WILSON COMBAT 1911 CHECKERED FRONT STRAP - WILSON COMBAT Blued Front Strap

I'd recommend G10 or some other hard synthetic grips with this product. Grip tension is what keeps the part in place mostly so having grip panels that can be torqued firmly without fear of damage are a good choice. As others have mentioned, using a wooden dowel or the like to bend the second side of the sheet metal is the way to go (after the first side has been secured). I've got a few hundred rounds on mine and it hasn't budged a bit. I'll admit i'm curious to see how it'll do if I need to take off the grips and then re-install the product, but for now I'm very satisfied. As good as real checkering? Absolutely not, but for the $ it's silly not to try them. Still A VAST improvement over a flat front strap.

Helps keep your grip from shifting due to recoil of the gun. Great and cheap add on to your firearm. Highly recommend. The price is right, too!

5-Star Rating based on the performance/looks to cost ratio. I replaced the tape that I had on the front strap of my SR1911 with this part. For the price, if I didn't like it, I could remove it and install a fresh piece of tape. After installation, I was pleased with the grip traction and how it looks on the pistol. From 3-5 feet away, it looks like the pistol has factory checkering on the front strap. You have to get up close to realize that it is an overlay. The finish color is close to the factory matte finish on my Ruger. The strap is very thin, it feels flimsy when handling it before you install it. But the thin build does help when shaping it to your smooth front strap. I folded the excess into the frame cutout, and trimmed the slight excess to ensure it wouldn't interfere with magazine travel. I trimmed it with a sharp pair of scissors. I shot a local IDPA match with the front strap, and didn't have any issues. It hasn't moved since I tightened down the grip screws. Think of this item as, fancy grip tape that has the appearance of hand-checkering.

Put one on a 1911 and loved it. Then realized that with a bit of trimming works great on a Sig P220 as well.

Decided to try it out and was in for a great surprise. looks really good, feels good to the hand and worked under three different grip panels. I also decided to try it on a Sig P220, it's a little long, but I'm going to get another, cut it down and it will be perfect.

In the context of form, function and value, this is a great addition to a 1911 pistol. Much less expensive than having a checkering job done to the frame, and it's functionality is everything I wanted. Good design, ease of installation, and improved grip on the pistol for $10.00. What a deal!

This most simple of attachments transforms any 1911 instantly.
Whoever thought this up needs a medal for design genius.
I can now "go nuts" in a practical pistol match using hard-ball and my grip doesn't move at all.
Highly recommended and once fitted could not do without

No problems at all installing in my 1911. Fit and finish quite good. Doesn't move or shift in any way when shooting. I've put about 1500 rounds through my weapon since installing and it's still snug and hasn't moved.

i purchased the ss front strap a while back and liked so well i got the blue front strap, they fit great if you work with it a little bit. no regrets i will probably get one for all my 1911 pistols

For a [$] spot you can't go wrong. I cut 3/16 of an inch off to fit my Springfield Compact. Bend with finger slowly to match the contour of the frame. Then bent the edges into the frame opening with the grips off. Reinstall grips and tighten securely. I lightly tapped down a few areas with a nylon face gunsmith hammer. Low and behold, perfect fit! Looks and feels great with terrific grip! Thanks Brownells!

I bought a used 1911 with one of these installed on it. The part is a thin piece of metal with the "checkering" stamped into it. The grip does not move and is held in place by the grip panels.

I like this part enough to purchase another for one of my other 1911's. For the price it is an excellent product. I would recommend this part to anyone who wants to see if they want to have the front strap of their 1911 checkered. It's nice enough to be a permanent addition if also desired. It is also a good alternative for someone who does not want to alter a somewhat collectible 1911.

As said previously, no instructions included. After playing with this front strap for about 10 minutes, I found the easiest way to install it was to reinstall both grip panels very loosely and then place this insert between the loose grips and hold in place while I tightened the screws. I was very pleased with this front strap once in place and it looks and feels great on my SR1911.

This is a stamped stainless sheet that wraps around your front strap, providing a checkered surface. That's all it is. Do not expect exactly the same result as a custom checkering job. It's not magic. However, it's not a piece of trash either. The material is thick enough to be very durable, but thin enough to work with. Like any custom gun modification, it requires fitting to get a good result. When properly trimmed and bent to lock into the cutouts in the gun's frame, this WILL NOT MOVE and looks like a custom checker from more than a few feet away. The grip enhancement is identical to a real checker job. I installed it on my highly customized EMP as a test to decide if I want to checker it, and I think I'm just going to keep this instead! Is it out of place on a $1600 one-of-a-kind pistol? Maybe a bit, but I'm satisfied. I prefer it to permanently modifying the aluminum alloy frame.

Not a fan of this item. Could not get it to fit correctly. One side comes pre-bent, but the otherside would not reach to fit. And it slides up and down with recoil. I think I'll just try some grip tape.

This is basically a piece of sheet metal that is textured like a cheese grater. I installed this on a S&W 1911PD as an alternative to spending $350 for checkering. Minor fitting (bending the sheet metal) was required but nothing the average person could not handle. The grip panels hold in place however it will shift slightly with the pistol's recoil. To counter this, I used a little adhesive to anchor it in place. This is not as clean or asthetically pleasing as a good checkering job but it does the job. Skate board tape will work just as well.

I used this product on my rock island tactical 9mm 1911. Instead of shelling out $200-$400 to have the front strap checkered and refinished. Fingers don't slip at all now, works fantastic. Does not come with any instructions for installing, but easy enough to figure out. Hook the already bent side of the front strap on the pistol frame and replace the grip on that same side(the small cut out notch faces the bottom of the magazine well) . Have a friend help you stretch the front strap around the front part of the frame to get a very snug fit. Then take smooth piece of hardwood, like an oak trim piece cut small enough to get in the space on the frame side you have not put the grip on yet. Use the wood to bend the metal around the frame. You can slide the wood and bend the metal piece fairly easily around that 90 degree on the frame, the wood keeps you from marring the blue/stainless finish. If you get this part on tight enough you won't have any horizontal play on the strap. I purchased some low profile grips and put these on the at same time. If your grips have a good grip to frame fit they will cut out any vertical play on the strap when they are tightened down. If this piece is installed correctly you will not have any movement of the metal front strap piece. I have fired several hundred rounds and still as tight as the day I installed it.

For my particular pistol, the Stainless Steel frontstrap was a perfect match. The backstrap was already checkered and this matches perfectly.The frontstrap was smooth from the factory, I felt more grip would benefit a better draw. This piece is the ticket. I had to do some trimming, for a perfect fit on a shorter Commander style grip, which is an easy chore. It is not loose or moving around when tightened under the grips. I'm happy. It's metal, not plastic.

This was an easy fit onto an Officer's size frame... Only requires about a 1/4 removed from the bottom and a touch of cutting to modify where the panel grips the cut-outs in the frame.

Added substantial grip for a low price.

I put a layer of double sided tape on the frame to shield the frame and hold the panel in place.

When ever I get around to refinishing the frame on my gun, this will be removed and a proper checkering done on the frame itself... But if you don't want to modify the frame this is a good option.

Worth the price, won't win beauty contests or earn respect of the high dollar custom crowd... But it is very functional.

I only wish Wilson made a "factory" piece for Officer's frames... I've seen quite a few folks who had to modify these to fit their frames. Me included now.

Needed to bend the tabs twice to get a proper fit on my springer, but once the grips are screwed down, it doesn't move a mm. I also put a piece of electrical tape on the back for added stability and finish protection.

An excellent idea, and decent implementation. It's a stamped and formed piece of sheet metal that is squeezed between your grips and the frame. Super fast to install or remove. It gives pretty good grip, too. I found I didn't much like the way it looked on my pistol, and ended up not using it. If you feel like you must have something other than a smooth front surface, this is a good way to get it on the cheap. After replacing my rubber wrap-around grips I realized I was fine with a smooth front and left it off.

Ive had mine on my full size 1911 for years and i love it. It stays put and gives me a positive grip without expensive work to my gun. Get one.

Fit the thing correctly, it only goes on one way. Bend the edges over into the cutout on the frame (note that it fits the Colt). Some other frames with a different side cut-out will not fit and it will come loose regularly. Glue doesn't seem to help very much.It is too long for the Officer rrame and will need to be cut off at the bottom and that end refitted.

The product description accurately describes this frontstrap, and it works well at its price point. Let's keep this in perspective, and don't expect it to compete with a custom checkering job, as the price reflects that.

I put this on a 3" Kimber Ultra Carry (officers model size 1911), and I had to trim about 5 rows from the top to get it to fit the curve going into the triggerguard. It cuts easily with a sharp pair of scissors.

Not as good as real checkering, but way better than skateboard tape!

Looks great, feels AWESOME!! Worth every penny of [$] Only reason it does'nt get 5 stars is it has a "shortcut install". could better if it installed under the grips more solidly

Most Wilson products are excellent: this one, however, is junk. It appears to be a piece of pressed aluminum, with very sharp edges and no way to adequately secure it to the pistol. It depends on a friction fit with about 1/8th inch underneath each grip panel. It could easily be reengineered to attach to the grip screws, but as it is, you get a ten-dollar checkering job for about ten dollars.

I found it easy to instal. It looks some what cheap but once I installed it, it looks fine and has made a great improvement on the handling of my 1911. This is a great deal for the money, works great too.

doesnt fit right on an officer model and what ever i did could not keep it in place while i was shooting so i went back to the skateboard grip tape

The term "checkered" is misleading. It is actually a piece of thin sheet medal perforated from the back side to give a rough texture on the front. I haven't put it on my gun yet because I'm not sure it'll work better than the grip tape I already have on it.

I bought one of these for my Springer and thought it looked great and felt real good at least for the first couple weeks. After that it started moving around on the frame and for the life of me I can't get it to stay in the same place for more than a day or two and it always moves when I go practicing at the range. A friend suggested either glueing it on or using double sided tape but I really don't want to put any adhesive on my gun.

I have since took it off the Springer and tried it on another 1911 and it won't stay in place at all on the second gun. It is now in the used parts bin and anybody that wants to borrow it to see if it works on your gun is welcome to it for nothing.

I won't be buying another one.

The healine says it all. The feel is close to a 1911 with custom filed checkering without spending the time and money for refinishing. Put a light coat of grease under the insert to keep rust from forming unnoticed. Otherwise, this is a great addition.

to short to wrap around the front strap and stay secured by the grip panels. cheap looking and not quite blue.

Just got this and put it on my Kimber Pro Carry.
It feels like checkering, and makes my Kimber sticky. One reviewer said it's plastic, but it's metal. WHile it is more brown than black, I think I can tinker with that.
It's a lot cheaper than having the checkering done on a black alum frame and having it refiinshed.
I have a colt that's more Wilson than Colt, and like all their procucts.
I did a little fitting and got it to ride lower, right down to the bottom of the grip. Works great with my Lasergrips, too.

for [$] cant be beat great feel good gripgreat fit highly recomend

This front strap instantly transformed my Kimber Desert warrior from my slipperiest handgun to a rock solid grip. The coarse LPI makes my front strap like Velcro to my fingers, and when you compare $10 to the cost of getting your frame checkered and refinished this is an easy choice.

I bought two of these and installed them on two of my customers guns and they work GREAT. Not only are they simple and easy to install, but they look good on the gun and most of all, they work. These are a must have if you need more grip and your on a tight budget. Best ten dollar fix ever, thanks Brownells...Warren Stephens
Gunsmith

when i bought it and it said blued i thought i would at least get a piece of metal but its a think flimsy piece of plastic that barely reaches around the front of my 1911. save the [$] its not worth it