M1917 With Plexiglass "Sweetheart" Grips

bigwheelzip

bigwheelzip

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Saw an interesting Grip carried by Brad Pitt in the movie Fury. Were these really made and do any forum members have these?

Grip1.jpg


Grip2.jpg


Edit: I answered my own question on Google. Yes they were made, though seemingly most were for 1911's.
 
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"Sweetheart Grips" - WWII soldiers would make clear grips for their pistols to display their sweethearts

"Ever since cameras were invented, service men and women have tucked away precious pictures of their loved ones. Pictures end up tucked under helmets, stuffed in pockets, in cigarette cases, bibles – there’s always a way to keep your nearest and dearest close to you. If you didn’t have a loved one – there were always pin up girls.

During WWII, GIs found a pretty unique use for the clear plastic Plexiglas. The material was developed in 1928 in several different laboratories by many chemists such as William Chalmers, Otto Röhm and Walter Bauer and was first brought to market in 1933 by the Rohm and Haas Company under the trademark Plexiglas.

It was a great invention and was used heavily during WWII, especially for the windows in planes. It was used in windows on vehicles and, due to its lightweight and malleability, began appearing on warplanes used by both sides, covering canopies, gun turrets, and aircraft viewing ports and anything else that needed glass."

And some images:

sweetheart pistol grips - Google Search
 
Back in the "Old" days of the 1960s-70s, guns with sweetheart grips (most often on 1911s, but I have seen many other types) were commonly seen at gun shows. You won't find them today. I have even seen them with pictures of parents, dogs, whatever was important to the grip maker.
 
Plexiglas was also used to make knife handles. But you don't see women's pictures in them, due to size.

I saw a Beretta M-34 .380 with these grips, but don't know if an Italian or German put them on. Could easily have been a gun captured by Americans and re-handled.

In knives, those are called "theater knives" because they were made in the various theaters of war. They range from re-handled Ka-Bars to completely new knives, blades forged on Navy ships or in well equipped air bases.

About 1965, a pal bought one of those kits from Randall and made up a Model 1 knife in the base hobby shop. It looks just as good as if if'd been made in Orlando. He was expecting duty in Thailand and thought he might need that eight - inch blade to kill a tiger, if one got him down.

A bit optimistic, but I know of one case where a South African game ranger killed an attacking lion with a six-inch blade. Look up the case of Harry Wolhuter. Worth reading.

Oh, he was expecting a greater likelihood of stabbing commie troops, but the tiger theory intrigued me.
 
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I have seen many 1911s with plexiglass grips and have made
them myself when I was in the Army in RVn. It was something
that could be made with minimum of tools. A lot of guys made
these while standing guard. Many items that they are now
calling Trench Art were not made by guys in trenches. They didn't
access to tools. Guys in support outfits made all the really nice
examples. They had access to needed tools. I have seen coffee
pots made from navel 5" shells that look store bought as well
as ash trays and candy dishes.
 
While my dad was stationed in the P.I. just after the war ended he and a few of his Coasty buddies ran across a crashed Japanese plane in the jungle that had rectangular pieces of plexiglass for windscreen. According to him that popped them out of the metal framework and brought them back to their base, divied them out and went to work sandwiching pictures of their girlfriends in the middle. My dad had a baby sister born about that timeframe and his stepmother had sent a picture of her at less than two years old. My dad sandwiched her picture and used brass nuts and bolts to secure the two halves, it survived the jungle humidity and the rest of his time in the C.G. and was left to me amongst his stuff. I gave it to my cousin who has very little left to her regarding her mother, she was thrilled to tears. One of the cool things was the writing of my cousin's grandmother was still very legible, she adored her grandmother.
 
vrichard said:
I showed this before,had these on 45, (73 years ago)
Dick
Click to expand...


United_States_Army_2nd_Armored_Division_CSIB_svg.png



Wow, I'm speechless. Not only do you have a Sweetheart grip, but you carried it in WWII, and I see your Avatar is the same as the shoulder patch Brad Pitt wears in the movie, for the 2nd Armored Division. Thank you for sharing and thank you for your service.
 
bigwheelzip said:
Saw an interesting Grip carried by Brad Pitt in the movie Fury. Were these really made and do any forum members have these?

Grip1.jpg


Grip2.jpg


Edit: I answered my own question on Google. Yes they were made, though seemingly most were for 1911's.
Click to expand...

Is this the actual gun carried by Brad Pitt in, Fury? Looks like the gun could be called Pitt (pits), too! Surely, Hollywood could have sent him a better example!
 
jimmyj said:
Possible this photo is from the movie's end where Brad is dead inside ttank ?
Click to expand...

I haven't seen, Fury. So, Pitt's character died? But unless the photo was of his skeleton in a rusted-out tank found years after the war, that gun wouldn't have pitted!
 
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