Posted: 4/14/2007 6:37:07 AM EDT
| DELETE |
|
I have stippled two H&K pistols for other people. The polymer that H&K uses is different from most other manufacturers and becomes extremely abraisive when stippled. Both of the guys that I did it for liked it but it was way too rough for my tastes. Could have probably been tamed a bit with a light sanding but they liked it the way it was so I didn't get to try it out. ETA: And I like stippling  
|
|
phylodog, thanks for the info. I wondered about the plastic, as the HKs "feel" different than Glocks or XDs. I have a couple Glocks that I have done and really like the "improved" grip I get. I also have a Compact USP 45 that I would like to get a little more bite out of the grip. I bought it used and the sharp checkering is not as sharp as other USPs I have held, whether the previous owner smoothed it up, or it wore off over time I don't know. I wondered about stippling it, but was curious about the plastic reacting the same as Glocks. I was hoping to see some pics to see how it looked. |
I agree. Unfortunatly the checkering on the latest models isn't nearly as sharp as it used to be. |
Well after trying it a few times, I just was not happy with how the grip shifted in my hand when firing. The front strap did not have enough bite to keep it from wanting to slide upwards. I decided what the hell and gave it a shot. I used a fine, flat tip on a wood burning tool. and touched it for less than a second, tapping over the area to be done. It is a pretty close match to the factory texture on the sides and gives the gun the added "stick" I was looking for. Here are before and after pics...  
|
Dude, you should offer that as a service. Thats the cleanest USP job I've seen ever. If you could perfect matching the texture of the stock USP grip, I'd send ya my Tac and my 9F. Scott |
| Thanks for the kind words guys. I would offer to do it for others, but there is the whole FFL / Gunsmith license issue that I would rather not deal with. It really wasn't that hard to do. I can take pics of the tool I used if you want to see it. Then like I said, just tap it on for a split second. I practiced a bit on an old Glock mag floor plate to see what I could do. |
Thanks again for the kind words guys. For those that have asked, here is more info on how I did it. I used a Weller soldering iron / wood burning tool that I got at Lowe's for about $12. It comes with a bunch of different tips, so you can choose different ones for different looks. I used some mag floor plate inserts I had left over from a +2 changeover on my Glocks as practice pieces to see what the different tips created when applied. I ended up using a brass tip that is round at the base, then goes to an angled point, with the sides beveled.   I plugged it in and let it warm up for a few minutes, then held the tool so the very tip made contact with the surface to be textured, holding the tool at about a 45 degree angle to the work surface.  I used masking tape ( several layers ) to cover the areas not to be textured and trimmed it to shape with an XActo knife, being careful not to apply too much pressure and score the plastic of the pistol. Once this was done, I began tapping the point in a random pattern, changing the direction of the tool, but keeping the angle the same. By going over the area a few times, it gave me the desired results. I would hold the tip of the tool on the surface for no longer than about a half or a third of a second. You just have to kind of play around to see what it does. The longer you hold, the deeper the tip will go and the bigger the "texture pattern" will be. If you have any other questions let me know. |