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Magnum Wheel Man · January 13, 2011, 07:36 AM

a word of warning for those removing grips on these old guns... BTW... there's not a whole lot to see as far as mechanicals under the grip, but it's not unusual for guns of this period to have serial numbers under the grips, so it's often necessary to remove them for better identification

1st, be patient... the old hard rubber has gotten pretty brittle... there is normally a pin through the grip frame, usually at the bottom, to keep the grips indexed correctly... you often see broken & chipped grips from someone prying off the grip & chipping out the normlly tight fitting pin hole... obviously this can greatly effect value... especially to a grip serialed to match the gun, or on guns that have unusual or rare grips... ( BTW... often one can locate grips in good shape pulled from rusty or non functional guns for sale... Gun Broker always has 20-30 different sets for sale for different guns of this era, for example )

I usually unscrew the screw about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way, & push down on the screw... if the grips aren't "really stuck" the grip on the oposite side pushes loose... if the screw is difficult to push down, or the brass threaded piece on the oposite side grip starts pushing out, I stop & soak the grip / grip frame down with WD-40 or Kroil, or other penitrating oil & let it soak for at least several hours, or a day... & repeat the removal proceadure again... once the back ide grip is removed, I'll poke my finger through the grip frame from the back side & gently push the other grip off

if the threaded brass piece is pushing out of the oposite side grip ( they are just press fit, so this does happen, & they can just be put back together again without damage, if care is taken in removal & reassembly... I usually pull the screw, & use a long thin flat point punch & put it through the screw hole at a slight angle, so I'm going up against the oposite side grip, rather than the hole for the screw, & just gently push ( do not tap with a hammer )

the same care should be used when putting the grips back on... I usually wipe down the grip frame & remove as much of the crude that has accumulated under the grips, before I reinstall... I don't oil the frames, but rather try to clean & dry them as best I can... old oil often better resembles glue than lubricant in that type of situation... also don't over tighten, err on the looser side than the tighter side to prevent splitting or cracking the grip... some need to slide under a recess at the top, so I kinda lay in the top, & then gently press the bottom over the pin... if anything doesn't seem to fit right, don't force anything, remember... they are very brittle

January 13, 2011, 07:36 AM	#26
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	a word of warning for those removing grips on these old guns... BTW... there's not a whole lot to see as far as mechanicals under the grip, but it's not unusual for guns of this period to have serial numbers under the grips, so it's often necessary to remove them for better identification 1st, be patient... the old hard rubber has gotten pretty brittle... there is normally a pin through the grip frame, usually at the bottom, to keep the grips indexed correctly... you often see broken & chipped grips from someone prying off the grip & chipping out the normlly tight fitting pin hole... obviously this can greatly effect value... especially to a grip serialed to match the gun, or on guns that have unusual or rare grips... ( BTW... often one can locate grips in good shape pulled from rusty or non functional guns for sale... Gun Broker always has 20-30 different sets for sale for different guns of this era, for example ) I usually unscrew the screw about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way, & push down on the screw... if the grips aren't "really stuck" the grip on the oposite side pushes loose... if the screw is difficult to push down, or the brass threaded piece on the oposite side grip starts pushing out, I stop & soak the grip / grip frame down with WD-40 or Kroil, or other penitrating oil & let it soak for at least several hours, or a day... & repeat the removal proceadure again... once the back ide grip is removed, I'll poke my finger through the grip frame from the back side & gently push the other grip off if the threaded brass piece is pushing out of the oposite side grip ( they are just press fit, so this does happen, & they can just be put back together again without damage, if care is taken in removal & reassembly... I usually pull the screw, & use a long thin flat point punch & put it through the screw hole at a slight angle, so I'm going up against the oposite side grip, rather than the hole for the screw, & just gently push ( do not tap with a hammer ) the same care should be used when putting the grips back on... I usually wipe down the grip frame & remove as much of the crude that has accumulated under the grips, before I reinstall... I don't oil the frames, but rather try to clean & dry them as best I can... old oil often better resembles glue than lubricant in that type of situation... also don't over tighten, err on the looser side than the tighter side to prevent splitting or cracking the grip... some need to slide under a recess at the top, so I kinda lay in the top, & then gently press the bottom over the pin... if anything doesn't seem to fit right, don't force anything, remember... they are very brittle __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; January 13, 2011 at 07:59 AM.