I’ve decided to conduct a basic experiment. See photos

Notice the original Smith & Wesson, hard rubber grips?

One is Brown and one is Black.

Is the Brown grip original color? Or has it been transformed by sun exposure?

Simple test. I just now placed the Black grip on top of the roof. There it will sit for a while. I’ll check it in a month to see if there is any change in color.

More importantly, will the color change go all the way through the material? Or will it just change on the surface exposed to the sun?

Or, perhaps it won’t change at all?

I hope a squirrel or bird doesn’t disturb it!

Murph

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Always heard that the brown grips were mainly due to sun exposure. I know that I have seen (and owned) a few examples that had one side brown and the other black....... Perhaps from laying on one side in a display case or on a shelf somewhere? They did make the two tone mottled brown/black grips at one time so maybe there were some all brown versions. Don't think I would lay a grip on the roof to find out if it changed over time, a windowsill would seem to be a better choice.

I agree a windowsill would be more accurate.
However, I don’t want this test to last more than a couple months. Heat and sun is applicable to this test. A roof will accelerate the results I think.

Murph

Well, I can understand wanting it to be a quick test. I would think the glass of a window would tend to focus the heat and light more than simply laying on a roof. If you wanted the effect of the roof getting hot a small piece of roofing tile could be cut for the grip to sit on.

The other thing would be weather (and squirrels LOL) as heavy rain or high winds might move something as light in weight as a grip right off the house. I know the weather around here (Ohio) this spring has had much heavier items moved all over! Good luck with your test!

Murph, just to be polite, are you crazy?! Go get that grip off the roof and lets talk.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

The hard rubber stocks could have been black, almost exclusively, or rarely brown or "Peacock". There is one simply, quick way to know and this is simply to take the stocks off the gun and see what color the back is. The inside isn't exposed to the sun! Nearly 100 per cent they are simply sun-bleached.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

LOL,
I know Mike… I was shaking when I placed it on the roof but the grip is busted and worn. Not much use. So on the roof it sits.
I’m expecting it to turn Brown but will the Brown go all the way through? I think it will with time.

It’s just my opinion but I think it’s not just UV that changes the color but HEAT as well. Black grips get really hot when the sun is beating on them.

Murph

If as you describe the grip is on a roof and already broken then you can't hurt the value any. Recover the grip pieces and either simply break one of them to expose the interior material, or scrape the back through the brown layer to expose the original color!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

From your pic, I see the front of the black grip is broken.
Murph, you did get my BP up a bit.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I recall reading somewhere that hard rubber only had 2 colors
Red and black. Hence early mottled grips

I decided to take a quick look at the grip after 1 week on the roof. We’ve had some mild weather here in California with rain and cold/snow. Yet still it is already showing browning to the HR grip.
Photo 1 is the BEFORE
Photo 2 is the AFTER
photo 3 is the back side of the grip

I’ll let it go now for the full month exposure so about May 7th I’ll post further results. Only the top side of the grip is getting direct sun exposure.

Murph

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