I was really surprised at the price these grips sold for, was wondering if anybody here had any thoughts.

Smith Wesson Model 41 Custom Grips | eBay

Very interesting grips. Not on my want list because I do very little with the Smith autos; but, thanks for bringing them to my attention. . .I missed seeing them on EBAY. I've never paid over $225 for a pair of grips on EBAY, and I've got some that would knock the horns off a billy goat. Looks like a bidding war drove them up a bit.

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Dr. B

I also have no clue they would be that valuable, or at least valuable to those two or three bidders. I wonder "why"? Maybe a more experienced collector will chime in. I must be cheap, I have never spent over $70 on a set of grips and they look a lot nicer than those!

Just one more item on an ever-growing list of "WTH" were they thinkin'? I have a similar set for a 2nd Series Colt Match Target that I offered here on the forum a couple of years ago at less than a third of that price with no takers. I think that the only explanation as to why would have to come from the buyer himself.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I've never heard of a set of factory smooth 41 grips, though I'm by no means a 41 expert. They have an Indian Eagle look about them to me, but they were usually marked as such. To bring that kind of money, they'd have to be something special?

I've never seen these before but they seem to be rather high priced. You can get target grips directly from Herrett's for $187.00. I believe you send an outline of your hane and they make them to fit. Only certain guns though. I have a set of their target grips for my High Standard 22 and they are the adjustable version. I like them a lot.

I have a set of smooth, Rosewood factory M-41 grips that I bought directly from whoever the S&W Rep was back in the late 1970's for the NJ area. Met him at Ray's Sport Shop, a big Smith distributor/seller. He had them in his briefcase and I talked him out of them. Still have them.

As far as high priced...Ever seen another set??

I bought a set of smooth 41 grips a couple years ago. I didn't pay that kinda money for them.....

They don't look good enough to me, inside or out, to be factory.
They sure as hell don't look like $375.00 worth of grips.
I guess all that rust, OOPS-I mean "patina", on the screws dramatically increases the value. Same with the rough-cut spots on the back sides.

However, I've been wrong before and will be so again.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

Some years ago S&W offered two or three different smooth grips for the 41/46. Rosewood, GA, and ?? I have a GA set and would like to have a rosewood set, but as noted by others, that was a real bidding battle, well above reason. But, ain't it fun.

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TOMBECK

I am always looking for a (reasonably priced) set of factory smooth grips for my (early 70's) Mod 41 so I was watching these. Amazed at the final price but it looked like a bidding war to me.

As for the grips, they just didn't look right to me. parallel sanding or rasp marks at the upper screw area. screw bushings almost flush with the wood, Contour seemed "off" mage me think either modified standard grips or not S&W made. Nice wood and nice grips but I will keep watching fro a correct vintage set for my 41.

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I'm still waiting for someone in the know to come along and tell us about them and their value. Something tells me that is not going to happen on these.

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USS ZELLARS
DD-777

They did not look like factory grips which is why I was surprised that they went so high. Houge makes some smooth model 41 target grips in a variety of woods that are priced in the 70-100 dollar range that are nice looking but a little thicker than the old factory grips so they don't fit as well for my hands.

John, I dont understand alot of the prices right now, of course anything on a bidding site only needs two fools to drive it up , each thinking they got a DEAL. I just hope it last as there isnt much I want to buy, but in the near future I plan on selling 75% of my stuff at these inflated prices ( If I can make myself do it) as I only shoot about a dozen or so.
The part I hate is when folks lie/or just dont know, that all S/W boxes were not made in 1955, all diamond grips aren't cokes and such rare-rare crud. But thats buyer beware, although it drives the price up for folks that might need one to finish a collection.
People must have alot more disposable income than me right now, or they figure the price is only going to go up so they better get it now. I cant imagine a 1500.00 model 617 is a deal, or a great investment, but I might be wrong, they wont be manufactured again.
Ive got a friend who just retired to Idaho, he has bought so many nice S/W's cheap by going to estate sales, and gun stores there. Like nib 14-6, 350.00. So alot of it is lazy internet sales. My .02 Take care, Bob

At one time S&W did make smooth "Presentation" stocks for the Model 41. They did look a lot like those sold on Gun Broker and as a result did not sell well.

Pulled my smooth GA grips (S&W) and the finish is a high shine finish. As noted elsewhere, the ones on E-Bay are more a flat oil looking finish and the screw areas look like they are sanded down to the metal - NOT correct. Agree with sceva that sanded down standard grips most likely. The (re) finish flowed onto back side and mag well area.

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TOMBECK

Had not thought of the possibility of them being regular grips with the checkering sanded off. The wood did not look like the wood I have seen on other grips as well. Anyway very fun to see what sells and what does not.

My 2 bobs.

The grips appear to be early presentation stocks, smooth finish presentation stocks. They are not sanded down standard stocks.

The price is justified by the rarity, these are the only set I have ever seen for sale off a gun. One of the nicest model 41s I have seen had the same stocks.

As a 41 collector I would like a gun with smooth stocks, factory installed of course. As these guns don't surface too often, stocks on their own would do. They obviously are going to do for the new owner, the other bidders having the same thinking.

If the stocks in question are original that would explain the cost although they look a little bit beat up. I think your right Aussie collector at least two collectors thought they are special.

Exactly.
The ebay grips are Factory.
Smooth Rosewood.
A rather early pair.
Quite scarce.
Worth what they went for, unless somebody here has a pair they'll sell cheaper?

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

My old set of smooth 41 Factory grips. Excuse the lousy digital. But the only one I have hosted with the grips.

The M-41 was a bullseye gun, left in a foam lined case after going in and out from room temp, to below zero. It rusted. The owner had it professionally refinished in Armalloy. Had the sights done, replaced the blade in the rear sights with a new black one. Even did the 4 mags in Armalloy. I bought the gun several years back with three barrels, optics, mounts and the Armalloyed weight set for IIRC $700.

It's been a flawless shooter ever since.

Thanks for the pictures, great to see the pictures of both the gun and the smooth grips. Now if I can just find a pair of original checkered grips in Rosewood for a low price

Maybe the new owner can post better pictures square on to show them off.

Thanks to the OP for bringing this to our attention. Just another great example of how much one can learn by reading the posts on this forum. I had no idea these stocks existed until now.

Maybe I'll find a set in the used box on my next trip to my LGS? Yeah right!

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I'm gonna grow fins.

They also exist is the checkered grips as well. In Cherrywood, that is. I don't know how rare they are but know they are Rare and probably worth a good dollar as well. Myself I prefer the Walnut grips but that is just personal taste only. The checkered ones are slightly thicker thru the buttstock as well versus the Walnut grips.