doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com How to attach a horn grip cap

What is the best way to attach a horn grip cap to a pistol grip?

The Ones I have made for British rifles are attached with an engraved screw. A good epoxy should work fine as well. I always use pins or a tenon for fore end tips but not on grip caps. Hope this helps.
Steve

Yes, that is very helpful. I was planning to just use epoxy, but then all the photos I could find online were screwed in like you suggested. I am replacing the plastic cap on an ithaca 200e. I might go with the epoxy to get a clean, simple look

FWIW the Parker grip caps have 2 small studs in the wood to prevent rotation. Not really necessary but they are there. It may make gluing easier while the epoxy sets.

What mark says is worth consideration. One pin will do, and you want to install it first. With it in place, the screw is easy to locate.

Unless you are sure you want it to be there forever, I tend to use contact cement.

Thus far, all I've done is begin shaping and re-attach with the same screw that came with the gun. I'm having a little trouble getting the wood perfectly flat, but the cap doesn't spin even just with the screw.

Do you all think glue or a pin is necessary or just if I run into trouble with it?

A single screw is fine but it would be better if it had a hidden peg to help prevent turning .

Gluing is fine but permanent , but will that matter , how often will you want to take it off ? Glue such as an epoxy will also fill any small gaps quite nicely .

I have done both so have no preference other than to say IMHO an engraved screw always looks better even if only for decoration .

I intend to sell this gun when I'm finished with it, so epoxy would probably be fine. It would certainly make that tiny edge gap less of an issue.

In intend to clean up the factory screw and use it. The engraving isn't outstanding but it's nice enough

There is an easy way to finish the perfect fitting to the grip. Using a strip of emery cloth of the appropriate grit, and with the buttstock held in a vise at the needed angle, place the emery between the grip cap and the wood with the cutting side toward the wood. Holding firm pressure on the grip cap with one hand, and taking care to hold it in place, slowly pull the emery strip out from between the grip and the cap laterally, trying as best as you can not to pull downward toward the floor because it will round off the edge of the wood. If anything, pulling it slightly upward against the outer edge of the cap. That won't hurt the cap's edge because the emery strip isn't cutting on that side. I prefer to hold the grip cap down with my left thumb and let the emery strip drag across my left hand to prevents it "dragging" on the edge of the wood going in, but watch it carefully.

This method cuts away the high spots. It won't take long before you have a perfect fit. I learned to do this on buttplates and it works just as well for grip caps. This method is only useful for grip caps with no "pegs".

SRH