Posted: 9/16/2007 1:52:37 PM EDT
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I just got my old Springfield Champion back after trading it off years ago. I replaced the original grips with some cheap Uncle Mikes rubber ones I picked up when it was new. They were only marginally better than stock, but I didn't shoot it much and traded it. Now, I want to upgrade some stuff on it. Here is the thing, I love the Cocobolo color grips, smooth. I also like the micarta grips. The rubber is too sticky on clothes. This is a pretty wild recoiling pistol with the short barrel. I am not a big person, 165Lbs, 5-10. Is it recommended to get the checkered grips? I had some hand made lovely smooth grips on a BHP I used to own and loved them, they were slimmer than original and made it so nice to carry. That gun had little to no recoil though. Shooting it was not a problem. Wanting to hear from some experience. I have the parkerized Champion, like the look of the Cocobolo with the dark stripes in the wood, but also like the various Micarta grips equally as well. I have looked at all of the grip links on the FAQ and that made my decision that much harder. Can I get some ideas on what works? I don't need the ambi option. I also don't plan on putting a magwell on it. Thanks for any and all comments. Chris |
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Grips can be very much a personal choice.... what works for one person, might not work for another. How much are you looking to spend? Is checkering something you want? Once you narrow down your budget... and what style of grips you want.. it'll make it much easier to choose a brand. |
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For me, the grips don't matter so much as the checkering on the front and rear of the frame. I find that I index off of that. Still, my personal favorites are slim-line checkered wood grips. They allow me to index on the front and rear of the frame real well while still providing some traction. Barring that, I like the pachmayr wraparound rubber grips a lot (when the front strap is not checkered). My only concern is that the rubber traps moisture. I didn't think about that until SGB made a comment about it... so I took off my grips and checked and it was showing the faintest bit of discoloration under there. I replaced those with wood grips. If the pistol had a more rust-resistant finish (it's blued), I'd use those. |
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I do not have checkering but wish the front was. I may eventually get the front checkered, the rear has a ribbed finish. Does anyone have the micarta? How does it hold up compared to wood. I am talking about carry ideas. No interest in competition type grips. I have had the Pachmayer wraparound on the Browning High Power I mentioned earlier. While it did give a very solid and slip resistant finish, it was a bear to draw from a concealed point of view. The rubber was like it had super glue on it and would stick to my tshirt or whatever I had on. It was also on the thick side, that is why I put slimmed down wood smooth grips on it. On the question of how much do I want to spend? I am no different than anybody else. I want the best product I can get at the least amount of money. With that in mind, I will pay for a noticeable step up in quality. I looked at many custom Cocobolo grips and then looked at the commercial Hogue grips. I really couldn't justify a typical 65 dollar price difference between them based on pictures. That is why I am asking for experience. I am sure that between the vast pool here, there are people that have just about any kind of grip made. Chris |
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There is a huge difference in the quality of wood at the different price points.. usually. It depends on the custom shop you visit. You can spend a little... or a lot.. it just depends on what youw ant, and are willing to pay for. If its just "basic" grips... then you'd be well served with ahrends.. hogue ... ect. Hogue cocobolo, for the most part, is very "basic"... for some.. like me.. grips are a custom touch that adds more to the overall gun than just feel.. and so higher prices are justified. Its a personal choice though... no right or wrong. Micarta is a tough material.... you're not going to have issues with it. |
I have still been looking at the photo gallery. I like the contrast of the rich Cocobolo and the dark green/gray micarta grips. I do like the VZ grips, the "paper" looks good. How does it feel? Ok, I think I may go with VZ. Now, I narrowed down the brand, how do I narrow down the pattern and color?  Is the VZ website the best place to order? |