Grips Galore!

American Handgunner, Nov, 2001 by John Taffin

* AUTHENTIC-COPY TIFFANY GRIPS

* HERRETT'S DAN WESSON GRIPS

* BUFFALO BROTHERS SYNTHETICS

In the 1850s and '60s it was quite common for Sam Colt to offer presentation pieces of his sixguns to heads-of-state and various monarchs. It was great advertising. A look through any book that features museum-piece and collector-quality Colt cap-and-ball and SAAs from the middle of the 19th century often reveals beautiful sixguns with exquisite custom grips from the famed New York jeweler, Tiffany & Co. These are known simply as Tiffany grips.

From 1857 to 1875, Tiffany supplied Colt with cast bronze grips that were overlaid with silver or gold. These grips were carved with intricate patterns and are found on 1851 and 1860 Colts, Cartridge Conversions, Open-Tops and SAAs.

Most, if not all, Tiffany grips found on Colts are of the eagle and justice, Mexican or American eagle, or Civil War battle scene motif. They are virtually priceless today.

It is believed they were the work of sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward, who practiced his craft from 1850 through the 1870s.

Most of us can neither afford the six-guns these grips were attached to, nor the grips themselves. However, thanks to the tremendous revival of interest in single-actions during the last decade of the 20th century, we now not only have virtually every single-action from that period of time available once again in replica form. But Tiffany grips are once again available at an affordable price.

And what makes it even more interesting, almost eerie, is the fact that the man offering these grips has the same name as the original sculptor. John Adams, the well-known engraver from Vermont, is applying his skills to the production of Tiffany-style grips.

I recently sent a replica '72 Open-Top .45 Schofield to Adams for fitting a pair of Tiffany-style grips. Working from an original pattern, Adams carves the grips, casts them, plates them, and then fits them to the sixgun. In the process the original backstrap is removed and replaced by the solid Tiffany grip which, of course, adds considerable weight to the original sixgun. It also gives an extremely solid gripping surface.

The end result is a stunningly beautiful sixgun that will certainly gain great attention at any cowboy shooting gathering.

Buffalo Brothers Grips

There are synthetic grips, and then there are synthetic grips. Some are excellent. Some just look plain cheap. Place Buffalo Brothers in the first category. Priced at under $60 and made for virtually any single-action sixgun, Buffalo Brothers grips come in plain ivory; carved ivory in such motifs as steerhead, buffalo, Hickock eagle, American eagle, and Mexican eagle all based on old time patterns; fleur-de-lis; regular checkering in black or ivory; and even a cracked and antiqued ivory style.

At Winter Range I picked up a Second Generation 4 3/4" Colt at the Buffalo Brothers Cowboy Store and then left it with them for gripping. It came back to me with bone-style grips, checkered with a Texas star in the middle. The butt of these grips exhibits beautiful cast-in coloring that looks like old bone. A great, and inexpensive way, to dress up a single-action.

Herrett's DW Stocks

For most of the production run of the big Dan Wesson sixgun through the early 1990s, a well-deserved reputation for accuracy emerged. However, Wessons were also plagued with rough chambers and barrel ends and cylinder faces that were not parallel to each other.

In addition to the distinction of having one of the most accurate sixguns, they were also the only maker of large frame double-action sixguns that offered a truly usable and comfortable wooden grip. Yes, I know that grips are highly subjective. But it is a rare person that does not find the Dan Wesson large frame stocks to be excellent.

Now that Dan Wesson is under new ownership and producing the best sixguns ever to wear the Wesson Firearms label, the rough chambers are a relic of the past. The barrels and cylinders are parallel. But, alas, the wooden stocks are gone, replaced by fingergroove rubber or laminated grips.

They are highly serviceable, but I normally require something a little more soul-stirring on my sixguns. Enter Herrett's Stocks. Rod Herrett is offering smooth wooden stocks of walnut or several exotic woods for the Dan Wesson large-frame sixguns. They will fit either current production or early .44 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .45 Colt, or any of the SuperMag frames.

Wesson sixguns do not have a grip frame and normally take a one-piece grip, hollowed out for the grip-frame stud. Herrett's stocks are two-piece, ingeniously designed, and held on securely with two screws. They install easily and if they don't line up you must have installed the interior nut backwards. Flip it and try again. Works fine.

These are high-quality, custom stocks offered in several woods-- presentation maple really looks good on a stainless Wesson-- and are even more comfortable than the original stocks found on older Dan Wessons. They are loosely based on the Bill Jordan style, but the use of a stud instead of a grip frame allows them to fit the hands of us ordinary mortals who do not have Jordan's huge hands.