Army vs Navy grip size

[Collo Rosso]

At some point my fascination with open top cartridge revolvers is going to get me in trouble so I thought I'd get a jump on things. Stopped today at a LGS and they actually had a Uberti in stock. 72' model (not conversion) with Navy grip, 7 1/2" barrel in 45LC. Beautiful! Felt nice in the hand but the grip seemed rather small to me with my little finger almost off the grip. How much bigger is the Army grip? Anything compare to it in size?
They had a Ruger black hawk next to it and found its grip even smaller! I've always thought my hand size as average. I have 2 N frame S&W's. One has a Hogue RB grip, the other a convesion and find them comfortable to shoot but wouldn't want them any bigger.

 

[Kurusu]

Maybe this will give you an ideia of the difference.

1st picture is a Navy, 2nd is an Army.

 

[Collo Rosso]

Thanks! Is the larger grip of the Army noticeable in the hand?

 

[Texas Star]

Thanks! Is the larger grip of the Army noticeable in the hand?

An emphatic YES! And the .36 is about as heavy as the .44. I chose the .44 Army. Also have a repro Remington .44.

You should compare the grip of Ruger's Blackhawk to the Super Blackhawk, too.

My stainless New Model .44 Magnum Super Blackhawk pointed very naturally, as does the Colt .44. It's easy to make kill zone shots on a human silhouette at 15 yards, in quick pointed fire.

 

[Texas Star]

I suggest that you re-title this thread to reflect that it's about guns.

Most probably think it's about football rivalry and skip it. I very nearly didn't look.

 

[Collo Rosso]

I suggest that you re-title this thread to reflect that it's about guns.

Most probably think it's about football rivalry and skip it. I very nearly didn't look.

Your probably right but can't figure out how!

 

[Texas Star]

Your probably right but can't figure out how!

Hit Go Advanced and you can change the title. And watch spelling, like the difference between"your" and "you're". The meaning is different, although the words sound the same. This seems a common problem on this board. You're not the only one who does it.

 

[Kurusu]

Thanks! Is the larger grip of the Army noticeable in the hand?

Yes. But I don't find it very important. The big difference is the position of the pinky finger, on the grip frame versus under the grip frame. It doesn't affect my shooting in anyway.

But. The 1872 Open Top should have an Army grip on it. The originals did.

Not my revolver unfortunately. Just to illustrate.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I suggest that you re-title this thread to reflect that it's about guns.

Most probably think it's about football rivalry and skip it. I very nearly didn't look.

I expected football.

 

[murphydog]

The 1851 Navy was a .36, and the 1860 Army was a .44, with proportionate frame and grip frame sizes. Shooting a full .45 Colt with the smaller grip would be...interesting.

 

[S&W38]

Collo Rosso:

I find the 1860 Colt Army grip MUCH more comfortable and functional than the 1851 Colt Navy grip. But I have small to medium size hands with long slender fingers.

I suggest that you ask a SASS cowboy action shooter whether he or she knows anyone who will allow you to fire the two different grips using factory standard pressure lead bullet cartridges in .38 Special and .45 Colt. Be sure to offer the empty brass as compensation. As a former SASS shooter, I assure you that most cowboy shooters can't afford not reloading!

Jeff Cooper's declaration that the handgun is the most personal of weapons is true for the vast majority of handgun users!

 

[britbike1]

Reason for the diff.

IIRC the army had a bigger grip as it was ment to shoot the full dragoon load, 44cal and 40 grains black powder. The navy was a 36 with a lighter load, bumped up from the pocket 31. I think when colt developed the SAA they went back to a navy sized grip.

 

[Kurusu]

The 1851 Navy was a .36, and the 1860 Army was a .44, with proportionate frame and grip frame sizes. Shooting a full .45 Colt with the smaller grip would be...interesting.

The SAA grip is the same size of the .36 Navy. I've shot full house blackpowder and smokeless loads both in .44-40 and .45 Colt without any problem.

 

[DeathGrip]

GO ARMY!!!

 

[Birdgun]

Collo Rosso,

I am a SASS Cowboy Action Shooter (Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663) and my main match revolvers are two Uberti Open Tops in .45 Colt. I have the Navy grips on my Open Tops. I chose the Navy grips as they are the same size grips as on the Colt Single Action Army (SAA) and my Uberti Model P's in .45 Colt. Yes, Army grips are noticeably longer than Navy grips.

In SASS, I'm just a mediocre upper third shooter. I have medium sized hands and I do let my pinky finger slip under the grip. It seems to stabilize the revolver for me with the little finger under the grip. I know many big handed Cowboy Action Shooters, who are much better than me, that prefer the Army grips. But also, the top SASS shooters shoot the Colt SAA or SAA clones which have the "Navy" grips.

My brace of Uberti Open Tops in .45 Colt with Navy grips.

My brace of Uberti Model P's in .45 Colt with same grips as on the Colt SAA and my Open Tops.
Also pictured is my Uberti Model 1873 rifle also in .45 Colt.

Birdgun shooting his Open Tops with little finger under grip.

Video of Birdgun shooting a stage in 2008: 10 shots Rifle, 10 shots Pistol, 6 shots Shotgun.
John Tyson - One of ten stages shot at the 2008 Alabama...

Thanks for looking at my "Cowboy" guns.

God bless,
Birdgun

 

[JohnRippert]

I wish my Colt SAA had the grip of my 1860 Army.

 

[S&W38]

John Rippert:

The Uberti-made Colt SAA replicas which I used as a SASS cowboy shooter were imported and marketed by Taylor and Company. They had the Colt 1860 Army grips, 5 1/2 inch barrels, blued steel, and were chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. If I remember correctly, their new owner had their 1860 Army grips removed and the usual Colt SAA grips installed. Any really competent gunsmith who regularly works on Colt SAA-style revolvers can change those grip frames for you.

My own gunsmith, Tom Mason, 727 Lake Doniphan Road, Excelsior Springs MO, 816-804-7135, has an Associate's Degree in Gunsmithing from the Colorado School of Trades. As a SASS member, he actively competes as Doc Dag. And he works on a lot of cowboy guns! His shop schedule is 9:30 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Tuesday through Thursday, except for the Fourth Thursday of the month. The Fourth Thursday is an official club Practice Day at the Cowboy range.

Yes, Tom is a friend. Yes, he slicked up my Cowboy firearms wonderfully well. Yes, he has worked on other rifles, shotguns, and handguns for me.
And yes, he is semi-retired. But his work is excellent!