Thin grips for my Rock Tactical

[Agent Iron]

I have done lots of searches, but am looking for some some thin grips to try. The Rock I originally fell in love with was a standard 5", but mine is a Tactical. I do not know if it is the extended Beaver tail that seems to add girth, but it feels larger in my small hand. I can not get to the mag release...no way, no how. I would like to some thin grips, but don't want to spend a bunch of money on the nice Aluminium til I see if the thin ones fit the bill. Can anyone point me to a source of cheap thin grips to try?

Thanks a bunch.
AI

[Cap]

what do consider "cheap", AI?

as i understand it, you'll also need to buy bushings and screws to go with the thin grips.

How handy are you with a belt sander and sand paper?
Maybe buy a cheapest set of smooth grips you can find and sand them down 1/16" to 3/32" to try


I bought a set of grips from this outfit
(not the thin one's though)

http://www.woodgrips.com./1911_ultra_thin.htm

The grips I got are quality with excellent grain to the wood and I'm very pleased with them, but not sure if their thin grips qualify as "cheap" to you


..L.T.A.

[Agent Iron]

Cap

Yes I figured I would need different bushings. I was thinking of something like $25 bucks or so. I just hate to spend 60 or 70 for some nice ones with bushings and shipping if they are not going to be comfortable. I don't mind spending the money, I just don't want to spend it if they are not going to work well. If I can find a show to attend, maybe there will be a place where i Can try some out.

Thanks for your help.

AI

[Linkinlog]

A gun show, gun shop or a local shooter are your best bets. Next time you are at the range, see if anyone has a 1911. Most gun guys are good people and would be more than happy to let you hold (and probably shoot) their gun. The hard part is finding one that has thin grips.

[Wonderboy]

When you get the grips your going to have to post a picture, I've been wanting to see how thin grips look on an RIA tactical for a while now. To be completely honest though, there is nothing about alumagrips that are uncomfortable, I have small hands and they have fit me perfectly on any opportunity I have had to try them out, they are also extremely comfortable. Don't just take my word for it though the gun show thing is a good idea, I don't know of a gun guy out there who wouldn't want to show off his gun with a set of grips like that on them.

[sprice1973]

The Allumagrips,as Wonderboy stated above ,are A+!!

[sarabellum]

Those ultrathins from woodgrips.com are almost 1/2 the thickness of the original grips. Unlike other grips, it appears to me, a 1911 novice, that the greatest radian is from the center of the grip.* I am a woodworker. I have the impression that the ultrathins are very close to their limit. You might be able to remove 1mm away (limited by the amount of wood needed to cover the screws) by sanding. Note that you should avoid making the edges too thin as they are prone to chipping (unless you make a cool bead all the way around: use your imagination).

However, I like the idea of making your own grips. 1911 grips are very simply constructed with no contours on the inside. The tools needed are:

1. Drill
2. Drill bit (according to size of hole) + counter sink
3. 1/8 to 1/4" chisel to cut the channel on the inside of the grip.
4. Clamp and work space. You can use a Dremel but they can be hard to control. If you do use a Dremel use a very wide board instead of a thin one as follows. On a wider board you can have room to set up a guide for a Dremel.
5. 2 wood files: rough and fine.
6. Wood. 1/4" x 1 1/2" x 16" (you'll need the extra wood surface for clamping). Wood of YOUR choice! That's the best part; you get to choose your wood. I can be cherry, alder, or salvaged wood from the bottom of a river, http://www.distinctlymontana.com/index.aspx/issues/Distinctly_Montana_Fall_2006/reside/The_Stories_They_Tell_Salvaged_Woods_Persistent_Beauty_Montana.

The plan:
1. Trace a pair grips. Leave plenty of space in between each pattern you trace.
2. Measure the location of the channel on the original model grips and draw that in your grip. Measure the depth of the channel.
3. Use your chisel to shave away the channel (do not hammer). If you have any doubts on shaving with a chisel vs. hammering away, check out the Woodwright's Shop on PBS to see how he uses the chisel without a hammer. Move to the next step.
4. While it is still flat: drill the location of your holes and counter sink.
5. Leave some extra wood to use like a popsicle stick to hold onto the panel. Clamp the wood, cut the outer angles leaving the popsicle stick piece protrusion. Separate the two panels, keeping the popsicle stick protrusion.
6. Clamp the wood. Round the edges with a rough wood file to nearly the size/shape you want. Leave some room for sanding with 36-80 grit sand paper to make the final size/shape.
7. Using a large belt sander or vibrating sander clamped upside down in a vise or held in place by a friend or spouse (who does not hate your hobby) contour your grips to the final size (using the popsicle stick grip to do your back and forth on the sander). Take the wood all the way to 200 grit aluminum oxide if you want a shiny finish.
8. Cut off the popsicle stick ends and shape accordingly.
9 Finish with Danish Oil, Tung Seed Oil, or your favorite finish.

You are good to go. It's that easy. I did not discuss short screws or bushings. Those are separate issues that you can explore. No heavy duty machines. No specialized tools. Or you can just buy them at 5/32" from woodgrips.com. To me this would be a fun project.


*Other grips like the Hi Power have a lot of "thickness" at the rear, as well as the center of the grip.

[myanof]

I just put a set of thin Alumagrips on my SA LW Champion, which I am very pleased with so far, but I did want to warn you if you are thinking of trying a set. As you probably know you will need some smaller bushings so you can try your thin grips, and if you are as untalented as I am, be prepared to replace your old bushings with new ones if you find you don't want your thin grips. I demolished my original bushings getting them out by using a vise grip. All turned out well and I love my new slim Alumagrips, but be aware of the bushing issue. Good Luck

[Tedfs]

I have personally been looking at getting a set of these for my next pistol. These come with the correct bushings and screws for the thin grips so you are paying for the grips, bushings and screws. Pretty good deal for $40 plus shipping.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=74994141

I purchased a regular set for my RIA from the same seller a few weeks ago and could not be happier with the fit and finish. Shipping was fast, got them in less than a week.

All I have is a scanner so the quality is very poor.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/420/rockhn6.jpg

[Agent Iron]

Wow some great posts here!

Nice looking gun Tedfs, and you can't beat that price with all the hardware included. I think I am going to try to hit a gun show in the next couple weeks where I can fondle some guns... :D I will then make my choice on what route to go. I am leaning toward the allumagrips at present, but could not go wrong with any of the fine wood grips either.

Thanks for all the posts, and I am looking forward to reading more should anyone like to add anything.

AI

[Quasi Moto]

I have thin grips from both Esmeralda and VZ Grips on my 1911s and all are high quality. Esmeralda has the natural beutiful wood grips while VZ has micartas which will last forever. VZ thin 320s are my favorite for carry normal range use.