Had to buy something.

target tech · #1 10-16-2018, 12:21 PM

I was going to walk out of a gun show on Sunday without spending a dime, which wouldn't have hurt my feelings. That seems to happen more so than not for the last few years.
I came across these unrelieved presentation targets that I have nothing to put on, or should I say anything that needs them just now. For a C note I didn't even haggle with the guy. I figured if a 70's vintage pair of goncallo alves targets are fetching $50-75, I'm ahead of the game.
I guess my question to younz is........Is it wrong to replace a perfect pair of number matching magnas and vintage Tyler for a beautiful set of non-matching targets.
My K38 is the only thing I could put them on. The K32 got the non-relieved targets a while back because the grips on it didn't match, so I really didn't care. Or, I could have the sexiest 5" M&P on the block. I guess the magnas will get wrapped up, labeled and put away for the time being.
Have you ever noticed how much better older targets feel in the hand, compared to the slabs of wood they used in the 70s' and 80s'

22hipower · #2 10-16-2018, 12:49 PM

Is it wrong to replace a perfect pair of number matching magnas and vintage Tyler for a beautiful set of non-matching targets.
[/QUOTE]

Very nice stocks. Is it wrong to replace the number matching magnas? Maybe not wrong but I sure wouldn't let them get too far from the gun. I've "misplaced" more than one set by "temporarily" replacing the originals. My rule of thumb now is if the stock SNs match the gun, don't touch them. If, as in the case of my pre-26, a set of non-relieved targets are available, and the magnas on it are "correct" but not numbered to the gun, go ahead and change them. In any case, your K38 looks great! And the K32 too.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

handejector · #3 10-16-2018, 12:50 PM

Wow!
Those grips are worth at least $250.
Good for you.

target tech · #4 10-16-2018, 01:22 PM

I figured I wasn't loosing money. It was kind of strange, because everything at this show is usually priced at all a GB auction could bear. They are rosewood, am I correct? I didn't take a picture of the bottom, but the grain you see is perfectly bookended.

weatherby · #5 10-16-2018, 01:36 PM

Appear to be Goncalo Alves to me.
A great buy.

Jim NNN · #6 10-16-2018, 02:39 PM

Several years ago, I bought a 1959 Model 14 with a pair of non-recessed diamond targets. The grips weren't period correct for the gun, so wouldn't you know I had to go looking for a gun to match the grips! The gun would have to be similar condition to the grips (about 90%) and not equipped with original grips (to keep me from altering it's originality as well as keeping the price of the gun low.)

Last year I found an 85%-ish or more Combat Masterpiece from about 1953. All original except for a set of Pachmayrs. I was in business. The Comb. Mast. cost me in the low 300's, as I recall. It's value was enhanced by the Target grips I put on, though.

It may seem silly to buy a gun to match some grips, but in my situation, the silliness was justified financially.

Nice gun and grips, OP!

target tech · #7 10-16-2018, 03:52 PM

Thanks, I haven't bought a gun to match grips, but I did buy an Enfield because I ended up with about 500 rounds of clean modern South African .303 which was actually 7.7X something, the metric designation.

Jtown · #8 10-16-2018, 04:17 PM

The same thing happened to me the past weekend. I was at a gun show and found nothing of interest until I found these Presentation grips. Put them on my 17-2. What a difference! Here is old and new.

larryofcc · #9 10-16-2018, 04:24 PM

Back in the 60's, I bought a junker Colt SAA 45 prewar for $75. Sent it t Colt and it cost $155 to refurbish it. A new one cost less at the time. It did have the original stocks on it and had a guys name poorly engraved on the inside. Over time, the originals were replaced with a set of beautiful Stags. Of course, I lost the originals. The Colt was shipped to the Copper Queen Mine in 1906.
I sure wish I had the originals now.
I leave all my numbered to the gun stocks on all my S&W's now. Big Larry

LEO918 · #10 10-16-2018, 05:04 PM

Hey tech, I really like those grips. I move grips around some, but I always keep the originals in a bubble wrap bag in the case with the gun. Haven't lost any yet using this process.

Pondoro · #11 10-16-2018, 05:49 PM

I'd keep the grips in the same case as the gun with a note that describes them as original to that gun.

target tech · #12 10-16-2018, 06:39 PM

I wrapped the original grips up, put them in a plastic parts bag, labeled it and placed them behind the pistol rack with the Tyler for safe keeping. Hopefully it wont be too long till I get something that deserves those grips, and I can reunite the K38 with its' original grips.

Green Frog · #13 10-17-2018, 08:40 AM

These are some good looking Target grips that are showing up on this thread. I have to say that I can't warm up to the K- or N-frame size Targets on guns I actually shoot, but they sure look nice. Maybe I should try a pair of the smooth Targets (Presentations?) again and see whether my tastes have changed(??) Regardless; OP, you did extremely well getting those grips at that price... I'm seeing nice but unexceptional Magnas priced nearly that high at gun shows around here.

Froggie

target tech · #14 10-17-2018, 09:50 AM

As I stated above, the older vintage target grips seem to fit my small to midsize hand so much better than the 70s to 80s vintage ones.

mm93 · #15 10-17-2018, 11:23 AM

Anytime I remove original grips on a gun I slip them in draw string bags and write what they came off on the bag. My gun safes have hooks on the inside doors, and my handguns hang on the hooks. So the bags get hung on the hook with the guns they came off.
This makes it less likely I'll misplace them, and easier for my family if something happened to me. I also have a firearms log that lists each gun I own, and the price I paid for it. Details on the gun are included, and if there are things like fitted cases, boxes, or shooter's kits that came with them, those are also noted. I have some old single shot rifles from the 1870's that have fitted cases with all the shooter's tools in them. It would be a shame if they ever got separated from each other. Same for original gun boxes.

Muley Gil · #16 10-17-2018, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by target tech

Thanks, I haven't bought a gun to match grips, but I did buy an Enfield because I ended up with about 500 rounds of clean modern South African .303 which was actually 7.7X something, the metric designation.

Got you beat. A friend gave me ONE round of .45-70, so I went out and bought a Marlin 1895 lever gun.