Revolver Grip Materials

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ShortBBL

Blackhawk
Joined
Nov 20, 2009
Messages
731
Location
MN
I'm curious about all the differant grip materials out there. What are the pro's and con's of the differant materials?

I like the look of the American Holly grips and also the Elk. I am curious how each would hold up to regular normal use (Hunting/hiking/target shooting) and if one is better than the other.

Do these need any special care? Should you oil either? What kind of care should be used with the differant grips?

SHOW your favorites!

Thanks guys!
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Messages
4,040
Location
Dallas, OR US
Elephant Ivory
IMG_00011.jpg

Tru-Ivory
Spence-6Guns042.jpg

Stag
Spence-6Guns020-1.jpg

Elk Antler
Clements44Mag004.jpg

Dall Sheep Horn
rugers002-1.jpg

French Walnut
rugers001-1.jpg

Macassar Ebony
IMG_0006.jpg

Cocabola
P1000963.jpg

Micarta
Spence-6Guns017-1.jpg

Box Elder Burl
Picture001.jpg


I obviously don't have a favorite but Micarta or Dall sheep horn are probably the toughest of all shown.
 

deac45

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
447
Location
NW Georgia
Walnut has always been my favorite. Cherry and maple are nice for a lighter shade of wood. I've used white tail deer antler polished smooth on knifehandles with good results. If I can ever get a nice piece of elk and/or sheep horn, I would like to try it. I have heard stag and horn grips need a little mineral oil on the inside surfaces occasionally to keep them from drying out.

walnut
45Blnkt2.jpg

walnut
M60_1.jpg

cherry
45grp_3.jpg

deer antler
Trout1.jpg


deac45
 

Rodfac

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
691
Location
Kentucky
This first pic has three of cocobolo wood. Very stable.
The 2nd one is of claro walnut. Good contrast in it.
The last one is from a piece of crab apple firewood; if you look closely, you can see where it shrank as it dried...should have let it season another six months.

I finish mine in "rubbing Poly" by Minwax, striving for a satin or flat look. It's the same finish I use on the inside and end grain of my M1s to keep moisture out, helping to keep the stock from moving in humid weather. Tung oil works well as does Boiled Linseed, but both are not impervious to water.

By getting a pair of the custom grip maker's grips, or by building them yourself, you can make 'em as fat or skinny as you like. I like mine a little thicker at the top than stock Ruger grips...gives me a little more to hang on to during recoil and thereby maintain a consistent grip. Too, I like the original slant bottom as opposed to the flat bottom style...I'm a pinkie under shooter and find the flat bottom ones rough on that part of my anatomy...the little finger that is!

I made these after some very helpful advice from CraigC of CLC grips here on the site. CLC does superb work in really exotic wood and his site is worth and his grips are well worth the money. Thanks again Craig for all your help...

Dave Oberg aka Rodfac

P7240437.jpg

SSARosewoodGrip.jpg

Vaquero.jpg
 

BlkHawk73

Hunter
Joined
Dec 30, 1999
Messages
4,459
Location
Maine
I gotta have wood, no rubber stuff for me. I also gotta have medallians. Without 'em the grips look to plain. Used to prefer the laminates, but with Lett gone and folks like CaryC, Keno Slim and 41magnum making stuff I really started liking the nicer woods. Slowly but surely getting nice grips for all the SA's here.
Thus far, my favorites are a set of curley red oak ones by 41magnum and a gorgeous set of Hawaiian Koa ones made by Klamath River.


These gotta be seen in hand as the picture can't show off the 3D depth they display in the light.
DSC00887.jpg


Again, they're much nicer in person
DSC00493.jpg
 

CraigC

Hawkeye
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
5,197
Location
West Tennessee
Ale-8(1)":p8a7oc32 said:
His name is Cary, not Craig. And you're right, he does amazing work.
Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for Cary's work but I do own a bunch! With our similar handles and as many pictures as I post of his work, I'm not surprised some folks get us confused. :wink:
 

Axehandle

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
1,427
Location
North Alabama
A photo post op? :D :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cary C's Claro Walnut
george1.jpg

Love that Stag too!
002.jpg

100_0397.jpg

White Micarta?
005-1.jpg

Ivory?
IMG_0521-1.jpg

Buffalo Horn?
008.jpg

Sambar Stag and Sheep Horn?
001-58.jpg

Amboyna Burl?
005-20.jpg

Black Micarta?
CLCGrips_1.jpg
 

Zeus

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 25, 2002
Messages
737
Location
Olathe, KS
pretty much all of the materials that people make handgun stocks out of will take some abuse. You can mess any of them up if you drop them on a rock while your out but some of them will hold up better than others. The micartas are very hard to beat but they lack the "warmth" of the deep colored walnuts and some others. I have some Holly stocks that are really nice but my favorites always seem to come back to the walnuts and the various burls for appearance and the stainless guns with micartas for the guns that I use if the weather is less than ideal. You can scratch the crap out of micarta and polish it right back out just like a nice stainless sixgun :) But for shooting and packing in good weather, I'll take a blued gun with walnut anyday of the week. Different strokes for different folks, right?
 

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