, so totally smooth would be her preference. No need to recommend stippling ....I tried.

Thank you.

 

[Broom Rider]

I didn't like the rubber grips or the stock wood panels that came on mine so I put a set of Hogue wood panels on mine, althought they are checkered, the checkering isn'ty really very sharp and they are thin at the front and about perfect in the back. That makes for a comfortable grip for me. I don't know if Hogue or anyone makes a plain one or not but I'm sure they could be ordered like that from someone like Craig Spegel or Kim Ahrend or???

 

[Only a 1911]

Thanks. I am told Spegel only will provide checkered grips. Is Ahrend's still in business? The only place I have seen their grips is Brownell's but they all say no longer offered by manufacturer there. Does Ahrend's have a website?

 

[Broom Rider]

I just got a beautiful set of Craig Spegel grip panels for my 1911 and they are 100% uncheckered.
I would think a company like Herrett's would be able to make them also.
Here's a link to Hogue's Browning page, they make them with or without checkering.

http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?id=29&step=2

Gee I hope I'm allowed to post a link like that here, if not please remove it or the whole post. I don't wish to break any forum rules.

 

[Rembrandt]

Esmerelda makes smooth, checkered, and partially checkered grips for High Powers. She uses some of the nicest wood I've ever seen. They are not quite as thin as Spiegels, but very close.

http://www.esmeralda.cc/browninggrips.htm

These are some smooth grips I got from her for my 40 cal.

 

[falable762]

No, Ahrends doesn't have a web site, however they are still in buisiness. I've got 2 sets of grips from them this year. Very nice people, out of this world grips. phone# 515-532-3449

 

[Broom Rider]

Cylinder & Slide is a Browning specialist and may have or be able to acquire nice grips for you.

 

[Only a 1911]

Thanks to everyone for the info. Rembrandt, very nice grips...the rest of that HP doesn't look too shabby either! Could someone rate manufacturers in order of relative thickness? Are all HP grips relatively close in thickness? I mean with 1911's you definiately see grips advertized on the order of 40% thinner with separate hardware. (Esmeralda offers regular profile and thin profile separately, but one set of HP grips?) I am going to check them all out except Hogue for sure.

Hogue and I had a bit of a problem with some grips for my S&W 629. After waiting for double the quoted time on their siteand email, I got a set that left alot to be desired after many follow-ups. They were very proud over the backstrap and left a large gap on the right side of the frame. Returned them, waited weeks again and another ill fitting pair, even worse than the first (warped on one side, gap on the other, backstrap not even (proud and scant over the backstrap in different spots). I must admit the wood was astonishingly beautiful Kingwood, but the fit was horrible! I guess that is one problem with the monogrip design. In what I was paying for shipping, I could have gotten a pair of Ropers from Herritt. Their third suggestion was to have me ship my revolver, at my expense, both ways to have them fit it, at no additional cost for the fitting.....Let's see that would be paying shipping 5 times including 2 for a pistol.....yeah right :grumble: . It was a current production S&W (CNC milled?). I don't think Smith's tolerances were to blame on that one.

 

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I have the same problem with my Practical, when I try to engage the safety holding my gun in normal shooting position I usually only succeed in putting the safety on half of the time

the problem lies indeed with those Pachmyr signature grips, I believe my resolution is Navidrex Micarta thin grips