My New Horton Pardini Grip

I purchased a new Pardini SP in 22 LR just after the Holidays. I took it to the range a couple of times and really liked the way it shot and the minimal recoil. I wasn't pleased with the extreme grip angle. I read on this forum where this is a rather common complaint among U.S. owners of this pistol. It seems that some Americans prefer the grip angle of the 1911 and the S&W 41. I guess i'm one of them.

Further investigation on the forum led me to the Dick Horton grips. I emailed Dick and asked him how to acquire one of his grips with a grip angle similar to the 1911/S&W 41. He sent me the info and I filled out the order, made a few photo copies of my shooting hand and sent these along with a bank draft back to him the next day.

I had prepared myself for a lengthy wait since several other forum members said that Dick usually had a large backlog of orders. Quite to my surprise I received the new grip in just a couple of weeks.

I installed the grip right away and went back to the range. I like the grip angle on the Horton grip much, much better than the stock one. The only complaint I had was that after about an hour of shooting the back edge of the adjustable part of the grip started to dig into my wrist and cause a little discomfort. I removed the adjustable grip and rounded the back edge off a little with my spindle sander and it is much more comfortable now. I sprayed the reworked part with satin polyurethane and you can't tell anything was ever done to the grip.

It sure does look good!!!

Dick Horton is a great craftsman and the best kept secret in the custom pistol grips business. He doesn't have a website and he likes it so. His e-mail address is horton1@charter.net

He will be making the grips for my 1911, the one with the Gebbert hinged trigger.

Something to think about? I've seen many Horton grips on guns I have worked on and that my friends have had made. Dick likes to make finger grooves that open/spread the fingers apart and sometimes puts a finger rest for the middle finger under the trigger guard that moves hand down the grip which results in raising the bore line above the hand. Both of these are deal breakers in my opinion. I recommend asking him for closed touching fingers and using the frames trigger guard for a finger rest. Yes it makes a difference.
Jon

I have tried them and the finger grooves are all too close together. I was hoping he could spread them out a bit more.  But I am not exactly normal...

Looks like you suffer from a high lead level

Jon Eulette wrote:Something to think about? I've seen many Horton grips on guns I have worked on and that my friends have had made. Dick likes to make finger grooves that open/spread the fingers apart and sometimes puts a finger rest for the middle finger under the trigger guard that moves hand down the grip which results in raising the bore line above the hand. Both of these are deal breakers in my opinion. I recommend asking him for closed touching fingers and using the frames trigger guard for a finger rest. Yes it makes a difference.
Jon

Good thing your opinion is only that! When you bring facts to the table, let's talk.

Auf,
Before I waste my time on you, who are you and where do you come from? You magically sign up today to list and have 3 post and your slinging words like a Grand Poobah.
Jon

LenV wrote:I have tried them and the finger grooves are all too close together. I was hoping he could spread them out a bit more.  But I am not exactly normal...

That's a funny lookin' J frame you're holding 

Good thing your opinion is only that! When you bring facts to the table, let's talk.

Dude, really?

You just posted a highly opinioned response with NO facts to back it up.

By your standards, your own post should also be treated with an equal value of 100% uselessness I suppose.

Hey that was easy!

When Jon posts ............. it is a fact.
Shoot healthy my friend.  XXX

Jon Eulette wrote:Something to think about? I've seen many Horton grips on guns I have worked on and that my friends have had made. Dick likes to make finger grooves that open/spread the fingers apart and sometimes puts a finger rest for the middle finger under the trigger guard that moves hand down the grip which results in raising the bore line above the hand. Both of these are deal breakers in my opinion. I recommend asking him for closed touching fingers and using the frames trigger guard for a finger rest. Yes it makes a difference.
Jon

I have to agree with Jon. I had two grips made for my Benelli's with finger grooves and I had to use my other hand to place my finger on the trigger. It wouldn't fall there naturally. When I changed to Pardini's I had Dick make them without finger grooves. Much better!

Bill

Both stippled and both with finger groves.  

One on my pardini and the other on my fwb 93  I love both of them, matter of fact, after handling a lot of different pardini's with different grips, I have not found another grip that comes close.  Mine is the 1911 angled.  

The FWB Horton grip is almost as good, nave not found a better one but have not held many fwb's 

Sincerely. 
Crankster

RustyJoints wrote:When Jon posts ............. it is a fact.

Maybe not fact, but it is an opinion based on a lot of experience backed up by requisite skill. Jon knows what works, both for him and many people.

On Dick Horton's order form the buyer can select or omit the finger groove option, so I frankly don't see what all the talk ^^^ is about. 

Having ordered grips from some and having tried to order grips from others I rank the accessibility, ordering, delivery, aesthetics, pricing and free rework aspects of the Horton product far superior to the rest. 

Unless of course one has Cesare Morini's cellulare and speaks rapido Italiano.

Amati wrote:On Dick Horton's order form the buyer can select or omit the finger groove option, so I frankly don't see what all the talk ^^^ is about. 

Having ordered grips from some and having tried to order grips from others I rank the accessibility, ordering, delivery, aesthetics, pricing and free rework aspects of the Horton product far superior to the rest. 

Unless of course one has Cesare Morini's cellulare and speaks rapido Italiano.

just a plane flight way.

Vlad of pardini will rework pardini grips only..

I Purchased some Horton Grips. They twisted my hand in a bad angle.

I messed with them for a while, and ended up ruining them. They were beautiful, but they didn't work. I'm not knocking Dick at all, I suspect he would've given my money back.

I now use Rink Grips on all my guns. For my Pardini I got the steep grips which are closer to a 1911 grips angle ( they are advertised as being more like a Walther GSP) . I love them.

Jon Eulette wrote:Something to think about? I've seen many Horton grips on guns I have worked on and that my friends have had made. Dick likes to make finger grooves that open/spread the fingers apart and sometimes puts a finger rest for the middle finger under the trigger guard that moves hand down the grip which results in raising the bore line above the hand. Both of these are deal breakers in my opinion. I recommend asking him for closed touching fingers and using the frames trigger guard for a finger rest. Yes it makes a difference.
Jon

This illustrates what Jon is saying. If one doesn't care for them, some do and some don't, then Dick will take them off.

willnewton wrote:

Good thing your opinion is only that! When you bring facts to the table, let's talk.

Dude, really?

You just posted a highly opinioned response with NO facts to back it up.

By your standards, your own post should also be treated with an equal value of 100% uselessness I suppose.

Hey that was easy!

You'll note the other poster actually said it was his/her opinion? I'm sorry if I don't subscribe to the opinion of today, but it simply isn't clear that one grip style or another is better for any particular shooter on any given day. It's a preference thing, and as such, can't really be something that's factual- else, we wouldn't have all the different styles that we do. 

You need to dial back, hoss. 

Jon Math wrote:One thing you cannot argue over is the stunning wood and workmanship that his grips display.  That gentleman is a gifted craftsman.

I have a question about the 1911 above.  Assuming the trigger weight is appropriate to the ruling body is that an NRA or CMP or both legal pistol?  I have read both sets of regulations and frankly I must be dense because I have the hardest time following them.

Legal for NRA Precision Pistol (Bullseye), not legal for CMP EIC matches since CMP requires slab sides.

Jon Math wrote:That is what I thought. Thank you.  You can use a shaped grip on a .22 pistol with either group and only with iron sights in CMP is that correct?

You could also put a dot on the NRA 1911 if you wanted too as well?

Correct.  You can use anatomical grips in CMP's .22 EIC.  CMP stuff is all iron sights only.  In NRA bullseye, you're generally allowed to use dots (exceptions are things like Distinguished Revolver).