The Proper Fit — For You - American Handgunner

These dall sheep horn grips fit Mark’s hand perfectly. The fit and finish is first class.
It feels great, plus it is strong and durable. Photos do not do the grips justice.

Imagine if you will, you’re a gun manufacturer. You and your design team are building a firearm for the masses. You’re attempting to provide a product with appeal to the general shooting public as you create the grip. A difficult endeavor, no doubt. The final product is complete. It looks great and should fit the majority of the shooters. Wonderful! Now put the shoe on the other foot. Will this grip fit your hand perfectly for your intended purpose? Would the grips fit you better if they were a bit thicker or thinner?

Experienced handgunners know how important grip placement and grip tension becomes when seeking consistent accuracy. Having a grip that fits your hand precisely is beneficial in most every application. Some folks want an eye-pleasing grip, perhaps for the Saturday evening BBQ. Others prefer stocks for target shooting or range work. Handgun hunters often lean toward grips that mitigate stiff recoil. Regardless of purpose, the proper fitting grip for your hands will be an asset.

Dall sheep horn is light colored and usually found with a mix of white
and tan coloration. Reddish highlights are not uncommon.

Rob Rowen Customs

A few issues back (Handgunner, September/October 2020, “Grail Guns”), I wrote about my “Grail” gun, a Freedom Arms Model 83 in .44 Mag. I wanted something aesthetically pleasing but more importantly, a grip purpose-built for my hand. Enter Rob Rowen of Rowen Custom Grips. The Virginia-based grip maker always had a passion for firearms with a special interest in fine walnut and beautiful wood. He started dabbling with rifle stocks back when he was only 17, using a folding card table as a workbench.

Somewhere around 2004, Rob started shooting S&W revolvers and wanted to make his own grips, so he did. A couple of years later he discovered a “real” grip maker lived a short distance away, so he made an appointment to meet Roy Fishpaw. Roy was very generous with his time and remarkable talent, offering ideas and suggestions to Rob. Over a decade they became great friends as Roy continued to challenge Rob. During this time Roy also introduced horn as a unique, elegantly appealing grip option.

In 2013, Rob left a successful sales career and went into full-time grip making. In 2019, Rob earned professional membership in the American Custom Gunmakers Guild.

Knowing a bit about Rob’s background, and through recommendations of discriminating shooters who cherish fine revolvers, I felt confident he’d deliver a set of grips perfectly suited for the Freedom Arms.

Wow Factor

All of Rob’s grips are handcrafted, custom fitted, dated and serial numbered to your gun. And I must confess, some of this beautiful wood stretches beyond the “wow” factor. Wood varieties include five types of walnut including French, Turkish, Claro, Bastogne and American walnut. If you have a desire for checkering, Rob utilizes common patterns such as a scalloped border or diamond featuring 24 lines per inch. Rob also offers horn from dall sheep, bighorn, Stone sheep and musk ox. Horn often features unique characteristics with each set providing different coloration — exquisite if you will.

After drooling over some exhibition grade wood, it was the dall sheep horn that really tripped my trigger. I traced an outline of my hand along with explaining exactly what I needed to fit my needs before sending the gun to Virginia.
During the process, Rob sent photos and called several times to discuss how things were developing. It became apparent he wanted to make these grips to the customer’s satisfaction and requirements. He’s a perfectionist.

When I received the revolver wearing the dall sheep horn grips, I was most impressed! The fit and finish was perfect. Honestly, the horn looks like it grew out of the frame. Not only do the grips look immaculate, at least to my eyes, they fit my hand impeccably. I immediately went to the range as I couldn’t wait to shoot the .44 Mag. with the new grips. The horn feels great, and these grips provided the ideal addition to the Freedom Arms revolver.

Shortly after I received the grips, I headed to Alaska for a mountain goat hunt. It may sound ludicrous to attempt taking a mountain goat with a revolver, but I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Somehow, I managed to get it done with the Freedom Arms .44 Mag. and it was a bit special taking the dall horn grips to Alaska.

If you’re looking at custom grips for a special handgun, I know a guy.

For more info: RowenCustomGrips.com

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