Sile J frame grip hack

[OlongJohnson]

These are really cheap right now at CDNN, so I bought a couple and hacked them up to see if I could make them sweet. I could, it turns out.

First set, I left a pinky perch but clipped the bottom to shorten it a hair.



Second set, I went full boot, flush with the bottom of the grip frame.



On both of them, I very slightly recontoured the backstrap, taking a bit of the curve out of the upper middle portion. Just like fractions of a mm, but enough to make a difference. Did slightly too much on the lower portion of the semi-boot, which was the first trial. You can see in the photo that the uncheckered portion is slightly thinner. Then went around cleaning up the edges and making the halves match each other. There's a bit of a gap that I plan to fill with black urethane, once I confirm they are worth putting more time into.

My understanding is it's something like 30 year old rubber at this point, so it starts with Dawn, warm water and a toothbrush to get the slimy goo of plasticizers off the outside. Once that's done, the rubber cuts/grinds/sands quite easily, leaving a good, smooth finish from 220 grit paper. It's harder and less grippy material than the Hogue or Taurus grips, although still grippier than would minimize risk of printing.

So far, I've only shot the full boot version, but it's thoroughly decent. I like it the best of any J frame grip I've tried so far, which includes the Hogue Centennial and the Taurus. The finger grooves are fairly large and fit my XXXL hands nicely. It fills in the back strap and is just straight enough to work well for me. The reach is increased so it actually works, and I have a hair more space to fit my thumbs. It feels more controllable to me than the Hogue, which was longer, thicker and stickier; substantially worse for concealment. I suspect I'll end up with full boot as the full time solution on both my Js, and likely any future Js I might buy. Already hoarded what will probably be more than a lifetime supply of the base grips, because they are really cheap right now at CDNN.

I'm thinking about making some K-frame grips that are as close to this same profile as will work. It works really well for how small it is.

Now I just need to figure out why the Precision Delta wadcutters are sticking to the barrel, the throats and even the inside of the cases.

The J is a police trade 640-1 that's ridiculously smooth. I haven't had the side plate off yet. Touched up the sights with fresh white/orange on the front and Sharpie on the rear, and it works well for me.

[rainman]

Nicely done!


-Rainman

[Mirolynmonbro]

Why do you like this grip over the taurus? Is it a bigger grip?

[FrankB]

I tried this last Fall with a set of Pachmyr grips, and they’re built like steel belted radial tires! They had steel strips running from top to bottom, and they were trash after cutting into them. You didn’t have that problem, and it looks much better!👍

[Polecat]

These too have steel inserts so go slowly. I tried this years ago and wound up with exposed steel on the bottom. If I do it again I will take a belt sander and go slower.

[OlongJohnson]

The ones I cut for the boot have inserts, but they are a hard plastic. They did get exposed on the bottom of the boot cut. Looks fine. There is a steel thread insert where the screw holds inside the left side grip. I cut wide with a saw and then used power and hand sanding.

I don't recommend sanding with them installed on the gun, as going too far and touching the serial number engraving, besides screwing up your gun, is a Very Bad Thing. Lots of little at a time, then check fit.

[OlongJohnson]

Why do you like this grip over the taurus? Is it a bigger grip?

Attachment 29636
I found the Taurus to be the best balance of size and shootability for me. The Sile ones were close, but not as pocket friendly. For me, a matter of covering the backstrap, filling in behind the trigger guard, and giving some purchase to the little finger and still working for pocket and ankle carry. Forgot who I stole the idea from and can't recall where I put the pin I took out of the 642.

Grabbed that post from the Taurus boot grip thread as it shows a nice side profile and even includes the unmodified Sile (to the rear of the gun). Open the "Attachment" link in the quote in another tab so you can look at it side by side with my photos in the OP.

Key differences are the relative straightness of the back strap, with minimal recurve (or whatever the concavity at the top of the backstrap profile is officially called) and less following of the round butt curl at the bottom. Gives an overall more secure, supported purchase on the gun's handle. A deeper wraparound at the top provides a longer reach to the trigger and more thumb space. The fill behind the trigger guard is more of a flat shelf than the curved pocket of the Taurus, which leaves more space for fingers and a little bit of fore-aft movement. The finger grooves fit my large hands really well, although I generally prefer no grooves.

The Siles work with the roll pin, and the rubber isn't as rubbery/grippy as the Taurus rubber.

Also, I don't have to figure out how to cut off some case heads and attach them in place of the Taurus emblems.

The Hogue Centennials even have a more curved backstrap with more recurve at the top. Also, their attachment method hangs hardware below the bottom of the frame, so you can't "boot" them.

[Holmes375]

Nice job of it, sir. I am an inveterate modifier of revo grips. Nice to see others' work doing the same.

And belt sanders rule

[Jhp147]

Also, I don't have to figure out how to cut off some case heads and attach them in place of the Taurus emblems.

On my things I forgot to do...find some silver S&W medallions and see if they fit.

[OlongJohnson]

I'm thinking about making some K-frame grips that are as close to this same profile as will work. It works really well for how small it is.

Now I just need to figure out why the Precision Delta wadcutters are sticking to the barrel, the throats and even the inside of the cases.

Someone asked about this in another thread and I sent them here, so I'll update here.

I am out of the K-frame business, so I'm not going to be working on custom K-frame grips. Which puts me that much closer to doing some custom GP100 grips.

Even the gun above was downsized this spring, so I now have just one S&W revolver, an M&P 340. Still tempted by the Model 60-18, even with the soul leak.

I believe the reason the PD wadcutters were leading is that they are .357 and the throats in this gun are .359. The throats in my K frames were .357, so they likely would have worked perfectly if I had gotten any K frames up and running before I decided I didn't want to deal with the massive fiddle-frackery of those projects. I picked up a few thousand plated Rainier DEWCs when Midway was closing them out. I intend to load them for GPs (.3585 throats) and the M&P (.349 throats).