Well, a while ago I read some reviews of VCD Grips custom 1911 replacement grips. The reviews were impressive so I had o contact David (of VCD Grips) and ask him if he had any of his grips in the Officers size for my fathers Colt Defender.
David emailed me back within 24 hours and told that while he didn't keep any in stock, he could make me a set. He then listed the various base model grips he could order for me (I believe he gave me 4, maybe 5 options). I originally wanted him to do his custom work on a set of factory original grips that come with the Defenders. He explained that the rubber would likely be too soft to hold up to his work over time. After going over the options (which were explained more clearly than I have come to expect from firearm and accessory manufacturers, atleast in email correspondence), I decided to get a basic set with no finger grooves.
He had to order the correct size base grips, have them shipped to him, do his work on them and ship them to me. From the time he placed the order for the base grips until they arrived in my mailbox was only 10 business days.
Here are the photos...
Unfortunately I do not have the best photography skills.
I was afraid that the loss of finger grooves would result in less control, but it appears that since the grips are not as thick, the circumference of the grip is smaller (since there is now no rubber covering the front of the grip) and the aggressive texture of the new grips give a more controlled grip than the originals. While they are rough and aggressive, they feel very comfortable in the hand, not too abrasive. If they do become too abrasive after firing a few boxes of ammo, they could easily be smoothed down a bit with just a few swipes of some light sand paper.
The gun is my fathers concealed carry weapon, and he is catching up on errands and work around his property after spending several weeks out of town so I can't easily borrow the gun to go to the range and really test the grips out. Hopefully in the next week or two I will be able to get him to tag along for a range trip and really see how much he likes the new grips. But so far, I cannot recommend David and VCD Grips highly enough. He provided probably the BEST customer service I have ever experienced, and definitely the best customer service I have ever experienced from an online business.
If David has a website I am not aware of it. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]
Next I may have to try and talk him into making a set for my Sig P220.
David emailed me back within 24 hours and told that while he didn't keep any in stock, he could make me a set. He then listed the various base model grips he could order for me (I believe he gave me 4, maybe 5 options). I originally wanted him to do his custom work on a set of factory original grips that come with the Defenders. He explained that the rubber would likely be too soft to hold up to his work over time. After going over the options (which were explained more clearly than I have come to expect from firearm and accessory manufacturers, atleast in email correspondence), I decided to get a basic set with no finger grooves.
He had to order the correct size base grips, have them shipped to him, do his work on them and ship them to me. From the time he placed the order for the base grips until they arrived in my mailbox was only 10 business days.
Here are the photos...
Unfortunately I do not have the best photography skills.
I was afraid that the loss of finger grooves would result in less control, but it appears that since the grips are not as thick, the circumference of the grip is smaller (since there is now no rubber covering the front of the grip) and the aggressive texture of the new grips give a more controlled grip than the originals. While they are rough and aggressive, they feel very comfortable in the hand, not too abrasive. If they do become too abrasive after firing a few boxes of ammo, they could easily be smoothed down a bit with just a few swipes of some light sand paper.
The gun is my fathers concealed carry weapon, and he is catching up on errands and work around his property after spending several weeks out of town so I can't easily borrow the gun to go to the range and really test the grips out. Hopefully in the next week or two I will be able to get him to tag along for a range trip and really see how much he likes the new grips. But so far, I cannot recommend David and VCD Grips highly enough. He provided probably the BEST customer service I have ever experienced, and definitely the best customer service I have ever experienced from an online business.
If David has a website I am not aware of it. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]
Next I may have to try and talk him into making a set for my Sig P220.
