Grips. Which unusual materials are there, out there?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
As is often the case, a question popped into my head, seemingly uninvited and unprompted.

What materials have grips been made out of, to good or bad, pretty or fugly effect?

For example, when I actually managed to find a speedloader for my snub, I soon found out that I couldn't use it because the grips blocked alignment!!

So, I decide to make a set of purely functional grips to aid access to the cylinder. The material? PVC chopping board. Definitely ugly, but they work and the factory grips escaped bubba-hood.

What about your experiences? Which materials have you had or seen on a gun other than the usual?
 
Grips. Which unusual materials are there, out there?

Most modern firearms have factory grip option to increase the grip width and hold you find on thinner factory standard grips. There are wraps that can add grip hold that do not interfere with the magazine release, and for modern firearms, there are many after market replacements in wood or rubber that fit firmly for larger, longer finger hands. Simply Google (Name maker here) pistol replacement grips under Google images and see what comes up.
 
Boncrayon, I think you missed the point of his question, he was simply asking for strange grip materials. To that effect someone posted that a pair of 1911's are going to be made out of meteorite. I can't remember if they're going to make the grips out of the meteor though.
 
Just when you thought ????

There are some neat grips made of all kinds of Deer/Stag and most are absolutely gorgeous. Then there are the various horns, like cape buffalo.
However, I have seen three that I thought were interesting. Mastodon, Legal ivory, Walrus tusk and one that the fella told me was Narwhal (male-member). Wouldn't touch that one ..... :eek:

Be Safe !!!
 
Boncrayon, I think you missed the point of his question, he was simply asking for strange grip materials. To that effect someone posted that a pair of 1911's are going to be made out of meteorite.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is all I wanted to know. Idle curiosity rather than fishing for ideas for my own.

Meteorite definitely takes an early first place in the unusual grip material league tables!!

and one that the fella told me was Narwhal
Click to expand...

That sort of information makes wearing shooting gloves far more appealing.
 
and one that the fella told me was Narwhal (male-member)

I could be wrong, but I don't recall that any species of whale has a baculum.
 
Meteorite and meteors are not materials. A meteor is a burning rock. A meteorite is a piece of that rock. Usually silicate minerals, iron or iron mixed with other stuff. Not really easily workable.
Narwhal is a whale. It's single tusk is basically ivory. Legal ivory applies mostly to Canada and the U.S. Essentially elephant ivory imported before doing that was banned. It might be illegal to possess at the Top of the Baltic too. Be an EU import thing.
Anyway, look at local materials. Woods, bone or antler. Horn too. Remember that making grips isn't as easy as it looks. Don't start with high priced materials. A hunk of your mom's apple/walnut/maple tree is good. And free.
 
I swear I remember somebody making grips out of old bowling balls. Lots of pretty, swirly colors.

Micarta. G10. Stag. Dymondwood. Horn. Mother of pearl. Ivory. Pewter. Brass. Sterling silver. Rubber.

I think, through the ages, anything hard enough to carve and couldn't get away has been used as knife or gun handles. And then, anything that could be heated to flow and molded.
 
I've made knife handles (I know you asked about gun grips but same principle) out of corian, leather discs, coral, aluminum and most popular exotic woods and bone.
 
I was right, Cabot Guns previously made meteorite grips out of the Gibeon meteorite. And now I do Believe they're gearing up to make two entire 1911s from a piece. Beautiful pattern on them.
 
Always wondered if you could use Copper or Bronze to make grips. I have a couple of watches in those materials and they way they age is incredible. On the right gun they could be very striking.
 
Dinosaur poo,,,

There was a gentleman up in Wyoming who made a set of grips from some petrified dinosaur poo.

Apparently all it needed was to be ground into shape,,,
Then "stabilized" with some type of epoxy.

I'll stick to good old wood thank you.

Aarond

.
 
I once observed a display of handguns confiscated by the police, taken from miscreants. Seems electrical tape was pretty common in those days, before duct tape became common.

I once made a pair of grips from orange crates when they were made of wood. And a pair or two from old, broken rifle stocks.

And of late I've seen some made of black rubber. Awful looking things.

Bob Wright
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top