DIY Stippling

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Tony7141

    Marksman
    Rating - 60%
    3   2   0
    May 20, 2012
    193
    16
    Plainfield
    It has been a couple years since I looked at purchasing a used handgun, but I have been looking. a lot lately. When did this trend d DIY stippling start? Am I the only one who thinks that this ruins the gun? I mean to each their own, but I won't buy one that this has been done to. Not wanting to start any arguments over this, just curious to everyones opinion.
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,373
    149
    Earth
    You are not alone. I think most stipple jobs look awful. I've seen a few decent ones, but they seem few and far between. Not my cup of tea at all.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
    77
    SouthEast
    I'm with you. I have stippled a2 grips, but I have moved all of my rifles over to mft grips now. I do like some of the professionals out there like dave lauck Professional Model Glock Pistols ... But I don't think I'll ever have the money to send my glocks to him so unburnt they will remain.
     

    RobbyMaQ

    #BarnWoodStrong
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    35   0   0
    Mar 26, 2012
    8,963
    83
    Lizton
    Function over form for me... having said that, the new M&P 2.0 grips are way more aggressive than my current collection (which is why I stippled them).
    I ain't looking to sell. Looking to keep a good grip on long days in the heat of summer, etc. I can see how some may view stippling as not very 'attractive' though.
     

    indygunguy

    Expert
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    110   0   0
    Dec 12, 2010
    1,338
    48
    NE Side of Indy
    Function over form for me... having said that, the new M&P 2.0 grips are way more aggressive than my current collection (which is why I stippled them).
    I ain't looking to sell. Looking to keep a good grip on long days in the heat of summer, etc. I can see how some may view stippling as not very 'attractive' though.

    I agree 100%. My Glock 19 that I've carried for years has a redneck homemade stipple job. It wont win any beauty contests, but the stippling does it's job... also, it's a Glock, so who cares how it looks.

    And since I've been carrying the new M&P 2.0 I've found that the grip texture is a little rough to be riding against bare skin... so I may actually do some very light sanding on those grips to bring the texture down some.

    Again, these are carry guns. They are tools. They're made to be practical, not pretty. If you can make them more practical at the expense of their looks... go ahead. And at the same time, recognize that if you try to sell it, your redneck stipple job will hurt the resale value.
     

    Hopper

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    31   0   0
    Nov 6, 2013
    2,291
    83
    Hamilton County
    Likewise, it's not for me either. If I want added grip, I'll use grip tape (like Talon), or skateboard tape that can later be removed.

    I have seen one pretty darned cool stipple job on here. I can't recall who the member was, but it was a "starburst"-type pattern that turned out really nice. It was so well done that it almost looked factory... it was very uniform, and symmetrical.
     

    nrgrams

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    16   0   0
    Jun 3, 2013
    641
    28
    Columbus
    I actually prefer a stippled grip, not just for texture, but for form as well. A reputable, tenured company can sometimes reshape the grip, undercut the trigger gaurd, etc., and it can truly change how you present the gun. There are many great companies out there that do truly great, professional looking work. Some are so detailed, it looks factory.

    I will agree that doing it yourself will probably not result in the best looking stipple job. However, if you're in it for looks, you'll have to pay for it.



    Glock 17 Gen 4 that the fingergrooves were removed, double undercut and a grip circumference reduction.



    Glock 21 Gen 4 with fingergroves actually relocated and enhanced, double undercut, grip circumference reduced, and grip hump restructured.
     
    Last edited:

    Tony7141

    Marksman
    Rating - 60%
    3   2   0
    May 20, 2012
    193
    16
    Plainfield
    That is one of the best ones I have seen, I actually think I like it as far as looks go, it looks like a professional job. It does not look like it was done with a soldering iron.
     

    IndyTom

    Expert
    Rating - 87.5%
    7   1   0
    Oct 3, 2013
    1,336
    63
    Fishers
    Looks like someone used something with a much smaller diameter than ye olde soldering iron, had a plan and took their time. (leaving the other grip adjustments aside)
     

    pute62

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Jan 29, 2009
    2,178
    113
    Lawrence
    I've turned down quite a few trades because of stippling and have seen very few I actually like. I wouldn't pay extra for any of it unless it was my gun and done the way I wanted.
     

    BJones

    Master
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    46   0   0
    Aug 26, 2009
    1,550
    48
    Noblesville/Westfld
    I have passed on Glocks that have been stippled. I have seen very few stipple jobs as nice a nrgrams guns. Most DIY jobs just ruin the gun, as far as I am concerned.:twocents:
     

    Thor

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jan 18, 2014
    10,704
    113
    Could be anywhere
    Back when they made guns from quality materials they had this thing called checkering...:stickpoke:

    Seriously though, is it just so much easier to take a soldering iron to it? I'd think to do a 'quality' job a set of checkering blades might be less time consuming and generally look better. Or at least as good as you can make polymer look.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
    77
    SouthEast
    Back when they made guns from quality materials they had this thing called checkering...:stickpoke:

    Seriously though, is it just so much easier to take a soldering iron to it? I'd think to do a 'quality' job a set of checkering blades might be less time consuming and generally look better. Or at least as good as you can make polymer look.

    Checkering files are around 50 bucks, a soldering iron is around 3 bucks, much faster, much more effective at making a grip on plastic than a checkering file. Checkering works well on metal because the points have enough strength and integrity to grip into your skin or glove, the points would quickly wear down if put into a polymer. The melting and cooling makes the poly a bit more rigid as well. Good stippling is just as difficult to do as good checkering. I'll use Dave Lauck as my go to, he is a highly skilled 1911 smith, and his pro series glocks are every bit as fine a firearm as his 1911's, different roles, same skill levels.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
    77
    SouthEast
    Well, there might be some debate on that...actually a lot of debate on that point. Also, checkering works well on wood.

    I've checkered an a2 grip with the edge of a file, not as fast as a checkering file for sure, and I have stippled one. The file work is tedious and requires an extremely fine file if you want to come out with a product that doesn't look like it was formed on a belt sander. The peaks of the checkers are flimsy and wear fast, the checkering done in the molding process holds extremely well, for example the aggressive checkers on the 509. When you melt the polymer it flows back relatively smooth when done properly. Polymer also fouls up files extremely fast.

    I see no debate for aftermarket checkering over stippling on polymer pistols. The best custom shops in the world stipple when they rework a polymer grip.

    Wood is not polymer.
     
    Top Bottom