Front Strap Checkering... too rough?

[CBruce]

I've been toying around with a few 1911s to see what suits my pallet, and I realized I don't think I like front strap checkering. I know it should provide better grip, but not if I'm holding a cheese grater... you know that side that's meant for parmesan and is just annoying when you're just trying to shred some cheddar? I'd like to have something more than just smooth, but it seems like its just holding a wire brush or nothing... am I missing something? I work with my hands and they're all calloused up, it just bugs me. Am I the only one?

"The 1911. It's like holding a shark that spits bullets."

[9mmepiphany]

Unless you're wearing rings on your primary hand, you'd be extremely hard-pressed to damage the checkering.

It isn't damage from holding the gun, it is from banging into other hard surfaces while in the holster. The most common damage is blunting the tops of the pyramids...granted this is with duty guns.

That is what brought rubber grips into favor. You didn't have to worry about your holstered duty gun banging into doorways, walls and metal framing when moving quickly

[jcaoloveshine]

30LPI in the front, 20LPI on the MSH works well for me on my Baer TRS.

I like it rougher on the MSH since that helps anchor your grip

[skyscraper]

Actually, the 20 LPI on the TRP is for gloved hands.


-Freq

That's an Internet myth. Plenty of agents carry the SA pro without gloves.

[Press Check]

It isn't damage from holding the gun, it is from banging into other hard surfaces while in the holster. The most common damage is blunting the tops of the pyramids...granted this is with duty guns.

That is what brought rubber grips into favor. You didn't have to worry about your holstered duty gun banging into doorways, walls and metal framing when moving quickly

Great point, but since most of us don't carry, it is somewhat of a moot point.

For those that are lucky enough to have a CC permit, rubber grips do in fact have a tendency grab your shirt material, printing your pistol, or simply exposing your concealed carry.

In speaking with LE at the range, rubber will create and trap moisture between your hands and the grips, and at that point, you're relying on nothing more than muscular grip and the finger grooves to retain the pistol in your hand. Stippling is preferred on their plastic pistols.

Rubber also attracts fine dirt, and get tacky just from general handling.

[GM4spd]

I paid for some nice checkering by Terry Tussy years ago on a stainless
Colt and although it looked great,I did not like shooting a lot of rounds
thru my pistol---I would never do it again. Pete

[Press Check]

I paid for some nice checkering by Terry Tussy years ago on a stainless
Colt and although it looked great,I did not like shooting a lot of rounds
thru my pistol---I would never do it again. Pete

Unrelated to the topic, but Terry Tussy does some seriously amazing work!

[9mmepiphany]

I attended a Gunsite 250 (5 days) class last year. It was a 1911 class and it was very interesting to see folk's reaction to checkering and other sharp edges on their 1911s through 1200 rounds.

There was a lot of medical tape applied to fingers. moleskin on palms (and the webbing of hands) and searching for gloves as the sharp checkering took it's toll. Even some of the rougher skateboard tape was leaving hands sensitive.

I have a golfball texture on one 1911 I was using and it wasn't bad as even moderate pressure would retain the gun. But the best front strap texturing I shot was the STI chainlink. It was easy on the hands and yet offered excellent adhesion when you applied pressure....I also had a chance to shoot an Ed Brown with chainlink texturing on the frontstrap and found it much sharper.

The big thing that folks were dumping by the second day were VZ grips...those would just eat your palms