Help me identify the maker of these grips and the type of wood they are made from.

They are very well made and have a "Roper-like" appearance.

At first glance they appear to be walnut but the wood is softer and much lighter in weight than I would expect from walnut.

They cover the front and back straps but that coverage is very thin giving them almost the feel of a magna stock with grip adapter . . . a very unusual design.

Thanks, Russ

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I've never seen anything like them, but they look like they would be comfortable as heck to shoot with...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Possibly Sile. Italian walnut. Color tends to be lighter than other varieties and it is a little more open grain and softer, at least it is that way on my S56 and S57e Berettas.

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S&WCA 1729

I'm gonna go out on a very thin limb and guess they aren't Roper or Sile. Reason is, if the photo is not distorted, the checkering looks like it has a very slight "wave" to it, almost an un-even-ness. All of the named ones I've ever seen were pretty straight. Just an uneducated guess, I'll gladly yield if I'm wrong.

Probably a home craftsman/ amateur stock maker.

As far as the wood goes, I have owned many stocks with the light weight wood you are referring but I could never pin point what it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The more I look at them the more convinced I am that they're walnut . . . and your experience with Italian walnut certainly explains what I'm seeing.

Here are some more detailed pictures of the checkering . . .

Russ

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Apropos of nothing, my first thought when I saw the picture of these grips was "Sile!" I don't have any specific points of identification to put forward, just the overall impression based on seeing many grips in person and in pictures. Were there other mass produced aftermarket grips coming out of Italy/Europe during the '60s and '70s?

Froggie

Definitely not Sile, nor do I think they are by a known name stock maker. There are slight checkering overruns, into the border, that you wouldn't see on the big names. Definitely a talented amateur and an interesting design. The fact that they go so high on the gun that they need a cylinder release relief cut is something I haven't seen before. As to the wood, I vote for walnut. There are all kinds of variations of colors and textures within one type of wood.

Sorry, not much help, but they are really neat grips - do you have them on a K22 in the pictures?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

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NRA Benefactor Member

Yes . . . a K-22 Masterpiece with King reflector base & ivory bead front and U-notch rear . . . the stocks (whoever made them) seemed an appropriate match.

Thanks for everyone's input and comments.

Russ

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Thanks for the extra photos. I don't see the "wave" in those.
Nicely made, I'd be proud to have some, but I still don't think it's from one of the big-name mass-produced outfits. I kinda like that cutout around the cylinder release too.

you can look at different woods to get an ideal, been awhile but i believe the site address is, bellforestproducts.com. they handle exoict as well as more common wood verities

That's a gun I'd like to shoot Russ !!!!

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

I have never seen a set of Sile grips that resemble those. I am in the "not mass produced" camp ; I could believe talented amateur.
As to the wood , there is a bit of reddish hue ; if an amateur were to access a readily available wood type , perhaps mahogany? The grain leans towards that. I am not putting money on mahogany , but I am saying that it's possible.

No matter what the origin and wood type , that .22 - with it's distinctive grips and fine front sight - is very desirable. Thanks for posting it.

Nice gun Russ, the grips compliment it no matter who made them. I like the bead front and U notch rear. The S&W combo is hard to see, too tiny. The same combo on a Colt is much easier to pick up, slightly bigger like on my Officer Model Match in .38. How’s it shoot?? Larry

Do you think they could possibly be oak? That grain sure looks like it to me.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

I agree the grain does appear similar to oak but I've not seen any of the 27 varieties of oak we have here in Missouri as soft or light as these.

Russ

I believe they are “Fitz” grips. They made them in walnut and plastic during the 1950’s and 60’s.

I do not believe that these were massed produced, and would also agree that they are likely by a talented home craftsman. They have a similar shape and lines as some other grips we've seen, but I don't think any of them were checkered. Maybe someone else did the checkering? I watched these on the bay a week or so ago, but ended up going for more than I wanted to put in on them. They are quite attractive, and in my opinion definitely walnut.

They say Sile to me, and I agree that they are walnut.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Definitely NOT Sile. Most likely like others have posted. Made by a talented amateur stock craftsman who wanted some nice stocks and had the skills and tools to do it. And I’m betting he had seen some Ropers and was influenced by their design.

Russ, my vote goes to "homemade." Your excellent close-up photos show overrun lines in the checkering, and a "bulge" or not straight cut where the grips meet across the recoil shoulder. In addition, the borders around the checkering are not well executed. The cut-out around the cylinder release reminds me of something one might see in certain pre-war revolver grip designs. Good luck finding an answer!

Shawn

Not Fitz, does not match any style that John "Paul" Jones made.

I also vote for "home made".

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

I agree that they are not from a factory or a well known maker of custom stocks. They were likely made by an amateur to suit particular desires of the shooter, maybe the same person.

The gun is set up for bullseye with great work by King's, or parts from King's.

In addition to what folks have said about the checkering, etc. Look at the crude work around the screw holes and the diamond.

Also worth noting is that the stocks would have interfered with quick ejection of the empty cases or live rounds. The wood remains thick around the cylinder latch and does not thin out to allow for clean ejection or for easy sure working of the cylinder latch. The shooter took his time ejecting and reloading.

I have no guess on the wood.

Is there a letter on this gun?

tipoc

Thank you for your comments. Yes, this 1988 letter came to me with the gun.



Russ

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Identifying wood species from photos is rarely easy. Witness the guesses from mahogany to oak.

The grain and pores are similar to walnut but the color is lighter than expected for American black walnut. If we accept they are craftsman made, it could be any variety he/she had on hand. Actually, we are lucky both sides are the same! Looking at the backs and zooming in where I could, the wood could be pecan or “blonde walnut” better known as Butternut.

There is a way to determine the true identity but you need to send a sample to the Forestry Service and I doubt you would want to do that.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

I would say it is "Handsome" wood. Which is related to both "Good Looking" wood and "Good Enough for the Job" wood. All the above are a step above "Cheap Rubber" and "Tactical" stocks.