• Cold Bore Ritual Contest - Only a Few Hours Left To Enter!

    What’s your cold bore ritual, that one thing you always do before your first shot to set yourself up for success? Winner gets new limited edition Hide merch. Remember, subscribers have a better chance of winning!

    Join contest Subscribe

Gunsmithing Grip stippling

mzvarner

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 7, 2013
510
379
Spokane, WA
I am thinking of doing a DIY job on my S&W M&P 9c. I was hoping to hear a few reviews first as I have never handled a grip like this. Also anyone DIY? i have watched some youtube and seems easy enough. advice?
 
I've done a few of my glocks it's fairly simple if you take your time. I would first practice on something like an AR grip or maybe the extra backstraps that came with your M&P. Also remember this once you do it you can't undo it.
 
It really isn't that tough, though I've never worked on an M&P. All of my Glocks get it except my CCW (too rough, tears up clothes). If you have any AR accessory parts, that's a great place to start. I did my AFG2s first to get the feel down, and then moved to my Glocks. I love the grippiness. One caveat, be mindful of what tip you use. The size of the point is important: finer point is less aggressive, larger point (melts/displaces more plastic) will be more aggressive. I use a very fine point on my saudering iron so as not to over do it.
 
That's good advice. This is my carry gun so I might have to think a little harder. However. It was kinda got yesterday and my hands we sweaty and when I grabbed my pistol it was like a bar of soap. I practiced on an old electric drill. It was all plastic and being thrown out anyways. Seems pretty straight foreword and took about 1/2 hour.
 
I'd say most of the final way it will look is in the initial preparation. I would tape the outside edges of your pattern so that the edges of the stippling pattern will look nice & crisp. The depth of the "puncture" needs to be the same in order for it to look professionally done. Take your time in the initial prep and REALLY take your time ( with occasional breaks ) while completing the pattern. As the other posters have stated, practice on several pieces before you undertake your pride & joy ( the several that I have done show a progressive improvement from the first to the last piece ). I also used a magnifier visor that helped significantly on the later pieces. As ZLBuba said, the finer point tends to produce a "nicer" finish. Good luck. You can do it.
 
drglock- is that a subliminal warning against doing it? I definitely think more texture on the frame would be a good thing.

Lol no just make sure this is something you want,on a side note I did my carry gun a Glock 36. I did small stipples looks great and and feels great but then summer came and I was carrying without a undershirt and the stippling rubbed a raw spot on my side. So needless to say my Glock 36 is my winter carry gun. That gave me an excuse to by another carry gun.