Griffin & Howe Grips

[Randy]

Hello all,

I'm always drawn to the grip (stock) threads about Roper, Sanderson, Keith Brown and others. Almost everything I know about grips I've learned here on this forum. I love cruising the gunshops and shows looking for interesting grips.

I've posted these K frame Ropers here before. I've been told by a few knowledgable people that they are definitely Ropers. They have the classic Roper jig marks on the back.

Still, I'm not convinced that they are Ropers. It's not the missing Roper scallop that I'm questioning. The checkering is really fine. Too fine. I think these grips may very well be Griffin and Howe.

I found these pictures that M-1911 (Gary) posted. The checkering, like mine appear to be too fine to be Ropers and they are clearly not Sandersons.

I've also found this old Griffin and Howe ad that someone here on the forum posted. I'm sorry but I forgot who that was. The checkering on my grips and the grips Gary posted look very much like the grips in this ad.

I would really like to hear your thoughts and opinions about my "Ropers".


Thanks,

Randy

 

[handejector]

Randy,
What do yours say on the back?

I can't count the LPI, but that checkering looks Roper to me.
Everything about those grips look Roper to me, down to the handwriting, color, inletting, dimples, wood, and checkering.

They also do NOT look like Circassian, which the G&H ad says they use.

The grips I've seen that were thought to be G&H had very fine checkering, and a 'yellowish' color varnish- not as dark as Ropers.

 

[dacoontz]

The lettering on the back of the grip, says 55 or something, is very much like a couple pairs of ropers with the same style writing. This to me would be a fairly strong confirmation that they are Ropers.

Plus the guy with a bunch of really nice Ropers for sale just posted his opinion that they are Ropers so that would pretty much secure it for me.

 

[phenson]

I don't own that many sets, but I am very interested and read everything I can on the subject. I try to never miss a post and especially a pic on the forum here. In my humble opinion, they look like Gagne's work to me. The checkering LPI looks the same. Gagne is one of those guys who made what many people made in those days, but just like guitar players, when you hear about 3 notes of Jimi Hendrix, you know its him.

 

[Toyman]

Didn't Ropers have the square peg holes like these seem to have ??

 

[LS1]

Speaking of the thread title, does anyone have a pair of G&H grips that are from them for sure, like with a box or receipt? I wouldn't be surprised if King's grips and G&H grips were actually special styles made by roper and sold under the various names.

 

[Culina]

Speaking of the thread title, does anyone have a pair of G&H grips that are from them for sure, like with a box or receipt? I wouldn't be surprised if King's grips and G&H grips were actually special styles made by roper and sold under the various names.

Bingo!, just because G&H offered something in their cataloge, does not mean that they produced it.

 

[Randy]

Randy,
What do yours say on the back?

I can't count the LPI, but that checkering looks Roper to me.
Everything about those grips look Roper to me, down to the handwriting, color, inletting, dimples, wood, and checkering.

They also do NOT look like Circassian, which the G&H ad says they use.

The grips I've seen that were thought to be G&H had very fine checkering, and a 'yellowish' color varnish- not as dark as Ropers.

Yes that's a 55 along with someones name that's scratched into the wood.

I appreciate all of the feedback so far.

I have another request. I'm fairly sure most of us have a copy of the 3rd edition of the SCSW.

Please turn to page 26. In the top picture the grips at the far left are described as Griffin & Howe checkered walnut custom target stocks with Roper style checkering pattern.

I know that's not a large picture but my grips are a ringer for these.

What do you all think?

Randy

 

[mikepriwer]

Plus the guy with a bunch of really nice Ropers for sale just posted his opinion that they are Ropers so that would pretty much secure it for me.

Really !

I've posted several offers to sell my real interest in the Brooklyn Bridge .
You going to put a check in the mail ? !!

If we could get Keith to use some non-descript walnut, and purposely
copy the Roper design without his embellishments, I bet that guy could
not tell the difference.

Its the same story, that we hear frequently, about a gun being original.
Given that the factory could refinish a gun and no one could tell,
How does one know ?!

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[dacoontz]

Really !

I've posted several offers to sell my real interest in the Brooklyn Bridge .
You going to put a check in the mail ? !!

If we could get Keith to use some non-descript walnut, and purposely
copy the Roper design without his embellishments, I bet that guy could
not tell the difference.

Its the same story, that we hear frequently, about a gun being original.
Given that the factory could refinish a gun and no one could tell,
How does one know ?!

Regards, Mike Priwer

True Mike but if you had Keith do it then it would probably end up as good a product and cost you the same, not that anyones arguing that. I would imagine that part of the OP's inquiry is to not only establish authenticity of the grips but also the value.

I have never really understood the whole "the factory could refinish a gun and no one could tell" since I have yet to hold one that was proven to be a factory refinish without factory markings. That is the rub though. Maybe you have handled one as you've been at this a whole lot longer than I have. Any evidence of that would be great to see as I have a particular liking to factory reworked and refinished guns including the variety of factory markings, or absence of.

Some of us newer collectors have to trust that the wiser of this forum know what they are talking about, especially those that haven't let me down in the past. I will stick with that plan until I get burned. If your telling me to be cautious of any deal that you propose, especially if it involves bridges, than I appreciate the warning ahead of time.

Again, if Lee says they're Ropers then I would feel pretty confident that they are.

 

[RKmesa]

Randy:

I'm not sure who made those stocks, but they are way high on the "cool scale" and they make that K-38 one classy shooting machine. Every time you have posted those photos, I have always thought that they were Ropers. I don't have Roper's book (I need to get a copy), but I think I recall seeing a photo of some finger groove stocks like yours in his book.

Thanks again for sharing. BTW - If I recall correctly, you have a 357, that is also way high on the "cool scale", due to its front sight and the Ropers it sports.

Thanks for sharing your stocks (great photos!).

 

[mikepriwer]

Again, if Lee says they're Ropers then I would feel pretty confident that they are.

Daniel

Ever hear the motto of the US Treasury
" In God we trust - all others pay cash " ?

The insight about the factories ability to refinish a gun does not
come from me - its straight from the factory historian.

And yes - I have held a gun that was factory refinished, and no
one can tell. Its a gun I own - the first post-WW2 K-32. It
spent its first year as a blue salesmans sample. The first order
that came in was for a nickel gun , so they refinished the blue one,
and shipped it out as nickel. Believe me - you can not tell. The
only reason I know this is because it letters this way.

The fact of the matter is that the factory had outstanding people
working in various departments, and they had the ability to do
that caliber of work.

Regards, Mike Priwer