Anyone ever see these extra fancy floral grips on a Smith & Wesson?


Normally I would think they're not factory, but they have the factory logo and don't look aftermarket

Hi There


Nice looking .32 S&W DA 2nd. Model!

Those are the uncommon "Turkey Grips." They are called this
because one can see a wild turkey in the pattern. look just
at the midpoint ; forward of the escutcheon and you will see it.


Cheers!
Webb

The Floral grips were on very early 32 Double Action guns. Somewhere around serial number 5225 they changed from the grips you have to the checkered grips on the nickel guns. They also made the same pattern in mottled red and black installing them on blued guns. The last serial number I have seen on the blued guns is serial number 18646.

I never understood the label "turkey grips", even though this name has been around a long time. This was the first double action 32 gun Smith & Wesson made. Why put a turkey on it? Who was the gun marketed towards? During the 1880's, when this gun was introduced, it was the rage to wear colorful birds in hats and on pins, like parakeet's. By the 1890's there was a movement to stop the wearing of bird feathers was in full swing.

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Mark

Why Turkey Grips??
I would imagine someone early on decided that the two birds just fore and aft of the grip screw looked like turkeys. (I personally think more like peacocks or something a bit more exotic)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

It does not look like a turkey to me. It looks like the feet are grasping a vine with its neck stretched out with its large curved beak slightly open. Looks like the bird is making noise to me, maybe singing. The body, head, and beak look like the Carolina Parakeet pictures I posted from the Audubon society.

The beak does not look like a turkey's.

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	Screenshot 2024-05-02 at 13-23-10 Smith & Wesson 32 DA Revolver 32 S&W.jpg (15.0 KB, 38 views)
	Screenshot 2024-05-02 at 13-07-52 Smith & Wesson 32 DA Revolver 32 S&W.jpg (12.6 KB, 34 views)
	main-qimg-372662793a9e7179f2bc672433ec50ee-lq.jpg (44.3 KB, 22 views)

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Mark

I can’t find any period reference for the label “Turkey Grips”. The only authentic historical reference I can find is FANCY FLORAL I can track that term back over 60 years. I’m not looking any further.

The Turkey label must therefore be a modern term which means little to me personally other than a modern fabrication with no historical significance.

Murph

There is a pic from Audubon's collection of bird pics that closely resembles the grips. Cant find the darn thing. Memory tells me its a Central American jungle crane. The one that was harvested for ladies hats.
Darn memory, dont have one anymore.

__________________
Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Hi There,


The Grand Poo-Bah has spoken.


Cheers!
Webb

Murph, Turkey grips is just another one of those gun terms like Coke grips and lemon squeezer that we just accept and use.

__________________
Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I only respect researched information. Slang or yarn has little meaning to me. Anyone who sees a Turkey in those floral grips needs a new prescription. That includes the cliche.

Murph

It's a turkey, but the stocks have always been classified as a "Floral" pattern. The turkey is a very majestic bird that Benjamin Franklin wanted to be our national emblem. Good enough for him, good enough for me.

__________________
Gary
SWCA 2515

I still can’t see a Turkey.
The beak, neck, eyes, overall size, all wrong. That’s the scrawniest Turkey I’ve ever seen. No way it’s a male. I’d be embarrassed to put that thing on my thanksgiving table!
Photos attached.

The theme at that time in history as Mark clearly mentioned was exotic birds. A Turkey was and is NOT an exotic bird. I’ve looked at a lot of period photos during that era and I’ve never seen a women photo’d with a Turkey on their head! But I’ve seen plenty with dead exotic birds plopped on top of their hat.

Murphy

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Here are some period photos from the exact same time the Floral grips were put on the 32 DA Smith & Wesson TB.
Pay particular attention to photo 1.

Murph

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	IMG_9295.jpg (49.4 KB, 25 views)
	IMG_9296.jpg (36.0 KB, 25 views)

Wasnt it Ben Franklin that proposed the wild turkey as the national bird?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I do. I see a turkey hauling a@@.

This is a great Thread on our Forum. A gaggle of old guys discussing a turkey on a set of grips.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Hi There,


"A truly noble bird. Native American, a source of sustenance to
our original settlers, and an incredibly brave fellow who wouldn't
flinch from attacking a whole regiment of Englishmen single-
handedly!" (Ben Franklin speech from the play 1776).


I think he doth insults us. I must show my discuss for resembling
such remarks!


Cheers!
Webb

Read all the posts!

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Untitled.jpg (25.5 KB, 99 views)

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Gary
SWCA 2515

OH, come on Webb. Insults on the Forum? They do not exist.
Just a bit of absentmindedness and trying to watch a three year old grandson running thru the house. No insult intended. Mike

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Hi There,



Right back at you. Apparently, you didn't get the sarcasm and my
self deprecating humor. In other words, it was a joke.


Cheers!
Webb

Webb, I got it. Just a clarification to the rest of the followers.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Is there away to ascertain who designed the grips? Was it Tiffany? Who designed the inter-twined S&W design. Was it Gustav Young?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I don’t know who designed the grips but I know the floral fancy grips originated on the various Bulldogs. Extremely common. Some collectors focus on the grips alone. Since there are so many designs found. All the exact same period as the S&W mod 2 DA TB 32.
Dragons, elephants, pirates, birds, dogs, many animals, even odd looking serpents.

I also know that the 32’s were targeting the female client seen in many advertisements of that era.

Murph

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	IMG_9356.jpeg (105.9 KB, 16 views)

Hi There,


I agree that derringers were often targeted towards female cus-
tomers but I believe the "floral" embellishment of grips goes back
to earlier than the 1880's (depending on what you meant by 'that
era').

I think this embellishment started mostly when the technology
to mold natural latex and resin materials into a semi durable
products reliably and at reasonable costs came to be. This
started just before the Civil War.


Cheers!
Webb

Attached Images

13312376201.jpg (23.8 KB, 13 views)

Gustave Young designed the intertwined S&W Logo in 1879.

__________________
Gary
SWCA 2515