Tips for Free Pistol grip forming

If you wish to make a donation to this forum's operation , it would be greatly appreciated.
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/targettalk?yours=true

Moderators: pilkguns, m1963, David Levene, Spencer, Richard H

Forum rules
If you wish to make a donation to this forum's operation , it would be greatly appreciated.
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/targettalk?yours=true
Post Reply
tqb
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:06 pm
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Tips for Free Pistol grip forming

Post by tqb »

Hello,

I'm trying to better adjust my Pardini PGP 75 grip to my hand.

But I'm having trouble achieving a consistent grip.
Sometime my thumb is a bit more forward that on other times.
This also happens with my 3rd, 4th and 5th finger that do not always stay aligned with the barrel, pulling a bit to the left.

I've noticed that in other grips that I've seen in other pistols, there is a ridge between the palm and the fingers.
I assume that it helps to obtain a replicable grip every time you do so, but how can it be done?
Are there some tips/rules about grips forming? Has anyone created a guide for this?

Thank You,

TQB
jabberwo
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:25 pm
Location: Taxachusetts

Post by jabberwo »

Hi,

I'm taking the winter break in my league to modify my grip as well. What little I know I got from these:

Grip Fitting by SFC Daryl Szarenski

USA Shooting Grip Fitting : 101, 102, 103, 104.

And a doc I downloaded somewhere and can't remember who to attribute. I attached it.

Best of luck, tell us how you do! I started a thread in the Shooters Lounge forum on my attempts.

Happy New Year y'all,
jab
Attachments
Grip Modifications.pdf
(143.16 KiB) Downloaded 603 times
tqb
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:06 pm
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Post by tqb »

Thanks jabberwo!

I will read the info you've provided and keep you up to date on my attempts.

Thank You,

TQB
gn303
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:09 am
Location: Belgium

Gripfitting

Post by gn303 »

Jabberwo, I save quite a while ago the +/- same file, but as a part of a bigger say 'manual'. I attach the file here. You will see on the index page that there is much more then fitting the grip. I guess, but it is only a guess, that I downloaded the file from an Australian site. It could be West-Australian Pistol Ass. Inc. But I'm afraid the pages have been removed or are no longer publicly accessible. Any how I haven't been able to retrace them.
Regards,

Guy
Attachments
Gripfitting2.pdf
(44.57 KiB) Downloaded 504 times
djsomers
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:55 am
Location: Monroe, WA

Post by djsomers »

Guy,

Would love to have the whole "manual" file. Looks like good information.

Is there a link to it somewhere?


Happy New Year to you all!

Dave
funtoz
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:11 pm
Location: Inverness, Florida

Re: Tips for Free Pistol grip forming

Post by funtoz »

TQB - ridges fit into the crease at the base of your fingers and there is sometimes another that fits into the next joint. It does help guide you hand into the same position each time you grip the pistol.

You could, in theory, grind down the grip undersize, apply epoxy paste, then grip the pistol until the past hardens. You would need a fast setting paste and thin gloves for your hand to keep you from being glues to the grip. The glove would also need to be coated with a release compound, unless you were OK with letting the glove wear off the grip over time.

It is possible to put on a thin nitrile glove, apply spotting compound to the glove, then grip the pistol. The spotting compound gets transferred to there wood where it needs to be removed. This works best with grips that have a good surplus of wood, but filler can be added if areas of the grip get too thin. Both of my standard pistols had there grips modified in this way. I wrote an article about doing it back when the IZH-35 was first imported to the US. I think I have it somewhere around here.

Larry

tqb wrote:Hello,

I'm trying to better adjust my Pardini PGP 75 grip to my hand.

But I'm having trouble achieving a consistent grip.
Sometime my thumb is a bit more forward that on other times.
This also happens with my 3rd, 4th and 5th finger that do not always stay aligned with the barrel, pulling a bit to the left.

I've noticed that in other grips that I've seen in other pistols, there is a ridge between the palm and the fingers.
I assume that it helps to obtain a replicable grip every time you do so, but how can it be done?
Are there some tips/rules about grips forming? Has anyone created a guide for this?

Thank You,

TQB
gn303
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:09 am
Location: Belgium

Post by gn303 »

Sorry djsummers, the file I attached is all I have. If my guess is right, some of our Austrialian friends may have more information. I'm really looking forward to what they have to say.
Good shooting in 2013,

Guy
jliston48
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:44 am
Location: Temora, Australia

Re: Tips for Free Pistol grip forming

Post by jliston48 »

funtoz wrote:You could, in theory, grind down the grip undersize, apply epoxy paste, then grip the pistol until the past hardens. You would need a fast setting paste and thin gloves for your hand to keep you from being glues to the grip. The glove would also need to be coated with a release compound, unless you were OK with letting the glove wear off the grip over time.
Be VERY CAREFUL!
Fast setting usually involves a higher degree of heat as the material hardens (the reaction is exothermic).
It may have been an urban myth but many years ago, the story was around about the shooter who attempted to mould grips from a "plastic wood" - type of material. He used the surgical glove and the petroleum jelly release agent then moulded the wrap-around rapid fire grip around his hand. He then wrecked the whole job when he had to get his burning hand out!
funtoz
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:11 pm
Location: Inverness, Florida

Post by funtoz »

That is a good point, and what happens in an answer to a post instead of a book about the subject. Sometimes we forget that not everybody has the same experience level with odd-ball innovation.

Epoxy does generate heat when it cures, but I haven't noticed burning heat generated from the volumes of material that one would expect to be applied to a grip. The amount needs only to be enough to fill the voids. I wasn't considering more than an 1/8 of an inch at a go. I have done this with fillers from our local big box improvement store without cooking the flesh from my hand... although it wouldn't hurt to mix up a batch to see just how hot it would get, before slathering it on the grip.

Again, epoxy fillers, not polyester based ones like bondo. Epoxy is a two part resin animal generally mixed 1:1 to 4:1. Polyesters are hardened with small amounts of catalyst. Over catalyzed resin can get very, very hot indeed... smoking hot, although I have never seen it flame.

I have done this, but I would rather spot and remove to fit the grip. It provides a more esthetic grip than plastic filler molding. Plastic filler will mirror all of your imperfections, even down to that wart you've been procrastinating about.

There used to be a fellow in the Southwest US that would sit down with a shooter and build him a true custom grip carved out of solid wood. It was no more expensive than a Nill if you ignored the airline ticket.

Required Disclaimer: I do not recommend or condone any action mentioned, for any purpose. It is merely a wild ass thought experiment that you might find interesting. Try it out at you own peril.

Larry
tqb
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:06 pm
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Post by tqb »

Well... today I went to the shooting range the "coach" that the Portuguese Shooting Federation that has done some adjustments to my Pardini K10 and to my Pardini PGP 75 was there overseeing some novice shooters.

I came prepared with some epoxy based compound and thought that It would be necessary to add some of it to the grip.

Well... it wasn't. Some filling later and my hand was able to shift more to the right, allowing the 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers to align properly with the axis of the barrel, and the thumb became relaxed and with even support.
Even my access to the trigger was improved.
The recoil seamed to be more controllable.
I’m still quite a novice in Free Pistol, but my groupings became a bit smaller and I made less humiliating errors (only 3 fours…).
Since I’ve only managed 475 I still have a long road ahead…

Thanks for all the help!
jabberwo
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:25 pm
Location: Taxachusetts

Post by jabberwo »

Where did you file?
tqb
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:06 pm
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Post by tqb »

gn303
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:09 am
Location: Belgium

Tips for Grip fitting

Post by gn303 »

Hi, djsummers!
I guess I found what you were asking for. The file I downloaded comes from an Australian site indeed and is part of a manual that can be ordered from this link: http://www.pistol-shooting.com/book-sales.php.

Good shooting in 2013!
Guy
Post Reply