Rock Island 1911 grips

[Battis]

I have a Rock Island 1911 A1 Tactical .45 (quite a name) with a 5" barrel, my first 1911 .45. For some reason, I'm thinking abut changing the grips. I've been looking at rosewood grips on ebay ($35) that look pretty good. Any opinions on pretty wooden grips over the tactical ones that are on it?

[scattershot]

Go for it.I’m a sucker for nice grips. An easy way to improve the appearance of any handgun, IMO.

[jcren]

Can't beat https://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/1911-government
Have had several sets of altamont grips, and they have all been nice. Currently have their slim profile checkered rosewood on my RI 1911 tac and love them. Had a thicker set of heavy checkered and they were great at the range, but would chew you alive carried all day as a woods gun.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Two things here -- appearance/taste and functionality/grip-ability. Since 1911 grips are among the easiest to make, they come in just about every material imaginable. I prefer rosewood or walnut, but have others as well. Most are checkered to provide a surface to hang onto, but I have a couple of smooth sets where the front strap is checkered and they're still easy to hang on to. Hard to change grips on a Glock or other plastic marvel, but 1911 grips offer personal customization, and makes the pistol "yours".
257746
click to enlarge

Here's a RIA 1911 with rosewood laminate grips. If I recall correctly they came from Brownell's. jcren's suggestion to look at Altamont grips is also a good one. I've purchased several sets of revolver grips from them and have always been pleased.

[Battis]

The grips that are on there now are very functional, but they have a space gun look to them. I'm a sucker for wood on guns.
Damn, I'm as bad as a woman trying to match shoes to...whatever they match shoes to.

[1911sw45]

I like the thin rosewood double diamonds. Matter of fact I need to order me a new set also after 10 yrs of every day carry they are getting pretty smooth.

[Mk42gunner]

Personally, I like checkered Tulipwood on a 1911. Its orange stripes are different enough but not too strange, it still looks like wood.

Robert

[Battis]

My Rock Island has the ambi safety. Any problems with the fit of the Altamonts?

[tazman]

Grips are very personal. I like a nice set of wood grips on just about any handgun.
That said, none of my handguns wear wood grips. Why? Because practicality beats pretty nearly every time.
I need thin grips because I have short, fat fingers. My hands also sweat very easily. I need the extra grippability(new word) of rubber or G10 grips for things to work well for me.
My revolvers wear Pachmeyr grips and my 1911 pistols wear G10 grips. I don't mind the dark colors because the only thing I want the bad guy to see is the muzzle flash.

[Walks]

I've had Pachmayrs on My 2 Colts forever or 40yrs, whichever I remember. My Springfield Armory 1911 wears Double Diamond Checkered Walnut. And My Norinco has the brown plastic that came on it.
The last I just never changed, guess the WWII plastic surplus just works.

I like the look of the DD walnut, the idea behind grips is to help you hold the Handgun the same way every time. Slick grips with a smooth surface seem to negate that idea.

Function First.

[Chad5005]

I changed mine from very rough grips to a wood grips from a woman’s touch in Texas 257807257808

[Chad5005]

Here’s a few other sets she’s done for me257809257811

[Texas by God]

Those are some nice grips above! You can get more different grips for the 1911 than any other pistol on the planet. Plain Jane brown plastic to Meteorite,perhaps.

[Chad5005]

yes sir 1911 is all she does,every type you can think of.she did these 3 sets 2 years ago for me,ive gotum on this custom,a springfield and a colt national gold cup

[nicholst55]

I had a pair of very nice Ahrend's Kingwood tactical grips on my EDC 1911 - for about a week. I was carrying it IWB, and the sharp checkering on those grips were just too hard on my hide! I switched them for a set of OD green Magpul polymer grips. They're pretty ugly, but they're incredibly practical.

[Texas by God]

All this thread has done is make me want a RIA 1911.....

[tazman]

All this thread has done is make me want a RIA 1911.....

That's not a bad thing.

[Battis]

I checked out Woman’s Touch grips - she does great work. I'm not on Facebook so I'll give her a call.

[smithnframe]

Try RAASCO grips from Vegas.............very good prices and excellent quality! Google RAASCO grips!

[Battis]

It looks like RAASCO is out of business, unless I missed their site. Too bad - they look good.

[jcren]

My Rock Island has the ambi safety. Any problems with the fit of the Altamonts?

No, you specify ambi saftey when ordering. My RIA has ambi.

[TheGrimReaper]

Go for it.I’m a sucker for nice grips. An easy way to improve the appearance of any handgun, IMO.
I am a grip junkie too

[gwpercle]

Hard to beat exotic wood on a 1911 .
My last custom grips were smooth Macassar Ebony on a stainless 1911 AMT Hardballer from ...
Kim Ahrend ...got them a few months ago before the " Notice" was put up .
Gary

[TheGrimReaper]

I prefer my grips to come from a critter
Bone,horn, antlers,etc

[marek313]

This post must be a sign because I've been talking about getting new grips for my RIA Tac Ultra 1911 in 10mm. Original grips arent bad looking but they dont fit my hand right. They are too slim for me I want something larger and rounder around grip safety. I'm thinking about getting nice target hard wood grips with some meat on them to fill my large hands. I like some of the Altamont stuff. Not bad for the price.

[Battis]

I checked Altamont and even called them - it looks like most of the rosewood grips are "temporarily unavailable." They have some decent, less expensive walnut grips that look pretty good. There's also quite a few on ebay.

[Iron369]

This post must be a sign because I've been talking about getting new grips for my RIA Tac Ultra 1911 in 10mm. Original grips arent bad looking but they dont fit my hand right. They are too slim for me I want something larger and rounder around grip safety. I'm thinking about getting nice target hard wood grips with some meat on them to fill my large hands. I like some of the Altamont stuff. Not bad for the price.

That’s kind of funny to me. I was inspired by seeing this thread to get thin grips for my RI tactical so I bought the same g10 grips as factory with the slim profile.

[Norske]

My Kimber 5" stainless target II came with very comfortable slightly soft rubber (?) grips, andI like them. My Kimber Eclipse "commander size" came with ordinary grips which have been replaced with the fake wood Crimson Trace grips. Love the laser on a carry gun.

[El Bibliotecario]

https://www.lsgrips.com/collections/wood-1911-grips-full-size

[tazman]

This post must be a sign because I've been talking about getting new grips for my RIA Tac Ultra 1911 in 10mm. Original grips arent bad looking but they dont fit my hand right. They are too slim for me I want something larger and rounder around grip safety. I'm thinking about getting nice target hard wood grips with some meat on them to fill my large hands. I like some of the Altamont stuff. Not bad for the price.


That’s kind of funny to me. I was inspired by seeing this thread to get thin grips for my RI tactical so I bought the same g10 grips as factory with the slim profile.

Like I said in a previous post, grips are a very personal thing.

[Battis]

This question came up: why change the grips on a 1911 but not any other handguns? I did not have an answer.

[jakharath]

I agree that grips are personal preference and I consider my 1911's as working guns. My preference is the rubber Hogue wrap around grips with the finger grooves. They help when shooting with sweaty hands in the Texas summer heat. My friend received his great uncles 1911 that had silver and gold grips. Told him that grips are like clothes, those grips are dress clothes, my Hogues are working clothes.

[tazman]

This question came up: why change the grips on a 1911 but not any other handguns? I did not have an answer.

The only handguns I own that I have not changed the grips on are guns that have the grips molded into the gun so they cannot be changed. I am lucky in that Those grips fit me pretty well or I would not keep them.

[Battis]

This is what the gun looks like (this isn't mine but it's the same gun). My wife likes the grips that are on it. Would wooden grips look strange on this gun?

[Chad5005]

I hope those grips aren't as rough as the ones I have that look like that,mine will tear the hide off of your hands

[onelight]

This is what the gun looks like (this isn't mine but it's the same gun). My wife likes the grips that are on it. Would wooden grips look strange on this gun?
Nope wood would look great.
I am not much of a traditionalist I like the grips in the pic they are easy to hang on to.
My shooting buddy has one just like that in 45 and I am always amazed at all the great features it has and how well it shoots they seem to be a real bargain.

[Love Life]

I like desert ironwood for 1911 grips. To bad Sarge is out of the game as his grips had the best fit.

[Battis]

Lots of good companies out there, but I ordered a pair from LS Grips.

[Texas by God]

Wood looks good, even on a clone sort of 1911.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200303/083aacffac5fa35ea15229b7bc681d1d.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Love Life]

Woodcaliber is also a good place to buy grips.

[gwpercle]

I prefer my grips to come from a critter
Bone,horn, antlers,etc

I got a set of Indian Elephant Ivory grips back when it was legal ...the apex critter horn !

[Battis]

I bought a set of carved wooden grips cut for the ambi safety. They arrived today and they look really good, but...there's no cut out for the Rock Island mag well. No big deal - I'll cut it out with a Dremel. Yep, I could send them back but I like them.

[tazman]

I bought a set of carved wooden grips cut for the ambi safety. They arrived today and they look really good, but...there's no cut out for the Rock Island mag well. No big deal - I'll cut it out with a Dremel. Yep, I could send them back but I like them.

Pictures please!!!!!!

[Battis]

I like the contrast - the grips go well with my purse...I mean holster.
I used a Dremel carving bit in my drill press to cut out the back of the grips to fit over the mag well.
I bought them from LS Grips. Good price, well made.

[Iron369]

I like the contrast - the grips go well with my purse...I mean holster.
I used a Dremel carving bit in my drill press to cut out the back of the grips to fit over the mag well.
I bought them from LS Grips. Good price, well made.

Great looking piece. I’m going to have to trim mine up for the mag well too. It makes the grips stand off the frame about 1/16”. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200307/6d3a9b2b1670ef6a18dc9714270ddb81.jpg

[Battis]

Cutting out for the mag well wasn't too hard. I have a Dremel tool and a Rotozip, but I can't find the depth setting attachment for either. I put the Dremel carving bit in the drill press, set the depth and moved the grips under the bit, which for me is easier than moving a Dremel or Rotozip over the grips. I also had to sand some off the top of the grip to fit under the left safety - maybe the thickness of a piece of paper.
I thought about changing the mag well but came to my senses.

[condorjohn]

I bought these Hogue walnut grips from a fellow forum member. The price was right and I sure like them better than the factory Plain Jane grips.258358258359

[sghart3578]

I recently bought a used Rock Island 1911 in 38 Super. It came with the factory smooth grips. I thought that I would swap them out until I shot it.

I really like the smooth grips. My other 1911's all have checkered walnut grips. This is the first time I have tried smooth grips on a 1911.

They look odd but they are actually very nice.