Glock project..Finally done and updated pics

[Militant83]

I had been shooting my glock 23 now for about a year stock. Since this is my primary carry weapon I wanted to make it fit the way I liked it. And the fact that I wanted to see if I was capable of pulling off what others charge a few hundred bucks for. so I rounded up some supplies and went to work. Here are some pics of the progress so far.

My plans are to remove finger grooves, grip reduction, texture by stippling and then I will upgrade some internal parts.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1201.jpg
Here you can see where I removed the finger grooves, under cut the trigger guard a bit, rounded the trigger guard, and cut a notch where my middle finger on my support hand rest nicely.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1203.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1202.jpg
I plugged up the mag well and top of grip with play dough to keep the epoxy from going places it shouldn't. The half moon shape in the mag well was filled with a quarter taped in place.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1204.jpg
The epoxy once it has hardened in the grip space. Most people I have seen use marine epoxy. I used plastic epoxy that I colored with some black spray paint when I mixed it up. At this point the epoxy you see needs to be touched up with the dremel and smoothed out.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1205.jpg
This is where it stands after the palm swell was removed in the back.

[Packman73]

Looks good. I did a grip chop on a XD9 4" 5 years ago before the factory started to make them. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. (http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-sa-xd-xd-m-talk/29665-grip-chop-how.html) I ended up selling it for more than I paid for it.

[Militant83]

Looks good. I did a grip chop on a XD9 4" 5 years ago before the factory started to make them. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. (http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-sa-xd-xd-m-talk/29665-grip-chop-how.html) I ended up selling it for more than I paid for it.

Thanks, I thought it has came out good so far for my first attempt at something like this. Next will be some touch up work making sure everything is good before a few hours of tedious stippling is done.

[operator81]

Looks good so far, anxious to see how your stippling turns out.

[Dos Cylindros]

Looks great so far bro. I am glad to see you finally gave it a shot. Sure looks like you are on the right track. I am going to pick up a new G27 here in the next few weeks, and if I can't lay my hands on a Gen4 (which has proven difficult here in CA.), I will get a Gen 3 and do it up like my 23. Can't wait to see your end product.

[Nav195]

Did you use a drimel?

[Militant83]

Did you use a drimel?

Yes a dremel and some fine grit sand paper for the final touching up.

once its all done ill post a list of tools and items used .

[skyugo]

what's the yellow stuff? :confused:

[Spiffums]

what's the yellow stuff? :confused:

Play-Dough he used to keep the epoxy from roaming.

[stony275]

You can also use Brownell's Acraglas as the epoxy. Brownell's has a gun-tech article that gives a step by step for both grip reduction and adding a beavertail.

[Militant83]

You can also use Brownell's Acraglas as the epoxy. Brownell's has a gun-tech article that gives a step by step for both grip reduction and adding a beavertail.

hmm good to know I had some acraglass laying around I would have used that if I had known. Next time I will try it instead since I already have it.

[Magsz]

Acraglas cannot be stippled so you will have to use a spray on coating.

[skyugo]

Play-Dough he used to keep the epoxy from roaming.

ah i see. cool, looking good so far.

[stony275]

Acraglas cannot be stippled so you will have to use a spray on coating.

Do you know what can be used to fill the void in the grip but can be stippled once ground and sanded to shape?

[Magsz]

Do you know what can be used to fill the void in the grip but can be stippled once ground and sanded to shape?

Not a damned clue.

As far as i know, there is only one Master Plastic smith out there using the actual Glock plastic on his grip reductions. Ben, from Boresight.

Everyone else is adding a spray on texture after hacking up their guns.

I believe most people doing grip reductions arent actually shaving down the plastic material. They're using the heat reduction method and then filling in the void with epoxy or acraglas.

This is the "simple" way to retain a surface that you can heat texture.

[Cesiumsponge]

You can stipple fiberglass fills, just not with the soldering iron method. You'll have to use a dremel with a ball-nose burr, like a dentist uses, to add the stippling texture instead of melting it.

I found that the grip reduction was enough after I removed all the factory checkering. Remove material until no checkering valleys are left so you're left with a virgin surface which will already shrink the grip by a bit. It's especially noticeable on "the hump". If you had the proper solvents and composition of the plastic stock, you could probably do some plastic welding magic.

You'll love the stippling feel when you're done. I know I did. I did a slight grip reduction, grip chop, and stippled mine after putting the magwell bevel back in and plugging the hole.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5520602860_cb3937d6b6_b.jpg

[Militant83]

You can stipple fiberglass fills, just not with the soldering iron method. You'll have to use a dremel with a ball-nose burr, like a dentist uses, to add the stippling texture instead of melting it.

I found that the grip reduction was enough after I removed all the factory checkering. Remove material until no checkering valleys are left so you're left with a virgin surface which will already shrink the grip by a bit. It's especially noticeable on "the hump". If you had the proper solvents and composition of the plastic stock, you could probably do some plastic welding magic.

You'll love the stippling feel when you're done. I know I did. I did a slight grip reduction, grip chop, and stippled mine after putting the magwell bevel back in and plugging the hole.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/5520602860_cb3937d6b6_b.jpg

Taking it down just enough to get rid of the checkering is what I sis as well. Once I was to that point it was good enough for me and I didnt see the need to take any more material away.

[Militant83]

Well after a few hours of tedious work. Here is how it ended up. I used tape as a border on areas where I wanted a nice clean line. I used a wood burning iron instead of your standard soldering iron because it was shorter and easier to work with. Also prior to stippling I applied a couple coats of spray on truck bed liner to add a bit more texture with in the stippling.



http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1207.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/KennyFisher4413/IMG_1206.jpg

[Magsz]

Militant.

Did you cut through the Glock plastic? If so, how well did the epoxy take the stippling?

[Militant83]

Militant.

Did you cut through the Glock plastic? If so, how well did the epoxy take the stippling?

I did not cut all the way down to the epoxy. But I did try to stipple the epoxy on a test piece and it didnt look good at all. So what I did for spots like the retention lanyard whole thats already in the grip and epoxy ends up filling. I took truck spray bed liner and put a few coats of that on first. It has a rubbery sough texture but not enough to just use it itself for my liking. And it stippled enough to blend in that little spot.

[militarymoron]

nice job, militant. i've done two glocks myself in a similar fashion, but without the plug in the bottom.
just wanted to point out that if you plan on shooting without gloves, you might want to keep the undercut on the trigger guard smooth. i stippled it there on my first go-around, as well as the notch for the support finger, but found that it ended up being uncomfortable when shooting without gloves. adding texture there didn't really add any grip.
i ended up removing the stippling and smoothing it out, and rounding off any sharp corners at the undercuts. YMMV of course - just sharing my own experience.

[Militant83]

nice job, militant. i've done two glocks myself in a similar fashion, but without the plug in the bottom.
just wanted to point out that if you plan on shooting without gloves, you might want to keep the undercut on the trigger guard smooth. i stippled it there on my first go-around, as well as the notch for the support finger, but found that it ended up being uncomfortable when shooting without gloves. adding texture there didn't really add any grip.
i ended up removing the stippling and smoothing it out, and rounding off any sharp corners at the undercuts. YMMV of course - just sharing my own experience.

Thanks for the advice.. Once I get out and shoot it ill probably find little things that I would like to tweak as well. You can hold it all you want but you never really know 100% what will work for you and what wont until you get some trigger time.

Im interested in trying the heat gun method next time. But im not sure how its done exactly.

[rauchman]

Wow, excellent work!!! Really nice job. Also, lots of good info on the subject.

I'm curious though. Using the G17 cut to G19 grip size as an example, is it possible to lift the hump of the G17 to G19 or G26 dimensions? Would this weaken the backstrap too much? I find the hump of the G17 to be too low, and the grip feels a little vague in my hand. Conversely, the hump of the G19 and particularly, the G26 feel considerably better and fill my hand better. By using the epoxy to fill the channel behind the backstrap, does this restrengthen the backstrap area? Also, how high up the channel do you fill w/ epoxy?

Any recommended threads on this subject? I've got a G17 that I've been really considering doing this to. Especially living in NJ w/ a 15rnd mag limit, the G19 length grip would be perfect. However, the thought of potentially screwing up my G17 gives me serious pause.

[Militant83]

Wow, excellent work!!! Really nice job. Also, lots of good info on the subject.

I'm curious though. Using the G17 cut to G19 grip size as an example, is it possible to lift the hump of the G17 to G19 or G26 dimensions? Would this weaken the backstrap too much? I find the hump of the G17 to be too low, and the grip feels a little vague in my hand. Conversely, the hump of the G19 and particularly, the G26 feel considerably better and fill my hand better. By using the epoxy to fill the channel behind the backstrap, does this restrengthen the backstrap area? Also, how high up the channel do you fill w/ epoxy?

Any recommended threads on this subject? I've got a G17 that I've been really considering doing this to. Especially living in NJ w/ a 15rnd mag limit, the G19 length grip would be perfect. However, the thought of potentially screwing up my G17 gives me serious pause.

The only way i could see to raise the hum is to use a heat gun to soften the plastic and then mold the hump higher. But any modifications to the original structure unless you are re-enforcing it with something will weaken it.

This guys has a 3 parts series of videos showing his whole project very good information. He used a belt sander instead of a dremel. I thing the dremel is easier to make sure you dont take off too much material. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbJbY-oOP1g
brownelles also has an artical on glock grip reduction under their guntech section.

Not sure if you can see it in the photo but the play dough goes down just below the pin hole in the back strap. So the epoxy stops just under that hole.

[rauchman]

The only way i could see to raise the hum is to use a heat gun to soften the plastic and then mold the hump higher. But any modifications to the original structure unless you are re-enforcing it with something will weaken it.

This guys has a 3 parts series of videos showing his whole project very good information. He used a belt sander instead of a dremel. I thing the dremel is easier to make sure you dont take off too much material. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbJbY-oOP1g
brownelles also has an artical on glock grip reduction under their guntech section.

Not sure if you can see it in the photo but the play dough goes down just below the pin hole in the back strap. So the epoxy stops just under that hole.

Appreciate the info, and again, excellent job on your pistol!!!

[Militant83]

Appreciate the info, and again, excellent job on your pistol!!!

Well as long as one person found this thread useful then it was a success. Thats what we are all here for to share our knowledge and experiences and to gain knowledge from others.