USFA Rodeo grips

[Trifocals]

I recently found out that my new to me .45 Colt USFA Rodeo bites the hand that feeds it. That is, the recoil is a bit painful to the hand with factory Win. 255gr lead ammo. The gun shoots too well for me to want to find a new home for it. I am no stranger to heavy recoiling handguns. Normally I can solve the problem by installing Hogue or Pachmayr rubber grips. However, I cannot find a catalog listing for the Rodeo (or the Colt SA) by either manufacturer. I purchased a PAST shooting glove, which I haven't tried as yet, but would much rather solve the problem with different grips. Does anyone have a suggestion? :-(

[EDK]

Look for a custom grip maker. I have RUGERS, which simplifies things a lot.

Eagle grips is a large organization and one of my first choices. They previously would custom fit grips for a modest fee and quick turn-around. Big web site.

Stag-grips.com is on gunbroker. Out of Buffalo Wyoming, he makes excellent stag grips and will also do fitting IIRC.

CaryC on Ruger forum, Klamath River Gun Works, Pvt Schultz on eBay or Ruger forum. Look at John Taffin or Mike Venturino's books for people they recommend.

There's a lot of people out there who will help you out at a reasonable price.

:redneck::cbpour::Fire:

[August]

One of the things I like about my USFA pistols IS the factory grip. It really helps get a solid connection with the gun, they're not slippery. I download for my pistols and have always thought that downloading was the main reason for bullet casting and handloading, YMMV.

Most single action grips require some fitting. Smooth grips will allow the gun to roll in your paw rather than digging into your skin. Any grip that works on a 1st or 2nd gen Colt's ought to work on a USFA. There are many people making custom grips for SAAs.

[Dale53]

The problem with me and single action grips is that they are simply the wrong shape for my hand. Pachmayr, some years ago, made excellent grips for the Colt SAA with a filler behind the trigger guard (positively eliminating banging of the knuckle) and also covered the back strap (giving a better trigger finger position for someone with rather large hands like me - I can easily reach tenths on the piano for those musicians amongst you).

No one is making rubber grips for the Ruger New Vaquero, the 50th Anniversary guns, nor the .44 Lipsey Special. A really good internet friend sent me a set of Pachmayr grips for the SAA and they work fine. They don't fit the Ruger .44 Lipsey Special perfectly but good enough and they TOTALLY solve my grip problems. I sure wish Pachmayr would make grips for the new XP3 Ruger grip frames (Hogue doesn't either:confused:).

FWIW
Dale53

[cajun shooter]

My first answer to you is to sell me the gun. I have two of the 45 Colt Premiums and love them. The second thing I would do is call Eagle grips. They will make you a custom set and you don't have to send the gun although you do have to send the grips that are on it now. As was posted before, a SAA is designed not to transfer recoil to the rear. Guns like S&W, Ruger and Colt dbl action revolvers do that. They transfer the recoil down the hand and into the forearm. The SAA is designed to where with a proper grip the gun should do a roll in your hand with the hammer just touching you. Don't shoot it with a death grip in which you are trying to avoid the recoil. The PAST glove will in my mind stop this process and not show good results. Hold the gun in a more relaxed grip and let it roll in your hand. I think you will find that it makes a big difference.

[Shootn]

I replaced the factory grips on my Rodeo with some Hogue Ivory Micarta made for the Colt SAA. Because Colt grip-frames vary so widely they make the grips oversize. It took a long time to grind the Micarta to size (tough material!), but I was able to size them to fit MY hands. I got mine from Brownells.