TargetTalk

As many others I found the grip LP400 is too thin.
So i take oven bake clay and make my own perfectly fitted grip in 50 minutes. For example you can use Original Sculpey® by Polyform or something else.

I did this with my standard pistol a decade or so ago. It was one of the second wave of IZH-35 that hit the US when the cold war ended. It worked well and gave me my first well fitted grip. It is not very durable. It developed cracks and little chunks broke off in use. Air pistol may be kinder and you may get more use out of it than I did.

If you are still happy with the fit after a season, and if you are experienced enough that your stance and grip are not still evolving, there is a prmanent option. You can send your grip to Rink and they will manufacture a duplicate in wood. They also will keep the model so that more copies can be ordered in the future. If I remember correctly... Rink can also use the model to make grips for other pistols. That would be quite handy if you upgrade or change your pistol, or maybe want the same grip for your standard or centerfire pistol. It is a bit expensive, but not if you are dedicated to being the best shooter you can.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I recently purchased a Toz-35 that has an original grip. It has been hacked on with a hatchet and is mostly unusable. It is also missing the palm shelf. I think I might be able to form a usable grip for it with the clay and some wire reinforcement.

Larry

Actually, polyester with glass fibers might be better and easier to handle for that...

A smart way to get putties and fairing compounds that will work great for grip building is to visit a marine supplier. Way cheaper than the commercial grip paste and without the experimental risk of concocting your own. Stay with epoxies. They bond better to the wood and to itself.

This is going to be fun.

***** almost forgot wear a nitrile rubber glove when forming the grip. Coat the glove with a release agent or it may become part of the grip. Hold the grip as long as you can stand it. It probably will not be cured yet. Do not just take you hand off the grip. Cut the back of the glove and down the back of each finger. That way you can release your hand without disturbing the glove and messing up the impression. That works fine except for the wrap around on a free pistol. For that you need to concoct a mix of 5-minute epoxy and filler.

Do not grip the putty with your bare hand. You probably don't want the grip permanently attached. While I don't think it is a rule violation, equipment check and dinner would be interesting.


Larry