Another Grip Mystery, Actually 2

[Andylit]

Back again with more early grip photos. This time 2 questions.

Got a batch of 5 panels. 4 K and 1 Not-K. Also Not-N. The 5th panel is slightly larger than a K and slightly smaller than an N. It is also much thicker. Doesn't look like it would fit any of the top-break models either. But the shape sure does look like S&W. Please look. Some photos show the mystery grips matched against the opposite panel for a K and an N.

Oh yeah, the other mystery. All the grips are smooth, but they all appear to be pre-Magna design. And they all appear to be an identical design to the N frame smooth military grips from 1917-1918. But they are K size, shape and fit (except #5). No photos or mention of smooth K in the Standard Catalog. Did they make a smooth grip K? (Photos 8 & 9)

 

[SVT28]

Victory’s from the late forties came with smooth stocks just like these, similar to the 1917. I’m willing to bet that these are a pair.

SVT28

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Victory’s from the late forties came with smooth stocks just like these, similar to the 1917. I’m willing to bet that these are a pair.

SVT28

The K frames are WWII Victory M&P grips. The N frames could be for a pre-WWII 1917 or .455 Hand Ejector model. The grip frames for pre-war N frames were slightly longer than post-war frames.

 

[Muley Gil]

The K frames are WWII Victory M&P grips. The N frames could be for a pre-WWII 1917 or .455 Hand Ejector model. The grip frames for pre-war N frames were slightly longer than post-war frames.

The .455 HEs came with gold medallion service stocks,

 

[Wiregrassguy]

The .455 HEs came with gold medallion service stocks,

True...but they'd still fit...

 

[Andylit]

So if I'm reading correctly the 2 pairs of K grips will be from WWII era Victory .38 Special military issue pistols.

But what about the Not-K - Not-N 5th panel?

 

[kwill1911]

I think the only options are the Victory Model K frame and the M1917 N frame. Since these were sanded to size AFTER they were installed there are dimensional differences in all of them.

 

[Andylit]

I think the only options are the Victory Model K frame and the M1917 N frame. Since these were sanded to size AFTER they were installed there are dimensional differences in all of them.

I can see the logic, which would make this a K, but the thickness difference is huge.

I'm assuming the "blanks" were pretty much uniform in size. If the 5th panel shown above is standard the amount of hand fitting and sanding to reach the thickness we typically see on panels would be very counter-productive in an assembly situation. That's a whole lot of sanding going on.

The above is speculation on my part.