Grip Thickness

[mart]

Had a little free time after church today so loaded up some rifles and handguns and headed to my shootin spot. It was too windy for any real rifle load testing so I shot my handguns. It has been over a year and a half since I’ve got out to shoot any handguns. My wife’s health had been a huge factor limiting my time to get out to shoot.

I took a pair of Bisleys, both 5.5 inch. One a Flattop 44 Special and the other one of the Turnbull 45 Colt. The 44 wears factory grips and the 45 some American Holly grips I bought here.

It was interesting to note that the 44 with light loads, 7 grains of Unique under a 255 grain cast bullet would bite my middle finger knuckle. The 45 with 7.5 grains of Unique under a 285 grain cast bullet never touched my knuckle. Even heavy 300 grain loads in the 45 didn’t kiss my knuckle.

You can see the 45 grips are a smidge thicker so I assume that is the difference. Yes the 44 is slightly lighter but not so much that it should make a difference in light loads. The grip geometry appears identical on both other than the thickness. It had been so long since I’ve shot either that I’d forgotten the knuckle kissing.

I think I’ll try to get out later this week and try the same loads but switch the grips and see if that changes anything. I suspect it will.

I never gave much thought to the grip thickness before.

[paleroadster]

Ergonomics can seem funny, nearly imperceptible changes can make huge impacts. Generally with handgun grips I find making then as wide as you can comfortably manage will provide the best recoil control.

[longoval]

Those holly stocks sure are handsome

[45MAN]

I LIKE MY GRIPS PLUMP, LIKE THE MRS.

[seminolewind]

In addition to being thicker, the Holly grips don’t appear to taper toward the top like the factory grips do. Seems to me like the taper gives the gun a running start to slam the trigger guard into your finger. I hope your wife’s health is better.

[bigbore5]

I like my big bores grips as thick as I can accurately shoot at the top with a very slight taper towards the bottom. I also like a modest palm swell. Really helped tame some nasty recoil as much as possible.

[drycreek]

The only revolver that ever smacked my knuckle is the SBH square back trigger guard. Curiously, it never used to years ago but it has more recently. Could be that years ago I was shooting factory loads and at some point some of my handloads were a little hotter. I’ve grown out of that “pedal to the metal” mindset though. I guess I thought I could kill them deader if it barked a little louder. These days a warm load does all I need to do.

[blackmamba]

Drycreek, I would bet the change is more in your hands than in your handloads. I know my hands have gotten thicker with 40 years of work, and my knuckles stick out more than they used to. The SBH square back does NOT hit my knuckle, but Ruger's Bisley does.

[paleroadster]

Apr 2, 2024 8:46:13 GMT -5 blackmamba said:

Drycreek, I would bet the change is more in your hands than in your handloads. I know my hands have gotten thicker with 40 years of work, and my knuckles stick out more than they used to. The SBH square back does NOT hit my knuckle, but Ruger's Bisley does.

Agreed, after only thirty years of marriage, my wedding ring needed to be sized up nearly 2 full sizes.

[bradshaw]

Mar 31, 2024 18:42:27 GMT -5 mart said:

*****

mart.... in contrast to the Ruger Bisley scales (left), the rounded shoulders on the Holly scales spread recoil. Hard recoil directed at the base of thumb is a blueprint for trouble down the road.

as seminolewind and bigbore5 allude, narrowing at the top accelerates the roll of recoil. Exposing middle finger to trigger guard. grip panels which narrow at the top are upside down to the shape of a partially closed hand. A grip wider in the upper backstrap----or of uniform in thickness top-to-bottom----spreads recoil through the hand, providing more lateral support. Recoil begins as the bullet accelerates, before the bullet leaves the barrel.

A second factor, the ARC of the BACK STRAP controls----or loses control----of the SINGLE ACTION ROLL. While most of the recoil we feel takes place as the bullet sails downrange, there is enough muzzle rise while the bullet is in the barrel to require the front sight be higher than the rear. BARREL TIME is responsible, and choking the gun doesn’t stop barrel time. A heavy bullet has longer BARREL TIME than a light bullet, and requires even more front sight.

Grip axis is a third factor. A high grip reduces muzzle rise by directing impact to the hand. By its nature of design, a revolver has a higher bore axis than an auto pistol. It would not be safe for your hand and possibly elbow to fire magnums or other powerful rounds with the bore axis in line with the middle of your fist.

You can ride a revolver to accuracy but you can’t fight a gun for accuracy. The curved backstrap, so conducive to managing heavy recoil, is more sensitive to a consistent hold for accuracy. Ruger factory scales have traditionally been too thin at the top for best comfort under recoil.
David Bradshaw
,

[bigbrowndog]

My last set of grips from Zane were for my Bisley Maximum414. I asked for a nice wide transition across the back of the grip that would correspond to the flattened back of the grip frame. When he made them he asked me if I liked the way they turned out, because he didn’t care for the feel. I knew the wide gently arcing flat of the grip and frame would make shooting the gun very easy on the hand. I was not wrong, they do transition to a narrower more traditional grip in front where the fingers are, but the slap to the palm and hand are miniscule due to spreading that surface out. I like the way they turned out so much I may have a similar set made for my 500Max.

Trapr

[drycreek]

Apr 2, 2024 8:50:42 GMT -5 paleroadster said:

Apr 2, 2024 8:46:13 GMT -5 blackmamba said:

Drycreek, I would bet the change is more in your hands than in your handloads. I know my hands have gotten thicker with 40 years of work, and my knuckles stick out more than they used to. The SBH square back does NOT hit my knuckle, but Ruger's Bisley does.

Agreed, after only thirty years of marriage, my wedding ring needed to be sized up nearly 2 full sizes.

That was probably just good cooking !