Herrett's "Osage" on 19-3

[gaijin]

These stocks may be an acquired taste.
A set of Herrett's "Osage" I picked up somewhere. They were poorly finished and sealed with urethane. I spent a bit of time finishing and sealing with umpteen coats of Tung oil.
They worked out well on this shooter grade 19-3.

 

[bronco45]

They look nice. Your time and effort paid off.

 

[snowman]

They look good to me! The grain and hue are a lot nicer than a lot of factory target grips I've seen and owned.

Andy

 

[smithnframe]

Very nice! I like different types of wooden grips.

 

[Chop]

They look good with the blue of the revolver contrast. Good job.

Chop

 

[Biginge]

Very nice set of well done grips on a very fine weapon.

Regards

Bill

 

[sarge1967]

I think they look great! Good job!

 

[JCS&W]

The time and effort you put into those stocks really paid off. Very nice indeed.

 

[vent rib]

Those are beautiful grips. Are they made of osage orange wood? Here in the midwest ,the tree is also called hedge apple and is very very dense.

 

[hivel37]

In some parts, that tree is referred to as "Beau D'arc".

Not only beautiful grips are made from it, but also fence posts that last practically forever!

 

[Maximumbob54]

Osage should be lighter with a lot more yellow than red. Unless you special ordered them I would think they are cocobolo wood. They seem to use that the most lately. But I agree they look great.

 

[fyimo]

Wow, I love the color and grain on those grips

 

[H Richard]

My, those are pretty! Unusual color and nice grain.

 

[Sealevel]

Absolutely beautiful coloring and figuring - well done on the refinishing! I, too, favor a tung oil finish.

I have a nickel 19-3 with similarly colored grips that came from Kim Ahrends. The Retro Combat grips made from Padauk wood and finished with tung oil have a red hue that looks great against the bright nickel frame.

 

[Beaver]

Osage

In my home town was an old boiler operator at the big GP paper mill, who was quite a woodworker. We would get free home-made wine, (really bad, but had alcohol in it), for helping him unload big slabs of Willamette valley black walnut, oak, etc. He had a fairly big shed full of big slabs. He'd make fish traps out of stainless for trade for some of this wood.

He had a secret stash of Osage and the first finished wood I saw from Ol' Ken's shop was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I have never forgotten the color or the honest grain. Quite a rare wood for Oregon.

Your grips reminded me of Ken and are simple, understated and outstanding. I would love to grace any of my Smiths with grips as nice as yours. Good job on the refinish.

 

[Derosa]

If you ever decide to part with the 19 and the grips, I am first in line with cash or check or money order or my mother's rosary. Well skip the rosary, but, the rest is true. Well done.

 

[moosedog]

Those look really nice. You did a good job on those.

 

[crsides]

This is a set of Kurac's Osage Orange on my mod 58 41 mag.

More golden color with less grain.

Charlie

 

[johnyakima]

Osage Orange is also used for knife handles. I have a folder with Osage Orange handles made by Wayne Goddard in Eugene, Oregon in the 1980's. The color and grain are about the same as gaijin's beautiful stocks.
In Illinois, my brother and I used to have fights using the orange-size fruit from these trees.

 

[28Shooter]

Nice job gaijin! I'm a big fan of Herretts and those are very nice.

 

[cobretti]

This is my blue 19-3 with Herretts. I have another darker set on my nickel 19-4, also in 4". They are very well made grips that fit perfectly. I'd like to add medallions to them sometime. I bought these on ebay, the other set at a gunshow. This style is not listed on their website, so how do you go about getting these things?

 

[gaijin]

In response to MaximumBob...
I'm in the Mid West (Kansas), the homesteaders planted a bazillion "Osage Orange/Hedge Apple" trees here as shelter belts.
We use a lot of it as firewood.
You are correct that hedge is predominantly yellow.
However, the HEARTWOOD is orange. A large trunk will have a core of orange, the sapwood/limbs tend to be yellow.

Thanks all for the (surprising) support for these stocks.

 

[Vern]

You've got the finish looking very nice. I like the color and the grain.

How do they feel? They look like Herrett's Roper grips. I've often thought about trying a set, but they look to be cut fairly high behind the trigger guard. My stock S&W trigger are all gone because my 2nd finger gets banged up to much from the trigger guard when the gun recoils. I've usually gone with Hogue or Ahrends on my revolvers.

Vern

 

[gaijin]

Vern;
If you have trouble with the trigger guard "biting" your second digit with recoil, you might look at Herretts "Jordon Troopers" or their "Shooting Master" stocks.
I've become increasingly fond of the SM's, as with a little additional work (removing material), I can shoot them double action comfortably (without changing my grip). The Troopers are too big for double action with my "medium" hands. All are obviously great shooting single action.
The first/top revolver has the Troopers, the next two (down) have the Shooting Masters: (These are some of my "hog" guns)

 

[Vern]

Thanks for the photos. Those do look good. I've tried a couple of things so far.

These Hogues in wood work well for me:

I've got several in their rubber grips, which work well enough, but don't look near as nice.

My latest attempt is Ahrends Retro Combat grips.

The jury is still out on these.

Vern

 

[Florida Guy]

Nice job.
I like 'em.

 

[UrsisHoribilis]

It is "Bois D'Arc". Means bow wood as the native Americans used it for that person. Regionally called bodark and bodock. Relative of the mulberry.

 

[UrsisHoribilis]

Auto correct changed purpose to person.

 

[Stu Honea]

Nice looking stocks. Good job on the refinish.