Home made pistol grips

[jetmech1983]

Has anyone here ever made their own pistol grips? Only reason I am asking is because I have a Beretta 418 that came with a set of broken pearl grips and was thinking about carving my own. Just looking for suggestions on types of woods and stuff like that.

 

[LACamper]

Pre Katrina I did some knife handle inserts in hickory. They came out OK. It was a lot of work doing them by hand though. I had polyurethaned them, no varnish.

 

[jetmech1983]

Pre Katrina I did some knife handle inserts in hickory. They came out OK. It was a lot of work doing them by hand though. I had polyurethaned them, no varnish.

Any tips on drying the wood beforehand or is it usually good to go when you get it. Sorry if it is a stupid question but I haven't done much woodwork and I am starting from a know nothing standpoint.

 

[Cat]

Might want to ask Grits, he's our resident wood guy AFAIK.

 

[LACamper]

I had looked into making a bow a while back. The wood experts on bows said to buy/find your wood, then leave it in a nice dry place inside for 6 months.

Now you're only doing a pistol grip, right? Why not find a nice piece of local maple? There's plenty of maple trees around here. It should be hard enough. Find a nice log about a two feet long and strip the bark. Let it sit for a month or so inside.

 

[leVieux]

My Dad brought back a 1911 from WW-II that had replacement grip scales made from the thick plastic from a P-47 windshield; they were clear plastic and were backed by some sort of heavy paper liners. The plastic had yellowed over the decades.

When Dad died, I sent the pistol to McBrides and had it thoroughly cleaned, internal parts replaced, put on standard mil-spec design scales of walnut, and gave it to my son.

There are so many nice commercial grip choices that it is not worth making your own, unless it is something really special.

leVieux

 

[dtchb]

I may have a set of factory which type of 418 do you have 1st,2sec,3rd, or last model if you can send me a pic Ican let you know Dutch
dtchb@cox.net

 

[jetmech1983]

I may have a set of factory which type of 418 do you have 1st,2sec,3rd, or last model if you can send me a pic Ican let you know Dutch
dtchb@cox.net

Give me a few seconds and I will post some up. thanks. Factory grips would be awesome.

 

[jetmech1983]

It's a 1956 if it helps

 

[LACamper]

Even if you get the factory grips you should give making your own a shot.

 

[charliepapa]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Browse.aspx?SearchType=0&Timeframe=0&Keywords=beretta+418&Cat=3033&Items=50

 

[Guate_shooter]

Here you go brother, easy easy easy

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=268099

 

[charliepapa]

Here you go brother, easy easy easy

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=268099

DANG! that's pretty snazzy right there. I can definitely see me and the boy making some of those.

 

[Guate_shooter]

DANG! that's pretty snazzy right there. I can definitely see me and the boy making some of those.

Count me in ma brother from another mother, we can have a make a grip party LOL!

 

[kajuntriton]

Now that is BAD ASS!!

 

[Guate_shooter]

Now that is BAD ASS!!

Well yeah KT look who posted the link !

 

[jetmech1983]

Here you go brother, easy easy easy

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=268099

That is pretty dang cool. wow.

 

[Guate_shooter]

At the same time there is an easier way to figure out where to drill the holes at least on a 1911, screw all that measuring he did, I would just take the old screw stims off on both sides of the frame and put the grip flat against the frame and would mark it from the other side. At tha point I would use the stim to mark my actual opening and done.

For the ones who are not good with a tape measure would be teh way to go.