# A Hammergrip prototype slingshot made from GPO3



## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

This one is made from GPO3 so it's really tough. I like the red color and the workability of this material so I made a prototype that has pretty much everything I want in a hammer grip slingshot.

The shape locks into the hand and is forward canted as well. 2.5" fork gap, OTT tips are 1" wide to accommodate full size bands, and the TTF side is a little wider than an inch since it's closer to the hand and heavier can be comfortably used.

Anyway, pictures tell the story better than words soooooo:


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## Lug (Nov 12, 2013)

Wow. Beautiful design, Bill. Is it me or is hammer grip trending?


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

wow nice new one !

cheers

PS: and thanks for the good video


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Woo, sweet!! Loving the hammer grip!!


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Now there is a great looking shooter..well thought out design..should be a great for both Target & Hunting small game

just use the band set that applies for ammo used...Thanks Bill for sharing another great product..AKAOldmiser


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

Another outstanding design from the fertile mind of Mr. Bill Hays. Congratulations!


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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

Nice work bill!


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## Stretch (Jan 8, 2012)

I love it!


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## carboncopy (Jan 14, 2014)

Wow nice work and cool color!


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## LBH2 (Jul 20, 2013)

Very nice prototype&#8230;&#8230;let it roll! LBH2


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

Yes...yes, that should do nicely.


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## MiracleWorker (Jan 25, 2014)

Looks great Bill.


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## rlmlam (Nov 1, 2011)

Man that is really nice Bill

Rick


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## Samurai Samoht (Apr 6, 2013)

Looks awesome! Really like how it is canted forward like you mentioned. Do you think you might make it so a FlipClip can be used to attach the bands?

Tom


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

GPO3 is a fiberglass fiber reinforced polyester laminate... fairly impervious to fork hits and such, it'll dent and scar but not break off to easy. So it's kind of like G10 in that way, but G10 is stronger because it's made of laminated sheets of fiberglass as opposed to loose fiber.

Since it's less structured, it's easier to work and makes knocking out prototypes fairly easy.... This is actually number 8 in the series of prototypes, OldMiser is getting number 3 and some of the kids from the school will get the others. Generally I'll work a new design over a period of weeks or even months making a new piece with improvements after messing around with the previous prototype.

In this case I made 8 generations before settling on this one as fitting all the criteria I wanted.

Slingshots like the Scorpion, I made something like 10 generations.

Hammergrips trending.... I don't know... maybe? I've made Hammergrip designs off and on for the last 3 years, and many/most people in the general population seem to gravitate towards them over other hold styles... Soooo, this one is the one I was thinking might make a nice injection molded production model. Maybe the grip in a black Kraton type rubber and the beavertail/top in a fiberglass reinforced polyester, colors would be OD Green, Black or Red. That's my thinking anyway.

As for FlipClip useability, I'm sure there's possibilities but I'm not working on that right now.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

That's a cool slingshot.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

wow... that is cool Bill!


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## oldstevie (Dec 7, 2013)

this looks an excellent well thought out slingshot,

i don,t have much experience with hammer grips , do they allow for a stronger draw?


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks Guys, it's just what I do!



oldstevie said:


> this looks an excellent well thought out slingshot,
> 
> i don,t have much experience with hammer grips , do they allow for a stronger draw?


Generally speaking most people can shoot heavier with hammer grip slingshots over finger/thumb brace slingshots. Hammer grips are generally more stable as well so consistency and accuracy is usually improved.

Things I look for on a hammer grip slingshot are:

1) a beavertail to extend a little over the thumb web,

2) not to narrow where the thumb web contacts the handle (this is the fulcrum point),

3) indexing for the fingers for a repeatable grip

4) narrow where the pinky and ring fingers hook onto the handle so they can easily hold tighter without shake and draw force is still easily controlled

5) a rearward positioned lanyard hole so that when the lanyard is in place it will be useful to act as a brace for enhanced stability and even greater accuracy even with heavier bands

6) forks that are low enough to control leverage yet far enough from the hand so that it would be very difficult to hit yourself even with careless speed shooting type shots

7) interchangeable or universal forks, so that a variety of elastics can be used... big single tubes, looped tubes of all sorts, squares and flat bands in OTT or TTF configurations.

8) made from STRONG materials that can shrug off inadvertent abusive like fork hits, dropping and environment conditions like rain, cold and heat

In short, this slingshot hits on all cylinders so we hope to have it ready for the masses real soon!


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## JUSTJOB (Dec 26, 2013)

Very nice design, just too cool! I like it a lot, and can see that a whole bunch of thought and planning has gone into the design of it.


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## peppermack (Dec 10, 2013)

Bill, is that one solid piece of GPO3 or a couple of sheets epoxied together. I was locking at GPO3 a couple of weeks ago and couldn't find anything over 1/2" thick?

Love that hammer grip too Sir. After the PFS I'm making right now I think a sweet hammer grip out of some thick stock micarta I have is going to have to be next. Love the sounds of the injection molded ones you are going to do. Giddy Up!


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## oldstevie (Dec 7, 2013)

thanks for the comprehensive reply Bill.

i wish you luck with this one


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

I want too thank you Mr.Bill Hays the GOP number 3 arrived today Feb 22 2014 in the mail..I am very impressed with the over all

design..For this Hammer grip style fits my hand like a taylor made custom glove..very comfortable to hold..any way it is too me

seeing how I have really small hands...I will be shooting it later..as of last night nite the flu bug hit me..So just not up to par

I posted Your slingshot in my thread "Restart for Oldmiser"...Again my friend I can not thank you enough..I will be looking at

more of your fine products..From your Gallery of slingshots..I fell In love with your Take Down Shooter...My The good Lord

Bless you with your future of making slingshots for people to enjoy the sport of shooting..AKA Oldmiser


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## Outlaw (Jan 16, 2014)

Thats a very nice design slingshot, good luck with it.

Is this design better as the Rambone slingshot?


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Everybody has their own personal preferences... for me this one is better than the Rambone, but for someone else, they may prefer it instead. Variety is the spice of life.

Here's a video of me doing a simple impact test on GPO3:


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## AmmoMike (Dec 31, 2013)

Very,Very nice !!

Mike


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Now that video is positive for any fork hits that may happen..Just a simple mark of the steel ball..not even a dent

I am sure that will be a great selling point for the GPO 3 slingshot..Thank you for sharing this video~AKAOldmiser


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

cool!
do you know where you got the GPO3?

i would like to get some but i cant find any?


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## Underachiever (Oct 17, 2013)

I´m thrilled.....congratulations mate!!

Take care!

Luke


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## chipinmd (Feb 13, 2014)

Looks great. I'm digging the way you allow for multiple set ups. I'm still searching for which I prefer. That looks like it will be very comfortable and easy to establish a consistent grip for accuracy.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Bill Hays said:


> Everybody has their own personal preferences... for me this one is better than the Rambone, but for someone else, they may prefer it instead. Variety is the spice of life.
> 
> Here's a video of me doing a simple impact test on GPO3:


Not to go off topic , but.. Could you make a video some time with that camera angle @10m. Shooting at a " visible to camera " spinner target and just making shots at it? I know it's an odd request for a sharpshooter to do, but sometimes it's cool just to watch repetitive shots and helpful to watch the habits of the shooter 

When you have time, thanks

LGD


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## BrotherDave (Oct 29, 2012)

Bill, since you work with high tech materials like GPO3, do you know anything about TeroTuf? I've been looking at knife handle materials, and the TeroTuf sounds like it would make a good slingshot too.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Prices comparable to g10?


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

Very elegant, i like that one Bill!


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

GPO3 costs less than half as much as G10... has plenty of impact resistance, very tough and strong.... AND it's RED!

You can get it at a lot of different places but for ease of ordering and less hassle, I prefer McMaster-Carr.... http://www.mcmaster.com/#electrical-grade-fiberglass-(gpo3)-sheets/=qtl2ff

I'm not sure where you might find it in Great Britain or greater Europe, but I think McMaster-Carr does ship there as well.



lightgeoduck said:


> Bill Hays said:
> 
> 
> > Everybody has their own personal preferences... for me this one is better than the Rambone, but for someone else, they may prefer it instead. Variety is the spice of life.
> ...


I've made a few at about that angle...

This one is from that angle:






and this video is more of an advanced shooter's perspective on continuing improvement


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

peppermack said:


> Bill, is that one solid piece of GPO3 or a couple of sheets epoxied together. I was locking at GPO3 a couple of weeks ago and couldn't find anything over 1/2" thick?
> 
> Love that hammer grip too Sir. After the PFS I'm making right now I think a sweet hammer grip out of some thick stock micarta I have is going to have to be next. Love the sounds of the injection molded ones you are going to do. Giddy Up!


Thats' three pieces of 3/4" glued together with g-flex epoxy then pinned with carbon fiber tubes as pins.... DragonPlate.com is a real good source for those.


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## Davidka (Jun 8, 2013)

Looks beautiful and well thought of. One of these days...


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Here's the video you requested Greg, thought I'd just go ahead and "kill two birds with one stone".


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Excellent video by the master Mr. Bill Hays..Very educational..thank you for sharing this excellent video~AKAOldmiser


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

It is always a pleasure to watch you shoot. :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:


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## shale0007 (Dec 27, 2011)

hello bill,

I was just wondering if you are making these hammer grip slingshots available for purchase yet?


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## Aries666 (Feb 22, 2014)

Love it, looks sleek and tough. I would get it in black


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