1900 american eagle with original ideal stock

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

Installation of the grips is straightforward; they simply mount to the Luger the same as regular grips using the same screws.

Thanks, Ron, for stating this more accurately. The description of the screws I posted above is incorrect. I can visualize how this works, now. The two "extra" screws visible on the grips simply hold the overlay of checkered wood onto the Ideal grip base. Initially, I understood--wrongly--that these two screws were needed to help bolster the grip setup against the forces of shooting the rig. I realize now that they are not for this purpose at all, but only for holding the wooden scales on. The interface of pistol to stock handles the forces this way, as I see it now. When a round goes off, rotational forces are created because the axis of the barrel is above the point of attachment of the stock, and also above where it is normally gripped by hand. There are therefore compressive forces acting on the top part of the attaching area, resisted by the solid, vertical piece of material which separates the mounting tangs; and there is tension produced at the bottom of the setup, which is resisted by the bottom "hook" of each tang. The bottom of the grip assembly is held by the grip screw, as you've pointed out; and this fastening is quite secure. I think it would have to withstand the bulk of the rotational force, but the bottom of the grip strap is where the most leverage is available, so it's all good. The Ideal system, it seems to me, is mechanically very clever. ...even though, as Doug points out, it may mot be "ideal"!