Shooting glove - cheap solution to hammer bite?

[KI4LIV]

I've been looking at a ton of 1911s... No - I don't want a high dollar one.

The ones I can afford do not have a beavertail safety - with the exception of the Taurus, but I'm reading bad things about the finish wearing out in places without having been available on the market even 2 months.

So - my question is - should I buy one without a beavertail safety, would a $25 shooters glove be a viable solution for hammer bite?

For those of you who don't know what hammer bite is - check out this sight:

http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2006/08/hammerbite.html

My hand looked like his after shooting a Mil Spec 1911... Have a nice scar from it now too - shaped just like the tail end of a hammer!

I don't plan on tweaking the gun - I'm going to keep it as is..

Do you think a shooting glove would be an affordable solution? By the way, it would be a range gun - not a carry gun.

Thanks!

 

[ChuckB]

O.K.- you don't want to tweak the gun. But I'm going to suggest you do it anyway, by simply replacing the grip safety with a beavertail. Inexpensive, and you won't have to wear a glove in 100 degree weather.

Chuck

 

[KI4LIV]

I can understand the 100 degree weather thought - but I by no means am a smith, nor do I want to spend the cash on having a smith do it - let alone how long it would take to get done... Every gunsmith that I know of around here is so far backlogged that I hear there is a 2-3 month delay to get something done.

Now, I'm not completely mechanically uninclined though ... If someone can provide instructions on how to do it - as well as where to get the parts from and an approximate cost, I can try to do it myself.

Yes, maybe I'm a cheapskate LOL but I'm looking for simple and cost effective.

So, the glove would work should I go with that idea?

 

[mdao]

I'd probably trim the hammer instead of installing a beavertail grip safety. It's easier and since you don't have to worry about parts fit, you won't need a smith.

 

[KI4LIV]

Trim.... by what means? Sorry if I sound like an idiot here

 

[JoeHatley]

Do you think a shooting glove would be an affordable solution?

I use Nike golfing gloves at the range. Very thin, so you hardly know they are on, but they offer just enough protection to make a long range session enjoyable. They also help with a solid grip and keep your hands clean.

Good Luck...

Joe

 

[Rumble]

I think mdao just means bobbing the spur of the hammer a bit so it's not so pointy. I have no idea the best methods for actually doing so (I assume it involves files, grinders, sandpaper, Flitz, and whatnot) but it would mean there's no spur to hit your hand.

Be aware that putting in a beavertail safety might be something you want to have a gunsmith do. I looked into doing it myself, but I have a Springfield 1911 which apparently doesn't have quite the same dimensions on the grip, so the "drop-in" beavertails don't actually drop in.

 

[usp9]

When I shoot a lot I use a

Firm Grip, Gel Pro Carpenter work glove I found at Home Depot. Works well for me. Cheap and easy to find.

 

[KI4LIV]

I was actually thinking about one of these:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=13269&langId=-1&isFirearm=

 

[Azrael256]

If someone can provide instructions on how to do it - as well as where to get the parts from and an approximate cost

Have a quick look here. Scroll down a bit and you'll find the "wide grip safety." There is also this solution, a drop-in beavertail from Wilson. Neither part requires machining of the frame, and the only fitting you'll have to do is adjusting the length of the extension. There is a very good chance that it will drop right in and just work. If it doesn't, the fix is simply removing material from the extension a very small amount at a time. VERY small. And, as always, you'll need to test your work thoroughly. The grip safety should never allow the trigger to move enough to rotate the sear.

The one big downside is that both of these solutions are really very ugly. If you want it to look pretty, you'll have to go the gunsmith route.

 

[Seismic Sam]

Uncle Mike's will work

For my 50 AE and my 500 Smith shooting gloves are pretty much mandatory for 50 or 100 rounds, and they cost less than 20 dollars. They should give you the protection you need, and as far as shooting in 100 degree weather, you might WANT gloves to minimize the salty sweat that is going to get smeared all over your gun w/o gloves. In addition, the sweat can make the gun slippery, so it's another reason to wear them in hot weather.

 

[Axman]

If you consider gloves try motorcycle gloves. I ride a motorcycle as my primary transportation and sometimes take my 9mm along to the range. I once left my riding gloves on while shooting and was happy with the results. My riding gloves are a pair of River Road-Tucson gloves that I purchased at my local bike shop 1 1/2 years ago. They are a snug fitting glove which move quite well with the fingers and are never binding. They provide excellent grip and also have a gel insert in the palm to give some recoil comfort. The back sides of the gloves are perforated to provide ventilation so the hands "breathe" better. The price is around $35 per pair!

 

[10-Ring]

I don't like shooting gloves because they just add another layer of stuff/ clothing that my affect wind/air also it may change your grip if the gloves are particularly heavily padded.

 

[ribbonstone]

Cheap?

Two band-aids are cheap...and work. Besides, a gun that actually bites will shread the glove. Band-aid shreads too, but you can keep a few hundred in your range bag.


Better to fix/change the part that bites.

 

[Doggieman]

I got shootting gloves for my 642 because I thought the recoil would hurt my hand but all the padding makes the grip difficult to hold right (and the recoil doesn't really hurt that much). I never use them and wouldn't recommend shooting gloves because they affect your grip detrimentally. Hammer bite is another thing but I never get it because I hold my guns so it can't happen.

 

[j1133s]

I find shooting gloves (or a tight thin leather gloves) make you shoot better and with less fatigue. However, I don't shoot w/ them because I like to shoot bare hands.

So it up to you. Are you going to be afread to shoot this pistol w/o gloves? That'd mean you'll be less flexible during hot weather or when you forget to bring your gloves.

 

[Jamie C.]

KI4LIV wrote: Trim.... by what means? Sorry if I sound like an idiot here

Well, my Browning High Power used to bite a bit, but after taking a Dremel tool and cut-off wheel, sanding drums, various files, sandpaper, steel wool, and cold blue to it, it went from this:


To this:


It took a few hours of my time, but basically cost nothing. And it doesn't bite any more. ( Oh, and I did put new grips on it too, but they had no effect on the nipping problem. They just look better and fit my hand better. )


J.C.

 

[XavierBreath]

I, too, prefer to alter the pistol rather than my shooting style. Wearing a glove or even bandaids alters my shooting style. I have been known to stick a bit of duct tape on the web of my hand. It works better than band aids in a crunch, at least for me..

Here are a couple of beavertail installation links.
Ed Brown
Wilson
Drop in
One more

Hammerbobbing is accomplished on a spur or widespur hammer by first examining the situation and figuring out exactly what to cut. Next, remove the hammer from the pistol and clamp it in a padded vise. Then use a grinder, sanding drum, cut off wheel or whatever on a Dremel type tool to remove material from the hammer. Reinstall the hammer, try it out, and touch up or refinish the hammer if necessary.

On this pistol, you can see how I replaced the widespur hammer early on with a bobbed Springfield narrow spur hammer To shoot the pistol without hammer bite. Of course, I later went to a beavertail.

 

[Jamie C.]

The problem with replacing the hammer is that you really need to replace the sear at the same time, with a part of the same manufacture as the hammer so that both are matched, and of the same hardness. Otherwise, one can wear the other and you end up with a dangerous weapon.


J.C.