So, I've got this on the way. I bought it for the gun (2nd Gen .44 Special) and will likely add walnut (possibly 1 piece) grips.

Does anyone know about "silver" grips. These are actual metal, but I have no idea what grade of silver from which they were crafted. My guess is they originated on or below the Mexican border.

Thoughts on whether they are worth keeping, selling, or...?

Attached Images

thumbnail_Image 6-23-22 at 5.26 PM.jpg (23.3 KB, 150 views)

Check the backside for sterling marks.

I know you can sell these on the Colt forum.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Back when...they used to be hammered out of a Mexican silver Peso coin.
The coin is thick enough andlarge enough to supply enough metal in the hammering process to completed one grip panel.
Repeated heating to anneal the silver is needed during the process is needed to avoid cracking the metal as it will work harden as it's being hammered to shape.
Simple inverse shape dies often used to help form the shape during hammering.

Any relief figures on the finished surface are gotten by punching the reverse side outward to get the height. Then carefully working the surface back down for detail and adding any engraved lines and matting texture.

Some of the grips could be somewhat crude as far as fit to the edges. Others very nicely fit and match perfectly side to side.
All depends on the skill of the crafsman/woman.

If made from the earliest Peso,,then 'coin silver' % was about 75%
That dropped to about 40% betwe the 2 WW's
Then down to less than 25% just after WW2
In the 1950's it was less than 15%

When the % of silver gets down below that 40% area, the metal will get hard to work and especially trying to contort it into the odd shape of a SAA grip. The alloyed metals would be nickel mostly with some zinc likely. Hard stuff.

A much easier way to make them w/o using a Peso would be simply cut a piece of sheet silver of suitible thickness and use the same method as above.
Less hammering, known silver alloy (coin, sterling, .99fine) and a lot less work.

(The grips may be 'cast' also. That's the other method to a metal grip)

A silver purity mark on the work to show silver content may be there, but it may just be that,,a mark.
You can buy the tiny punchmarks from any jewelry supply and mark it anything you want.
It guarantees nothing but experience can help a lot..

...14k(gold) mark on a piece of brass..gee that's never been done before.

I saw a more ornate set sell on ebay recently for about $200. You should have no problem finding a buyer.

Those grips look pretty good. And I like that the steer is on the left side since I'm left handed. Great gun, too. Here's my 1958 .44 Special below a 1982 .44 I traded for last year.

Mexican silver (Not from Coins) runs in the ,800 to ,880 range. When you look at it, it often has a slight blue tinge. (From a higher copper content)

When I buy silver objects, I rub my thumb over an unseen area and smell the oxides. The more copper the more like and old penny it smells. Also lead oxides have a unique smell that helps identify what this hollow silver is filled with to add weight!

Some of the old time prospectors used to taste the ore for different minerals. Copper, silver, zinc, iron and lead have very distinct tastes and smells. Gold has none! Fools gold (iron pyrite) has a taste, but I never noticed a smell.

Ivan

Ruby in the eye? I'd just keep them, personally.

Hard to say with just one photo, but it does not appear to be a high percentage of silver...but I think this makes it more aesthetically pleasing--it wouldn't 'look right' IMO if it were polished/bright silver.

__________________
Rather be outdoors

I'm nobody, but I agree Hobbyist above. I think I'd keep those on. Well, unless you can recoup a boatload of what you paid for the gun. Those are different, sorta, but I've not been around a lot of Colts like that. Nice gun.

__________________
There's a Monster on the loose

If that gun had a 4 3/4" barrel it would be my dream SAA. Those grips are likely worth $500+ on ebay. The amount of tarnish on them makes me think the silver content is high, and yes probably a ruby in the eye. I couldn't imagine separating them from the gun, but if you did, you wouldn't have any problem selling the grips. I'm a big fan of silver grips so long as the quality is high, those seem excellent to me. Congrats!

As I have posted, way back I was in Ft. worth.
I hit every Gun Store, Pawn Shop I could find.
Saw wondrous things, like Silver grips, Cow Head grips with Red Eyes,
N Frame Smiths of every description, caliber, plated, etc.
I recall Silver Grips with inlayed Mexican Coins.
I wish that I bought a set of the Silver Grips.
They were mostly as I recall for Colts.
But back then I was a Colt Fanboy.

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

From just the one picture the silver grips seem to fit the straps very nicely, which is not always the case. They probably do add some significant weight to the grip area which definitely affects the natural balance of 5 1/2” SAA’s, and which you may or may not like depending on how you plan on using the Colt. Very nice find regardless of how you proceed.

__________________
Terry Lester

I'm still a novice in the SAA game. This is my second (I recently bought a 3rd gen 4 3/4 .44 Special).

I think I subtracted enough off what I was willing to pay to factor in non-original stocks / stock replacement.