warped my grips, What would you do?

D

dyl

New member
A few months ago, I shot my 1858 Uberti and thought I would be a smarty pants by not taking off the grips when I cleaned it. I'll just be "really careful" not get the grips wet because I'd be holding onto the grips when i clean. Makes perfect sense, see? :rolleyes:

So it didn't work that way and they must have gotten a little wet. Now there's a slight gap that has appeared between the corners of the butt of the grips and the frame, and also higher up at the curve of the grip. The exposed corners of the grip rub when I shift my grip to cock the hammer. It's not a terribly huge gap, maybe the thickness of a fingernail.

I tried wrapping a rubber band around the grip and leaving it be for a week. Didn't do anything. Probably not enough rubber bands or it just wasn't going to work anyways.

Has this happened to you and how did you fix it? Should I put polyurethane on the grips to prevent it from happening again? Clamp it?
 
T

T. O'Heir

New member
Not enough pressure with any rubber band to do much of anything to anything. Got any clamps?
I'd suspect the grips are really, really cheap if they'd warp from getting wet. Assuming you wet 'em with water? Mind you, "the thickness of a fingernail" probably isn't enough to worry about.
"...polyurethane on the grips..." Polyurethane won't help if it's not put on the inside too. However, wax isn't ugly plastic. Neither is a wood sealer.
Pure Tung oil(Not Tung Oil Finish. Any hardware or paint store. Isn't cheap though. Runs about $20 per quart. Said quart goes a very long way though.) is a sealer that will keep anything else out of the wood. It gives a hard, waterproof finish than also brings out the grain nicely.
 
B

Bill DeShivs

New member
Lay the grips on a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper, on a flat surface, and rub them in a figure 8 motion. This will sand the back of the grips flat again.
 
D

dyl

New member
I do have some clamps. 3 types, one where you squeeze the trigger and two ends with plastic pads on them move closer together, there isn't a lot of camming power once they butt up against the object you are clamping.

The other type is like a ratcheting C clamp as there is a bar with little cuts in it that the lower arm tracks along. There is a stationary pad on the upper arm, and no trigger to squeeze but after you get the lower arm close you screw the lower pad in for a tight grip. The lower pad has a swivel on the head.

Then I have a few big C clamps.

So I'll try clamp it. If that doesn't work I'll sand it, then seal it.

Yes I got the whole gun wet washing / scrubbing out the black powder residue from the bore with a brush and mop. I was running it under the bathroom sink.
At first my plan was just to use a Ballistol / Water mixture ("moose milk") but at the amount I was needing I'd end up spraying my whole bottle in. Easier to scrub under running water. I had wiped everything off but never removed the grips.

Do you all who shoot BP revolvers remove the grips for cleaning?
 
4

4V50 Gary

Staff
The two things Bill DeShivs suggested. Always remove the grips. It's not that hard. Second, sand down the high spots.

You can also use this as a "learning experience" and make new grips for yourself.
 
T

T. O'Heir

New member
"...squeeze the trigger and two ends with plastic pads..." Have a bunch of those myself. About 6" long. Those will do nicely. You very likely don't need a great deal of force. Just a lot more than tape will give.
As mentioned, next time take off the grips.
I've always thought you could clean a BP revolver by taking the grips off and putting the thing in a dish washer. Helps that at my house, there's nobody who'd need hospitalization, if I had a BP revolver to put in the dish washer. snicker.
 
H

Hawg

New member
You balk at taking the grips off of a Remington? Be glad you don't have a Colt. Always take the grips off. On a Remington it only takes a few seconds longer than it does to remove the cylinder.
 
D

dyl

New member
You balk at taking the grips off of a Remington? Be glad you don't have a Colt.
Click to expand...

Maybe just a tiny bit of the laziness factor there, but more that I didn't want to damage anything by screwing/unscrewing every single time I took it for a spin. For some reason I couldn't picture all of you folks removing the grips every single time you shot your BP revolvers. In my centerfire revolvers, I pretty much leave the grips alone.

Dixie sells Uberti 1858 Grip Blanks that would allow you to shape and finish them yourself.
Click to expand...
Nice! It looks like those are nearly done.

I've always thought you could clean a BP revolver by taking the grips off and putting the thing in a dish washer.
Click to expand...
I've heard of that with Glocks, but these BP revolvers seem to have a little less plastic in them....
 
H

Hawg

New member
dyl said:
Maybe just a tiny bit of the laziness factor there, but more that I didn't want to damage anything by screwing/unscrewing every single time I took it for a spin. For some reason I couldn't picture all of you folks removing the grips every single time you shot your BP revolvers.
Click to expand...

A lot of people and I dare say most take their revolvers all the way down every time they clean them. Get a good set of hollow ground screw drivers that fit the slots and you're a lot less likely to mess anything up.
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
Hawg said:
You can go through the trigger slot, bolt slot and hammer channel.
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Sort of. I've never been convinced that that adequately lubes the axles on which parts rotate. You also have to dribble oil into the hand slot and hope it migrates to where it's needed.
 
4

44 Dave

New member
I know one who packs the works with Mobile 1 grease. I don't because I shoot in Northern Winters and it would get to stiff. Those of us who shoot often don't tear all of the way down every time.
 
A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
Hawg said:
Or you can use a spray.
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The original "spray and pray," eh? :D

I could also remove the grips and dunk the entire gun in a bucket of oil, but I prefer to use a needle oiler and put the oil where it's needed.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
You can straighten small warps in wood by getting it wet (hot & steamy works well) then clamping it and giving it plenty of time to dry out thoroughly. Then seal the wood with something, even if its only a good oil finish.

Larger bends in wood are done the same way, just done in small steps of bend and cure cycles without sealing the wood until finished.

As to lubing revolvers, I don't detail strip mine just to lube them, or even pull the sideplate off. They don't need much oil to work just fine for longer than most of us will live.

They're not like semi autos in that regard.

After my Dad passed and I went across the country to put him to rest, I checked his guns, which I found had not been touched in at least 10 and probably more than 15 years. (southern Adirondacks NY). His .45 Govt model was in a dresser drawer, and when I checked it for clear it was mag loaded chamber empty, When I released the slide it SLOOOWLY crept forward and stopped about 1/2" from closed. Old oil turned to gummy stuff.

His S&W Highway Patrolman, stored nearby on a shelf in a closet, cycled flawlessly just as it always had. There was no drag, stiffness or sluggishness at all. Am sure the oil in it was just as old and the same oil as was in the semi, but it made zero difference to that big revolver.

Am convinced the worst way to maintain a revolver is to take it apart and put it back together too much and over oil it.

you may have a different opinion, that's ok with me.
 
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