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Why don't all contemporary 1911's have front strap checkering?

2691 Views 62 Replies 47 Participants Last post by  Cgs1967, 
Aphelion
I only own two 1911's, a Girsan MC .45 and a Dan Wesson Valkyrie 9mm. Both from different ends of the spectrum (not including $2000+ custom guns) and feature front strap checkering. I'm new to 1911's, and I'm sure at one point cost was a factor, but I don't see that being the case now. So why not include it? The extra grippiness is super helpful, I don't understand why you wouldn't do it.
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Dub
$$$$$ is my guess.


Adds cost & time to the build.

Potential source for rework hours.

Wide range of opinions on how coarse to make it.
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Colthog
The 1911 helped win 2 world wars without. Although men were a lot tougher back then.
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Dub
Colthog said:
The 1911 helped win 2 world wars without. Although men were a lot tougher back then.
Click to expand...
Sure can’t argue either of those points.


Any day now we are going to see rail attachments that hold lip gloss, eye liner and such…..that’s just for the “men’s” guns.

It is insane how whimpy this newer generation is.

Every time I think we have hit a new low….a new headline proves otherwise.





All that being said, my vote is for 20 lpi on all my front straps. 😁
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EvolutionArmory
Aphelion said:
I only own two 1911's, a Girsan MC .45 and a Dan Wesson Valkyrie 9mm. Both from different ends of the spectrum (not including $2000+ custom guns) and feature front strap checkering. I'm new to 1911's, and I'm sure at one point cost was a factor, but I don't see that being the case now. So why not include it? The extra grippiness is super helpful, I don't understand why you wouldn't do it.
Click to expand...
Because some people still prefer vanilla ice cream. 🤷‍♂️
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mrmadd
I have one commander with a smooth front strap. It was just at Nighthawk to be rebuilt and refinished, but I left the front strap alone. I like it. No issues with grip. With the back strap and rough grip panels, it’s way more than enough to hold onto.

I realize if I ever sell it, that’ll be an issue,
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Shipwreck
I skip over a lot of 1911s because they don't have front strap checkering.
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ultradriver10000
My Springfeild Emp has a smooth front strap and it’s absolutely fine. Does checked front strap help with grip? Absolutely, do you need it? Absolutely not.

It does add cost to a gun, you need a tool to do it, the tool has a life and needs to be replaced after so many uses. It takes time, let’s say it adds 10 minutes of machining, if you make 50,000 guns that 500,000 minutes of work or roughly 1000 extra days to make aka almost 3 more years if using a standard 8 hour work day. It also adds cost to the frame. The frame needs to be thick enough to allow the machining, so factor in some material cost. No to mention the cost of the machine to do the work, extra warehouse space, extra employees etc.

I will say I generally like front checking.
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J
The one benefit of not having it is for the slim majority of 1911 owners that send them out to smiths is you get to pick your own poison.

Checkering or the dozen or so other front strap treatments available.

My only 1911s that don’t have some form
Of treatment are the ones waiting to go out.
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I
ultradriver10000 said:
My Springfeild Emp has a smooth front strap and it’s absolutely fine. Does checked front strap help with grip? Absolutely, do you need it? Absolutely not.

It does add cost to a gun, you need a tool to do it, the tool has a life and needs to be replaced after so many uses. It takes time, let’s say it adds 10 minutes of machining, if you make 50,000 guns that 500,000 minutes of work or roughly 1000 extra days to make aka almost 3 more years if using a standard 8 hour work day. It also adds cost to the frame. The frame needs to be thick enough to allow the machining, so factor in some material cost. No to mention the cost of the machine to do the work, extra warehouse space, extra employees etc.

I will say I generally like front checking.
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An EMP is quite a different animal than a aluminum framed officer in 45 for example. I have sweaty hands and even my nighthawk AAC with the scalloped type serrations gets a little slick. I had to put more aggressive grips on it to get a solid purchase with my carry load of HST 230 +p.

Grip strength isn't the problem for me either. I also think our standards of getting shots on target in a certain amount of time is significantly higher than it was during WW2. Less movement of the firearm in hand is essential for those fast A zone doubles.
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rustyaa55
All great responses here. It is always about $. Then time is a real factor. And time = $. And tooling and replacing that = $. And look at this small sampling of posters and realize how many different preferences. So VERY likely if they did it there would still be MANY not overly pleased. We can all choose OUR personal preference and have it executed on OUR gun. But MOST of us don't because it cost VERY good $. I love stainless and there is no need to refinish after mods. Still haven't had ANY of mine done. Haven't found it necessary and other more pressing things to use that $. Interesting discussion.
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C
I agree, it would be nice to see it on more mid-priced 1911s that already have features like Novaks and Beavertails. It would be interesting to know what the cost increase would be for a large production run.
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Yoemen66
I'll give you the answer Colts custom shop used to give. It's a lot easier for someone to add checkering to a gun then it is to take it off or change it.

I like checkering, but it isn't a make or break for me. Some of my best shooting guns have a smooth frontstrap.
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azguy1911
How much margin do you think is in a $1,200 gun :oops: go price a frame, slide, internals and sights. Plus pay someone to put it together and have a roof over their head in a safe, cooled, heated environment.

It's one thing that a small strip of skateboard tape can fix
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rustyaa55
Aphelion said:
I only own two 1911's, a Girsan MC .45 and a Dan Wesson Valkyrie 9mm. Both from different ends of the spectrum (not including $2000+ custom guns) and feature front strap checkering. I'm new to 1911's, and I'm sure at one point cost was a factor, but I don't see that being the case now. So why not include it? The extra grippiness is super helpful, I don't understand why you wouldn't do it.
Click to expand...
Would be interesting to know if you have started to see this issue differently. NOT that your preference has changed. But maybe understand more the WHY of the current market.
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azguy1911 said:
How much margin do you think is in a $1,200 gun.....
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Not too much. However, if you just add the checkering option to the frame on JEM, for example... it adds $30 which shows how cheap it is to do at the time of manufacture... and they are making money on it too.

I see it as a preference thing, as mentioned above.... I guess a lot of people still like a smooth strap, or have never handled a checkered one. Or the marketing folks have done their homework and we "picky" ones are a real minority in the market. ;)
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Samurai Jack
My favorite thing to view here is that above. thousands of dollars nitpicking details on a gun, thousands of dollars refueling the gun, hundreds of dollars putting pretty panels on their guns, schematics on the angles and hole size down t .0002 and then ehhhh slap a piece of grip tape on it, It works great! The results...guns in the threads with grip tape are not uncommon. Can you modify your gun, yup. Can you send it in to have it modified, yup. but of all the mods I have seen, skateboard grip tape is my favorite. I used to skate and I know how well it works...how do these geezers know how well it works? Cause they ain't dumb, and they know that if it is grip you need, then here is a 2 dollar fix. If that ain't going to appease the snob in you then here are 15 smiths that can cut, stipple, morris code, chainlink, or rib it for your pleasure. Grip tape....I love it!!!
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M
azguy1911 said:
How much margin do you think is in a $1,200 gun :oops: go price a frame, slide, internals and sights. Plus pay someone to put it together and have a roof over their head in a safe, cooled, heated environment.

It's one thing that a small strip of skateboard tape can fix
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Probably enough to make a decent profit.

Taurus has a checkered front strap and that's on a $600.00 1911.
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wvfarrier
Having carried a 1911 in some hostile environments with hostile intent....front checkering is a necessity for a fighting handgun, especially if you wear gloves or intend to get it wet/muddy.
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S
Colthog said:
The 1911 helped win 2 world wars without. Although men were a lot tougher back then.
Click to expand...
Two short sentences that speak volumes!

Yoemen66 said:
I'll give you the answer Colts custom shop used to give. It's a lot easier for someone to add checkering to a gun then it is to take it off or change it.
Click to expand...
40+ years ago if you were shooting a variety of different 1911s, odds were that most likely didn't have Front Strap Checkering. The Bullseye shooters were some of the few that were getting something done about that. Along with other mods for their Bullseye guns. And odds were that none of that variety of 1911s had Front Cocking Serrations. And people were crazy enough to learn how to accurately hit a target with a little bitty front sight that was staked on! The HORROR!!

Not everything necessarily makes for a better mouse trap.

I have a couple of Commanders in my carry rotation that I wish didn't have FSC and one I wish didn't have FCS. But neither were deal breakers. I would much rather have serrations on the front strap and that is exactly what is on the one custom I have had built. Serrations can be very grippy.

Speaking of "grippy" how often do you hear a conversation about how grippy checkering is? The conversations almost always seem to be about how the checkering looks, the edges, the overrun, etc. Or how ole Whobody is a better machinist...I mean gunsmith, because his checkering is kewl.

Checkering is much more important on a fine old wood stocked rifle or shotgun, it's not that important on a 1911.;)

James/SCO
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