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Anybody,1911 Elephant Ivory Grips?
Texas1911DE
Member Posts: 690 ✭✭✭✭
...Ive had a set of elephant ivory grips for years, pre-ban, with a Colt medallion.
Ive never put on any of my 1911's, grips as new.
...The way the US law reads, and explained to me by several people, unless I have absolute "proof" that I bought the grips pre-ban, I can't sell 'em...Elephant Ivory can't be sold in US.
... I rather doubt the government is going to chase me down if I did sell them, but... how in the h* would I have "proof" all these years later...guess I'll put on my carry gun and get some use out of 'em. ..
...Anyone else dealt with this?
Comments
No.......but it probably would not be very difficult to ascertain that the grips were made before the sale of ivory in the US was cut off.
I would be afraid to put them on a shooter or a carry gun. I would try to get some $$$ out of them.
I have both a bill of sale and a statement of origin of ivory from tusks of a trophy the surviving family did not want. Both dated. I would not sell or buy with less.
...After all these years and with the law as it is, there is no way Spresser is going to send me a document swearing these grips were sold to me all those years ago, pre-ban...and I saw no need to hold onto any type of receipt back "when" once I saw the grips and did a test fit...geez, I'd have to buy another storage building to hold "all" my receipts...
The grips look and feel as if they would not scratch too easily actually, but Im not sure about that...guess I'll search the web for an answer to that...☺️
...Ok, thanks Dale...that was how I felt...with my luck I would sell to the "wrong" person. Oh well, they look nice and hopefully handle being carried Ok...without scratching...The grips are killer, but smooth...so not thrilled about them being on my carry gun...if by some chance they were wet in a "bad" situation, afraid they would be slippery...just hope I never am in a bad situation...sure hate to just let 'em sit in the safe...
I would neither put on my carry gun or sell them. Perhaps on a different gun, a range gun not used daily.
This sounds like a perfect excuse to buy a BBQ gun that'd look good with ivory stocks.
I've sold many of these things over the years and never run into any issues. There is a lot of hoopla about the rules and laws, but in all reality the chances of you ever running into anyone checking your item's credentials is absolutely zero. The thing they are going for are the new things being brought into the country.....importing or selling items that are obviously obtained by sources that are almost guaranteed to lead to poachers and such. If you had ten carved statues with an ad that said "check me out every week for new items" that would scream trouble. A set of grips isn't what they are going for and they know you'll be able to say "I've owned these since before Star Wars existed" is going to be the answer if they ever did check it out.
...Thanks LF & everyone...I checked and see a number of ivory grips that are listed for more than I paid...when I get the time I guess I'll list these...
Our laws can be pretty simple if you can remember this ( they've got to prove you guilty.......you don't have to prove your innocent ) it's their burden not yours 😃
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
Check with Colt. When was the last time they manufactured ivory grips with their medallions?
Much like a Rolex watch, they would scream Stick'em Up !
One of the reasons Ivory was so popular for use on knives, swords, and pistols, is that ivory gets tacky when wet, as from sweat or blood. I had a pair of smooth ivory grips on a 1911 pistol, and I noticed the tackiness when I grasped it with a sweaty hand. I thought there was something sticky on my grips until I looked it up and found that it is a characteristic of the material.
..Thanks David!...I had not heard that...guess I'll put them on my Commander...
...I'll be hollerin' at you here pretty soon, going to clean out the safe and gun room, too much stuff!...SKS/AR/AK, 1911's, couple cases of ammo...never thought I'd say it...but too much stuff...:)