Pardini Grip: Easy Or Squeezy?

After many years of shooting Bullseye with many different .22 pistols, I have started using a Pardini SPBE .22.  The pistol is amazing and I've shot some great targets with it.  The problem, though, is that my results aren't consistent, and I think that's mostly due to difficulty with the grip. 

I can hold the SP with a relaxed grip and because of the anatomical fit and the light recoil it doesn't shift in my hand.  But after years of learning to use a firm hold on other pistols with straighter, uncontoured grips, that doesn't feel right.  I can also increase my grip pressure to a "normal" level, but that's hard to maintain with a bent wrist. 

A complicating factor is that I bought my Pardini used and the grip is a little too small for my hand.  The circumference seems about right, but the palm rest squeezes my hand a bit even at its lowest position.  I ordered some 3D printed grips at Perry that should be a better fit.

Anyway, I'd like to hear from more experienced Pardini shooters about how much grip pressure works best for them.

Not sure if I can help you with the high rake grip and grip pressure.  Personally I use and really like the Dick Horton Pardini 1911 angle grip with the texturing and finger grooves.  

Regards, 
Crankster

For me, the "bent wrist" you mention now seems to be with the 1911 style upright angle. If I extend my hand normally, without a pistol, the natural angle is raked. I bend my wrist to shoot a 1911. However, I am relatively new to Bullseye shooting, have not had the many years to develop muscle memory like may others?  Actually, I thought that the raked grips which are common with the newer European target pistols was meant to more closely resemble the natural wrist angle, requiring less muscles to hold it, and therefore making it more consistent (not sure of this, I think I read it on the internet  )?

I don’t grip the Pardini nearly as tightly as I would grip my 1911, but that is perhaps not meaningful since I don’t really like the recoil of the 45 (I'm also 70, and have some arthritis in my wrists).

Initially when I purchased the Pardini I tried two different aftermarket grips to reduce the angle. First was the Horton grips, which did not fit my hands at all, and second was Rink with his optional steeper grip. However, as I have gotten used to it, and now have a couple other guns which also have a steep rake, I am contemplating ordering another set of Rinks with the standard grip angle.

CrankyThunder wrote:Not sure if I can help you with the high rake grip and grip pressure.  Personally I use and really like the Dick Horton Pardini 1911 angle grip with the texturing and finger grooves.  

I originally went with these on my Benelli's. On my Pardini's however I went without the finger grooves. It made engaging the trigger easier. As far as grip pressure I have found only moderate pressure works best for me. 
Precision Target Pistol Grips made actual 1911 grips for a friends Pardini. He loves them. I think the circumference of the Horton grips makes it hard to grip firmly as opposed to the slabs on a 1911. YMMV.

Bill

I squeeze the snot out of mine!

Orpanaut wrote:After many years of shooting Bullseye with many different .22 pistols, I have started using a Pardini SPBE .22.  The pistol is amazing and I've shot some great targets with it.  The problem, though, is that my results aren't consistent, and I think that's mostly due to difficulty with the grip. 

I can hold the SP with a relaxed grip and because of the anatomical fit and the light recoil it doesn't shift in my hand.  But after years of learning to use a firm hold on other pistols with straighter, uncontoured grips, that doesn't feel right.  I can also increase my grip pressure to a "normal" level, but that's hard to maintain with a bent wrist. 

A complicating factor is that I bought my Pardini used and the grip is a little too small for my hand.  The circumference seems about right, but the palm rest squeezes my hand a bit even at its lowest position.  I ordered some 3D printed grips at Perry that should be a better fit.

Anyway, I'd like to hear from more experienced Pardini shooters about how much grip pressure works best for them.

Orpanaut,

I had similar issue and I removed the palm rest used some 80 grit sand paper wrapped around a wood dowel and was able to remove enough wood for a non-pinching palm rest.

SMBeyer wrote:I squeeze the snot out of mine!

And it works for him. Check out this years scores at Perry! Nice shootin Scott.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/7/13/camp-perry-2018-22-cal-centerfire-championship-results-mayleigh-cup-team/

Hello Orpanaut,

The way that we train our shooters here at Pardini USA is with the general rule of thumb that you grip the gun strong enough to hold everything steady but not so strong that it makes your hand shake.

Best regards, 
Christian McAfee
Pardini USA LLC
info@pardiniguns.com
Office: 1.813.983.9839
Fax: 1.813.899.1110

To me euro grips boil down to being consistent with your gripping pressure. Unfortunately 99% of the grips out there truly do not fit our hands. As a result minor grip pressure changes change the POA. Getting your grip correctly fit is crucial to great shooting. Unfortunately there are not many people in the US that really know how to fit a grip. 
Do my recommendation is try to get it fit/ corrected for your hand and be consistent in your gripping pressure. When you dry fire change your grip pressure and watch your red dot shift. It will help you make corrections when shooting live fire.
Jon

Long ago when LtC Miller was coaching me towards free pistol, we made an ergo grip on a long barreled High Standard.  I cut thin slabs of oak and screwed them on the gun  over a wrap of saranwrap.  We put a wad of clay over the screw heads and then slopped on wood dough.  I then gripped the gun and held until the dough set.  It wasn't long.  Then we cut and added little amounts of dough to finish.  It was ugly but fit like a glove.

Jack H wrote:Long ago when LtC Miller was coaching me towards free pistol, we made an ergo grip on a long barreled High Standard.  I cut thin slabs of oak and screwed them on the gun  over a wrap of saranwrap.  We put a wad of clay over the screw heads and then slopped on wood dough.  I then gripped the gun and held until the dough set.  It wasn't long.  Then we cut and added little amounts of dough to finish.  It was ugly but fit like a glove.

Pretty grips are only used by those who want to be in last place

Be careful not to engage your finger tips in either a lite or firmer grip. 

However, grip pressure should be flexible from day to day and even during the match. Find the pressure which provides the most stable sight picture with your finger on the trigger and the first stage weight taken up. If your sight picture becomes more unstable during the match with the grip pressure you are using, more or less pressure may be needed to restabilize.  Your hand with a firmer grip pressure may fatigue during the match and if so shake your hand out massage and flex your fingers and take a few deep breaths. Get the tension out and this will help you restabilize.

Forgot to say. I have been shooting  a Pardini for 6 years now. typically shoot 865 or better. started with factory grips and modified them until I had to start over with a new grip. Ordered a Rink... several of them and they really did not work out for me. had Dick Horton make me my next grip. Like it but have had to do a few mods. The Horton is the best grip I have had with the least mods. It seems I am always making subtle tweaks to my grip when I see something that causes a instability in hold.  For example I recently sanded down and widened the space on the up swept palm shelf. My hand seems to get fatter in the heat and humidity.

While I am on a roll....

I shoot SF with little grip pressure as I find the hinged trigger under pressure to have a slight downward force on the muzzle. I have removed weights and played with different configurations and still see the slight downward force. Under lite grip pressure for SF the dot moves the least downward. 

I shoot TF/RF with moderate grip pressure and keep the web of my hand firm

mhayford45 wrote:Be careful not to engage your finger tips in either a lite or firmer grip. 

.......Your hand with a firmer grip pressure may fatigue during the match and if so shake your hand out massage and flex your fingers and take a few deep breaths. Get the tension out and this will help you restabilize.

You can use a cool bottle of water or a damp towel to cool down your hand to reduce blood pooling/swelling. I freeze a bottle of water before the match, I don't apply it directly to the hand, I hold it in the damp towel until I get relief.  Without doing this I have a tough time getting my hand back into the grip on really hot days.
- Dave