A forum karma was recently offered by Lee for a pair of Herrett's Shooting Star grips. Lee stated that checkering on the front of the grips was abandoned a long time ago in favor of just doing the sides.

I have a pair of Shooting Stars that I purchased for a Model 60 way back in the 1960s, custom made to a pattern of my hand. These are checkered in front.

These grips are illustrated here; now installed on a 640.



Question: about when did the front checkering cease?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I just received a set like yours from ebay. Were marked for k/l and came through J. Sent them back. Herrett has a website. Maybe you can get an answer there. I have around 6 different sets. I like them! Bob

I kinda wondered about that too John. I know that in the last several years I've only come across three sets in person with the wrap around checkering. Two J-Frame sets, and an N-Frame set. I acquired one J set and the N frame set. I have some others, K/L, J, Colt, etc., but all only checkered on the sides.

Wonder if they just made some runs with the wrap around checkering, as opposed to phasing them out during some approximate time period? I can see where just checkering the sides would be easier/quicker to manufacture.

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

It's apparent on the set made specifically for me, that the checkering was done by hand rather than being machine made. That had to take time and be labor intensive, increasing costs. I guess Herrett's found this not to be an advantage to their bottom line. I wonder if they still do custom work from a hand tracing?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I have the same set on my vintage Model 60, but instead of wrap-around checkering it has raised lines etched in the front of the grips.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

In 1995 I bought a used S&W Model 63 that came with a set of Herretts with full wrap around front checkering. I don't know when the guy put the Herretts on it.

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183rd FBINA

I'd just ask Herrett's.

Texas Star, I'd read on the internet some time ago, so it must be true, that Herretts was no longer. I notice that their website has not been revised since 2004...

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

I can no longer resist writing that I do not know. I do not know. However, I have liked Shooting Stars for a long time. I've never bought a pair new. I'm pretty sure I bought used Shooting Stars that only had vertical grooves on their front straps during the later 1980s so grooves replaced wrap around checkering before then. I can be corrected by anyone who remembers for sure.

During the last week or two it was posted that Herrett's is still in business and answering their phone.

Shooting Stars do not spread recoil over as large an area on the web of my thumb as S&W made Targets do but they reduce trigger reach for DA shooting. They are a big improvement on Ruger Six series revolvers which always came with skimpy wood. I do not like Shooting Stars or any other open back strap stocks on J frames. Unlike K, L and N frames, J frames need a little added trigger reach.

I have two sets of Herrett Shooting stars with obviously hand-cut checkering just like the OP has pictured. They came on a 1972 S&W Bodyguard and on a S&W 19-3. Fit and finish are very good.

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FFL08

The Herrett's on my 1942 Official Police have wrap around checkering. When I first pictured and wrote about it, as it has unique WWII history, I got so many messages to "get those nasty Herrett's off of it". I do have the correct Colt grips on it now but those Herrett's are still in the drawer. They fit my hand very, very well.

The Shooting Stars I bought new in the 60s had wrap around checkering.

since these aren't checkered, but:

Picture 011.jpg

I think they're quite nice

Well, I'd show my Herrett's from 2-3 years ago with wrap-around checkering, but fototime ate my pictures. Hope they come back.

They look like mine. I am curious about the value of these grips.

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I found these N frame Shooting Stars for $7 and they were were very light colored wood with checkering that didn't go around the front. I removed the checkering and the little thumb rest on the right side,but left the trigger finger rest on the right side. Being left handed that finger rest is now my thumb rest. It's very subtle and these grips feel excellent shooting light to moderate loads in mt 24-3 .44 Special. I oiled and sanded them many times to darken them. I left the vertical lines in front of the grips where they meet. They are kind of this and might not be great with heavier loads.

I have Herret's Shooting Star stocks on my 4 inch Model 19-3. I have to say that these stocks are incredibly comfortable, even with magnum ammo. There is something about the shape that just fits my hands so well. Mine are checkered on the sides, grooved on the front.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Mine are checkered around the front. Official police is a reblued shooter and these feel excellent. Beautiful wood.

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From old catalogs: about 1972 for the change from full checkering to checkering on the sides of off-the-rack Shooting Star grips. The entire stock was changed, not only the checkering.

The last several years, the web site has shown the wrap around checkering again.

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