Aluminum Oxide Grip on a Glock

[nismo1013]

So I've been trying to find a little more information on aluminum oxide grips, but to no avail. I'm sure I'm just using the wrong wordage or looking in the wrong places. Anyone here have any experience with it? I noticed one picture in the glock picture thread of one, but no discussion. I also found some pictures of some really nice grip reduction/ aluminum oxide coatings on this link:

http://www.genmay.com/showthread.php?t=802490

I understand a little bit of the process is shaving down the grip, coating it with epoxy, and then brushing the aluminum oxide onto the epoxy. Is this correct? Also, anyone have experience shooting a gun with this grip? How's the performance, ie. holstering, grip, etc?


So... what say you?

[Frank Castle]

So I've been trying to find a little more information on aluminum oxide grips, but to no avail. I'm sure I'm just using the wrong wordage or looking in the wrong places. Anyone here have any experience with it? I noticed one picture in the glock picture thread of one, but no discussion. I also found some pictures of some really nice grip reduction/ aluminum oxide coatings on this link:

http://www.genmay.com/showthread.php?t=802490

I understand a little bit of the process is shaving down the grip, coating it with epoxy, and then brushing the aluminum oxide onto the epoxy. Is this correct? Also, anyone have experience shooting a gun with this grip? How's the performance, ie. holstering, grip, etc?


So... what say you?

What is your intended usage? It seems all of the linked pictures were competition firearms. I have heard from others (but can't verify from personal experience) that epoxied grips and grip tape shed their grit over time/usage. Maybe not a big deal if you are using a competition style holster, but in a duty/concealment rig the grit ends up inside the holster badly scratching the firearm- or worse it ends up finding its way into the action. IMO, if you are wanting to increase the grip texture, I would look at stipling/texturing instead.

[nismo1013]

Okay, so an update:

I called Glockworx today and spoke with Ray, who said they DO perform the aluminum oxide grip modifications there. He informed me that it's actually not aluminum oxide they use, but some kind of silicon carbonate (or something) dust. I asked him about wear over time, and he said that it was comparable to grip tape. After 3 years of handling his, he had a few spots that needed touching up. Also, the grit did come off, but only in VERY small increments, much like grains of sand. So affecting function shouldn't be an issue with regular cleaning of your weapon.

As far as intended use goes, I don't think its a very practical option for CCW. It would be more of a pistol that'd be fun to take to a shoot, but you could still leave in your home for home defense.

Anyone else have any experience with these?

[Magsz]

Whats the cost?

Stippling with a guy like Ben at Boresight Solutions may be a better option since its permanent and you can tailor the gun to exactly the grip profile that you desire.

[awm14hp]

go to home depot get some 3m floor tape you can do what you want with it I love it and stays on really well

[nismo1013]

Whats the cost?

I'm not sure of the cost of just the aluminum oxide coating, as we were also talking about grip reductions. Ray said the price of the job depends on the specifics of what you wanted, but a job similar to what was done on the glock on the first post link would be around $180.

I just can't get into stippling. I think it's an OCD thing. I've seen some stippling jobs that look great, and very "factory." Then again, I've seen some stippling jobs that makes your polymer frame look like it just escaped a fire. I'm not willing to risk the latter for the first with my weapon. I dunno, just exploring other options...

[Magsz]

I'm not sure of the cost of just the aluminum oxide coating, as we were also talking about grip reductions. Ray said the price of the job depends on the specifics of what you wanted, but a job similar to what was done on the glock on the first post link would be around $180.

I just can't get into stippling. I think it's an OCD thing. I've seen some stippling jobs that look great, and very "factory." Then again, I've seen some stippling jobs that makes your polymer frame look like it just escaped a fire. I'm not willing to risk the latter for the first with my weapon. I dunno, just exploring other options...

I hear ya but again, going with a professional will reduce the possibility of your stipple job ending up looking like a melted hunk of plastic.

[Singlestack Wonder]

Tru-Grip is skateboard tape, pre-cut on a CNC with fantastic adhesive. Used them for many years. Shooting 8K-12K year thru a Glock, they typically last 3-4 years.

Here's a link: http://www.ericwesselman.com/store/Glock.html

[nismo1013]

Tru-Grip is skateboard tape, pre-cut on a CNC with fantastic adhesive. Used them for many years. Shooting 8K-12K year thru a Glock, they typically last 3-4 years.

Here's a link: http://www.ericwesselman.com/store/Glock.html

Thanks for the link. Seems like a much cheaper alternative. Do you know how well these pre-cut kits fit on Glocks with grip reductions?

[Singlestack Wonder]

Since they are custom made for specific Glock models, if one wanted to apply them to a Glock with a grip reduction, they would probably need to be trimmed to match the new contour. The unique thing about Tru-grip was that it made it very easy to apply skateboard tape to Glocks with finger grooves with little work. If the grip reduction involves removal of the finger grooves, it would be just as easy to go buy skateboard tape and apply it yourself.

[JBRIII]

I had mine done by Parabelluminc. It is very Aggressive. Hard to clean and snags on everything. Definately not for CCW.

Scroll down and you'll see my 34 in the middle.

http://www.parabelluminc.com/gereral_gunsmithing.htm

[DWood]

The Glock RTF is slowly becoming available. You won't have to modify anything to get the feel you want. I handled one this week at a Glock Armorer class. I like the feel, but not for concealed carry as I believe it will stick to clothing. I don't care for the new slide serrations either.

Here is one on youtube. Contrary to the posters comments, this is not the gen 4, it is just the rough textured frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lteqevfHmb4

[nismo1013]

Yep, I've messed with the RTFs and I have to say that I like the little dimples. Very sticky, compared to the old grips. I could take or leave the new slide serrations.