WTB - Riffe Comp handle

    Lots of people seem to hate the Riffe comp handles. So it occurred to me that I might be able to make a Delrin frame that fits the Riffe Comp series guns, to be used in combination with a Shapelock plastic grip.


    Does anyone have an old Riffe Comp series handle that I could buy or borrow for a while to get some measurements from? The overall condition doesn't matter, as long as it's intact.


    If I can do it, would anyone be willing to test it for me?

    No need. I kind of forgot about it for a while. But then a guy contacted me who wanted a mount for his Biller and really wanted it in time for his upcoming trip. I told him the only way I could turn it around fast was if he sent me the butt piece to measure, and he happily obliged.

    Jeff, your idea is money! I know I'd buy it. But that handle is tricky because the stock is CNC'd to accept it, the handle has some funky contours on the inside. A new handle would have to take into account covering any unsightly recesses in the stock and also allowing for the safety lever which some people want to keep. Getting rid of the safety is the first modification I'd do to a Riffe gun.


    Also I would concentrate on a complete handle not shapelock. Alternatively you could make a skeleton frame, we have very affordable rubber grips in various colors that could be used to slip over it. They are ergonomic, grippy and comfortable.


    I had 3 Riffe handles that I sold on SB a couple of years ago, I think for $10 or $15 each.

    Thanks for the heads-up on the handle countours. I didn't know that. Once again, "If you think you have a simple solution, then you probably don't understand the problem."


    The main downside to making a full sized handle is that it takes a much bigger (read "more expensive") chunk of Delrin. Limiting the grip area to a shorter stub means that I can get more frames from the same sized sheet.


    But I REALLY like your idea of using the rubber grips! How difficult would it bee to replicate the little tang that the grips attach to? By that, I mean does it look like the machining would be simple, or is it elaborately shaped? Got any spare pieces around that I could play with?

    The skeleton tang is not small but it's pretty straight forward. Also it doesn't have to be a skeleton, it can be solid. Unfortunately I can't show you a pic of it now. There's also a small rod that is set perpendicular into the tang that the grip slips over and then the rod fits into two holes in the grip to keep it in place. Later I'll be able to give you better specs and photos of the tang.


    Here's what the Riffe stock looks like under the handle. My guess is that the purpose of the recess is to take the stress of the screws in a situation where force is applied to the gun (pulling or pushing) while you're gripping the handle.


    Ok, I've got a handle to play with. I'm now trying to figure out exactly which parts of the shape would need to be replicated in a replacment handle, and which would not.


    The rounded base should be easy enough. The depression on the left side of the trigger slot (is this for the safety?) will also be easy.


    What is the depression at the front for? Is this just hollow to reduce the quantity of plastic required, or does something go there? What about the small hole at the rear of the cavity?


    Also a question about the trigger slot. It appears to be wider at the top, and narrower where it is recessed into the trigger guard. The Riffes that I have seen have a simple pivotting trigger, so the exact width of the trigger slot is probably unimportant as long as there is clearance. Do some models have a sliding trigger?


    Thanks for any insight.


    I think there are a few different Riffe handles, make sure which one you have. I'd focus on the handle for the competitor series guns. It's the handle I'm familiar with. Being that I don't recognize the handle in the pic as being specifically a competitor handle I'm hesitant to say what's necessary and what isn't. If you like I can send you the short stock that's in the pic I posted, I have no use for it.

    This idea kind of fell to the bottom of my pile for a bit, but I am kicking it around again. How about an aluminum frame to accept AR-15 handle grips? I can keep the aluminum to a minimum becuase of its higher strength, but how might the slight additional weight affect the Riffe? Do they have any extra buoyancy to work with?

    You are right that ABS is very strong, as is Delrin. The problem that I am running into is that the shape for the AR-15 handles has some sharp corners. Those sharp corners can cause cracking in plastics, even with very little force. I can modify the shape a little, but not much, or the standard AR-15 handle grips would not fit.


    That was the reason that I went back to anodized aluminum on my most recent batch of handle frames.


    I think that I may start off with a prototype made out of Delrin, just because it is so quick to machine. If I can make something that looks decent and fits properly, then we can figure out what the best material would be.


    The pictures show where the Delrin AR-15 frames would break, with surprisingly little effort. I modified one by cutting a curve at the back corner, and it made a huge improvement in the strength. That is why I have never had a problem with my shapelock handles. They are Delrin, but they have nice smooth curves inside the grip, which eliminates any sharp corners.

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