My IZH 46 grip seems way too small - Guidance sought

[sciguy191]

Before I purchase a used IZH 46M without ever holding one I had developed the firm impression that their grips run very big. The gentleman that sold me the pistol mentioned that he had done a bit of carving but the grip was still very large.

The good news: Shooting the IZH is a blast. I haven't shoot a pistol in well over 30 years but have enjoyed shooting 10 meters from the very first pellet. The great thing about starting out green there is huge room for rapid improvement.

The bad news: My IZH grip seems way undersized for my uber sized mitts.
I have attached picture showing my hand wrapped tightly around the grip as well as a picture showing the position my fingers would need to be in to have them perpendicular to the barrel. It looks like I would need to build up the forward area where the fingers grip at least a finger thickness in order to attain the correct hold. As it is now, the knuckels between my 2nd and 3rd fingers are directly below the trigger.

Is adding such a large amount of buildup the appropriate strategy?
Would it make any sense to add material at the rear of the grip to move my hand backwards?

Thanks for any informed replies.

Hugh

[bztian]

Do you want to trade grips? mine is nearly stock, only with slight mod, still too big for me because I lost patience of carving, so it is still too big for my small hand.

[sciguy191]

Do you want to trade grips? mine is nearly stock, only with slight mod, still too big for me because I lost patience of carving, so it is still too big for my small hand.

bztain,

Thanks for the kind offer. It doesn't look like there really has been very much wood removed from these grips except to index the finger wrap area. Even with brand new grips I think that it will be necessary to add ~ 1.5cm of material forward under the trigger guard. If I do this with the grips installed it will obviously seal the two grips together and make it very tedious to remove them any time in the future.

Just looking for an informed "go for it" in regards to adding material in that area of the grips or a " gosh don't do that under the trigger"

Best Regards,

Hugh Mason

[Aussie Shooter]

I can't see an IZH in KN or Rink's catalogs. Why don't you have a go at carving out your own grips? I have seen a few home jobs which have been suprisingly good. The though of half a kilo of bog falling off halfway through a match is a worry!

Otherwise you could track down a custom grip maker.

[luftskytter]

Izzy Page:
http://www.airguninfo.com/46index.shtml

Info about grips, plus pics should give an idea about how much wood has been removed from your grip. I think most custom grips are to expensive for a pistol like the Izzy.

Split wooden grip on Izzy should make it easy to produce your own.
Original grip was far too big for me, so I removed a lot of wood:
Dremel tool is ideal for this.
Took away a bit to much so I added some material at back of grip.
I think Izzy handle needs to be raised so did not add any in front.
I used heat curing modelling putty from a hobby shop: comes in various colors :-)
Use your hand to custom mold it.

[Fred Mannis]

Even with brand new grips I think that it will be necessary to add ~ 1.5cm of material forward under the trigger guard. If I do this with the grips installed it will obviously seal the two grips together and make it very tedious to remove them any time in the future.

I believe the IZH grips can be removed/installed without need to separate the two halves.

[Rover]

Your placement of the trigger finger looks pretty good.

Therefore, I would build up the front of the grip (fairly easy). While you were busy applying putty you could work on the odd place that needs a dab.

I like AquaMend from the glue section at Home Depot. It is a waterproof epoxy for pool repair. You just tear off a piece, knead it, and apply where desired. It is easily filed or sanded.

[HibouAttentif]

My hand was also too big for the standard grips. I had semi-custom grips made at Neil Johnson guns. Cost was very reasonable, service was great, and the gun shoots well enough to warant putting on better looking, and better fitting grips.



http://www.nealjguns.com/ss_store/CustomGrips-ss2.html

[sciguy191]

My hand was also too big for the standard grips. I had semi-custom grips made at Neil Johnson guns. Cost was very reasonable, service was great, and the gun shoots well enough to warant putting on better looking, and better fitting grips.



http://www.nealjguns.com/ss_store/CustomGrips-ss2.html

The Vitarbo grips do look very nice and I would agree that the price seems very reasonable it they end up being a close fit. How long was the wait time between order and receiving your grips from Neal?

t looks as if I need to add material out beyond the trigger tension screw in order to be anywhere near a good fit. If Fred is correct about the grips sliding off as a unit then this shouldn't be the end of the world. I assume that trigger tension stays pretty stable once adjusted. I've adjusted mine to ~ 550 grams and am happy with it.

Does anyone in the US carry a new set of grips if I royally muck mine up in the short term? The EAA site does not list a price.

Thanks to all that have sent replies. You have provided a great deal of useful information.

Hugh

[HibouAttentif]

I ordered my grips a bit over a year ago. Back then the waiting time was about 4 weeks, including shipping to Canada. I don't know what the waiting time is today. In my case, they fit perfectly. The new grips (in my case) are much thicker than the existing ones ever were, and the gun is much more stable and comfortable to shoot. I would get a set done for my Tau-7 but they don't make one for that pistol.

Denis