Does, what I assume is sprayed on laquer from the factory, on older S&W grips turn yellow with age?

I just refinished a set of 1980s vintage OEM S&W Cocobolo grips that had a very orange tinge to them. The oil I re-finished them with made them look much darker & richer. With no yellow or orange tint.

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NRA Benefactor

I don't know what kind of finish they applied at the factory. Lacquer is clear, but rarely used anymore because of the EPA requirements.

Shellac imparts an amber cast to wood, and so does polyurethane. Shellac dries fast and is OK for production; poly dries too slow for production purposes.

There are some UV cured varnishes that are used on kitchen cabinets, and I would assume that would be the finish they would use on grips. But they are generally perfectly clear.

What kind of finish is the Birchwood Casey?

Tyron what did you do to prep the grips for refinishing?

I followed this thread.

How to- Grip / Stocks Refinishing with photos! FINISHED!

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NRA Benefactor

I am pretty sure that SW used a polyurethane sealer only on thier grips. That finish does yellow with age. The newer finishes do not yellow due to the UV additives.

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Cliff

Some of the grips made from Coco Bolo, naturally have an orange hue. It is the nature of some species of the wood. These grips are Coco Bolo.

I can believe it's urethane. I have these smooth target grips on
a 629-2 born Dec. '84 - Jan. 85 and the finish seems nuke-proof.
I can't tell if the finish contributes to a yellowing cast but it's perfect
the way it is IMHO.



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Nemo