Coke Bottle (Grip) Restoration, thanks DWFan!

[4-Screw]

I bought a 6.5" Pre-29 awhile back with a set of Cokes that needed a 21-gun salute and a burial at sea. Not wanting to give up on them, I knew the only person for the restoration was Paul (DWFan). These grips had chunks missing out of them and were filthy dirty beyond anything I had ever seen before. Paul truly is a master at his craft and was able to bring them back to their former glory. Here is the end result:






They are also pictured here in a box full of Cokes:




Paul did some cleaning, and waxing on these:





Here is a very beautiful set of special-ordered, "extra dark" and thick Rosewood grips, per the letter, on this 1970 2.5" Model 19 "Pinto". They needed a little cleaning and waxing, and they look good as new. By the way, it also letters with the yellow ramp.

 

[RKmesa]

Wonderful job on the cokes and what a beautiful 19!!!

Thanks for sharing!

BTW - the 19 needs a thread all its own.

 

[4-Screw]

Wonderful job on the cokes and what a beautiful 19!!!

Thanks for sharing!

BTW - the 19 needs a thread all its own.

Thank you! He really is a miracle worker. I do not know how he does it.

Ok, I'll start a thread on the 19. I'll dig out the letter for you Richard.

 

[ironhead7544]

Very nice work.

 

[jubela#4]

He does great work and has refinished a couple pairs for me.

 

[Raider]

DWFan does beautiful work. Thanks for a look at the Cokes and the pinto too. Gorgeous.

Charlie

 

[4-Screw]

DWFan also did these Cokes on a 4" Pre-29. They were starting to split on the left panel, just below the medallion. I cannot even tell where he repaired them. I did not want to lose these grips.

 

[DWFAN]

Magic dust. Tinker Belle has it, Santa has it. I got mine from Santa. Long story that involved a poker game on Christmas Eve. Kidding aside I think I've repaired, refinished or completely restored more N frame target stocks than anything else. They just don't hold up to the punishment an N frame hands out. So a word of caution. Don't use them for shooting. It's like being a hot blond. You don't put the bikini on till you hit the beach. I really appreciate all the kind comments.

DW

 

[donadler]

DW has done miracles with 2 sets of grips I sent him, he is working on a third now. (He asked me if I wanted them dark walnut, medium walnut or pink camo.....hard choice.)

Just got a 1937 K-22 Outdoorsman....may have to get on his list to have those grips done too.

 

[DWFAN]

Pink camo is in right now.

DW

 

[KEN L]

Hmmmmm, pink camo Cokes. I just can't picture it!

 

[DWFAN]

Compact Shotgun - Model 870 Compact Pink Camo - Remington Shotguns

 

[jjbrewst1]

I would love to see before pictures. I have seen others that Paul has brought back from The Dead.

Great Work. Those Cokes are Amazing

Now the Real Question. Can I PLEASE buy the 19 Pinto?? . Just pick anything you want from my collection.

 

[JSR III]

Grips come on COLT's and other guns. S&W guns have STOCKS. FWIW...

Nice work Paul

 

[4-Screw]

I would love to see before pictures. I have seen others that Paul has brought back from The Dead.

Great Work. Those Cokes are Amazing

Now the Real Question. Can I PLEASE buy the 19 Pinto?? . Just pick anything you want from my collection.

I should have done before and after pictures.

Jim, ANYTHING in your collection that's tempting but that 19 is one-of-one. That's tough to replace, and it's my birth year gun!

 

[donadler]

Grips come on COLT's and other guns. S&W guns have STOCKS. FWIW...

Nice work Paul

Ok- I guess I was confused when I read the Smith and Wesson store's list of "grips".



Grips - Smith & Wesson

 

[JSR III]

Sorry, I was referring to the real Smith and Wesson as in Horace and Daniel. Not Bangor Punta, not Lear Siegler, not Tompkins Ltd., and not Safety Hammer. Even our fearless leader has gone over to the dark side and refers to them as grips.

I on the other hand, being a purist and a Virgo, will continue to carry on the traditions of the Founders and refer to things like grips as stocks, cranes as yokes and checkering as checking. Look at the old catalogs or parts lists and you will see that the Founders used these terms and I will honor them by continuing to preach the gospel of S&W to all of the wicked in the world.

 

[-db-]

Good stuff but I believe Colt, too, originally referred to them as stocks.

 

[ditrina]

Many are called..... but Paul.. has been chosen .. He IS a Master Craftsman..

 

[donadler]

Sorry, I was referring to the real Smith and Wesson as in Horace and Daniel. Not Bangor Punta, not Lear Siegler, not Tompkins Ltd., and not Safety Hammer. Even our fearless leader has gone over to the dark side and refers to them as grips.

I on the other hand, being a purist and a Virgo, will continue to carry on the traditions of the Founders and refer to things like grips as stocks, cranes as yokes and checkering as checking. Look at the old catalogs or parts lists and you will see that the Founders used these terms and I will honor them by continuing to preach the gospel of S&W to all of the wicked in the world.

Agreed- old way is best. I was just confusalated by the Smith site. Shouldn't happen again.

 

[wlp624]

...It's like being a hot blond. You don't put the bikini on till you hit the beach...DW

Wow Paul, that's some serious philosophizing! Now I'm gonna spend all afternoon visualizing that transformation.

And stunning work on the grips, er, I mean stocks!

 

[tlay]

I am about to open up a huge can of worms! But I like worms. I too had a pair of cokes refinished by DWFAN. They turned out great! Everyone loves it when a beat up set of grips gets new life and gets refinished.
But I also had to have a pre-29 that someone ground the side plate down refinished. It too turned out beautiful! I posted it and you would have thought I had shown a photo of mother Mary in her undies!
Why can we look at a refinished pair of grips and see beauty and see an abomination in a refinished gun? This was my first refinished gun. I have since learned how to refinish and restore my own guns. I have started doing jobs for a LGS. I see the beauty in what a beat-up and abused gun can become. I guess the beauty is in the eye of the beholder is fit for this situation!!

 

[4-Screw]

I am about to open up a huge can of worms! But I like worms. I too had a pair of cokes refinished by DWFAN. They turned out great! Everyone loves it when a beat up set of grips gets new life and gets refinished.
But I also had to have a pre-29 that someone ground the side plate down refinished. It too turned out beautiful! I posted it and you would have thought I had shown a photo of mother Mary in her undies!
Why can we look at a refinished pair of grips and see beauty and see an abomination in a refinished gun? This was my first refinished gun. I have since learned how to refinish and restore my own guns. I have started doing jobs for a LGS. I see the beauty in what a beat-up and abused gun can become. I guess the beauty is in the eye of the beholder is fit for this situation!!

I hear you...why can you restore a classic car and that is accepted and valued but if you restore a gun or a vintage guitar you have broken one of the Commandments?

 

[donadler]

Just got back my early 1950's non-relieved grips....er, stocs, that DWFan did.

Awesome job, just like on my 2 sets of Cokes.

Lousy photos of great work.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

I hear you...why can you restore a classic car and that is accepted and valued but if you restore a gun or a vintage guitar you have broken one of the Commandments?

I have often wondered the same thing,Ecspecially when talking about Factory refinished Guns.I just don't see why most value them at 1/2 the price of an original Gun.If you had your Ferrari completely restored at the Factory would it only be worth 1/2 as much?

 

[JSR III]

I hear you...why can you restore a classic car and that is accepted and valued but if you restore a gun or a vintage guitar you have broken one of the Commandments?

I am no car expert by any stretch of the imagination however, every car show that I watch on TV talks about finding the holy grail of cars with original paint and an unmolested motor and matching numbers.

In gun collecting, and I am only speaking at the purist level, a gun in original new condition in its original box with all of its papers and tools is like finding the ark and is priced accordingly. That is why a purist collector frowns on those who "gather" these items and assemble a "package". You may know it's a package but will the guy who buys it 50 years from now.

A gun refinished at the factory is considered less detrimental because it is done by the same folks and with the same process as it was done originally. It still reduces the "original" factor to a purist collector but is not as bad as having it done at bubba's bumper shop.

Unfortunately, with the advent of the internet, sellers think that because they have a gun in very good shape that it should bring the same high price as an original package as it shipped from the factory. As long as buyers pay those crazy prices, sellers will continue to ask them.

You add to the mix folks that have money to burn but no real understanding of the game and they will pay the same price for a naked gun as someone else just paid for an original package.

So it all depends on where you are in the collecting world. Some guys would see no harm in shooting a NIB package that they found because it's just a tool and that's what it was made for. Your gun, your decision but a purist collector would never do that.

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[4-Screw]

The anticipation of waiting for the grips to come back is so exciting. I need to find another pair to send in...when you open that box, it is like Christmas when you're a kid.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

The anticipation of waiting for the grips to come back is so exciting. I need to find another pair to send in...when you open that box, it is like Christmas when you're a kid.

Except You had to pay for the Gift inside....

 

[flundertaker]

do restored stocks on a gun hurt the value of the gun ?

 

[4-Screw]

Except You had to pay for the Gift inside....

Fair enough, ha! But well worth it.