Mexican Silver

gdogs

gdogs

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
1,030
Reaction score
1,868
Location
DFW
For many years now I've felt like there was a big hole in my modest S&W brood. My sporadic collecting had yet to produce a bbq gun, or anything remotely resembling one. Most of my Smiths are good condition shooters, nothing fancy, just quality range pieces. Oh, I've been tempted by some over the top nickeled ladies, but I've just never pulled the trigger on purchasing one. A long time ago I passed on a set of sterling silver grips in a Mexican resort town simply because I didn't have a gun nice enough to warrant such garish shoes. I've thought back to that day many times, to one of the ones that got away, just like a "sit down" Ms PacMan that slipped through my fingers years ago. Well I still don't have a bbq gun per se, but I now have the Mexican silver grips. I've been on the hunt for a quite a while, but just couldn't seem to find a set that made me close the deal. Well these K frame, sterling silver and 14k gold beauties finally convinced me. I've only gotten the left panel cleaned up, the right is still pretty tarnished. And I'm not sure what exactly they'll end up on, but for now a 5 Screw K-38 will do.
5aed2595.jpg
 
Register to hide this ad
That is something that you don't see every day! I like it! I have a grip thing, and would like a set like that myself. Not too simple, not too gaudy! Enjoy them. Did they take you to the cleaners on them? Bob
 
Now show the other side so we know what you are dealing with!!!

I'm not sure what to do about stopping silver from tarnishing. Maybe this is a good case for Ren wax.
 
Before I saw your photo,I was expecting some over the top,Aztec, or snakes and eagles motif,but those are lovely,and very tastefully executed.
 
Sorry fellas, I didn't think to take any before photos. They really weren't in too bad a shape. The tarnish wasn't that 50 year old patina kind, more like they cleaned them real good and stuck them in a drawer a year ago. To my door they ran just under $150. Honestly I feel like I made out like a bandito. There was no screw, but fortunately I had one that was the same thread size. I'll try and get a few more pics up soon.
 
There is nearly nothing that will keep silver from tarnishing. There are some premium silver polish products that tend to slow it down, some for a long time. All the sterling silver makers have brands of polish they recommend, and you can find them at many antique shops and even some grocery stores.

Another thing you can do is isolate them from sulphur compounds. Generally oxygen doesn't react with the silver. Another thing you can do is to store the silver with activated charcoal strips. Like on strip per ziplock, and then store the gun in the bag. If you just stick it in the box it came in, the charcoal should do fine for a few years.

Anyone with sterling flatware (anyone who hasn't sold it) will notice the silver chest came with a special lining. They call it silver cloth. It may not prevent tarnish, but it greatly reduces it. Store you silver gripped gun in your wife's silver chest! :D Or go to one of the big fabric shops and buy yourself a piece of it. Then just wrap the gun and store as usual.

For a while I had a pair of the Mexican silver grips. They were purty... But they didn't fit my guns. Kind of interesting someone would dedicate the time and expense to making a set of grips that didn't fit well. If you notice S&W collectors, they're fanatics on having their handles fit the gun. If you're in the market for a set, the same rules apply to buying wood grips. Take the gun along and do a test fit prior to wasting any cash. My experience is that more sets don't fit than do.
 
Nice grips, but I would not call them "Mexican." even if made in Mexico. I don't mean that in a negative sense, but the classical Mexican grips made circa 1910s-1960s alway had some design connected with Mexico, such as the Snake & Eagle or an Aztec calendar, etc. They were made by various Western & Mexican silversmiths in two styles, solid silver and hollow silver. Made from melted silver dollars or pesos and then decorated with the above mentioned designs. Many were unmarked as to silver quality or as to the maker. If there was a maker mark, and a sterling silver mark, the quality was usually higher and often had some gold inlay, etc. A stamp of "Hecho en Mexico" might be seen on grips imported in quantity to the US market. As a young man in Mexico in the 40s & 50s, I often bought these Mexican silver grips, for Colts, S&Ws, etc. in the Mexican flea markets, for a few pesos and resold them at gun shows, or in my gun store, in the US. A self respecting Caballero would not have considered himself dressed without his Colt .38 Super, or S&W M&P, sporting a flashy pair of silver grips adorned with Mexican symbols! " Es un hombre muy bravo y muy grande con pistolas especiales!" Ed.
 
These grips are stamped Mexico, Sterling 925, and 14K. I've seen many with the Aztec calender, horses, or the national eagle, and in fact the ones I passed on so many years ago had a fightin' rooster on each panel. Honestly though, that these were so "tame" is really what sealed the deal for me. While maybe not as traditional as some, I think I'll keep on calling them my Mexican silver grips.;)
 
gdogs,

Those are very nice grips and certainly a cut above the usual Mexican silver ones. I think that yours are the first Mexican marked grips that don't have some features such as Aztec calendars, snake and eagle, horses, etc. included in them. The emblems on yours aren't those that are commonly related to Mexican culture. Like Ed, I would have probably attributed them to another culture if they weren't marked.

Here is the usual type that Ed was referring to. They were very popular in the Southwest a few years ago and can still turn heads at a good 'ol BBQ.

standard.jpg


I see you are in DFW, as I am. If you are going to the Dallas Mkt. Hall show this weekend, please stop by my table. I'll be at Table F 20-21. If you can put those grips in your pocket, I'd sure like to see them.

Any others in the area please stop by and say hello, too.

Bob
 
Last edited:
As a very novice firearms photographer, I think your photos are great, and I would like to know how you took them. Just briefly, would you describe your lighting setup? :)Thanks.
 
Well, it's not really much to speak of actually. About 6 months ago after seeing some really nice photos on this site, I decided that along with taking high quality documentation photos for insurance purposes, I also wanted to be able to take better looking photos for "showin' off". I've started out pretty basic. A light box built from pvc pipe and fittings, covered with a white sheet, and a black velvety material (that I think hides the wrinkles when put away). For the insurance photos I used blue poster board as a backing. I used shop lights from walmart and have a t8 flourescent above my desk. The studio is nothing more than a small corner of the garage. My camera is a Kodak 6490 that the misses and I got before our honeymoon some 7 and half years ago. And I use a cheap little desk tripod that goes with us everywhere and has to be the best piece of plastic I've ever bought. Try this link out as to a parts list and guide to the lightbox Doug's DIY Lightbox . I doubt if I have $45 in the whole thing minus the camera of course. I'm in a lull at the moment, but I'm planning on coming up with some new backgrounds soon. I'll also say that having sold a few items on the forums and auction sites, the better pictures have increased the prices I'm getting.
f035ad3a-1.jpg
 
I had read about light boxes made using a PVC pipe frame, but could never visualize what they looked like or how the lights were arranged. Thank you very much for sharing the info and picture of your setup. Very illuminating (sorry).
 
Last edited:
Very nice grips and great photos as well. Man what a score.
As stated previously, not too overstated or over the top.
Perfect !!!


chuck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top