How to duplicate 1899 Army grip cartouche?

[cgt4570]

I found a spare set of commercial concave pre-1910 round butt grips for my 1899 US Army stamped .38. Any suggestions for duplicating the round inspector stamp cartouches that are in the smooth rounds of the grips? I'm not trying to fool anybody. I just want it to look correct.

 

[mikepriwer]

I would not do that. A lot of folks are very critical of a certain dealer in the LA
area, who fakes up Military markings on Victory models, and then sell them as
originals. Don't play that game.

The problem is that, at some point down the road, the gun will be sold without your
documentation. It will be sold as all original, which would not be right.

Just leave the grips as they are. Maybe some day you'll find an original pair.

Mike Priwer

 

[cgt4570]

Mike,

This is the one that's been nickel plated. It's far from original. No chance of it getting passed off as correct. I just wanted the grips to look like the military ones.

 

[CJS57]

Turnbull restores military markings but he also puts his name on them somewhere so they won't fool someone else down the road.

 

[murphydog]

I think aside from the stampings on the upper panels that the period commercial stocks look the same as the military ones. As you pointed out, the nickel finish takes it out of the original category, so I'd leave the stocks alone. It took me about 3 years of searching to find a similar set for a gun of the same era, and you might also run into one that needs an original set. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Jack Flash]

Murphy Dog makes an excellent point. If it is so obviously not correct, why worry about making phony "correct looking" stocks?

All you will do is ruin whatever value the stocks have and pave the way for someone to perpetrate a fraud. No matter how innocent your intentions may be, this is an area best avoided entirely.

 

[Hondo44]

Turnbull restores military markings but he also puts his name on them somewhere so they won't fool someone else down the road.

I don't know about not fooling someone down the road...have you ever found Turnbull's marking on a restored gun of his?

 

[2152hq]

I don't know about not fooling someone down the road...have you ever found Turnbull's marking on a restored gun of his?

You won't find many. I can only recall maybe a half dozen in 3 yrs while there.
The other few thousand went out totally unmarked that they'd been re-done,,or in some cases upgraded to higher grade models than they had left the factory in.

 

[Hondo44]

You won't find many. I can only recall maybe a half dozen in 3 yrs while there.
The other few thousand went out totally unmarked that they'd been re-done,,or in some cases upgraded to higher grade models than they had left the factory in.

How were those marked?

 

[2152hq]

A simple small punch mark. 'DT' ,,the T being part of the upright bar of the D.
A few Parkers got marked down in the dolls head seat in the frame. A couple of Winchester leveractions on the bottom of the frame. There's usually a small flat back by the trigger to place it. I can't ever recall a SAA or 1911 being marked. But it's been a long time since I was there,,don't know what they do now.
When I was there, he offered a small,,very small,, dollar amount off the final bill if you the customer allowed the stamp to be applied to the finished piece.
I don't recall anyone ever taking advantage of the deal!