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Stippling the grip of a Springfield XD-45

Stippling the grip of a Springfield XD or any polymer framed gun for that matter is easy. Stupid easy. I scoured the Internet trying to find the “magic stippling device” to save money by doing it myself. After some through surfing, I found the device, A SOLDERING IRON!!! Yes that’s right, no acid, no heat blanket, and no press. A soldering iron. I don’t know what this does to the resale value of a firearm but I plan to use this pistol for a very long time, and prefer a stippled grip. Whatever plastic polymer the XD employs, it lends itself very well to stippling. I used a 45-watt small tipped iron and started on the front strap. I went in even evenly spaced rows on the raised parts of the grip strap. Then I went back between the marks I had previously made. This made neat rows of a pseudo-random pattern (no matter how accurate you are, it will be random, and that is a GOOD thing). I continued this technique on the back strap. For the grip sides I outlined the perimeter of the raised parts and around the logo (that might have been good or bad) then just picked small sections and started pressing random dots into the plastic. Every now and then I would press a large dot in the pattern, but be careful, this process cannot be undone In fact don’t even do this. When you heat the plastic it is actually expanding. Just take your time go slow and don’t press too hard, you will be fine. Really.

First, take the slide off the gun

I used a 45-watt soldering iron with a small tip (needs a lot of quick heat)

I started by pressing the iron on the raised ridges of the front strap and then pressing again between the ridges to make a random pattern.

Just go slow and take your time it’s easy, fun, simple, and yields GREAT results.

I just took one small area at a time for the sides.

Stippled the raised part of the trigger guard.

I completed the front, the sides, and a small part of the back-strap. I did not stipple the top of the back-strap because it might interfere with quick draw situations.

I put these gears (cause I like gears) on some of my extended magazine spacers. I put this special spacer on my best mag. This helps assure that (at least) my first mag, will drop free. All of my mags have something different on the mag spacers as well, this helps me find my mags and not get them mixed up with anyone else's at matches. XD45 mags only get around 1000 rounds through them before they deform and stop dropping free. they can be bent and re-worked back into shape, but will deform in a quarter of the time after that from fatigue.

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