Hi all found this in a local pawn shop today and was hoping for some help. I believe these are coke bottle grips from what looked at online but I don’t see the resemblance to the bottle. They do feel different then others I’ve had. I’m interested in buying but don’t want to make a mistake. Thanks
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Target stocks on the left Cokes on the right.


I wish I could tell you but the best I can do is show you a couple of pictures of mine.

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Kenny
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Thank you. I didn’t realize my pictures were so bad I’ll thy to fix them.

What is the barrel length? Is it a 5"? Because it looks longer than 4" but less than 6".
Those aren't cokes - the easiest way for me to tell is the size of the checkered area. On cokes there is only about a 3/8" wide uncheckered border area along the bottom of the grips. Regular target grips have an uncheckered border area along the bottom that is more like 1/2" wide.
Even if it is 6", a nickel 29-2 in good shape isn't a bad buy at $900 in my neck of the woods.
Especially if you can persuade the seller to come down $50 or even $100.

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As BC38 said the easiest way to tell is the checkered area is larger on Cokes. Study lots of pictures on here of the real deal. That is still a nice 29-2 and if the price is right you could do worse...

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Randy

These are someone else's pictures.

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Kenny
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Those are diamond target grips that have been sanded and refinished. With the current prices of grips the price of the gun should be reduced by $150 - $200.

Thanks for all the advise and info. I believe it is a six inch. N serial number. From what I’ve read the 5” were all s numbers or cut down after. Please correct me if I’m wrong I could go back and check.

I was waiting for someone else to explain the meaning of the term “ cokes “, so I guess I will jump in.
Maybe it’s not as common knowledge any more as I thought.

“ Cokes “ is a slang term for “ cocobolo “, a species of wood, which Smith has used as grip material in the past.

Cokes refers to the shape as I understand it...

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Randy

Nope, sorry I didn't see the question earlier or I could have posted that it is a reference to the shape formed by the palmswell in the center, wide bottom, and tapering top. When viewed from the rear is is vaguely reminiscent of the shape of the old Coca Cola bottles that were common during the period they were being made and sold. Like the one pictured below

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Nope, sorry I didn't see the question earlier or I could have posted that it is a reference to the shape formed by the palmswell in the center, wide bottom, and tapering top. When the grips are viewed from the rear they have a shape that is is vaguely reminiscent of the shape of the old Coca Cola bottles - like the one pictured below - that were common during the period that these stocks were being made and sold.

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"Cokes" has nothing to do with the wood used. S&W primarily used walnut, rosewood, and goncalvo alves. "Cokes" refers to the slight palm swell of the grips, which somewhat resembles the old Coke bottles, and the size of the checkering panels on the grips. (See photos by rubiranch).

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Mike H

Special oversized target grips was the term used back in the day for ordering these grips. The word cokes was used by collectors and the like to describe the shape seen from the rear. Has nothing to do with the type of wood used...…………………………………………...M*

You can see the curve a bit on the Culina stocks (on right)

Ruby has a better comparison picture than I do!
Makes me wonder, does he own Ruby’s, you know, the one up near Bryce Canyon?
A true Tourist Trap, but a great one and I love it!

Lodging in Bryce Canyon

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Quoted from above, “ Cokes “ is a slang term for “ cocobolo “, a species of wood, which Smith has used as grip material in the past."

Not sure where that bit of misinformation came from but it is false. Others above have properly explained the origins of the term "cokes."

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The so called "coke grips" of the 1950's are, I believe, based on my research, a linear descendent of the N frame target grips designed by Walter F. Roper in the 1930's. Both exhibit narrow top edges which gently flare to palms swells on both sides in midsection and then taper in towards the lower part ending in a gently flared base or heel.

The evolution I believe is from Roper grips to the S & W Magna grip introduced on the registered magnum of the late 1930's then to the later target style factory grips with no palm swells of the 1960's-1980's.

A Nickel 29-2 with S&W wood target grips is a damn good deal at $899.

I hope you got the gun.

No, the grips are not Cokes, but they are Diamond Targets which are a heck of a consolation.

In response to several previous email inquiries, allow me to share the following.

I might add that Walter Roper was a prolific writer who documented his "obstinate" efforts to improve shooting scores by refining the engineering science of handgun stocks (which we refer to commonly today as grips). Of particular interest is Walter Roper's Experiments of a Handgunner published by Stackpole & Heck, Inc. in 1949. In Chapter 7, Pgs. 79-101, Roper discusses his initial motivation to explore from a mechanical engineering viewpoint the science of hand shooting in terms of grip, hold and aiming.

Roper discusses his first attempts at making prototype stocks which would supply the most effective characteristics necessary to improve scores. The volume illustrates stocks Roper designed for a variety of hand guns including the Luger, Single Action Army, .22 automatics and air guns.

The volume covers a plethora of other issues which the hand gun enthusiast will find of interest. For example, Roper writes in detail about the various woods he selected for making stocks and identifies the characteristics of each. Roper did not fashion the stocks, but rather did the design work based on his principles. The actual work was done by several others whom he describes.

This volume is available on Amazon and is reasonably priced. If you are a Roper enthusiast, it is an essential reference source.

I hope this helps.

Richochet