Chiappa Little Bader Pistol Grip - lets pool our knowledge

[wayupnorth]

so, ive got a Chiappa Little Badger.
LOVE it!
it lives in my Quad and comes with me whenever im out and about on trails and such.
i decided to show it a little love since i find im using it a lot and i picked up a couple upgrades for it.

that said im come to an perplexing issue with the gun.

the gun has no pistol grip and a very small wire frame for the but stock.
i find that i am in need of one of the other for comfort.
ive decided to go at the problem by trying to put a pistol grip on the gun.

now initially i thought this would be a quick simple fix.
the gun has 2 threaded holes there and also a picatinny rail there as well.
in walk the problem.
no after market pistol grip i have seen yet will fit and the small chunk of picatinny rail that is there is not a standard 20mm one.

so initially i talked to Chiappa and they sent me one of their 'pistol grips' that they make for the gun.
i thought this would be my answer.
designed and made specifically by the original manufacturer for this gun, has to be the answer.
sadly no.
the pistol grip they make is plastic, and not the good kind of plastic, but rather it feels like those old film cases you would put your film in back int the 80's.

so thats a no go.
so then i started trying some AR pistol grips.
took some off my ARs to try.
nope, mine thread in, which i thought would work but dont for 2 reasons.
1 - the little badgers threaded holes are not the same as the ARs bolts, the angle as well is wrong.
2 - the small picatinny rail chunk that is there blocks the AR pistol grip for seating.

so i then thought id pick up a forward vertical rail pistol grip.
then i noticed that the small chunk of picatinny rail on the little badger is not the normal size like the quad rails on its front.
they are in fact about 1/4 smaller in width.
say 15mm wide instead of the normal 20mm.

so then i thought id just remove the rail and put on a after market one.
nope, the rail is carved into the metal unlike the removable ones on the forgrip.

so that is where i am.
so my question is this.....
does anyone know what size this small chunk of picatinny rail is, can i get a pistol grip to fit it?
if not does anyone know of a AR pistol grip that has a massive cut out on the top?

im guessing that ill have to do some dremal work.
either take a stock AR pistol grip and cut it wide open to fit over the small chunk of rail, then redrill the hole in it to match up to the hole in the gun (angle) and then pick up a machined bolt to fit length and thread.

OR

go to a machine shop with the ####ty plastic chiappa pistol grip and see if they can fab me a aluminum one copying the plastic.

at the end of all that all i can think is..... why
why did chiappa out this useless small chunk of picatinny rail on here that does not fit anything???

here are some pics and a video.
any comments and help are appreciated.

the cheap ####ty chiappa pistol grip

the rail / holes behind the trigger

holding a AR pistol grip up to the rail, you can see how the AR gap is a lot smaller then the rails width is

here is the rail on the underside, im holding a 45' offset rail on it so you can see how it dosnt fit on it (was the smallest thing i had handy to show with)

uploading a video now, will post the link when its done.

 

[wayupnorth]

 

[Daver_II]

I have filed both an AR grip (not shown) and a tapco grip (see pic) and both have worked quite well.

I only assembled this as a joke, but I actually kind of like it... I find it very comical.

 

[Gunslinger]

Very "minimalist"

 

[Daver_II]

Very "minimalist"

The giant muzzle break really tames the .22 high velocities....

 

[nw mb]

i can't find the gun!

 

[brts28]

I would probably take the original Chiappa pistol grip they sent you and fill it with epoxy or contact cement or something and let it harden. would that make it rigid enough to be functional?

 

[nw mb]

LOVE it!
it lives in my Quad
im come to an perplexing issue with the gun.
the gun has no pistol grip and a very small wire frame for the but stock.
i find that i am in need of one of the other for comfort.
no after market pistol grip i have seen yet will fit and the small chunk of picatinny rail that is there is not a standard 20mm one.
the pistol grip they make is plastic
threaded holes are not the same as the ARs bolts
picatinny rail chunk that is there blocks the AR pistol grip for seating
the small chunk of picatinny rail on the little badger is not the normal size like the quad rails on its front
the rail is carved into the metal unlike the removable ones on the forgrip
at the end of all that all i can think is..... why???

the cheap ####ty chiappa pistol grip

you love the gun ...so do i ...and in spite of what some others think, it is a great gun ...small, fly-weight, accurate, sturdily made barrel/receiver/wire frame/VERY sensitive trigger
lives on your quad ...it is extremely portable ...can be stowed anywhere
you want it more comfortable ...it is a bit cramped to shoot, especially the standard, blocky, plastic sights ...and don't try to extend that stock as their lit says you can, you get about 3cm increase and it becomes wonky-wobbly, leave it alone ...but you are correct, a nice, small, ergo, lightweight pistol grip would be welcome ...i didn't buy the chiappa grip because it just looks goofy/clunky ...the rifle fills a void for me, ultra lightweight, portable/hideable, accurate, cheap to shoot, non-restricted
why didn't they outfit it better? ...there's no real answer to that question ...my life's too short as it is to waste even a few seconds on wondering about other's stupidity, best just to move on to a solution

so here's my take on it, stimulated by this thread (winter's when i try and fix stuff...my off season)

...first i took off the very low-grade plastic sights ['pay attention to the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves' - Colin Fletcher, the 1,000 mile summer] ...they are the the most vile things on this rifle!
...second, put a metal muzzle protector on in place of the plastic with which it comes (jb has them cheap) ...the plastic one just strips anyway
...third, put a lightweight, compact electronic sight on (or compact .22 scope), which will show the accuracy of which this rifle is capable and allow you to shoot it without neck seizures
...fourth, put a lightweight sling on (cheap, homebuilt nylon strap with buckles off some tanked backpack (i salvage everything that comes through my door))
...fifth, buy a carlson aluminum hammer extension through al's corner store in ontario, and carefully use a dremel tool to open it's slot a bit to fit, it makes a lot of difference
...and last, add a sturdy pistol grip...your query...

...the gun is so damn robust in its stripped down state, the grip should be likewise ...and it should be comfortable ...and it should not add an ounce of weight

...so here's my take on it ...i'll start looking for a piece of heavy-walled aluminum tubing of good diametre ...i think that the i.d. should be fairly small so that you can use a bolt to anchor it snuggly against the wierd-rail (although give them credit that this is made of metal and a part of the receiver, so it will serve as a sturdy point) ...once i find it i will paint it black with the 2-stage epoxy i use here at my place (pricy by the gallon ($120 for each resin and base)), but cheap for a project like this

...i don't think it needs to be so long as to wreck the rifle's ability to fold...or better yet can be unscrewed easily by the use of some pins? ...gimme a month or two and i'll come up with something that keeps the rifle doing what it does best

...anyone interested in something like i describe as an after-market for a few bucks, plus cost of shipping? ...yeah, i could do that this winter as a project

 

[nw mb]

LOVE it!
it lives in my Quad
im come to an perplexing issue with the gun.
the gun has no pistol grip and a very small wire frame for the but stock.
i find that i am in need of one of the other for comfort.
no after market pistol grip i have seen yet will fit and the small chunk of picatinny rail that is there is not a standard 20mm one.
the pistol grip they make is plastic
threaded holes are not the same as the ARs bolts
picatinny rail chunk that is there blocks the AR pistol grip for seating
the small chunk of picatinny rail on the little badger is not the normal size like the quad rails on its front
the rail is carved into the metal unlike the removable ones on the forgrip
at the end of all that all i can think is..... why???

the cheap ####ty chiappa pistol grip

you love the gun ...so do i ...and in spite of what some others think, it is a great gun ...small, fly-weight, accurate, sturdily made barrel/receiver/wire frame/VERY sensitive trigger
lives on you quad ...it is extremely portable ...can be stowed anywhere
you want it more comfortable ...it is a bit cramped to shoot, especially the standard, blocky, plastic sights ...and don't try to extend that stock as their lit says you can, you get about 3cm increase and it becomes wonky-wobbly, leave it alone ...but you are correct, a nice, small, ergo, lightweight pistol grip would be welcome ...i didn't buy the chiappa grip because it just looks goofy/clunky ...the rifle fills a void for me, ultra lightweight, portable/hideable, accurate, cheap to shoot, non-restricted
why didn't they outfit it better? ...there's no real answer to that question ...my life's too short as it is to waste even a few seconds on wondering about other's stupidity, best just to move on to a solution

so here's my take on it, stimulated by this thread (winter's when i try and fix stuff...my off season)

...first i took off the very low-grade plastic sights ['pay attention to the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves' - Colin Fletcher, the 1,000 mile summer] ...they are the the most vile things on this rifle!
...second, put a metal muzzle protector on in place of the plastic with which it comes (jb has them cheap) ...the plastic one just strips anyway
...third, put a lightweight, compact electronic sight on (or compact .22 scope), which will show the accuracy of which this rifle is capable and allow you to shoot it without neck seizures
...fourth, put a lightweight sling on (cheap, homebuilt nylon strap with buckles off some tanked backpack (i salvage everything that comes through my door))
...and last, add a sturdy pistol grip...your query...

...the gun is so damn robust in its stripped down state, the grip should be likewise ...and it should be comfortable ...and it should not add an ounce of weight

...so here's my take on it ...i'll start looking for a piece of heavy-walled aluminum tubing of good diametre ...i think that the i.d. should be fairly small so that you can use a bolt to anchor it snuggly against the wierd-rail (although give them credit that this is made of metal and a part of the receiver, so it will serve as a sturdy point) ...once i find it i will paint it black with the 2-stage epoxy i use here at my place (pricy by the gallon ($120 for each resin and base)), but cheap for a project like this

...i don't think it needs to be so long as to wreck the rifle's ability to fold...or better yet can be unscrewed easily by the use of some pins? ...gimme a month or two and i'll come up with something that keeps the rifle doing what it does best

...anyone interested in something like i describe as an after-market for a few bucks, plus cost of shipping? ...yeah, i could do that this winter as a project

 

[nw mb]

...

 

[nw mb]

...okay so now you got me going

...it appears that a 1/2" diametre piece of tubing would work well as a stub ...and perhaps steel is better to use than aluminum?

...a 1 1/2" long piece would allow two fingers to wrap around it without impeding the folded barrel ...and i will probably grind the end of this so that it sits down between the risers of the (weird sized) metal trigger rail

...a rounded carriage head bolt would provide a smooth surface for the end of the grip

...gonna look for this locally today

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