Mystery Stock Thread

OK, I feel dirty. Like I got caught reading old girly magazines in my youth. I'm a pretty tough old guy and I don't get that feeling often. I even followed one link to some off brand things they call Colt. Then to make matters worse, someone even mentioned the bricks they call Rugers. Is their no shame?

The pictures in post #1 appear to be artistic. Made by a real engraver or woodworker who wasn't interested in making things that looked real. Many of the posts have pictures of things I might make out of slabs of firewood. I separate the grips between things I'd like to own and things I'd consider burning on a cold night. So back to the opening thread. They're well made. One thing I noticed about them were the medallions. They appear to be small silver medallions, like the kind used on K frame guns in the prewar. Or just as likely all the postwar guns.

Another point seems to be the depths of the checkering. Looks like they're below the level of the medallions. That alone could help result in the thin measurement commented by others. At first I considered they could be recheckered targets or even smooth grips that someone decided to checker. Regardless, they're well done. I'm not so sure I would claim that on the other grips we've been seeing here.

And just because I enjoy thread drift as much as anyone, let me throw this out. Years ago, like the last century, I was ambling along a gun show and saw about the nicest set of grips I've ever seen. Yes, they were for some nasty old Colt. The guy with them said they were for some obscure old Colt and he wanted $500 or more for them. Least I get infected, I stepped away and thanked him. In a lot of ways, they were dead ringers for the grips in post #1, except for what they fit. I haven't seen others since, ever.

Keith Brown makes very nice grips, and I'd offer the opinion he could produce something of this quality. Its not only the shape, but the checkering that is so nice. Hint, I really don't like uncheckered grips, particularly if they appear to be "Arts and crafts" work. Making real quality handles for revolvers had many facets. We tend to compliment nice workmanship. But some of the most famous makers, like Roper, just used the wood they could find. Maybe torn from an old pallet on somebody's shipping dock. Kearsarge used premium wood, and it shows. Putting all the effort on junk wood is an exercise in futility. It would be like Leonardo Davinci painting on an old brick.

We like to complement others here in our group, and not make their offspring feel bad. I should respect that, but they just aren't in the class of other artists we see occasionally. Just my opinion.
 
SixgunStumpet if you EVER decide to sell that RM please contact me. That RM has more character than any unfired, perfect specimen. Of course, you will need to give advanced notice as I will need to sell my house.
 
So here is a set I forgot I had and actually bought from a member here. The craftsmanship is very very good, now I just need to find a long action N frame to put them on...

Wish I knew who made them!

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Here's a pair from a recent Python acquisition. Still trying to pin down who may have made 'em, but I've been told they look to be from the Hurst/Stark/Farrant variety.
 

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OK, I feel dirty. Like I got caught reading old girly magazines in my youth. I'm a pretty tough old guy and I don't get that feeling often. I even followed one link to some off brand things they call Colt. Then to make matters worse, someone even mentioned the bricks they call Rugers. Is their no shame?

The pictures in post #1 appear to be artistic. Made by a real engraver or woodworker who wasn't interested in making things that looked real. Many of the posts have pictures of things I might make out of slabs of firewood. I separate the grips between things I'd like to own and things I'd consider burning on a cold night. So back to the opening thread. They're well made. One thing I noticed about them were the medallions. They appear to be small silver medallions, like the kind used on K frame guns in the prewar. Or just as likely all the postwar guns.

Another point seems to be the depths of the checkering. Looks like they're below the level of the medallions. That alone could help result in the thin measurement commented by others. At first I considered they could be recheckered targets or even smooth grips that someone decided to checker. Regardless, they're well done. I'm not so sure I would claim that on the other grips we've been seeing here.

And just because I enjoy thread drift as much as anyone, let me throw this out. Years ago, like the last century, I was ambling along a gun show and saw about the nicest set of grips I've ever seen. Yes, they were for some nasty old Colt. The guy with them said they were for some obscure old Colt and he wanted $500 or more for them. Least I get infected, I stepped away and thanked him. In a lot of ways, they were dead ringers for the grips in post #1, except for what they fit. I haven't seen others since, ever.

Keith Brown makes very nice grips, and I'd offer the opinion he could produce something of this quality. Its not only the shape, but the checkering that is so nice. Hint, I really don't like uncheckered grips, particularly if they appear to be "Arts and crafts" work. Making real quality handles for revolvers had many facets. We tend to compliment nice workmanship. But some of the most famous makers, like Roper, just used the wood they could find. Maybe torn from an old pallet on somebody's shipping dock. Kearsarge used premium wood, and it shows. Putting all the effort on junk wood is an exercise in futility. It would be like Leonardo Davinci painting on an old brick.

We like to complement others here in our group, and not make their offspring feel bad. I should respect that, but they just aren't in the class of other artists we see occasionally. Just my opinion.

By the way, the guy who made those stocks was actually identified in this thread by Skilled. His name is Mike Poulin and I'm not surprised you found a set of his Colt stocks, he seems to have a made a lot more for Colt then for S&W.

Apparently he's still working, as near as I can tell, but only does ivory these days.

I'd imagine he's been at it for a very long time at this point, the few sets of his I have seen appear to have real age to them.
 
Here's a pair from a recent Python acquisition. Still trying to pin down who may have made 'em, but I've been told they look to be from the Hurst/Stark/Farrant variety.

The style and the name inside - the original buyer, but sometimes "Hurst" - all say early Hurst. OIF2 is the prime Hurst decider.

Some early Hogue grips are similar - see Mike Priwer's album, and the raised/reinforced area in the inletting is a Hogue touch, but I'll stick with Hurst. As OIF2 has noted, all those guys could make grips in the style of the other for a customer.
 
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Referenced these earlier and just got them in today.

Not really seeing any of the tell-tale signs of the typical names.

They fit nice and tight on the Triple Lock and then fit with room to spare on the 27-2. They're both very comfortable when installed. Too bad I'm not better with my right hand I could get use out of both sets.

Thoughts?
 

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The style and the name inside - the original buyer, but sometimes "Hurst" - all say early Hurst. OIF2 is the prime Hurst decider.

Some early Hogue grips are similar - see Mike Priwer's album, and the raised/reinforced area in the inletting is a Hogue touch, but I'll stick with Hurst. As OIF2 has noted, all those guys could make grips in the style of the other for a customer.

SG-688, you were right about OIF2. He did confirm they are Hurst stocks!
 
Due to baby I have been low on time and cash, so I haven't really been able to be active much, but a friend of mine sent me something he found in an antique shop the other day which solved at least one set of Mystery Stocks I had, I maybe more too...

King Catalog no. 20, so if that number can tell anyone what year this is I would love to hear it. I feel like I sorted out about what year the different catalogs came out in at one point, but I can't figure out where I wrote it down. The baby currently grabbing my leg and demanding attention because heaven forbid daddy do anything but pay attention to *me* for more then 1 minute...for some reason is distracting me from remembering properly.

In any case, without further ado, one of my mystery sets..solved!









You should be able to click on any link for a high rez image. Sorry the pictures aren't up to my historic quality, it's kind of hard to do anything lately, for some reason...


Edit: I was able to snap a couple more pictures which should be of some interest to anyone who is interested in this thread:




I had no idea that Murad actually made some walnut stocks. I thought everything they did was in plastic.

This bit also does refer to the *new* match target, so the catalog has to be at least 1938, and as they are selling it in the catalog they had enough time from the release of the gun, to catalog print, to include it with a picture. So I am guessing the Catalog is about 1939. Maybe '40




I also find it interesting that King was selling Kearsarge stocks, along with Ropers.
 
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