Custom AP grips?

AJ008 · Post by **AJ008** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:36 am

Who makes custom fitted grips and what's the price range?

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:33 am

AJ008 wrote:Who makes custom fitted grips and what's the price range?

For what pistol? US$150-250
Check out Pilkington for Morini, Larry's for Rink.

crosshairs · Post by **crosshairs** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:59 pm

I use epoxy. $4 a pack.

GaryBF · Post by **GaryBF** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:11 pm

Karl Nill: www.nill-griffe.com
Rink: www.formgriffe.de
Randall Fung: www.jnb.com/~funggrip/index

As stated above, the US dealer for Rink is Larry's Guns in Maine.

funtoz · Post by **funtoz** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:35 pm

jipe · Post by **jipe** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:59 am

Rink makes (at least for Europe) real custom grips besides its standard from grips.

Here is the link to those grips (only in german, information about individual grip doesn't appear in the English nor French menu): http://www.formgriffe.de/massgriffe.htm
http://www.formgriffe.de/files/prospekt ... griffe.pdf

AJ008 · Post by **AJ008** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:24 am

funtoz wrote:
GaryBF wrote:Karl Nill: www.nill-griffe.com
Rink: www.formgriffe.de
Randall Fung: www.jnb.com/~funggrip/index

As stated above, the US dealer for Rink is Larry's Guns in Maine.
None of the above are custom fitted. Anatomically better than a broom handle and sometimes quite usable, but not individually fitted to the shooter. Arnie used to do that and there used to be a fellow in Bullfrog, Arizona. I have not heard from either for some time. If you are a big-shot in international shooting, the majors may do work for you, but flying off to Europe to get a grip made is beyond most of us.

Carving up your own is your best option, and you might even get something that works.

Larry

Can't you send a shop a traced outline of your hand?
I got a used Anschutz with a L grip which was too big and so I just got a M but even that seems just a hair big... So I'm going to put some epoxy on it and do some other stuff Saturday but I wouldn't mind a grip that was made just for my hand.

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:37 am

AJ008 wrote:Can't you send a shop a traced outline of your hand?

That sometimes works but, more often than not, it is too much of a compromise.

The problem is that the trace is only 2 dimensional whilst your hand is 3 dimensional.

They will normally be able to get the shelf in the right place but the trace will give absolutely no information about the contour required in the palm of the hand. All they will be able to do is work on a guestimate based on Mister Average, and I am not sure whether he exists.

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:59 am

David Levene wrote:
AJ008 wrote:Can't you send a shop a traced outline of your hand?
That sometimes works but, more often than not, it is too much of a compromise.

The problem is that the trace is only 2 dimensional whilst your hand is 3 dimensional.

They will normally be able to get the shelf in the right place but the trace will give absolutely no information about the contour required in the palm of the hand. All they will be able to do is work on a guestimate based on Mister Average, and I am not sure whether he exists.

I had to do that with my AP grips and you have to accept that the end result will be a compromise and will require more working when it arrives. I went down this route because of my specific arm problems (see avatar). The grips solved most of the angular problems but needed a fair amount of work once I got them. I would suggest that for a shooter with no annatomical peculiarities it would be a waste of time, as you can achieve the same with a bulk standard grip and some tools / wood putty.

Rob.

pgfaini · Post by **pgfaini** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:14 pm

Years ago, I sent Arnie Vitarbo a "scan" of my hand done on a Xerox, for him to size a grip he made for me. It needed almost no further fitting by me. The scan was done palm down, with the thumb and trigger finger separated from the others. It was detailed enough, to show not only the position of the finger joints, but even the finger prints, and creases on my palm. This method would certainly supply more information than a simple pencil outline.

TargetTerror · Post by **TargetTerror** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:04 pm

What would you guys recommend for putty/filler to modify and build up a grip to fit my hand? Are there reversible options that don't mar the finish or leave behind a nasty residue?

pgfaini · Post by **pgfaini** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:40 pm

Quickwood, available at Lowes and Home Depot. It's a two part putty, which you cut a piece off and knead. I believe you then have about twenty minutes working time.
I did my Morini 162E with it, by first building up the grip with some scrap felt, I had around, testing by the closed eyes method, to get a proper sight alignment, and when this was accomplished, I mixed up some putty, estimating the amount needed by the amount of felt. I then added it to the grips where the felt had been, after sanding them a bit to remove any oil. I then gripped the pistol in the manner I had used for obtaining correct sight alignment, and held it in this position untill the putty hardened.
No problem with it sticking to your hand, of which you'll get a perfect casting.
Paul
P.S., I added some Brownells brown stain which I normally use to color Accraglas, to match the walnut grips. Any oil or universal stain should work.

Paul

TargetTerror · Post by **TargetTerror** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:40 pm

Thanks for the tip, Paul. I seem to remember hearing about another option that was not quite as permanent. I think it was product sold by one of the main shooting vendors? Does anyone know what I might be thinking about?

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:50 am

TargetTerror wrote:What would you guys recommend for putty/filler to modify and build up a grip to fit my hand? Are there reversible options that don't mar the finish or leave behind a nasty residue?

I use blu-tac for temporary experiments - I assume you can get it there but I don't know if it's branded differently. You do however need to remember that you are after a functional tool not some work of art. You can always refininsh the grip once you've reshaped it but you have to live with it looking tatty for a while.

Rob.

pgfaini · Post by **pgfaini** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:35 am

TargetTerror wrote:Thanks for the tip, Paul. I seem to remember hearing about another option that was not quite as permanent. I think it was product sold by one of the main shooting vendors? Does anyone know what I might be thinking about?

The only item I can think of, sold by our host, is Morini Grip Paste. I believe this is also a permanent plastic resin, to which you add a liquid hardener, sort of like Bondo(another option). I'm really not sure how permanent the Quick Wood is, I haven't tried prying it off, but I'm sure it could be removed down to the wood, one way or another, as could any of these products.
Paul

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:42 pm

TargetTerror wrote:Thanks for the tip, Paul. I seem to remember hearing about another option that was not quite as permanent. I think it was product sold by one of the main shooting vendors? Does anyone know what I might be thinking about?

I have used children's modeling clay, sold under the name Play Dough (sp?). I prefer this to Paul's felt strip method to get the grip the way i want it before going to epoxy. The Play Do will eventually harden and fall off, but will last long enough to do some shooting and make changes as needed.

ausdiver99 · Post by **ausdiver99** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:35 pm

AJ008, where are you from?

GaryN · Post by **GaryN** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:30 pm

I used plastic wood, but that takes a LONG time to fully cure. And it stinks of solvent as it cures, so I had to leave it in the garage.

I had my AP done by a guy from Arizona (Seaton Thomas) when he came to the SF Bay Area. He used a 2 part putty-like epoxy that you can get at most any hardware store. He was able to work it within minutes of putting it on.
http://www.laughlinresources.com/grip1.html

AJ008 · Post by **AJ008** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:43 pm

ausdiver99 wrote:AJ008, where are you from?

Montana. The state produces top shooters but we have no local supplier of match grade air gun stuff, so its pilkguns or nealJ.

ausdiver99 · Post by **ausdiver99** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:14 am

Hi AJ

Thanks, we have a guy in Melbourne Australia who does some good work handmaking grips, but Sergei isn't going to be much use to you in Montana. Some KN dealers offer KN's custom grip service. They take a mold of your hand and make a grip from them. I have heard they are very good, but can't speak personally. My wife is considering getting a grip made for her Benelli

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