grips

Z

zworld

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Ok, I just picked up my uberti 1873 cattleman. I want to make it a john wayne replica. I want to get some aged ivory grips. Anyone know a good place?
 
How about wood grips

for 1851 and 1860 Colts. Though it seems like 'grip' (one piece ) should be proper.

I see inexpensive blanks at Dixie Gun Works but they sound like they might need lots of work, and may be too small. I have some grips on a Navy Arms that I think are walnut. They are cut so that they appear to have stripes that move as the angle of the grip changes. I really like that. Reminds me of the jewelery stone 'cat's eye'.

I would like to duplicate that look for some other pistols. It would be difficult to make them without some real woodworking equipment.

Anyone have a grip on this?
 
Any grips you get will have to be fitted. There are no grips that will fit perfectly unless you just get really lucky with a set of factory grips. The Italians finish out the grip frames with the grips attached, so no two sets are the same.
 
Hawg

Yes, that's true, but in looking at the Dixie starter wood blocks, I wonder how you know if they are large enough. Guess ya just have to try 'em.

I see that the Gripmaker and Buffalo Brothers grips seem to be very close to finished. So how much variation would there really be if a grip company made the sizes for each brand and model? Maybe no one is doing that, I don't know. I'm surprised that hasn't happened though.

I have tried several web searches but can't seem to re-find one that I think I liked, when I saw it before. I have also tried searching different parts of this site. Thought I might have found something in the gear and accessories of the Skunkworks forum, but didn't see many BP grips there.

I was also hoping there might be some more leads in this thread, Even though I'm looking for a different model than the OP. Hope that this is not hijacking......seems silly to start a new thread on the same topic for a different model.
 
I see that the Gripmaker and Buffalo Brothers grips seem to be very close to finished. So how much variation would there really be if a grip company made the sizes for each brand and model? Maybe no one is doing that, I don't know. I'm surprised that hasn't happened though.
Click to expand...

They will be a little oversize to ensure they will work. It's not just the brand and model that's different. You can take two Uberti SAA's with consecutive serial numbers and the grips will not interchange.

These are Buffalo Bros. You can see they're still a little proud in the front but were close enough to not worry about but had to be sanded down in the back.

 
Ok, we all know any grips you get for the Italian guns are going to be oversized so they can be fitted. That's a given. I just want to know about the quality of the grips, and turn around time. Dave at tombstone has a 3 or 4 month wait. Looking for options. I can file and sand, not a problem there.
 
Hawg, those fake stag look damn good. But I want to do a john wayne replica. So I'm looking at an aged ivory grip for my cattleman.
 
The first two links I posted are replicas of a set of grips from one of Wayne's personally owned revolvers. One is for righties, the other for lefties. With buffalo brothers, when you place an order, they usually ship right away if what you order is in stock.
 
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Zack Peterson custom made these stag grips for me.
I know you are wanting ivory, he may be able to make a pair of stag grips with no bark (the brown texture and specs) then age them to appear like ivory.
 
So how does one fit grips to a revolver?

It would seem to me best to sand them on the gun, but then you will damage the bluing or other finish. Is there a way to do it without damaging the frame finish?

Steve
 
zworld-- I web-searched 'ivory grips for uberti cattleman' and got some results. I don't know what 'John Wayne' grips are...he was in a lot of westerns. One of the sites listed above had some yellowed fake ivory they called John Wayne.

I think the white repro grips will either be plastic (PVC?) or some type of cast resin. I have a white grip on a Pietta 1851 colt that is very soft and has cracked inside. It scratches easily. I am thinking of replacing it with wood,

As far as real ivory (personally don't believe in killing elephants), www.classicsingleaction.com has some shown, their grip #21. What I found interesting on that site besides the wide range of wood, was the different grip contours. Don't know how you choose one without holding it though.

maillemaker--think you put over-sized grip on. Then trace around frame with a sharp pointed marker on the back of the grip. Remove grip. File and fit to the marks. Then cover the frame with tough thin tape. Reinstall grip and sand etc, to the final contour, while watching tape like a hawk. Maybe a sharp knife sliding over the tape, flat side of blade against the tape?
 
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I think the white Pietta grips are plastic. Most of the ivory/stag aftermarket grips are resin and durable. The only real ivory you can get is pre ban and you will pay out the nose for it. There's also mammoth ivory but it's not cheap either.
 
Some synthetics are more delicate than others and can chip if dropped or bumped hard on a shooting bench. Another option is American Holly. It is fairly tight grained and has a bone/ivory look to it.
If you are thinking about the custom route I can only recommend Joe Perkins at Classic Single Action. He has previously done a Model P in walnut for me and is currently applying some American Holly to another. All his carving is done off of the frame so no grinding on your gun.
Well worth the wait and at a fair price.
 
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