Self-Made Pistol Grips

[pete44ru]

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I bought an airgun a couple of weeks ago - A .177 Webley Tempest barrel-cocker spring gun that came out of a California estate.

(IIRC, current models were made in Turkey, but this one's an original, from England.)

It shot to my PIA @ 10yds from the very 1st shot I took with it, but since the plastic/fantastic issue grips left me cold, I decided to make a set from some Black Walnut I had hanging around for a few years.




The first thing I did was to make cardboard templates of the issue plastic grips, that I traced & cut out for a pattern when making the wood grips.

I simply cut the wood, using the templates to guide my cuts of extraneous material, then flattened what would become the inside surface of the grip panels before I shaped/sanded the outsides to my druthers.

I ended up using the Webley issue grip screw system.

This is how they look on the Webley:

A little application of paste wax in a few days, and this case is closed ! :mrgreen:


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[Joe S.]

Mighty fine job!

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is a pretty good job and grips!

 

[mike campbell]

No, no, no...the case is not closed.

Now you have to experiment with at least a half-dozen finishes. Once you settle on your favorite, it's time to address checkering. In the meantime, start shopping on Ebay for some grip blanks of various exotic hardwoods. Once you have the function/utility part mastered it's time to focus on form/beauty. Pretty soon, you'll have more pretty wood than guns to stock. Before you know it, you'll be making the second or third set for each gun you own ...or so I've heard.

 

[Robb Barnes]

You will love that Beeman pistol! I have had Tempests and Hurricanes for years and they are just a hoot to shoot. IF you really want to have fun, get a set of miniature silhouette targets to set up on a 2x4 and use them as targets. I love the walnut grips too!

 

[pete44ru]

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Thanks for the kind words, folks - I appreciate them ! .

I tried my hand at checkering when I was much younger (like, 40 years ago), and found that I'm not a very good at checkering.

The small silly-wet targets are good, but I have plenty of live targets in my dooryard..... :roll:

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[Pierow]

Nice grips Pete. I enjoy shooting my air rifles and pistols too. I noticed you referred to "dooryard" in your post above. That's a new one for me. Is that a geographical thing or generational? I assume dooryard to mean front yard.

Pierow

 

[pete44ru]

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Thanks again, folks !

Mike - I have plenty of exotic wood available, like Red Paduk, Spalted Tamarind, Dalmata, & Claro Walnut.

Before finalizing on the Black Walnut, I started a set with Dalmata, which it turned out was a PITA to shape because some substance in that wood rapidly clogged my tools & abrasives.

I like the slightly unfinished Black Walnut for it's consistent gripping qualities, rather than bling. (YMMV, of course)




Pierow - I've always taken "dooryard" to mean any part of a property that's next to the house, just outside (any) exterior door.

So, some dooryards are outside a front door, other out a side or rear door.

I suppose others use the terms "front yard", "back yard", or "side yard", depending upon which terms they were brought up using.

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[ifithitu]

Great job nice grips