Walter Stark clipped lefties
"Farrant-Clipped" Revolvers
- Thread starter RKmesa
- Start date
Several years ago I bought a model 14, and when I got it back to my tables and removed the grips I found the cut. It was wearing regular targets but I soon found these for it. I eventually sold the gun the way I found it and sold these to a member here. All I have left are the pictures.
Also shown, thumb rest style.
Also shown, thumb rest style.
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Monstermuley24
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Still a great thread. offrdmania, may I ask for an inside shot of the Walter Stark Birdseye maple set, Birdseye is a favorite of mine. Thanks !
Here you go Keith. They are on their way to me so ill post more and better pics once they arrive.
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Walter Stark clipped lefties
Following the pictures from Walter Rickell, Vtgw938 and I would ID those as being from Joe Blackford.
The up-kick at the top and bottom swell on the small base are major points of identification.
I was just going by the info on Anthonys blog. He may chime in if he sees the post.
Custom Handgun Grips ID guide
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My only Farrant clipped frame. Registered Magnum #2535.
Note the name given special thanks at the top.
The only documented pair of Stark grips came from Chief Davis - and he misspelled Stark's name in his letter. Mike Priwer bought them and has posted detailed pictures. Anthony uses two of those with the K-38.
The "Get a grip on that gun" picture is from Jeff Cooper who sadly was not clear in the text as to whether the grips on the N frame are by Stark or by Farrant. I lean to Farrant.
I don't know why the Blackford grips are still in the Stark section. Compare with the others he accurately shows as being from Blackford. (He initially had all of those labeled as Farrant.) It is a work in progress.
Craig
SG-688, I was not aware of the Handgun grip ID page and just now visited. Interesting collection of info and a very good start. I recognize some of the info from my stash, the old AR ads dated in pencil is stuff I collected and posted at times and most pushed to a member and good friend, nice to see it added to the collective. The Ken Strine photos are from a Charles Askins book I found in a bookshop when in HS, fifty years later I talked to his son on my very first cold call ! And he knew nothing of the book.
Wish I could add something on the Farrant, Stark and Hogue history but am reduced to just reading what the rest of you can offer.
Wish I could add something on the Farrant, Stark and Hogue history but am reduced to just reading what the rest of you can offer.
Another book editing failure - as with Cooper's picture captions. Askins and/or his editors didn't ID the grips pictured in the book, or even which man of the two in the photo was Strine.
A couple posted here over the years with two grip screws instead of the usual one might be from Strine.
And then the Del Rey mystery. I disagree with Anthony on Del Rey. I"m sure it was not Hurst or Hogue, but can't otherwise guess who.
Never tire of showing them off for you. I consider them Blackford's. If not Blackford than I would lean toward Stark. The screw is 8x32 with a larger head than the Hurst (8X32), Farrant (4X40)or Hogues (6X32) that I have.
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I picked this up probably twenty years ago at a LGS in Northern Kentucky. It was wearing the Presentation grips. I didn't see the frame cut until I got it home. It wasn't until relatively recently that I learned the reason for the cut. The backstrap is modified also, and the trigger has been worked on. The single action let off is like wishing the hammer to fall.
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I would buy a cut frame gun but I would want to know about it ahead of time. Might as well take advantage of it and look for a set of grips. The cut doesn't appear to be as radical as some I've seen. I have a set of Guy Hogue cut frame grips that has the same modest cut, possibly to save the serial number.
Agreed. I was a bit miffed at the time. But it quickly became one of my favorite shooters.
Never tire of showing them off for you. I consider them Blackford's. If not Blackford than I would lean toward Stark. The screw is 8x32 with a larger head than the Hurst (8X32), Farrant (4X40)or Hogues (6X32) that I have.
Ill let you know the screw head size and thread pitch on mine once I receive the stocks.
Wyatt Burp
Member
Finally, one I can relate to being one of the 10% discriminated class of left handers. I found a pair of $3 Gun shop junk box John Hursts for a clipped K frame but gave them and a factory pair of K frame Diamond grips to have a set of shortened Coked reworked to perfection. The Hursts felt perfect, but useless to me.Here's a pair of non-clipped lefties…
I have a 1947 Colt OP with a low-profile barrel rib and Blackford stocks on a clipped frame. The LAPD Revolver Team photo in Post 8 above shows a similar revolver (but with different stocks, judging from the embedded medallions) in the hand of Basil Starkey, second from left. I will have to rephotograph this gun if anybody wants to see it. Older photos have been lost.
We occasionally see inset ebony plugs over the receiving grip screw escutcheon on some products of the LAPD grip makers. It is my perception that Blackford stocks always have an ebony plug. I have long suspected that he used this design feature as a signature.
EDITED TO ADD PHOTOS:
EDITED AGAIN to note that the grip screw is 8-32, brass, and 15/16" long not including the head.
We occasionally see inset ebony plugs over the receiving grip screw escutcheon on some products of the LAPD grip makers. It is my perception that Blackford stocks always have an ebony plug. I have long suspected that he used this design feature as a signature.
EDITED TO ADD PHOTOS:
EDITED AGAIN to note that the grip screw is 8-32, brass, and 15/16" long not including the head.
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DCWilson:
Definitely needs pics. I don't think "we" know enough about Blackfords grips to say anything definite. Anything you can share would be great.
Definitely needs pics. I don't think "we" know enough about Blackfords grips to say anything definite. Anything you can share would be great.
Added some cellphone photos to post 58 just above. I neglected to mention originally that the left panel has a thumb rest. These are extremely comfortable grips, or were when I first got this revolver. In the years since, arthritis and tendon contracture have created fingers that don't match Blackford's idealized finger positions as well as they used to. So it goes.
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