"Wave" Review

2717 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Rob Longenecker, Nov 15, 2001

Bruce

Discussion Starter · Nov 3, 2001

Dane shipped my Kimber 10mm out a few weeks ago, came in with the same flawless fit and finish as his previous works, and with the "wave" cut.

At first glance it is clear to see that the photos don't do the cut justice. The thing just looks cool as can be. Excellent, excellent finish.

The front strap is cut with 7 lines of "wave", or waves, top ending aproximately what, 1/4 of an inch from top? The 7 are from side to side, equal distant apart. Depth? Can't tell you, beyond my measurement pay-grade.

Back strap has 5 "waves", with the channels at the top opening at bottom of grip safety.

Upon gripping the pistol, you like it :smile: Feels different, but right. Does not give the same rough texture feel as sharp checkering, very easy to re-adust your grip on draw by just releasing pressure on the front strap...while still holding the pistol firmly. This is the one aspect of the "wave" cut grip that is truly outstanding. If, like me, you have drawn quickly before but with an imperfect grip, checkering requires [or at least mine do] a conscious thought as to re-adjusting up, or to something different, if you do it at all. Usually, on a checkered pistol, I just shoot it with the imperfect grip I presented it with, at least until a break in the action. Not so on the the wave cut. It is a brilliant design if a re-adjustment is needed.

Shooting the pistol. Put 1,000 rounds through it over two evenings, and I am very impressed. The lateral grip is intense when you sqeeze the front strap. Once you have the grip you want, your fingers are locked to the pistol. Disarming this would be difficult, in my opinion, and, would likely draw blood...or at least take hide. When I look at the cuts, it would appear that the lateral grip function [gun moving side to side] should be high, but the up and down grip [on recoil] would be at least some less than lateral. Not my impression at all after shooting. The thing grips ya like tick.

Shooting with wet hands was a breeze. Solid grip, still easy to re-position, but once on it you are locked up tight.

Overall, the pistol is just great to shoot. Not a hiccup through what has been shot so far, but that is what I would expect from Dane's pistols. Workmanship is top drawer, and the "wave" grip? Honestly, I won't buy another new gun without it. By design, it is going to be durable as south hell, and it really is form with function.

Thanks Dane, I know you aren't in love with the 10mm's, which only means you just didn't shoot this one long enough :smile:

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Dane Burns

· #2 · Nov 3, 2001

Thanks Bruce...no one was more surprised than me as to the end results. This is what several experinced shooters have posted so far....... and a link to more pictures.

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.ph ... 14&forum=4

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.ph ... forum=4&16

From Andy:

Dane also brought a couple of his pistols for us to drool on and shoot. The WAVE treatment really works as advertised: it keeps the pistol in place when you grip it, but lets go when you relax your grip if you need to shift it. It also won't snag on your clothes - even knit shirts. Looks cool, too.
As a dyed-in-the-wool 30lpi checkering fan, I confess to being a convert.

Paladin:

I agree with Andy's assessment of Dane's new wave grip. A very impressive signature for his guns. I will point out, though, that regardless of the guns he was shooting, Andy was doing groups the size of a dime--no matter what the distance. I seem to recall he aced the finals!

from Shane:

I had the opportunity this weekend to try a waved MSH.

My first reaction out of the package was that this thing is very well crafted. The lines are cut flawlessly. It is a very solid, nice looking piece.

Before I even put it on my gun, I pushed the MSH into my palm with the same approximate pressure that I would grip it with, if it were installed on the gun. I then tried to rotate the housing. It did not move. The traction in incredible. I then installed it and tried the same test, this time by twisting the gun. The MSH held firm and did not slip or rotate in my hand.

The first 50 rds. I fired were simply to determine in there were any readily apparent negatives to the feel of the waved housing. I didn't find any - it felt very comfortable. I was using my Combat Commander which has always been very "torquey" in my hand. It likes to try to twist itself out of my grip when rapid firing with the potent loads I like.

The next 250 rds. were more formal. I shot hammers, double taps and squeeze-the-trigger-as-fast-as-you-can-and-empty-the-mag drills. The gun did not slip or twist at all. While I did not time any splits, my seat-of-the-pants feel was that the intervals were marginally quicker. The gun seemed to settle back on target quicker in rapid fire, as there was none of the usual counter-clockwise twist that I became used to and compensated for previously.

I still prefer checkering on the frontstrap, but I would imagine that a gun with waves front and back would be incredible, as the difference with just the MSH is very apparent.

I had always preferred a vertically serrated MSH, (my Commander has the factory serrated MSH) as it allowed my hand to slide up the back of the gun and into the grip safety very easily and quickly when presenting from holster. I was concerned that the wave would make this more difficult and slower - it did not. The waves still allow you to slide your hand quickly into a good shooting grip, but once your hand tightens, the gun becomes one with your palm.

My only real dilemma was how good the waves would look cosmetically with the hard, crisp lines of the 1911 platform. It did take me a while to adjust to the curves every time I looked down and saw them staring up at me. The more I looked at them, the more they seemed at home on the gun however. Now I don't think they look out of place at all.

An interesting note is that the waved MSH is available for left and right hand shooters. The difference being in the way the waves are oriented on the housing. They flow in the opposite direction if you are a lefty.

I highly recommend this little gem.

From Shay:

I had the pleasure of being a tester of this new innovation from BCP. Dane sent me the gun and as soon as I took it out of the box it just felt good in my hand. The gun itself is an awesome piece of equipment and everything on it is just perfect. The wave patern is on the MSH and front strap.

When you tighten your grip hard around the gun it HURTS. I would rate it between 20 lpi and 30 lpi checkering as far as grip and this is after Dane softened it up. I have to say, pictures do not do this wave justice due to the 2D effect. It is much more pleasing to the eye in 3D.

I went to the range to do some out of the holster work with 300 rounds. The gun was oily (frame is still in the white and unfinished) but I did not to wipe it off. I wanted to give the new texture a real test. I started with slow draws so that I won’t drop this oily gun and have Dane come after me with his Dobermans J I was surprised at how well this texture griped my hand even with the oil! When you draw the gun and shoot it doesn’t feel like a wave or checkering it feels like a Dirt bike grip that just glues to your hand. It is hard to explain but once you tighten the hand around it, it won’t budge. All you have to do is let off pressure with the hand and it becomes slippery enough like a smooth strap to move around in the hand for mag change or grip adjustment from a bad draw (I had a lot of bad draws today breaking the 1 second).

Another thing I like about it is that it is a rough texture, seemingly it would be uneffected by hard use and abuse, unlike checkering that can get banged up.

To sum it up, I like this thing so much I am sending Dane my kimber 40 to do a "Fed Wave 10" package on it. I think writing a check is the strongest endorsement of a product. Talk is cheap.

Regards,

Shay

And finally from me.

" Bottom line? The "WAVE" has no real reference to the minimal performance of serrations nor does it resemble the performance of scallops, 30lpi checkering and is most easily comparable to 25lpi checkering.. sort of anyway. Because it does in gripping ability but not in stickiness.

Add the gripping effect of the "WAVE" to the fact that it is much easier to "release" the grip and have the gun act like a smooth front strap adds an incredible amount of versatility. More useful in a varity of circumstances than any other texture I have shot on a 1911. "

The more I shoot these guns the more I am convinced it is a better idea than anything else currently available for a hard use carry gun.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dane Burns on 2001-11-03 01:01 ]</font>

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Shay

· #3 · Nov 3, 2001

I am no expert but maybe a gun built specifcly for a lefty should also have a right hand twist barrel. that way it will torque into the hand and not try to wiggle out.

shay

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Dane Burns

· #4 · Nov 3, 2001

"I also have kind of a physics question concerning the right/left hand variations of the wave MSH mentioned in"

Hi SHUZ,

Easy to get a gun on order @ BCP. Just takes some time to get one in your hands. Call or email me and I'll give you the details.

As far as right and left hand "wave". The front strap "WAVE" grips in the horizontal and the vertical equally well by all accounts. On the original prototype guns I realised early on that the amount of texture on the mainspring housing was right at the optimal but limited by surface area. The outside of the "wave" on each serration adds a bit of grip. If the pattern is cut from the right it adds one more outside curve that will contact the hand. Cut from the left you get one more which adds surface area for a left hand shooter. It is subtle but there is a difference that I notice shooting. Since I can reverse the pattern on the main spring housing at will, might as well take advantage of that fact and give a little "extra" to every customer :grin: No reason to do it differently on the front strap. There is more than enough grip there.

The torgue of a 1911 is up and to the right for a right hand shooter. Brown, Colt, BarSto, Kimber, CMC and Kart barrels are rifled with a left hand twist. Wilson's, built by Storm Lake, are a right hand twist. I generally shoot right handed so a left hand twist gun torques to the strong side of my hand. If I want to take advantage shooting off hand I would use a right hand twist barrel, which I did competing in IPSC 15 years ago. I think it gives you a bit of an edge in off hand shooting If you are right handed. If I were left handed I would use nothing but right hand rifled barrels. (Please don't beat me up on barrel change orders guys :roll: )

I worry more about good practice now than I do about the perfect piece of gear.

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Bruce

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 4, 2001

You said a mouth-full with that last sentence, Dane.

A bizarre thing happens as we get older and more successful [or desperate] at work. The work gets tougher, more time demands are faced, and...practice time suffers. At least in my situation it has. Sad irony, when I had time to shoot as much as I wanted, I could not afford the ammo, much less a custom anything. Now that I can buy some simple pleasure stuff, the time is not there to use it like it should be used, or to anywhere near its potential.

You young whippersnappers out there in 'net land remember this, and either A) Go in debt now :smile: or, B) set some damned tough priorities and never, ever, set them to the side. I have cases set for trial already in mid 2004...and those were set in the spring of this year. Once you become bogged down, it takes a very long time to get it undone.

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Rob Longenecker

· #6 · Nov 15, 2001

Just as in the "Twilight Zone" where worlds exist invisibly within other worlds, there exist the creatures of "the wave." It took close inspection and high magnification to spot this "happening" on a front strap.

Grip that gun carefully, now.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tonerguy on 2001-11-15 00:50 ]</font>

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