Grips and Their Guns

[Old_Cop]

Funny story ... some years back I traded away a K-38 with un-numbered stocks. A few months later it turns up for sale - with the correct matching numbered stocks!

It's a miracle!

 

[28Shooter]

Back in the 1980s and 90s local gun shops had bins and barrels of wood grips from guns who's buyers wanted rubber grips... and would buy and swap grips before even leaving the shop. Lots of numbered grips on used guns would meet the same fate.........

You could get a set of these "cast off" grips, magna or target; even some presentation grips for $10-25.

Before Spegel Boot grips I'd take Target grips and shorten them by 3/8-7/16" and round the bottom edge for better concealed carry.

The old "Grip Box"...every shop had one and boy wouldn't it be nice to have what was tossed into those today!

 

[Buford57]

About 10-15 years ago I visited a shop that had been in business for about 50 years at that time. They had the contents of the back room for sale on a row of tables. The owner saw me pawing through stuff and handed me a medium paper bag and offered me anything I could fit in it for $20. I filled it with Pachmayer grip boxes, but didn't take the time go examine each one. They turned out to be filled with "take-off" grips from new S&Ws and Colts whose purchasers wanted an "upgrade". The shop was near a military base I got to once or twice monthly and for the next few visits I'd give him a smile and ask "same deal?" He'd hand me another bag. The best stuff was in the first run, but I ended up with some Rugged Products faux pearls for odd brands, original grips from off-brand top-breaks and European autos and a few Herretts and Pachs. Filled the spaces with scope mounts and cleaning jags.

Most of it is gone now, but when I finish sorting through the garage I'll have the remains in the classifieds. If anybody wants Pach Signatures for a Browning BDA .380, boy have I got a deal for you!

Sadly the brothers who ran it died a couple of years apart. The widow of one and a long-time employee kept it going for a few more years but COVID finished off the trade and with it the shop. I wish I'd heard in time to make it to the going out of business sale. Hard to tell what else was lurking back there.