[Radjxf]

I'm seriously considering kicking up my home gunsmithing a notch. I'd like to try checkering or stippling a frontstrap on a Colt 1911. I'd really appreciate any advice or input from those who've undertaken this daunting task. I intend on practicing on a piece of stainless pipe prior to the real thing. Very much leaning toward checkering for cosmetic reasons. Where did you get your jigs? If you stippled did you use a punch or drill bit? Thanks a lot.

[mete]

Jigs ?? I find checkering ongrips to be of no value for my hand but checkering front and backstraps VERY useful. To avoid wear on clothing All mine are flat top checkering and it's very effective. You have a choice of lines per inch, 20 is most effective more than 30 is not very good. the big hand work problem is the vertical grooves on the frontstrap as you get up toward the triggerguard .I grind the checkering file tip so I get full cutting right to the end and also use gravers. For a front strap of a 1911 a single groove is cut with a graver and gravers hammer [ you could cobble up a guide for this ] .The checkering file is then run [on one edge] along this groove .This starts cutting a second groove . The file is then tilted to make a third groove , etc. Practice !! I would never stipple my guns as checkering looks far more professional !

[Sheldon]

I had set this up to show what was involved with checkering a small practice piece of round stock. Doing the frame is not all that different. Might help you get an idea of what's involved. Three pages worth of stuff.
Page 1 Checkering sample (http://home.earthlink.net/~sheldon_hom/id2.html)
Page 2 Checkering sample (http://home.earthlink.net/~sheldon_hom/id3.html)
Page 3 Checkering sample (http://home.earthlink.net/~sheldon_hom/id1.html)

[soutex50]

Hello, visit m1911.org.......they have detailed instructions on checkering 1911's

[dfariswheel]

First things first.

Buy some 3/4" steel bar stock to practice on before risking a real gun.

Many newer 1911 front straps are too thin to checker with 20 lpi. There's a danger of actually breaking through, so 30 lpi or even 40 lpi is better.

Stippling is MUCH easier, and in some cases actually offers a better grip, without being as abrasive to your hands.
Another advantage to stippling is, you can run it through curves and areas you can't checker. With stippling you can run the area up the frame and around and under the trigger guard.

With stippling, you can do anything from fine matting, to medium stippling to very rough, coarse work, to the SUPER aggressive "shark's tooth" raised teeth that was used on the 1960's Army National Match pistols.

Checkering requires a lot of practice, and is always risky, but probably looks best.

[Radjxf]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Dfariswheel--I do intend on practicing on some round steel first, then maybe an old Star pistol I have, then working up to the Colt if I feel it's frontstrap is thick enough. I'm going to put a micrometer to it, and if it's less than 0.070, I probably won't attempt it.

[mete]

The Colt has a frontstrap thick enough. The Browning can be a bit thin but you can then just use finer [and less deep] checkering.

[Onmilo]

20lpi will chew your clothes to shreds too if you are lucky enough to live in a state that allows concealed carry.
It can also chew your hand up pretty good if you do a lot of shooting without a glove.
As stated 30-40lpi is preferred though much harder to cut well in steel or aluminum.
I never have been able to checker steel very well.
I outsource to people who do that sort of stuff on cnc machines.