Help ID Vintage Imitation Stag Grips - Thrifty-Pac

[SFIDEC]

Looking to ID recent vintage grip purchase. An old thread was only Google search that recognized
Thrift-Pac.http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/381295-ivory-grips.html
Grips look to be some type polymer but not sure. Also looks like back side has lead inserts. Fairly odd that OP on this old post is from same town as me. Looking forward to feedback.

 

[jsfricks]

According to member DB in the first thread you posted in, Thrift-Pac is merely the manufacturer/distributor of the box itself, not the contents. So finding who made them might be tough. But they look better than most fake stags. They looks to have some grain on the backside. Have you tested them in any way yet to determine the material? Some say to use a heated needle on the backside. You'll get either a burning hair smell (real) or a melting plastic smell (imitation). Plus, real stag will be a good bit heavier than plastic.

 

[moosedog]

Ajax or early Jay Scott.

 

[Hondo44]

They're plastic imitation stags. They look like Jay Scott's as Moosedog posted, but before they put the wood backing to keep them from cracking. Or possibly Ajax.

That's the box Jay Scott's came in for sure.

 

[cmansguns]

Hello Forum;

My guess is that they are indeed, real, and not imitation. Do the test as posted above and you will know for sure.

My Model 60, engraved by Master Engraver, Ben Shostle (founder of FEGA) also wore Big Horn Sheep grips, chosen by Shostle to adorn his masterpiece. The grips were clearly marked on the backside "Ajax # 21M". Ajax only made real grips while they were located in Longview Texas (IIRC). The company changed hands and nowdays you will only find fake stuff on their website, and no mention of the company lineage or old catalog stuff. I tried to even call and see if some old trace of history was left, but no success.

Anyway...as said by others, the real thing is very dense and considerably heavier than plastic.

Also the tip off for me is the letter M in capital font on the label so the #16M looks exactly like the #21M on my M60 (now sold to another Forum member).

my opinion, but I would say...genuine Ajax real stag! Lucky find for the OP

 

[-db-]

They're definitely imitation stag. Below is a set, for an N-frame, made from the same molds but with the "bark" pattern more deeply impressed into the plastic and/or shifted slightly:

Another set, same molds:

And another:

 

[SFIDEC]

Hello Forum;

My guess is that they are indeed, real, and not imitation. Do the test as posted above and you will know for sure.

My Model 60, engraved by Master Engraver, Ben Shostle (founder of FEGA) also wore Big Horn Sheep grips, chosen by Shostle to adorn his masterpiece. The grips were clearly marked on the backside "Ajax # 21M". Ajax only made real grips while they were located in Longview Texas (IIRC). The company changed hands and nowdays you will only find fake stuff on their website, and no mention of the company lineage or old catalog stuff. I tried to even call and see if some old trace of history was left, but no success.

Anyway...as said by others, the real thing is very dense and considerably heavier than plastic.

Also the tip off for me is the letter M in capital font on the label so the #16M looks exactly like the #21M on my M60 (now sold to another Forum member).

my opinion, but I would say...genuine Ajax real stag! Lucky find for the OP

Charlie B...
I'm 99.9999% sure these grips are some type of resin because they are heavier than plastic but not as heavy or dense as stag. I've had the Ajax Stag grips you mentioned that were the real thing. They were fine grips with the S&W Medallion.That being said...I'm 100% positive your M60 is a gorgeous revolver and grips work very well. I don't have an engraved revolver...shame on you for putting something else on my want list. Really...thanks for the pictures. Ray

 

[K Frame Keith]

They look like a pair of Jay Scotts I have on my Colt Official Police, except that mine have the wood backing. Nice on an appropriate vintage handgun.

 

[Hondo44]

Hello Forum;

My guess is that they are indeed, real, and not imitation. Do the test as posted above and you will know for sure.

My Model 60, engraved by Master Engraver, Ben Shostle (founder of FEGA) also wore Big Horn Sheep grips, chosen by Shostle to adorn his masterpiece. The grips were clearly marked on the backside "Ajax # 21M". Ajax only made real grips while they were located in Longview Texas (IIRC). The company changed hands and nowdays you will only find fake stuff on their website, and no mention of the company lineage or old catalog stuff. I tried to even call and see if some old trace of history was left, but no success.

Anyway...as said by others, the real thing is very dense and considerably heavier than plastic.

Also the tip off for me is the letter M in capital font on the label so the #16M looks exactly like the #21M on my M60 (now sold to another Forum member).

my opinion, but I would say...genuine Ajax real stag! Lucky find for the OP

Charlie,

The only problem is there's no guarantee or proof that the plastic grips are original to the box. If anything, you're logic proves that is not the box for those grips because they are plastic.

Very often take off grips are found in the boxes of the grips that replaced them. That clearly appears to be the case of the OP's grips.

 

[SFIDEC]

Charlie,

The only problem is there's no guarantee or proof that the plastic grips are original to the box. If anything, you're logic proves that is not the box for those grips because they are plastic.

Very often take off grips are found in the boxes of the grips that replaced them. That clearly appears the be the case of the OP's grips.

Excellent point. Kinda like some of these imitation grips and these have a good patina. Been thinking about what revolver would look good wearing them. Would these more than likely be from 60's or 70's? Perhaps a Model 15?

 

[cmansguns]

Good morning Forum;
I definetly bow to the experts on this forum and other unmentionable forums like the C*** and R**** because when I was researching my known genuine Big Horn Sheep grips on my Shostle engraved M60 I did run across Hondo 44 and DB on those other forums and boy....the pics and info they had (and this was 6 or more years ago) on Ajax (known in the 80's as Ajax (registered trademark) Custom Grips out of Dallas I believe, and the real thing had the red stencil on the backside of the panels, along with the M#, address, etc.

You can of course still see them for sale today (Fleabay) but the Sambar stags (which do show the black grain traces throughout on the back) are in the neighborhood of $275 and up, and the Ajax stuff you see from the new Ajax (evidently reinvented itself after going out of business) are imitations at $50 and lower.

This site is always such a treat for learning. The experts here have such a wealth of knowledge on every gun subject that we "inquiring minds" want and need to know.

I clearly have to revise my post above and agree that the numbers on the box look like genuine Ajax "real thing" numbers but the grips are too shiny and smooth front and back to be Indian Sambar stag which like mine on the M60 were really a grayish hue and you could even see in close up the "flat spots" at the top of the curve where Mr. Shostle hand to "hand fit" which as I understand it was also pretty much necessary on real old time stag, Elk antler, buffalo horn grips to fit exact individual frame revolvers.

Hats off to you guys that know your stuff..........I'll keep on learning.

The Shostle M60 went to another Forum Member some months ago.....and I already miss it (along with every other gun I have sold over 50 years!) but such is "downsizing".

Have a good day guys!