Uncle Mike's grips deteriorating?

[Jon442]

I have a set of what I'm guessing to be an older uncle mike's boot grip #59010 for my round butt j-frames.
The grip has been leaving a "gooey" kind of oily/greasy residue on my revolver frames when I remove the grips, and was wondering how to remedy this issue , or are they just getting old and worn out?

any info would be appreciated.

 

[Alnamvet68]

I believe that is the reaction of the rubber to whatever grease or solvents it comes in contact with. I will run a silicon cloth over my handguns after cleaning post shooting, then I will wipe clean the grip portion with a soft clean cloth before I replace the grips, whether they be rubber, synthetic rubber, or wood. I do the same with my 1911's...grips come off before I clean the weapon, and I insure I don't leave any oily residue on the metal frame where it comes in contact with my grips.

 

[Number1gun]

No remedy I know of. Not long term anyhow. Plastic/rubber degradation most likely due to Ozone, solvents, oils, UV..one or all. Ozone is in the air..can not be stopped. I never buy rubber anything for firearms unless I have to. Most of the cleaning and oil products are petroleum based...also has a negative effect on rubber and plastics. UV is also very bad- stay out of the sun. Some products may be listed as UV stabilized...better. Given enough time and wrong conditions everything degrades.

 

[Old cop]

All rubber grips seem to do this and that is why I don't use them except for the range. As others have said I pull the grips off post shooting, wipe things down as dry as possible w/a sylicone cloth and replace w/wood.

 

[Imaposer]

Synthetics do degrade due to normal environmental things like ozone (tires dry rotting for example). But the gooeyness that you describe is almost assuredly a reaction to some chemical agent (cleaners, oils, etc.) that has been trapped under the grips. I have some old UM's grips that I've had forever, in a box full of old grips, and they're all fine.

 

[dfariswheel]

Uncle Mike's and Hogue grips are made of a synthetic polymer often brand named "Kraton".
Some chemicals can attack them and a classic sign of this is when the material starts to get sticky.

Pachmayr however makes their grips from real rubber.

 

[Jon442]

well, I've removed the grips, thoroughly wiped them off with a silicone rag and wiped the frame down as best I can with the same rag... hopefully it will stop the stickyness on the frame after removal.

 

[stantheman86]

Pachmayr by far makes the best rubber grips, hands down. Hogue is also good. Uncle mikes are, IMO, cheap grips that S&W uses to save money.

 

[Imaposer]

well, I've removed the grips, thoroughly wiped them off with a silicone rag and wiped the frame down as best I can with the same rag... hopefully it will stop the stickyness on the frame after removal.

That may help, depending on how far the degradation has progressed, but, if it's already gone too deep it may not get better immediately. But, if not, luckily the UM grips are pretty cheap to replace.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

I don't know if this helps or not, but periodically I put
my rubber and "synthetic" grips in warm / hot water,
with a strong concentration of Dawn, and hit 'em
good with a tooth brush, inside & out.

 

[chief38]

I have had the exact same issue with the Uncle Mike's boot grips for j Frames.
Sticky - gooey and impossible to get rid of long term. I have been using the original wooden Magna service grips along with a Tyler T for some time now and have taken all the Uncle Mikes grips off all of my guns.

I have had issues with Pachmeyer's too - some of them have had the metal insert work through the rubber and scratch the bluing on the grip frame. No more plastic/rubber grips for me!

Chief38

 

[blueknight7]

I put a set of Pachmayr grips on my Colt Python, back in the early 70's. Considering what they are getting for a set of second generation, original Python grips. I might have made a wise decision.

These poor things have had everything from blood, sweat, puke, booze. and probably other bodily fluids I really don't care to know, on them, at one time or the other.

The only degradation that I have seen on them, is the checkering/stippling is not quite as sharp as it used to be.

 

[4SEVEN3]

Pachmayr however makes their grips from real rubber.

Petroleum products will also attack "real rubber" causing it to break down and get sticky. We used to use WD40 to install natural rubber grips on motorcycles, after 24 hours you'll have to cut them off!