Checkered Pistol Grips?

[Pinto Being]

Wool, Silver Creek Slim.  Since you started this conversation, I'll address this to you first, and hope that all the pards will chime in.

I have a passel of Uberti pistolas. And, I'd love to have checkered grips for 'em.

Where are they? Who makes 'em?

As you know, the Ubertis have a one-piece grip.

Is there such a thing on the after-market as a "gunfighter" grip that is the one-piece style for Ubertis?

This ol' boy would buy a mess of 'em if he only knew who sold 'em.

I do know that Ajax and some others will make custom grips if one decided to send them (Ajax, et al) the gun.  But it seems that those grips cost around $60 or so, and require about a  30 day turnaround.

Are there other "gunfighter" style grips out there that are around $40 or so that are made in the one piece style?  Checkered grips that only require a bit of customizin' to make 'em fit an Uberti hogleg?

Gracias, pards.

[LazyK Pejay]

I can't tell the make of Driftwood's pistols. I have the same grips on my Uberti Cattleman and they are about 1/8th" inch short at the bottom. I have not been able to find a grips for the longer grip frame Uberti makes.

LazyK Pejay

[McGavin]

The grips on both my Cimarron Thunderers are factory checkered. I plan, at some point, to go to faux ivory on my Open Tops and have considered having them checkered, although I am also toying with the ntion of having my SASS number done as playing cards on the outer grip panel. That would be a four, three aces and a seven and all in clubs.

Since the Thunderers don't roll like a plowhandle SAA or Navy that isn't an issue for me. I like the look and feel of checkering and most of my modern grips have been checkered, either factory or aftermarket.

[SFT]

Got one pair of stag grips that are relatively smooth and thin, the other pair are much older stag that is nearly the thickness of the Ruger factory grips but have lots of bark, which gives the same feel of checkered grips.

Speaking of grips, the folks at Get A Grip are going out of business and everything still in stock is half price or better, so if you are looking for a new pair they might still have some.

[Payday Paul]

I prefer shooting with grips of my own makin' for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, I can make 'em to fit my hand.  I've been told I have Hobbit hands; I think that's a compliment but I'm not entirely sure.  Well I do have mighty small hands, so I make my grips thinner than most and get better control.  The other reason is it just makes me feel closer to my guns, makes them a little bit more "mine" if you take my meaning.

I use mostly Desert Ironwood for my grips.  It's an unusual wood, real dense and highly figured, and beautiful without bein' too flashy.  Although it can be easily polished to a high gloss, I like to leave 'em just a bit less slippery.  The first few sets I made were two-piece, but I've learned to do one-piece now.  I think they look real nice on my USFA 5-1/2 .45's.

So I shoot with smooth grips - at least until I learn me how to do my own checkerin'!!!

[Riot Earp]

I just bought a set of Cimarron's checkered hard rubber grips, and I love them. Thinner than the stock walnut grips, they resemble the old Colt eagle grips. You should see them on my antiqued Cimarron! Vintage!

[Matthew Duncan]

No they don't

Shot a match in a rain storm and wished they did!

[Guns Garrett]

I don't, the wife does.  I shoot "double duelist"/gunfighter (as the mood strikes), have small hands, and the smooth grips work better.  The Mrs. shoots Traditional and has Gunfighter grips on her Vaquero Bisleys.

[Long Johns Wolf]

Pinto Being: I have aftermarket one-piece PU ivory grips from Gripmaker (www.gripmaker.com) on all of my Uberti match pistols. Larry Little of Gripmaker is doing checkered ones, too.
Bootsie

[McGavin]

I've hankered after Ivory-like grips on my guns but the cost has kept me away. I'd intended to have them scrimshawed with my SASS number as a fan of playing cards with the four, three aces and a seven,all suited except for two of the aces. Can't have a cheater's hand on my guns, now can I?

I may end up with a dress set with the cards and a working set that are checkered. I find that the checkering makes it easier to hold on to the guns when my hands get slick, as others have said. Since I shoot duelist exclusively the extra bite the checkering gives makes for a more secure hold as I cycle the guns.

[buck]

My RNV's have the black checkered hard rubber and my 58 remmies have smooth wood grips.  I likes em both.  Oh, and the palms of my hands are checkered from workin.   

[Mustang Gregg]

Yes for me (Gunfighter with .44's).  I got Hogue checkered.
No for Calamity (Lady Trad with .44's)  Hers are Hogue Micarta smooth.

Mustang Gregg

PS  Hey Slim---Is the poll closed?  Ain't no way for us to cast our votes online, that I can see.

[Molasses]

I've got checkered grips of one sort or 'nother on all of my Vaqueros, for the exact reasons Doc Shapiro gave right off the bat when the poll started.  I try to keep 'em color coded by caliber to avoid unpleasant surprises at shoots (different guns/ammo, etc) The pair that gets the most use (.357s) have checkered ebony regular (i.e. not Gunfighter grips) from Eagle grips.  I've noticed that I tend to use a tight enough hold to leave the checkering pattern pressed into my palm and fingers; they aren't going to be shifting during the string and that's the way I want it!

[Tennessee Hoss]

I tend to like smooth grips but made from something that has some texture to it. Smooth slick grips or grips that get slick when sweaty etc. aren't too helpful.

Presently I'm working with a grip maker to do me some dyed Elk Horn grips for the New Vaqueros. We'll see how that turns out. Real Sambar Stags are very good unless they get wet and or stay wet. If I'm sweating that much I carry a towel around with me anyway. If it's raining, I'll wimp out as well.

Hoss

[Marshal Deadwood]

I switched from wood to Colt bird and pony grips.  Wood is pretty,,but,,,,I shoot Cimmarrons and kinda like the wood on Army grips,,(my OT and such) but on the Navy grips on a SAA,,,i perfer the hard rubber.....

Now, for stlye,,,Id go all elephant ivory ,,,and will,,when i hit the lotto !!!!

But, id keep to match guns with hard rubber I believe....

Im sure some of the wood checkered and maybe the ivorys that are carved give some better grip...

I can afford the rubber colt grips when I cant afford the others,,,,,but who knows what I might do in the future...Id liketo have ONE center piece gun,,USFA preinum or a real Colt,,,wiht honest to God ivory,,,thats my fantasy...

Gotta say,,,Driftwood has bout the kewlest pair of Colts going,,,I love the pics of his guns,,,just hits me were I live !

Marshal Deadwood

[will52100]

I had to check other, because while there smooth, I strip all the old heavy muddy red off and give them an oil finish.  Smooth and just grippy enough to hang onto when sweating or bp lube make the fingers slick.  I'd like to try some "pinapple" style checkering though.

[Pinto Being]

Wal, I now can say "Yep!", I got some pistoles with checkered grips.

Bought some Buffalo Brothers fleur-de-lis (?) fancy checkered grips and a pard fitted 'em to a brace of 7.5" Cattlemen.

Just got 'em back 2 days ago and plan to try 'em out tomorrow before our Friends of the NRA benefit shoot on Sat.

I will say this, they are sure prettier than the REST of the guns are!  I had him put 'em on my main match guns and the youngest one of those pistoles is about 8 years and many, many rounds old.  Haw! Haw!

About one of the guns, my pard says "Y'know Pinto, this gun here has a pretty deep groove around the cylinder.  These new grips make that look pretty unsightly."

Wal, he's a real good pardner and we've been to see the elephant together, so I didn't say anythin' at the time.

He's right of course, but would you make fun of a feller's favorite hoss just because he's got a chunk missin' out of one ear?  I should say not!   

Tomorrow I'll try 'em out.  If they don't fall off after the first round, mebbeso I'll keep 'em.  Gotta say that Buffalo Brothers has an awesome collection to choose from and they appear to be dang good quality.  Now we just gotta see if my busted up, ol' paws like 'em as much as my eyes do...

[wakatomika creek]

 >:(Iv'e had lots of truck with smooth grips on My 6 Old Model Vaqueros. All 6 are .45s and I used shoot 255 grainers ahead of 7 grains of Universal Clays. That load bucks like an old mule, and I love it!  The smooth grips of wood that come on the guns are  bad enough, but a few years ago I went to pretty little fake ivory smoothies. Those .45s slid back, and down  so much that the trigger guards took the skin off of my middle finger knuckles reguardless of how tight I tried to grip them. Even shooting that unnatural two handed thingie some people do couldn't tame the recoil if I tried to fling lead too fast. I still shoot the same bullets but now back them with 5.5 Grains of titegroup. Still kicks but now only like a adolescent mule with a chest cold. I grooved one set of the Ivory Polimer grips to look like stag which helped , and really looks sweet,but I think My next buy will probably be Checkered stocks. Too much invested and I love the bigguns too much to change horses now, so I'll keep shootin' and bleedin' and smilin' till the sun goes down

[Pinto Being]

Wal pards,

I've shot 2 matches with the pistoles with the Buffalo Bros. fancy checkered grips.

As Lee Iacocca was fond of sayin', "I gotta tell ya," these grips are the cat's meow.

These checkered, polymer grips are incredibly different than my ol' slick walnut grips.  That is, they are incredibly better!  Every aspect of shootin' these pistoles in competition is enhanced.  The draw, the shootin', and the re-holsterin' are all so much easier and accurate that I can't imagine ever goin' back to slick grips.

Don't get me wrong though, I don't like the looks of 'em as well as the original walnuts.  But -- for CAS competition, I can't help but believe that the checkered grips are makin' a difference in my times. They just flat feel good in my mitts.  I think it was a wise investment and am now lookin' at  buyin' more of 'em for my other match guns.

That's all....

Pinto   

[Camille Eonich]

Pinto I have a set of Buffalo Brothers grips on my Ruger Birdsheads.  I love them and they look good too.