Making a new grip for an old rolling block pistol is not too tough if you've got a block of wood,
the right tools, and little patience. This guns an early Navy model pistol chambered
for the 50-20 300 centerfire cartridge, that's 50 caliber,
20 grains of black powder and a 300 grain bullet. We're fortunate to have another gun
with original grips to use as a pattern. This is a one-piece grip and it doesn't take a very
large piece of wood to make one. We just need a piece of dry American black walnut,
but it'll be more interesting to make it from an old worn-out Remington rolling block rifle
buttstock of about the same vintage as the pistol. First, I'll make a cardboard template.
The template is used to layout the grip on the buttstock, after which the grip can be
roughed out on the bandsaw. It's important to stay generously outside the lines.
A disc sander easily trues up one side of the grip, followed by the face,
where it meets the receiver. Then the sides are made parallel with the help
of the rib vents on the bandsaw. Next, I disassembled the pistol
and locate the center of the block on both sides.
A little cut here provides clearance for this pin and the receiver.
Now I can lay out the inletting cuts I'm sure to take my time as you can't
fix a poor layout. Cutting along those lines with an Exacto knife
makes it easier to remove the bulk of the wood between the lines without damaging the edges.
After I get the top cut to approximate depth it's time to use some inletting black to show
where the wood and metal are making contact so I can remove the tight spots and get a perfect
fit between the receiver, top tang, and the grip. I'll start the bottom inletting cut the same way,
but it's important to put the guard back on the frame before final in letting to ensure
perfect alignment between the upper and lower tangs. The job is simply spot and
cut until the grip it's nearly perfectly on the tangs and against the receiver.
Now I can spot in the channel for the mainspring cut it in
and test for proper function.
The grip screw holes should be the same size as the minor diameter of the screws and I install
both screws before shaping the grip. With a bit of masking tape to protect the frame,
the entire shaping process can occur with the grip attached. The only
tools necessary are some chisels and small half-round files. That looks pretty good.
For sanding I always use a backer, being careful not to round the edges of the grip. For this grip
I'm sanding to 320 grit and will polish with 600 grit to provide a smooth hand-worn surface
that will closely match the forend. I'll finish the new grip with boiled linseed oil,
a dash of bone black to give extra color to the pores, and a bit of stain to darken the wood.
Now we just need to put the grip back on the pistol and the job is finished. Nearly perfect.