Post by Charger Fan on Aug 1, 2009 13:52:40 GMT -5
"A man's got to know his limitations", and I sure know one more of mine...making grips (even marginally decent ones) is not my forte'. A Cary C. I am NOT! ;D
"Seville" was kind enough to sell me a pair of his checkered Herretts a while back, that I was going to use on my .454 Seville. When I got them, I discovered that because of the checkering, they were even fatter than the already chubby smooth Herretts currently on my Ruger SBH.
I decided that the only way I could use these would be to trim them down some...plus, they weren't a direct fit for a Seville anyway, they needed some sanding to make fit.
First thing was to adjust the fit, so they'd fit the frame. I had to take it slow, but finally got them to fit well. Then I started sanding on the outside...this took quite a while before they finally felt good.
I knocked down the raised rib on the right side, so my trigger finger has more of a straight shot at the trigger. I also removed quite a bit of material behind the trigger, to bring my middle finger more upward.
I left the checkering on the right side, for a bit of palm swell. The left side sits just behind the fingers, and sorta matches the other side.
I took a pic before I started to show the difference, but I seem to have misplaced it.
This one is when I was 95% finished sanding.
The end result feels a lot like the Pachmayr grip, but better & more comfortable. They still appear chubby, but comparing them to the Pachmayr's, they are very similar.
Then came the time to lay on some finish...this is definitely what separates the talented from the NOT so talented. ;D
My main problem was that the finish wanted to run from the high spots & collect at the lower edges (seen here, at the seam & against the frame). Plus, lengthy drying time invited dust particles to make themselves a permanent fixture. They ended up too dark, too...2 coats looked about the right shade, but there was thin areas & 3 coats ended up too dark.
Oh well, overall the grips feel great in my hand & still look better than the beat up Pachmayr's that it came with. That was my main goal. Next time I'll avoid the headache & leave the grip making to the professionals.
Here's an attempt at a glamour shot.
"Seville" was kind enough to sell me a pair of his checkered Herretts a while back, that I was going to use on my .454 Seville. When I got them, I discovered that because of the checkering, they were even fatter than the already chubby smooth Herretts currently on my Ruger SBH.
I decided that the only way I could use these would be to trim them down some...plus, they weren't a direct fit for a Seville anyway, they needed some sanding to make fit.
First thing was to adjust the fit, so they'd fit the frame. I had to take it slow, but finally got them to fit well. Then I started sanding on the outside...this took quite a while before they finally felt good.
I knocked down the raised rib on the right side, so my trigger finger has more of a straight shot at the trigger. I also removed quite a bit of material behind the trigger, to bring my middle finger more upward.
I left the checkering on the right side, for a bit of palm swell. The left side sits just behind the fingers, and sorta matches the other side.
I took a pic before I started to show the difference, but I seem to have misplaced it.
This one is when I was 95% finished sanding.The end result feels a lot like the Pachmayr grip, but better & more comfortable. They still appear chubby, but comparing them to the Pachmayr's, they are very similar.
Then came the time to lay on some finish...this is definitely what separates the talented from the NOT so talented. ;D
My main problem was that the finish wanted to run from the high spots & collect at the lower edges (seen here, at the seam & against the frame). Plus, lengthy drying time invited dust particles to make themselves a permanent fixture. They ended up too dark, too...2 coats looked about the right shade, but there was thin areas & 3 coats ended up too dark.
Oh well, overall the grips feel great in my hand & still look better than the beat up Pachmayr's that it came with. That was my main goal. Next time I'll avoid the headache & leave the grip making to the professionals.
Here's an attempt at a glamour shot.
