View Full Version : My problem with Stippling...
Is that on my actual daily carry pieces Stippling just gets filled up with dust/dirt/oil/goo and becomes less effective or just ugly and hard to clean.
I have switched to 3M "skateboard" tape on my primary and with careful application it's low-profile, effective, and doesn't seem to attract yuck...
That said I still love the look of Stippling. Anyone have any solutions??
Thanks!
Dennis.
I usually wash it with dish washing liquid and use an old toothbrush once a month. Hope this helps
Yote Sniper
04-18-14, 03:53
i knock my stippling down with sandpaper.. it evens it out and gets rid of the material that grabs lint, dirt etc..
I stopped using a pointed tip when stippling because the holes would clog with dirt and skin and lose their grippy quality. I've changed to a rougher scab texture that works much better.
My problem with stippling is no one wants to by the gun afterwards.
Stippled handguns are nasty
.
Gets full of dead skin, lint, dirt, oil, etc. I won't even touch one...
Any crack and crevice on a gun can and will pick up dirt, skin, lint, ect. Pulled a set of decal grips off my 17 a couple months back and had one area of the checker no the backstrap that was clogged with lint and shit. Hell, on a Beretta 92 the slide serrations were so clogged that when I was cleaning them out they were filled with gunk. I can imagine stippling is worse, but unless you have a perfectly smooth gun I think you are going to pick gunk up somehow, just depends how much.
Personally don't like stippling a gun, just because I am a little neurotic about things like that, though I do stipple some other small parts, tomahawks, mags, ect. I generally use some sort of traction tape when I have my hard use guns, otherwise I have rough checkering, and grips for them.
My problem with stippling is no one wants to by the gun afterwards.
For the most part in my experience home stippling jobs aren't going to sell well at all. If it is done by someone who has a name in the industry then you might have better luck. That said, you are going to take a loss on the gun just about regardless, and yes it does narrow the market quite a bit. If you are like some who thinks a garage stippling time is going to add $200 to the value of the gun, and that polishing all metal parts until they are mirrors adds another $300(Yes I've seen people trying to sell Glocks for $1k after doing both these) then you are going to be very disappointed.
decodeddiesel
04-18-14, 12:56
I stippled my daily carry M&P9C years ago, as well as undercut the trigger guard. It gets filthy with dirt, lint, dead skin, etc. It really doesn't bother me, and the trade off in the improved grip is totally worth the gun looking dirty. If it was a BBQ gun I might care, but it's not.
I have found that just scrubbing with a GI tooth brush with some CLP on it will remove almost all of the impacted crud and make it look good enough, YMMV.
ETA: I'll give the dish soap a try. I've never really cared that much about it being sparkly clean.
I usually wash it with dish washing liquid and use an old toothbrush once a month. Hope this helps
Same here, looks brand new when I'm done.
Same here, looks brand new when I'm done.
+1 Dish washing liquid, simple green etc. Just remember to re-lube where necessary.
JackFanToM
04-18-14, 16:38
My issue with the grip tapes and things like talon grips, is the glue allows the material to shift. I had Talon grips on my PPQ, and I would feel them shift during firing. This affected both my aim and my comfort level. I consider the outside of a firearm like the internals....must be cleaned regularly enough to keep function at a peak. Stippling, like all the other tiny spots in a firearm just require attention, and the reality is even grip tape, skateboard tape, Talon grips, etc. pick up skin particles, oils, bacteria, etc. and the difference is that those are impossible to clean out completely without damaging the material or weakening the glue.
I always thought the specific Glock tapes were too thick and allowed shifting but I found some black 3M grip tape that is like 300 grit Sandpaper and thin enough to prevent shifting. I don't care about dirt and oil, just grip! Well, my disgusting white inlaid Stippling is sorta gross...
SeriousStudent
04-18-14, 19:58
My usual carry is a Glock 9mm, and for years I have just used a piece of mountain bike inner tube on the grip.
I think I've been using the same inner tube for about 20 years now. It's cheap, works good, and did I already mention it's cheap?
Just take five minutes to clean the gunk out from time to time.
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I have been looking into this for my Gen3 G19. Debating stippling vs. 3M tape
Quick clean with Slip cleaner and a toothbrush works great. After I stipple I always run the tip over the entire surface knocking down all of the real sharp tips. It leaves a very uniform feel to the entire grip. After running stippled guns for so long the benefits greatly out weigh any crud or other nasty stuff. Shot a smooth Glock the other day and it felt odd.
I smooth mine out with sandpaper and it seems to be a very nice carry texture however I never even thought about all the crap that gets builds up in there.
Definitely cleaning my frame tonight after work.. :eek:
PatrioticDisorder
04-25-14, 15:00
Never really noticed anything building up in mine... Seems like a non issue, stippling is the only way to go for me, Glocks & M&P's both need undercuts and Glocks need a hump reduction.
Averageman
04-26-14, 07:11
Dishwashing soap and the green GI toothbrush under hot water in the kitchen sink, fixes it right up.
I wouldn't trade that stippling grip for tape as tape does shift, I do use the rubber innertube grip on an old P64 that is my summer pocket gun and that seems to work fine.
I'm a big fan of stippling and have done several guns with that method.
Now if it begins to smell like a rubber watch band on the third month of deployment, you might need to clean it up a bit.
My problem with stippling is no one wants to by the gun afterwards.
Stippled handguns are nasty
.
Gets full of dead skin, lint, dirt, oil, etc. I won't even touch one...
My thoughts exactly. If you need extra texture to keep a hold on your firearm, I would consider moving down in caliber first.
Averageman
04-26-14, 08:38
I really don't care if no one wants the gun afterwards as I have no intentions of selling my guns.
Everything you use in life gets nasty, thats why we have soap and water.
And it has very little to do with needing extra texture to keep a hold.
But thats fine, if you dont like it simply don't do it, but if you haven't tried it because your germaphobic, afraid to ruin your resale value or simply too strong to need to, you dont get it, but again, thats fine.
Just Prince
04-26-14, 08:46
Try this http://www.kofflersales.com/p/bath-shower-anti-slip-tape.asp?cid=23.
Its 3M traction tape for bare skin. Its also the same material talon grips are made of. I use it on my duty weapon and it works great. I made a simple template using card stock and a lead pencil. Also the KSC brand is just rebranded 3M for none bulk sales.
I really don't care if no one wants the gun afterwards as I have no intentions of selling my guns.
Everything you use in life gets nasty, thats why we have soap and water.
And it has very little to do with needing extra texture to keep a hold.
But thats fine, if you dont like it simply don't do it, but if you haven't tried it because your germaphobic, afraid to ruin your resale value or simply too strong to need to, you dont get it, but again, thats fine.
I didn't mean to offend. To each their own. I would never do that to the frame of a weapon. I might play around on cheap, easily replaceable parts like grips, grip panels.. etc.. but to actually modify the actual frame of your weapon seems like a bad idea. Most of these polymer-framed pistols aren't exactly what I'd call over-engineered. I'd be too afraid of introducing weaknesses into the material that would seem fine at first, but would eventually develop stress cracks over time. Now, I've seen some professional looking stippling jobs, but the majority of them look like what they are - guns that people took soldering irons to.
I say, if you feel the need to stipple things, go with polymer AR bits. If you mess them up, you can always replace them on the cheap.
My problem with stippling is no one wants to by (SIC) the gun afterwards.
^^This^^ I wouldn't buy one. There are non destructive ways to accomplish the same. I have no intention of selling my pistols either and would never do this to one of my gals.
In 100 years stippled guns will be scorned and low balled on Pawn Stars 3014. Chumlee's great grandson, while eating a cheese burger, will wonder why anyone would do this to a perfectly good pistol.
PatrioticDisorder
04-26-14, 09:45
^^This^^ I wouldn't buy one. There are non destructive ways to accomplish the same. I have no intention of selling my pistols either and would never do this to one of my gals.
In 100 years stippled guns will be scorned and low balled on Pawn Stars 3014. Chumlee's great grandson, while eating a cheese burger, will wonder why anyone would do this to a perfectly good pistol.
It's a tool, not a Babe Ruth rookie card.
I stippled the Glocks I use for classes and HD. It makes shooting them a better experience and helps me be safer by affording the most positive purchase possible. I can understand why some people wouldn't I guess, but it is (in my opinion) like not wanting to wear work clothes because they might get dirty at work. Toothbrush + hot water and ballistol mix = clean gun and no issues so far.
Averageman
04-26-14, 10:07
In 100 years stippled guns will be scorned and low balled on Pawn Stars 3014. Chumlee's great grandson, while eating a cheese burger, will wonder why anyone would do this to a perfectly good pistol.
QUOTE=Peshawar;1903162]I stippled the Glocks I use for classes and HD. It makes shooting them a better experience and helps me be safer by affording the most positive purchase possible. I can understand why some people wouldn't I guess, but it is (in my opinion) like not wanting to wear work clothes because they might get dirty at work. Toothbrush + hot water and ballistol mix = clean gun and no issues so far.[/QUOTE]
Although I agree with Peshawar, the very thought of facing ridicule by Chumlee's future grandson has me convinced I'm doing this wrong. I'm off to purchase some Glock frames to attone for my Sins.
HA! Now that is funny....:)
I have a earlier 3gen 2 pin g19 I stippled because I wont ever sell it.I carry it every day and do the tooth brush and soap once a month as well
at the end of the day its a 400$ mass produced plastic handgun not a wilson combat 1911
Do you guys not clean your weapons? It isn't that hard to brush and/or wipe the frame, which is my normal cleaning routine for any pistol. I use my pistol all day, 4 days per week or more and I don't have cleanliness or hygiene issues with the pistol.
I am a heavy use shooter, but I am also a collector. The Glock is a shooter and I will configure it in the most ideal way possible to my preferences and that includes frame mods and texture. I can shoot a stock pistol just fine, just like I can shoot a stock M4 just fine, but I make modifications to my rifle so why wouldn't I do it to my pistol? If your worried about resale, well that is your deal. For myself, I have only sold 1 pistol in the last 15 years so that is a non-factor.
If you like it, do it. If not, good for you. It is funny how people love to piss over this topic.
Stippling is awesome. If I would had one of our kids stippled I wouldn't have dropped him when he was a baby. Oh well hindsight being 20/20 and all.
Outlander Systems
04-26-14, 21:03
From my vantage point...just clean the damned thing. A shot of canned air, or a blast from the air compressor will usually knock off most of the crumbs.
For me, resale is a non issue. Unless Glock re-releases the RTF, I will stipple my side irons.
Some of the arguments about resale, are like pondering resale on a chainsaw. I buy my guns to use up and wear out. By the time I'm done with this thing, stippling will be the least of my "resale" problems.
Using the stippling method I do, I'm pretty convinced I could maintain a positive grip on the weapon if it was dunked in KY Jelly and motor oil.
I have less issues with the stippling collecting grime than I do inside the holster.
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