Old Colt 32 DA - Lexan Grips?

DouglasB · January 20, 2010, 12:17 AM

I inherited an old revolver labeled 32 Colt DA. The grips are 2 pieces (1 orange base, with clear plastic/ (lexan?) outer panel. My uncle put pin-up girl pics behind each side's inner and outer panels.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21629305@N06/

Question for you: Have you seen this type of after market grip before? I've never seen another set of grip panels like them and wondered if anyone on the forum knew how manufactured them (else they were hand made?).

If you are interested, the Colt SN is 222xx

I'm new to the forum, so hope this is the right place to post this question.
Best,
DB

Bill DeShivs · January 20, 2010, 12:25 AM

I believe they were home made, rather than production grips.

gyvel · January 20, 2010, 10:33 AM

Hotchachachacha... You go, Uncle Fred.

PetahW · January 20, 2010, 10:44 AM

Uncle Fred sure knew what to put his hands around !

.

Al Thompson · January 20, 2010, 10:52 AM

I've seen that before - on a WWII handgun carried by a soldier. The story was that the soldiers would get pieces of Lexan from the airmen and makes grips. The one I saw was a Mauser HsC.

HTH

Hardcase · January 20, 2010, 02:22 PM

You go, Uncle Fred! Those are keepers!

**Mike Irwin** · January 20, 2010, 02:27 PM

I believe that they may well be commercial grips.

I've seen them, or ones like them, before.

There was a company in the late 1940s or 1950s that made them. One of the advances of the post WW II plastics boom.

Oh, and World War II GIs wouldn't be making Lexan grips. Lexan wasn't discovered until 1953, and didn't come on the market commercially until several years later.

Jim Watson · January 20, 2010, 02:49 PM

These sure look like a commercial product with the different color backers.

I have seen a number of GI souvenir pistols with aircraft canopy Lucite grips, carved, sanded, and polished out with toothpaste. Sometimes seen with pictures of pinups or girlfriends, sometimes with nothing. On those, I figure Grandma made Grandpa take out racy pictures or snapshots of previous girlfriends.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 20, 2010, 03:07 PM

what a coincedence... I just saw a Colt 45 Auto "war" gun with them for sale on Gun Broker yesterday... I'll see if I can find a link...

well that wasn't so tough...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=153213837

DouglasB · January 20, 2010, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the replies. The grips are neat and in nice shape. It's a nice piece with sentimental value mainly. My great uncle was indeed a WWII vet (Seabee) with a forearm tattoo similar to the ol pinup pics! -DB

gyvel · January 21, 2010, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Oh, and World War II GIs wouldn't be making Lexan grips.

He probably meant plexiglass.

James K · January 21, 2010, 11:52 PM

Based on my limited experience, the favorite WWII souvenir for such grips was the Radom. I have seen at least 10 Radoms with plexiglas grips, a couple with women's pictures underneath, some with just white paper to look like ivory. One even had pink paper! (No, don't ask!)

The reason is probably that the Radom has a flat frame and making grips was easy, where it would be very difficult with a Luger and impossible with a P.38.

Jim

Al Thompson · January 27, 2010, 09:20 PM

Quote:

He probably meant plexiglass.

Thanks Mike and gyvel.

I'm not sure I could tell the difference, always good to get educated.

**Mike Irwin** · January 28, 2010, 09:46 AM

"He probably meant plexiglass."

Obviously. It's all clear now.

Get it? Clear? Plexiglass? BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHH!

Eh, you people don't have a sense of humor.

January 20, 2010, 12:25 AM	#2
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	I believe they were home made, rather than production grips. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

January 20, 2010, 10:33 AM	#3
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Hotchachachacha... You go, Uncle Fred. Last edited by gyvel; January 21, 2010 at 03:23 AM.

January 20, 2010, 10:52 AM	#5
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	I've seen that before - on a WWII handgun carried by a soldier. The story was that the soldiers would get pieces of Lexan from the airmen and makes grips. The one I saw was a Mauser HsC. HTH __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

January 20, 2010, 02:22 PM	#6
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	You go, Uncle Fred! Those are keepers! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

January 20, 2010, 02:27 PM	#7
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,389	I believe that they may well be commercial grips. I've seen them, or ones like them, before. There was a company in the late 1940s or 1950s that made them. One of the advances of the post WW II plastics boom. Oh, and World War II GIs wouldn't be making Lexan grips. Lexan wasn't discovered until 1953, and didn't come on the market commercially until several years later. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 20, 2010, 10:44 AM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Uncle Fred sure knew what to put his hands around ! .

January 20, 2010, 02:49 PM	#8
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	These sure look like a commercial product with the different color backers. I have seen a number of GI souvenir pistols with aircraft canopy Lucite grips, carved, sanded, and polished out with toothpaste. Sometimes seen with pictures of pinups or girlfriends, sometimes with nothing. On those, I figure Grandma made Grandpa take out racy pictures or snapshots of previous girlfriends.

January 20, 2010, 03:07 PM	#9
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	what a coincedence... I just saw a Colt 45 Auto "war" gun with them for sale on Gun Broker yesterday... I'll see if I can find a link... well that wasn't so tough... http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=153213837 __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 20, 2010, 09:03 PM	#10
DouglasB Member Join Date: January 19, 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 19	Uncle Fred Thanks for the replies. The grips are neat and in nice shape. It's a nice piece with sentimental value mainly. My great uncle was indeed a WWII vet (Seabee) with a forearm tattoo similar to the ol pinup pics! -DB

January 21, 2010, 11:52 PM	#12
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Based on my limited experience, the favorite WWII souvenir for such grips was the Radom. I have seen at least 10 Radoms with plexiglas grips, a couple with women's pictures underneath, some with just white paper to look like ivory. One even had pink paper! (No, don't ask!) The reason is probably that the Radom has a flat frame and making grips was easy, where it would be very difficult with a Luger and impossible with a P.38. Jim

January 28, 2010, 09:46 AM	#14
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,389	"He probably meant plexiglass." Obviously. It's all clear now. Get it? Clear? Plexiglass? BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHH! Eh, you people don't have a sense of humor. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.