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Colt SAA 1st gen. Pistol grips

murphsmustangsmurphsmustangs Member Posts: 19 ✭✭
edited November 2017 in Ask the Experts
All right boys and girls, I am a little confused #129335;#8205;#9792;#65039; and get more confused the older I get.
Anyway, I recently acquired a Colt SAA 38WCF manufactured 1903 1st. Generation and has plain walnut checkered grips. I would like to aquire some original grips for it.
My confusion come as to which ones are correct. I have seen guns and grips listed as 1st generation shown with just the rampant stallion or with both the stallion and the eagle.
Also are they supposed to be checkered or not and hard rubber or Bakelite.
Am I correct in that 2ond & 3rd generation grips won?t fit the 1st generation?
All help appreciated. Mike
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    tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The grips for the first gen Colt SAA's were checkered hard rubber, and serial numbered to the gun. Those grips were hand fitted. I think walnut was an option. You are correct, that 2nd, and 3rd gen most likely will not fit the 1st gen.
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    nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,880 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    tsr is right, the grips could have been either hard rubber with eagle, or PLAIN 1 piece walnut. No way to verify, grip type was not usually shown on factory records.

    To this day, all SSA grips must be hand fitted to the grip frame. At Colt, new grips are screwed to the grip frame & the grips & grip frame are ground/polished as a unit; once that is done, the grip frame is refinished, then the entire gun is assembled. I would think that you can buy an oversized walnut grip that could be fitted to a 1st gen gun by careful sanding.

    Neal
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    for the most part first gen grips are smaller than second Gen and second gen are smaller than 3th Gen so 3th gen grips can most times be FITTED to just about any "if one is careful "

    editI don"t know if they are still in business but nutmeg sports used to sell both fitted and un fitted IVORY grips I bought a number of pairs every one likes real Ivory even if not original to the pistol
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    Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If your Single Action was shipped in 1903, the standard stocks would have been Type 2 Checkered Hard Rubber Stocks with the Rampant Colt, but without the Eagle.

    On a Colt Historical Letter for a Single Action of that vintage, if it shows "Type of Stocks: Not Listed", then it would be a safe bet that it left the factory with the standard hard rubber stocks. If other than standard, then it will usually be listed.

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

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    murphsmustangsmurphsmustangs Member Posts: 19 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the info everyone.
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