Grip Maker & The Forged Frame Conversion

[Major 2]

I have finished the Grips I got from Larry Little (Grip Maker)




The fit and my finish technique is very pleasing in a mild yellow with black specks...

[Deadeye Don]

Grip master?   maybe....but he surely is the GripMaker.   

Beautiful job there Major.   Did you have to do much fitting?

[sundance44`s]

Very nice grips there Major ..looks like I`m not the only one getting Ivory fever ..

[Major 2]

Grip master?   maybe....but he surely is the GripMaker.   

Beautiful job there Major.   Did you have to do much fitting?

HA...play on words...  frankly I like it !
I meant Grip Maker

I sent him a tracing and they were very close, some fitting but only about 30 Min. or so....

[Major 2]

Very nice grips there Major ..looks like I`m not the only one getting Ivory fever ..

I have a set from Buffalo Bros on and 2nd Gen 1860... they are nice and have some Ivory particle content.

Grip makers were a "lets try em".... Now I can recomend him as well...

[Silver Creek Slim]

Very nice, pard.

Slim

[Cimarron Lawman]

Major 2,

How did you fit the grips? With sandpaper?

[Major 2]

I used those things women use on their finger nails...
Emory boards ( sandpaper on flat stiff cardboard )
You can buy something like 10 to a package at Walmart for a couple bucks.
They have two grits about 100 and 150-200.
When they load up pitch them and use another...

   

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Nice work, pard. Larry's grips are outstanding. That sure makes a good looking pistol.

Does the grip part of the frame differ from the older BP frame in size and fit? I know the cylinder portion is slightly larger.

[Major 2]

I'm not sure.. I know Pietta has bigger grip..I have not handled a Uberti C&B and this one side by side..
It does not pinch my hand like the Euroarms & ASM's but it's not as fat feeling as the Pietta.
I'd say ,if I had to on oath "It's a bit bigger than the Uberti C&B but not as large as the Pietta."

What is really cool is the way I stumbled on to the graining like finish..

Once the Grips are fitted, and smoothed I applied two coats of Tung Oil, allowed to dry, I rubbed them down
briskly with 0000 steel wool until the surface Tung Oil is dull and mostly removed (only the pores are coated)
This really smooths out the grain and leaves a fine dark dust spots in some of the pores.
Apply two coats of Tung Oil with a que tip... The results looks like mildly aged Ivory and wears very well.
If it ever needs touch up I'll just repeat the prosess.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, Major. I was wondering about that.

That finishing technique is interesting. It's a good idea.

The finish should get even nicer as it yellows with age. I know all mine have done that after a couple of years. I re-shaped one after it had yellowed and it whitened back up. Now I need to wait for it to age again.

[Cimarron Lawman]

The grip on Uberti's cartridge conversion is identical to the grip on their new forged frame C&B. It is shorter and a tad fatter front-to-back than the grip on their older cast frame C&Bs.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The grip on Uberti's cartridge conversion is identical to the grip on their new forged frame C&B. It is shorter and a tad fatter front-to-back than the grip on their older cast frame C&Bs.

I am very familiar with the cast ones. Is there the same distance between the front of the grip frame and the rear of the trigger guard? I have skinny fingers so the old ones are just about right so hopefully the additional front-to-back is added to the rear. I do have longer fingers, though so that would feel a little more like an 1975, then, if that's the case. You have any feedback on that? Many thanks.

[Gripmaker]

Major 2 and Will,  Thanks for the plug, we aim to please. The wife got quite a kick out of your use of emory boards to fit the grips...so did I.  The reason the new conversions are the same size as the forged frame models is because that is the frame they use (just good sound engineering).  The Italian gunmakers are really trying to come with a product that is second to none in cost, availability and general all around usability and IMO they are darned close. Even Ferrari makes a lemon once in awhile and they don't lower the price when it happens. Now, if we can just get them to standardize their gripframes, I could be satisfied with just hundreds of dollars worth of equipment rather than thousands. AND if we can just get Ruger to bring out the NM Vaquero in 44-40, I would get two and be in 7th Heaven (oops, sorry about mentioning the "R" name).

[Major 2]

Larry..Thanks for not telling them I cut the screw off to short  OH wait... DOH ! 

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Major.......
Beautiful work!! I have a set of Grip Makers Mexican Eagle Ivory grips on my first model Richards conversion I did last year......you can't tell them from the real thing.

Bill

[Cimarron Lawman]

I am very familiar with the cast ones. Is there the same distance between the front of the grip frame and the rear of the trigger guard? I have skinny fingers so the old ones are just about right so hopefully the additional front-to-back is added to the rear. I do have longer fingers, though so that would feel a little more like an 1975, then, if that's the case. You have any feedback on that? Many thanks.

The additional front-to-back is at the heel, which is nice. But the grip definitely feels a tad shorter than the cast frame grip. To get a comfortable hold, I have to leave my pinky off the grip, which I don't like. The Pietta grip is the only one that fits my hand, and I have small hands. Go figure.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The additional front-to-back is at the heel, which is nice. But the grip definitely feels a tad shorter than the cast frame grip. To get a comfortable hold, I have to leave my pinky off the grip, which I don't like. The Pietta grip is the only one that fits my hand, and I have small hands. Go figure.

Thanks for the additional input. I appreciate it. I'll have to go fondle my current pistols and thing about how they would feel if the grip was shorter. Mine are perfect for length. The additional heft on the heel would be fine and probably a good addition but I can't say shorter would be good or bad until I get a chance to hold one. This helps me get an idea what I might be dealing with. Much appreciated.

[Virginia Mike]

Hey Major 2, this is what I want to do to my Remi conversions as well.  Do you have a part number for the grips?  I spoke with the Gripmaker and he suggested tracing the outline of the current grips.  I would like to just order them and do a little fitting etc.

BTW how do you like your pistols?  I have over 600 rounds out of each and just recently the spring on the pawl snapped.  Fortunately the BP version is identical with a little filling.  I like my guns cause no one else uses them...Plus it fits my persona, 1870;s confederate vet, works well with my 66.

Nice looking gun, the grips accent it well.

Thanks,
Virginia MIke

[Major 2]

Sorry no part #..I sent the tracing to Larry with a check...turnaround was about 6-7 days both ways.
It took about a week before I had time to fit them, but only about a hour total or 30min. per sides.. if that.

I have just the one, and I like it fine, I was very impressed with quality of the piece.
It came from Toulomme Lawman in a trade, it is the very gun he used to write the Gun review for the SASS Chronicle .
No idea how many rounds he put through it...Me about 200 Rounds.
One point of order.. it arrive for TL missing the little screw the hold the ejector tube on. Niether Taylor's or VTI had the in stock yet, (gun was still new to the market, this one being one of the first).
An E-mail to Susanne Webb at Uberti in Gardone, Italy, got not just one, but three replacements..Gradis

That is Service...

If I were not so crazy about 1860 Army Conversions, I pair it with another.
Now it's paired with a 2nd gen 1860 Colt with a R&D conversion Cyl.  these are my go to 45 cal. guns
No issue with the Remy...but the Old Colt (I've had it 30 years) has broken the bolt spring twice..that's in 30 years ! and a lot of shooting