Missouri is rich in history. The “Show Me” state is also a plentiful source of suppliers to the sportsmen of the world. Nestled in along the Ozarks in a little town is Chad Robinett. www.chigsgrips.com. I discovered this fabulous wood worker on Face Book a few years back. I have had him fit exotic hardwoods to some of my Ruger Single Actions. This review is on the work Chad has done for me and my guns.
For those that follow me, it is quite known that I may be a little particular about my shooting irons. I can not and will not go through life with ugly guns. They must perform as well as look good. My attention to detail has saved me some embarrassing moments in my shooting career. From looking over the cartridge before inserting it into the mag to checking all my screws, sights, grips or any holster/belt hardware when cleaning or pulling maintenance on the bench. In the shooting sports or actually training, I have lost count of the number of times a slide stop was popping out of a gun, the fiber optics disappeared from the sights, t-shirts were holstered along with the gun, rear sight had fallen completely out of the dovetail¸ revolver cylinders went flying towards the target as the yoke screw popped out, and my favorite, complete gun belts falling off during a course of fire or holsters falling to ground gun and all from unprepared or inferior choices of equipment. And this is not just new shooters either. I have seen many that still try to shoot the target when their gun is at slide lock. Situational awareness does not just apply to the alleys and speakeasies.
Turning my attention to a wood grip that is fit well to the gun and my hand, stabilized solid wood and looks good too, Chigs Grips handles the job. I tried my hand once at fitting wood grips and they came out looking like a transporter malfunction on the Enterprise. I know my limitations. The wood matters also. I remember one time I got a new 1911 with Exhibition Grade Cocobolo fancy pantsy grips. Within 2 months of shooting them and exposing them to the out-of-doors, they turned black. All the figure disappeared. If I wanted an ugly all black gun I would have bought one from the younger generation.
In looking at the website, Chad has pictures listed of stabilized blanks suitable for grip making. He advises and I agree, that sending in the grip frame for custom fitting is the way to go. With Ruger production specs all over the board it is hit or miss with any two frames being exactly alike.
After loading up the blanks I want and adding Ruger emblems to the cart, I check out, ship the frame and wait anxiously for Kim (My mail lady) to bring them back to me. Once I open the package I have been 100 % happy with the looks and the fit. He leaves a little thickness to the width so that they stick out from the frame a little. I do not like single action grips that are ground down to the frame like the 1st Gen Colt SAA.
The grips are book ends with the grain and the gradual swell at the butt is perfect. I might add, that while I am waiting for the grips, it is a good time to inspect and tune the innards of my gun. Now that the grips have arrived, I run down to the hardware store and buy an aluminum spacer to go around the grip screw. The spacer that I buy is ½ inch long and I fit it to the inside dimension of the grip frame. This supports the two piece grips as the screw is tightened. The Single Action revolver normally only supports the perimeter of the grip and I find that the spacer adds stability to the overall panel. If you have ever overtightened a grip panel, it can split or warp the panels.
Now Chad supplies a stainless grip screw with the grips but with my attention to detail, I prefer a blued screw with a blued gun, stainless screw with a stainless gun and a Nickel screw with a nickeled gun. If I paint a gun with one of those artificial finishes, I would accent the screws and pins as well. Also Chad puts the screw head on the right panel in accordance with what Ruger usually does. Colt SAA are installed from the left side usually. Just me, but it fits for perfection in my mind to stay with factory specs.
My grip choices are usually Ironwood, French, Turkish or English Walnut and Maple. I did go a little crazy though and had my pair of Vaqueros that I use for Cowboy Action Shooting done up in Cottonwood. Just call me wild and crazy.
So whether it is a BBQ, Sunday go to meeting, plinking on the range, or fighting off bad Hombres at the Cowboy Action matches, or just sitting in the safe awaiting the next adventure, the pistols are knee deep in beautiful wood and ready to go. So for a reasonable price and great selection of wood blanks, if there is a better value than this wood chuck in Missouri, then you would have to …show me.
See You on the Ranger
Trapper
For those that follow me, it is quite known that I may be a little particular about my shooting irons. I can not and will not go through life with ugly guns. They must perform as well as look good. My attention to detail has saved me some embarrassing moments in my shooting career. From looking over the cartridge before inserting it into the mag to checking all my screws, sights, grips or any holster/belt hardware when cleaning or pulling maintenance on the bench. In the shooting sports or actually training, I have lost count of the number of times a slide stop was popping out of a gun, the fiber optics disappeared from the sights, t-shirts were holstered along with the gun, rear sight had fallen completely out of the dovetail¸ revolver cylinders went flying towards the target as the yoke screw popped out, and my favorite, complete gun belts falling off during a course of fire or holsters falling to ground gun and all from unprepared or inferior choices of equipment. And this is not just new shooters either. I have seen many that still try to shoot the target when their gun is at slide lock. Situational awareness does not just apply to the alleys and speakeasies.
Turning my attention to a wood grip that is fit well to the gun and my hand, stabilized solid wood and looks good too, Chigs Grips handles the job. I tried my hand once at fitting wood grips and they came out looking like a transporter malfunction on the Enterprise. I know my limitations. The wood matters also. I remember one time I got a new 1911 with Exhibition Grade Cocobolo fancy pantsy grips. Within 2 months of shooting them and exposing them to the out-of-doors, they turned black. All the figure disappeared. If I wanted an ugly all black gun I would have bought one from the younger generation.
In looking at the website, Chad has pictures listed of stabilized blanks suitable for grip making. He advises and I agree, that sending in the grip frame for custom fitting is the way to go. With Ruger production specs all over the board it is hit or miss with any two frames being exactly alike.
After loading up the blanks I want and adding Ruger emblems to the cart, I check out, ship the frame and wait anxiously for Kim (My mail lady) to bring them back to me. Once I open the package I have been 100 % happy with the looks and the fit. He leaves a little thickness to the width so that they stick out from the frame a little. I do not like single action grips that are ground down to the frame like the 1st Gen Colt SAA.
The grips are book ends with the grain and the gradual swell at the butt is perfect. I might add, that while I am waiting for the grips, it is a good time to inspect and tune the innards of my gun. Now that the grips have arrived, I run down to the hardware store and buy an aluminum spacer to go around the grip screw. The spacer that I buy is ½ inch long and I fit it to the inside dimension of the grip frame. This supports the two piece grips as the screw is tightened. The Single Action revolver normally only supports the perimeter of the grip and I find that the spacer adds stability to the overall panel. If you have ever overtightened a grip panel, it can split or warp the panels.
Now Chad supplies a stainless grip screw with the grips but with my attention to detail, I prefer a blued screw with a blued gun, stainless screw with a stainless gun and a Nickel screw with a nickeled gun. If I paint a gun with one of those artificial finishes, I would accent the screws and pins as well. Also Chad puts the screw head on the right panel in accordance with what Ruger usually does. Colt SAA are installed from the left side usually. Just me, but it fits for perfection in my mind to stay with factory specs.
My grip choices are usually Ironwood, French, Turkish or English Walnut and Maple. I did go a little crazy though and had my pair of Vaqueros that I use for Cowboy Action Shooting done up in Cottonwood. Just call me wild and crazy.
So whether it is a BBQ, Sunday go to meeting, plinking on the range, or fighting off bad Hombres at the Cowboy Action matches, or just sitting in the safe awaiting the next adventure, the pistols are knee deep in beautiful wood and ready to go. So for a reasonable price and great selection of wood blanks, if there is a better value than this wood chuck in Missouri, then you would have to …show me.
See You on the Ranger
Trapper