92fs grip help

[Guest mosinon]

So I'd like to try making some grips for my 92fs. I think it would be a neat idea to use the grips already on the gun as a pattern.My plan, remove the grips and trace out a pattern.

This is the part where my stupidity comes into play. Every site I visit says use a screwdriver or a phillips head but my Beretta seems to have grips totally bereft of any common screw types. In fact, it seems that the screw holding the grips on have a perfectly circular head.

That just isn't possible. So how do I unscrew these grips?

Thanks in advance smart folks.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Hope someone can help. Both of my 92's have ordinary straight-blade screws.

[Oh Shoot]

Look with magnifyer, are they not hex? (six sided allen wrench type).

Metric size I guess, being Italiano design and all?

- OS

Edited March 5, 2011 by OhShoot

[Guest mosinon]

I didn't just look with a magnifier, I crammed any allen wrench that seemed close in there with no luck. I tried metric, standard and Ecuadoran sizes with no luck.

There are no obvious edges from what I can see but there could be some recessed edges lower down. I haven't been able to get a tool to catch them yet though.

[glockster157]

They could be slightly oval...weird but i have seen those type screws used for security in other things. If all else fails try an ease out

[Oh Shoot]

I didn't just look with a magnifier, I crammed any allen wrench that seemed close in there with no luck. I tried metric, standard and Ecuadoran sizes with no luck.

There are no obvious edges from what I can see but there could be some recessed edges lower down. I haven't been able to get a tool to catch them yet though.

Hmmm...check out this thread:

Where to buy Beretta grip screws - THR

Seems to indicate hex screws, but a type that starts below surface, which is indeed round.

But if no allen wrench will fit them, then....?

- OS

[dralarms]

So I'd like to try making some grips for my 92fs. I think it would be a neat idea to use the grips already on the gun as a pattern.My plan, remove the grips and trace out a pattern.

This is the part where my stupidity comes into play. Every site I visit says use a screwdriver or a phillips head but my Beretta seems to have grips totally bereft of any common screw types. In fact, it seems that the screw holding the grips on have a perfectly circular head.

That just isn't possible. So how do I unscrew these grips?

Thanks in advance smart folks.

They are hex screws, but they have been rounded out. Take a dremel tool and cut a slot in them just deep enough to get a flat bladed screwdriver in them. Then get you some new screws.

[Oh Shoot]

They are hex screws, but they have been rounded out. Take a dremel tool and cut a slot in them just deep enough to get a flat bladed screwdriver in them. Then get you some new screws.

I for some reason thought Mosey had bought that heater new, but guess not if that's the case.

- OS

[dralarms]

I for some reason thought Mosey had bought that heater new, but guess not if that's the case.

- OS

Didn't know that. Still if they are rounded out then someheavy handed monkey with a wrench screwed something up. Mine are stainless so they are softer then the regular ones.

[Oh Shoot]

Didn't know that. Still if they are rounded out then someheavy handed monkey with a wrench screwed something up. Mine are stainless so they are softer then the regular ones.

I may have gotten wrong impression...can't imagine any other explanation than yours, really.

He'll prolly be on late tonight, so we'll see.

- OS

[Guest mosinon]

It turns out you folks are right (as I suspected). The screws are rounded on top but a little deeper in the are regular hex screws. I couldn't feel it when I stuck an allen wrench in their because the one I selected was too small. Using a wrench just slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole worked perfectly. Thanks for the help everybody!

Now I can get around to making the grips. I've got walnut, cherry and maple laying about, which should I try first?

[Caster]

I made a set for a 22 revolver once by glueing two thin pieces walnut and maple together. The white/black contrast was really nice looking finished with Truoil.

[Guest mosinon]

I made a set for a 22 revolver once by glueing two thin pieces walnut and maple together. The white/black contrast was really nice looking finished with Truoil.

That would be a nice combo. I think I'll stick with one peice construction for my first set but if I can get one set that turns out okay I'm going to try that next time.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Which wood would be least likely to split partway during fabrication? If I ever made grips expected to mainly rely on bandsaw and belt sander, which seems what a lot of people do. I wanted to make some extra thin grips, which poses a more difficult problem than ordinary thickness.

Do you plan to make the "shelf" near the backstrap by gluing on a separate piece? Or do you have a safe way to route out the backside? Will be curious on how your experiment works out.

[Guest mosinon]

Which wood would be least likely to split partway during fabrication? If I ever made grips expected to mainly rely on bandsaw and belt sander, which seems what a lot of people do. I wanted to make some extra thin grips, which poses a more difficult problem than ordinary thickness.

Do you plan to make the "shelf" near the backstrap by gluing on a separate piece? Or do you have a safe way to route out the backside? Will be curious on how your experiment works out.

I promise you this much Lester, a router will not be involved. I've got one and i use it plenty but for something as small as grips I'd be afraid to try it. Maybe if I had a router table and used push sticks or something.

I'm going old school on this project. I'll use files, a jisgsaw and sandpaper. Ideally I'd like to make some stunning looking grips that were not symmetrical. I shoot with my right hand (apparently I keep my eyes completely shut cause I don't hit anything) so I'd like grips with a palm swell on the right side and a thinner, plainer left side. Maybe some indentations for fingers or something.

That is down the road, this time I'm going for something that fits and that is about it. I like the way you said it: It is an experiment. I've got some wood laying around so why not give it a shot?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Hi Mosinon

I have a small router table that will handle surprisingly large work pieces when assisted by several roller stands. But am too unskilled to feed small stuff like a grip thru it. One of these days a small milling machine would come in handy for many currently-impractical tasks.

Hand tools are safe, but I'm too unskilled and impatient for hand tools.

A dremel might come in handy...

[tnhawk]

I'd like to replace the grips on mine with esmeralda grips. This might be a good time to replace the hex screws as well.

[Jonnin]

It turns out you folks are right (as I suspected). The screws are rounded on top but a little deeper in the are regular hex screws. I couldn't feel it when I stuck an allen wrench in their because the one I selected was too small. Using a wrench just slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole worked perfectly. Thanks for the help everybody!

Now I can get around to making the grips. I've got walnut, cherry and maple laying about, which should I try first?

Cherry is a little soft and splittish if I remember it right, its been a while since I made anything with it but it may be the hardes to use. I like light wood on a light gun, dark on dark, so if its black/blue maybe the walnut with a dark stain, if its stainless or light try the cherry with a light, even clear, finish. Take a look at the woods online at a place that makes custom grips to see the color combos on other guns to decide, maybe?

[Guest Gutshot55]

Hidy. New, old guy here.

Just got my 1st new Beretta 92fs Inox and am feeling really lucky & spunky! I've planned (read SAVED UP!) for this for over a year and finally GOT IT! Happy!. Had it almost a week now and STILL haven't fired it yet. ??? What's WRONG with me? No bullets... yet. But on to why I'm posting. I puchased a very expensive and beautiful set of stabilized exotic wood knife scales about a year ago with the idea to "replace" the original grips of my new gun.

I make knives & handles by trade and was astonished, shocked and disappointed to find the "shelf" and other obsticles in the way! Ohhh crap! Got the mill and stuff, but just don't want to try that at this point so far, these scales/grips cannot be duplicated or replaced. (A VERY, very nice burl...).

After I ever find out the size/thread of the grip screws I can think about those. Also, are the screw in"bushings" that necessary? Could I just remove them & use THAT thread then? I can't see why not. Can you?

My thoughts at this time is to use a strip of a different "colored" wood or even spacer material, or even spacer material with a very thin "brass sheet" liner, or nickel silver thin sheet, on the bottom of the "new grips/scales", narrower than the grip size is wide, to roughly "build in" the shelf. I could easily then "sand" the angle of the handle edge into the side of the one edge of the spacer material

Then my "work" to fit in the other areas are much less. So in reality, I would be sandwiching a thin layer of mtl/wood, then my nice grippage on top and of course the top is "cut/sanded polished to fit".

I can always cut holes, slots etc in the backside/s to offset any weight problems w/the new grippage that wouldn't show unless they are off the gun.

This is a long way to ask, "What thread size are the grip screws, and would/could/SHOULD I remove the screw in "bosses" and just use THAT thread. IF SO, what size is THAT thread?

Thanks folks, look forward to hearing from ya'll on thisun....

[Guest Gutshot55]

Cherrry burns fast & deep on a sander!

[Guest mosinon]

I can't tell you the size of the screw but to get them out you need a 5/64 allen wrench.

I can't imagine any reason you couldn't replace the bushings. Size of thread is unknown to me, sorry.

Update on grip making not that anyone cares....

It is a lot easier to get the shape than I thought. the trouble is the side you don't see.

So the front side turns out pretty good but I can tell the wood I have is pure crap. Very soft. It was scrap wood and good practice so now I'm going to order some samples of coyote wood or something and make a new set. I retropect I should've tried something easier first, maybe a 1911 or revolver.

[Bruno8pnk]

I have 3 Berettas all have metric hex

[Guest mosinon]

I have 3 Berettas all have metric hex

I was surprised that it wasn't metric but 5/64 fit perfectly. Made in USA model if that makes a difference

[Guest Lester Weevils]

That's interesting. I have 2 made in italy 92FS inox. One is about a decade old and the other one was bought new last year. Both of them have big head stainless straight-slot flat-screwdriver grip screws. That is why I assumed hex screws might be third-party.

Maybe italian inox's are more the exception than the rule re the grip screws?

[Guest mosinon]

From looking at pics and such it appears that italian made berettas always use the slotted screws. I like the stainless screws on the inox BTW. It also seems that the US made berettas sometimes use the hex head screws.

It seemed odd until I looked at M9's which seemed to use the hex head screws more often than the 92fs I saw. I posit, without any actual evidence that some 92s use hex head screws because the M( used hex head screws and, why bother switching screws?