My first stipple job attempt on my S&W M&P 40 Pro

[T4rdV4rk]

I agree.

That said, what does doing something like this do to the resale value of a firearm?

I would generally consider it to decrease the value. Understanding guns are meant to be shot, I still prefer mine as new as possible when buying used.

Some people might pay more for a great job like that though!

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I did this to one of my backstraps as well. The beauty of this with an M&P is replacement backstraps are super cheap if you screw it up. I still haven't worked up the courage to stipple the actual frame. I kind of feel like its one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situations. I love the way it feels now.

Go for it! The frame, being harder material, doesn't 'melt' as quickly as the backstraps. This (IMO) makes it easier. well... alcohol helps also

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ers_with_firearms_and_a_soldering_iron-2.html

 

[Gdpudge]

Looks good. Nice job!

 

[Indycobalt19]

I also have to agree with this. In fact, when I get my M&P9, feel like making some cash? lol!

Haha, i'm always in the mood to make some cash!

I have a full-size you can stipple too

Let me get a few more jobs under my belt first and then ill be happy to haha

 

[Dog1]

Perhaps you can give a short write-up of what you did, how you did it and provide any tips.

 

[DustyDawg48]

DUDE! Normally I want to vomit when I see stipple jobs but that one is absolutely brilliant! I seriously cannot think of a better looking stipple job out there. Bravo!

 

[Indycobalt19]

Perhaps you can give a short write-up of what you did, how you did it and provide any tips.

No problem. Well first thing that i did was get the materials. I got a nice soldering iron off of amazon for 12 bucks shipped. Its a Weller 40w soldering iron kit. The kit included the iron, a stand, and three different tips. I used the fine tip on my gun. Then you will need to have some sort of tape just to mark the edges of what you do and do not want stippled. I just looked at the gun and followed its natural lines to make a basic area of what i wanted. Then i just started on the bottom of the gun in the corner towards the mag well and just worked my way up the frame. After doing it for the first time it actually wasn't that bad, it just take a lot of focus and patience. But before i tried this stippling on a firearm, i made sure to practice on a pmag just to get the technique down. I would highly recommend practicing on a pmag or something relatively cheap so you don't mess up a $500 gun. Hope this helps!

DUDE! Normally I want to vomit when I see stipple jobs but that one is absolutely brilliant! I seriously cannot think of a better looking stipple job out there. Bravo!

Thanks!

 

[thegunshow]

Looks great...hard to believe it only took that short of time

 

[cmamath13]

Very nice job! Looks professional.

 

[Indycobalt19]

Looks great...hard to believe it only took that short of time

Haha its really not that bad. Once you get the hang of it and just focus on what your doing it goes pretty quick.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Takes a steady hand. How long did it take you? A-1 Job!

 

[Indycobalt19]

Takes a steady hand. How long did it take you? A-1 Job!

It only took me about an hour and a half to do the whole gun

 

[n9znd]

Great job on your stipple job. I have done a few guns myself and love the feel of them. Here is my little TCP that I did last night. The little .380 would dig into your hand a little but still felt slick. A nice stipple job feels like Velcro. Loev the way mine turned out. Jim

 

[Ltrain]

Ok. You talked me into it. I've been throwing around the idea of doin it to my Springfield XD 45 or my M&P 9c. I've done several Pmags and they came out real nice. Time to test it out on a gun.

 

[Plisken]

Looks good. i might try to do my 9c. If I get enough nerve to try something like that.

 

[CQB]

Best thing I ever did to my G23. Also used a Dremel to reduce the front strap. I had tried a couple different slip-ons. Just made the already giant grip bigger in my non-giant paws. I wasn't concerned about adding or negating value, this gun is a keeper. Still may alter the final shape of the stippling, haven't decided yet. Not too aggressive, doesn't bother my skin when holstered.

I think the keys for success are:

First thing - practice on something non-important to get the feel of the process. Different plastics react differently to the hot iron - be aware. The first time I stippled a Glock for instance, I did a small area inside the frame under the recoil spring out of sight to see how the plastic reacted or how fast it melts.

1. Plan your area and mask it off with tape
2. Use a fine tip on the iron
3. Keep the tip clean
4. Keep the tip hot - keeping the tip clean aids this - may need a few breaks to let the iron regain heat if it is a low wattage model.
5. Keep the iron tip perpendicular to the target
6. Use short, shallow, random strokes - you can always go back over an area if the texture isn't aggressive enough for your liking. You can not undo your mistake if you go too deep as a starting point (there are a lot of "that's what she said" moments here).
7. Take breaks, it's not a race. Tunnel vision and fatigue lead to unwanted mistakes
8. Personally, I like to very lightly run a fine foam nail file over the finished area to take off the sharpest edges and remove any loose material.

Deciding to do it yourself is honestly the hardest part of the whole process.

 

[Woodland001]

Nice what was your technique?