Do grips shrink with age?

Rick W. · 11-08-2017, 01:28 PM

As most know, wood will absorb/reject moisture on its own; which can effect dimensional characteristics.

Everyone has seen rifles with the barrel and forend touching, far on one side or the other, or even some vertical components. On a thin barrel, will push the barrel around; of course; differently at different times which makes for some heartache to the shooter. Guys in rainy environments found about all of that long ago.

A method to help is to seal the surfaces with various materials, the net is full of suggestions of type of material. In some of my rifles, the wood forend interior is smeared with a cut form of Acraglass. Laminated stocks take this to another extreme. Of course, upwards from that, are the synthetics. Wood has some nice characteristics that we cannot seem to leave, beauty, feel, and dampening in some environments.

People here seem to revamp the old tired Luger grips and use a sealer of some kind. In the collectible areas, that needs to be thought about, change is not always good in that area of the gun hobby.

Natural wood will always move some due to the environment the wood was subjected to. Hopefully not a lot of movement huh?

11-08-2017, 01:28 PM	#8
Rick W. User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 339 Thanks: 81 Thanked 359 Times in 198 Posts	As most know, wood will absorb/reject moisture on its own; which can effect dimensional characteristics. Everyone has seen rifles with the barrel and forend touching, far on one side or the other, or even some vertical components. On a thin barrel, will push the barrel around; of course; differently at different times which makes for some heartache to the shooter. Guys in rainy environments found about all of that long ago. A method to help is to seal the surfaces with various materials, the net is full of suggestions of type of material. In some of my rifles, the wood forend interior is smeared with a cut form of Acraglass. Laminated stocks take this to another extreme. Of course, upwards from that, are the synthetics. Wood has some nice characteristics that we cannot seem to leave, beauty, feel, and dampening in some environments. People here seem to revamp the old tired Luger grips and use a sealer of some kind. In the collectible areas, that needs to be thought about, change is not always good in that area of the gun hobby. Natural wood will always move some due to the environment the wood was subjected to. Hopefully not a lot of movement huh?