Quote:
Originally Posted by TexNekkid
This 1st Issue Detective Special was apparently customized by the King Custom Sight Co. around 1939. According to a contemporaneous King catalog, these were "Double Action" Roper grips.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skilled
I would refer to those as roper style. I don't believe them to be Ropers. The hardware is all wrong.
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I don't know how many Ropers I have owned through the years. I do know I have sold several dozen pairs. I probably still own a half dozen or so. I keep them if they fit my hand, sell them if they don't. I detest thumbrests, so I NEVER keep them. So, I hope all you guys love thumbrests.
I don't know how many pairs I have held and examined.
A lot.
Perhaps hundreds. Maybe just many dozens.
I have seen a lot of others online that were irrefutably Ropers.
They did vary somewhat in shape and design.
Roper was an inventor/developer/experimenter. I would expect to see ideas tried and adopted, or tried and discarded. I would also expect to see what a customer requested within reason.
The hardware absolutely varies on Ropers.
It varies so much that it almost has to be DISQUALIFIED as a qualifier for verification.
I have seen factory hardware, and I have seen several types of non-factory hardware that probably came via mailorder or the local hardware store.
We do know the wood can vary from plain to fancy, and a few exotic wood pairs are known.
BUT, by and large they are walnut that is rather plain. I suspect three major reasons for that-
Cost
Stability- fancy grain can cause more warpage, cracking, and chipping.
Workability is easier with plain grain.
I use a list of factors to authenticate-
The wood.
The craftsmanship and workmanship.
Design and shaping/contouring.
The inletting style and cutting.
The checkering and/or ribbons and diamonds.
The texture they were finished to.
The color of the wood and finish.
Jig holes help and are almost always present.
Everything I can see on this pair of grips says ROPER to me.
YMMV.