Micarta Grips: Why are they so popular?

[Quick Draw McGraw]

Ok, forgive me on this one. I'm just curious as to what is so great about them. I've never had them, so I have no idea. I typically like sexy, sexy, wood or, if recoil is a bitch, some rubber Hogue grips. But seeing how micarta keeps coming up, I assume there is something I'm not seeing. Are they comfortable? Beautiful? Both?

[BigBore44]

QDM
I don't have any on my handguns but I think it's because they come in many colors, patterns and are tough as nails.
I have it on a bunch of knives and you can't hurt it none...
That's just my guess though

BigBore44

[bushog]

I don't have any either.

That may answer the question right there....

[arokcrwlr]

I only have one set of stocks made from micarta. Nothing beats nice wood stocks, but I like them fine - they're what I wanted for the gun they're on. I think they're both comfy and attractive...

[Quick Draw McGraw]

They do look good on your Bisley!

I'll admit that Hogue grips are as pretty as a donkeys rear-end. My SBH with a 4 & 5/8" barrel has them because the grip wasn't long enough for my paws, but the wood looked much nicer. And I think micarta would too. But the need for a comfy grip when shooting .44 Mag ends the debate. If it had a Bisley grip, it'd be fine.

[buckheart]

Jack Huntington made these for one of my Freedom Arms guns. I had it done while it was there for a 500JRH cylinder. They handle well. I will never have to worry about them getting wet either.Can't say that I have given them much abuse but knowing what I know about synthetic counter top materials that these are similar to they should be plenty tough.
Jack currently has another Freedom Arms of mine that will come home with macarta grips. Probably white this time.

[jdpress]

Quick Draw McGraw:

Micarta grips are very stable and also strong for very heavy loads such as the .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh and even stronger calibers. They retain their dimensions under very humid and damp conditions in addition to very low humidity and arid conditions under all variations of temperature. The consistent density of Micarta permits it to be fitted to complex grip frames such as the Ruger Bisley. Micarta grips can be buffed to a high gloss finish or completed with a matte finish without applying any external treatments. If they are scratched or dinged the blemishes can usually be removed relatively easily.

Some users really like the grain-like appearance of the layered Micarta especially with the ivory-colored and lighter materials.

For a material that was originally developed as an electrical insulation material it really is an outstanding product for making handgun grips. It is a very versatile material and has even been used in the aerospace industry for bearing retainers on very high-speed rotary devices.

If you try a pair on one of your favorite single-actions I think you will find out why Freedom Arms and many custom handgun craftsmen use this material on their weapons. You can obtain a pre-made pair of Micarta grips fairly reasonably from Hogue or Midway USA for many handguns as a starting trial for this material.

J.D. Press

[perterra]

I like them because they are very stable compared to many woods and they dont stick to things like your shirt tail like the Hogues. For looks I prefer wood, but for durability and conceal-ability, hard to beat.

[CraigC]

Micarta is probably the toughest grip material commonly used. It is inert, unaffected by temperature or humidity and it looks good.

[caryc]

Micarta is about the toughest stuff I know of to make grips out of short of using steel. I sold many many pairs of black Micarta grips. The black seemed to be very popular. As said it can be a satin finish or a high shine finish. If it gets scratched it is very easy to sand out the scratch and polish them again. Below are a few pics of some of the ones I've made. Also, it's a very easy material to work with.

[oregon45]

I prefer Micarta to most materials because it is tough and impervious to solvents.

[magman]

While I prefer classic wood grips. I have a number of guns with black micarta. The color contrast with stainless is eyecatching.

[whitworth]

As others have said, it's a really tough and durable material.

[aus71383]

I ruined the factory grips (trying to get them to fit better) on my 5.5" stainless Bisley - bought some black micarta grips for it. They don't fit well yet either - but they sure look good! And like the others have said - they are "no maintenance", no worry grips. Very functional, and they feel nice to me.

[chutch]

Here is a set of one piece micarta on an early 3rd . They have just enough texture to sit stable in the hand.