Heh. Too true.
My new piece is one of the snazy new Kimber Super Carry Pro which is a Commander size 1911 with Aluminum frame and ‘bobtail’ rounded grip. It is a great combo which lets me use my favorite existing holsters for a lighter smaller piece. It carries very comfortably IWB, much better than the full size 1911s I usually carry. The extra ‘melting’ Kimber does to the dovetail is GREATly appreciated. Having gotten use to carrying a full size 1911 the lighter weight is very nice.
The scalloping on the front and back of the grip is nice. compared to my standard smooth 1911s it gives a better grip surface in the areas that need it most (per our previous discussion. I probably will put an extended slide release on it and I am looking at my options for grips. The grip checkering is VERY aggressive. Of my other two 1911s one quite flat and tame checkering (Armscor) and the other is wearing the smooth grips you (300winmag) gave me (Springfield). I like both of those. The aggressive checkering on the Kimber really chafes if I am carrying with only 1 layer of shirt. So my options are:
-Find something custom that fits that
-Cut down one of my existing sets of grips
-Sand down the checkering on the stock grips
-Mold something out of plastic (I have to stuff to do that) using an existing set as the template
I would rather not trash the stock grips but other than that I am not sure what option is best.
Thank John M Browning that the M1911 is the most customized handgun on earth. There are dozens of grip makers making hundreds of types of custom grips. The "bobtail" conversions are now popular, and you should see more custom grips for them now.
One type of checkering is "combat cut", where just the front edge of each grip panel is checkered or stippled. Vertical flutes might also work, and there are even grips with golfball "dimples". The material can also matter, with micarta and other synthetics being more-or-less aggressive than wood. Machined aluminum or cast pewter are also used, although many times it's just for show.
The best place to begin is Brownells, which shows tons of different styles. However, they don't carry everything by every maker, so visiting their sites is the next step. Hogue and Carbon Creations have lots of variations in materials, and there are plenty of other makers out there, too.
I prefer grips as thin as possible, with most of the "grip" on the front edge. I look for a secure grip that won't tear up my hand, and won't grab clothes and "print through" by interfering with the natural drape of the clothes.
Here's an example of cut-checkered carbon fiber (I discovered it was too aggressive for my hands), and laser-stippled Kimber laminated grips. I've replaced those grips with identical ones made for Kimber by Carbon Creations.
Speaking of grips, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my German walnut grips for my P7 "safe queen" arrived today. They even included a price cut because the euro is in even worse shape than the dollar. The walnut is as fancy as possible, allowing for the fact that the grips are almost paper-thin, which is why the originals were plastic. Please forgive the slight "fisheye" effect of the photo, I should have zoomed in a bit, and then backed away, but it looked okay in the viewfinder.
