Why no SUPER thin grips? 1/16th of an inch

[kmagnuss]

Why doesn't anyone make a SUPER thin grip for 1911's? I'm talking 1/16th of an inch per panel here. Is it because the grip bushings would have to stick out past the grips to work? 1911's could be so much thinner if it weren't for the thick wood grips.

[Alland]

I think that it could certainly be done, but wonder if there would be a big enough market for them. Without a large enough market it wouldn't make economic sense.

I'm not questioning you but just wondering why you want grips that thin. But then I'm one who puts spacers under standard grips to make them thicker.

[walterjn]

I wonder why also unless it is a grip feel thing. I dont use spacers to make grips thicker I just make them thicker.

[Sarge43]

There is a minimum thickness that you can reach and still use a bushing and screw setup, while also maintaining "structural integrity". The slim bushings require a solid 1/32" just to cover the flange, then the screw heads need to sit into the grip another 1/32" at least. THEN, you need some material between those two things to actually hold the grip panel in place, and this needs to be strong enough put up with the recoil and use of the pistol. Add another 1/16", making the bare minimum thickness 1/8" and that's pushing minimums there. Not any people like to work with wood or other materials that thin and the end result is rather "blockish", as the thin pieces cannot be radiused very much and must be fairly flat. Grips can be thinner than normal slims, but no by too much.
Hope this helps.
Sarge

[kmagnuss]

My reasoning is not so much for feel, but just to conceal a little easier... you have possibly the thinnest .45 platform out there... then you slap some grips on that together dang near are as thick as the slide... just doesn't make sense to me. (obvious exaggeration there... but point is the same)

[RickB]

The 1911, even with standard grips, is already thinner than a lot of 9mms, so most people probably don't feel that the gun is too thick. Take off the grips and bushings if you like; can't get it any thinner than that.

[polizei1]

Thin grips are 5/32" thick, that's as small as you can make them using slim bushings. There are two "shelves" inside the grips, one for the bushing and one for the screw head. Those are already ~1/16" thick as it is.

I just wish I could find a decent thin set for my Spartan for USPSA. No luck so far!

[Tonimus]

Originally Posted by RickB

The 1911, even with standard grips, is already thinner than a lot of 9mms, so most people probably don't feel that the gun is too thick. Take off the grips and bushings if you like; can't get it any thinner than that.

Do this and thrown some grip tape on the sides, perhaps with a piece of thin plastic to cover the frame holes.

[AreB]

Originally Posted by Tonimus

Do this and thrown some grip tape on the sides, perhaps with a piece of thin plastic to cover the frame holes.

^this...it's what the racegun guys do to thin down the doublestacks...except most don't use bushings in the first place.

[Shad Roe]

Thinnest grips I have ever used are Alumagrips slim-line/thin-line?

Have not measured them;but,they are skinny. Says they are 5/32" on the website.

[ak907]

i wondered the same, but for concealment and comfort in the hand i like the plastic taurus grips. they're really thin and slope right into the frame on the front edge. so far i have not found a pair that feels better than these on my kimber.

[PSU87]

They make a .100" thick grip. Exclusively available from Brownell's.

You have to remove the bushings completely- they provide you with screws that screw directly into the frame.

http://www.halperntitanium.com/

[1saxman]

Originally Posted by PSU87

They make a .100" thick grip. Exclusively available from Brownell's.

You have to remove the bushings completely- they provide you with screws that screw directly into the frame.

http://www.halperntitanium.com/

Wow - that has to be the ultimate.

[Neal]

Originally Posted by PSU87

They make a .100" thick grip. Exclusively available from Brownell's.

You have to remove the bushings completely- they provide you with screws that screw directly into the frame.

http://www.halperntitanium.com/

A few years ago I posted a query right here on this forum about the Halpern titanium grips. I wanted to know the opinion of people who had tried them. There were zero responses from users. They must not be very popular.

[PSU87]

Originally Posted by Neal

A few years ago I posted a query right here on this forum about the Halpern titanium grips. I wanted to know the opinion of people who had tried them. There were zero responses from users. They must not be very popular.

Neal, I agree. There are very few reviews on the Brownell's site, and no information about them on this or other sites.

Personally, I'd love to try them, but I guess I'm a cheapskate. I don't want to pay shipping both ways for something I don't like.

If I ever decide to try them, I'll post a full review.

[Horoscope Fish]

Those Ti grips look way uncomfortable to me. I've handled a 1911 with out the bushings installed and there's just not enough for me to wrap my paws around to feel good... I doubt an extra .200" of material would change that. It's also, I suspect, one reason you don't find "uber thin" grips for the 1911; at some point you get too far out of the mainstream of what most people want. The more "average" the grip size, the more people it will "fit".

[Rosco Benson]

Many years ago, I had a set of "grips" made for a lightweight OACP that were as thin as possible. They were made by cutting some aluminum sheet metal to the same outline as the stock grips, deburring the edges thereof, and then gluing them to the frame (bushings removed). These allowed the pistol's butt to be as thin as possible. It worked fine.

Later, I removed them and put on a set of the AFS Slim-Tech grips...mainly because they were prettier.

Rosco

[Trikegodtroll]

Originally Posted by Shad Roe

Thinnest grips I have ever used are Alumagrips slim-line/thin-line?

Have not measured them;but,they are skinny. Says they are 5/32" on the website.

Looks like a very thin grip. Should be a good way to go;

[yankee2500]

Wow, those are thin. I'm just not a big fan of metal grips.

[Peter B]

The thinnest Kimbers I checked were 0.180" thick. Average Colt is 0.25". Average Springfield is 0.275". My best shooting CAS friends (Wildbunch uses 1911) like thin grips explaining it gives them more control. One is current 2 time world champ so it works for him.
Some of my customers like a thicker palm swell or a left side cut out for the thumb. Whatever the customer wants.