Most of the letter was information that many here on the site have already given me. Shipped to Wolf & Klar on July 31, 1931 in four in nickel .44 special with checkered walnut square butt grips. No mention of medallions, so would it be correct of me to assume the grips are the checkered service grips with no medallions The reason I'm asking is because I'll be going to a gun show tomorrow to try and find a set of grips closer to the age of the revolver.

No opinions?

Rough rule of thumb is that silver medallion grips were standard about 1930. You should check the grips that are on the gun, and see if they are numbered to either the serial number or the work order number ( on the frame/yoke where the cylinder closes.

Mike Priwer

I know the grips on the gun are not correct,they're from the late 50s. If I had not gotten this letter from Roy Jinks I also would have assmed the origanal grips would have been the large medallion type but the letter just states checkered walnut square butt.

here's a link the my first thread.
Help with .44 special date

I agree with Mike. It should have round top checkered service grips with flat chrome medallions.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

That was my thinking also but here's a scan of the letter with no mention of medallions.

Attached Images

Scan 2.jpg (44.9 KB, 57 views)

Mr Jinks tells you what the shipping records shows. The grips would be whatever was in current productions. So, I would say service grips with large silver medallions would be correct for your 1931 .44 Special.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Your probably right but it's a start. I don't mind if it a takes a year or longer I don't plan on selling the gun any time in the future anyway. I just don't want to spent 200 or 300 on the wrong ones, that's the reason I'm asking these questions.

As a die hard W&K admirer, I have come to the conclusion that that company had a "thing" about grips. There is a good possibility that the company replaced the factory grips with their own line of jigged bone or pearl (or even ivory) grips. Somewhere in Ft. Worth there is a footlocker with about 10,000 pair of S&W (and Colt) factory grips from the 20's and 30's. Also, if you haven't noticed, pre-war N frame grips are slightly longer than post-war.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Yes Sir I've thought the same thing about W&K, wondering what they did with all the grips they took off the guns they got.
Yes I'm aware that pre war are larger, the grip on mine are from the 50s and are about a 1/16 inch to short.

It still amazes me that this gun is in the shape it's in after 86 years. I'm truly grateful for the members here that have looked at the gun in the close ups that I have taken and considered it to be the original finish. I only wish that I were Mr. Spock and could touch the gun and know its history.

I have a question which may clear up the fact there is no mention of medallions. Did you ask about the medallions in your letter request?

I ask because I've been sitting here staring at A BUNCH of letters on pre-war guns. Each and every one of them mentioned/described the grips---and made no mention of the medallions. I suspect no mention was made because I didn't ask. In all cases where I (obviously) did ask about one thing or another not typically treated in a letter, he responded to my inquiry.

And of course not all such responses were necessarily to my liking. The most recent was concerning the grips on a pre-war .44 HE. The grips are ivory. The medallions are period correct. The medallions are also I frame size, so that was a bit out of order. The new news (to me) was "Smith & Wesson did not offer ivory grips for their "N" frame revolvers."

But that's okay, because these grips are still pretty spiffy.

Ralph Tremaine

I haven't lettered this one yet but it's a year or two earlier than yours, was found recently in a storage locker in Texas that hadn't been opened since 1975 and was found with these W&K Pearls with their style of Roman Numerals carved on back.

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Get off my lawn!

Generally, S&W stocks had medallions, so that is not necessarily worth mentioning. When they didn't, my letters specifically state "non-medallion stocks". Since yours doesn't say that, I would not overthink this and work on the assumption that the stocks were the type shipped standard on these revolvers at the time.

They are out there.
Found a like new set at my last gun show. No serial number on the back so I was even happier.

Then three rows away I found two beater sets that are really rough but the large medallions looked great so I bought them just for the hardware.

Three pair in one day. Just need a little luck.

No I didn't ask about the medallions when I sent the form in, I really didn't even think about that. I did send a picture of the gun and commented that the grips that were on it were not correct.