Hi,

I just bought some vintage Colt 1911 grips. I believe they are pre-WWII M1911a1 grips, but I'm no expert. Link below. Enlighten me folks? Did I pay too much? I just like how these look and they seem to be expensive these days, so $25.00 didn't seem like a lot for grips this old.

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I'm not sure if they are original, i can't tell the difference, but either way 25 bucks seems GREAT to me. I was looking for some walnut repop ones for a colt i have, and was suprised to see even the repop prices up around 60 bucks sometimes! You did good to me either way!

hard to tell...

By the way there is some sanity out there, sarco has repo ww1 "double diamond" walnut grips for $15.


Seriously? People are asking $60 plus for repro military grips? Wow, I might be in the wrong line of work....

I've no idea how one tells if such stocks are original. I'd expect prewar stocks to be both beat up and expensive. But FWIW, when I was attached to the USAMU in the 70s, the accurized .45s they built in the shop had plain checkered walnut stocks,which I imagine like the match barrels and other parts they used were commercial procurement--which then made them technically GI. So with a little equivocating there is such a thing as nice looking postwar GI checkered walnut stocks. But for $25, who cares? Thats a fair price for an attractive and practical traditional style stock.

Nearly 40 years ago I bought a pair of SARCOs aforementioned double diamond .45 stocks--knowing SARCO, they are probably still selling from that same lot. The checkering was inferior to original USGI double diamond stocks, and to modern commercial checkered .45 stocks--although good enough for field use.

Just curious, can you remember what kind of finish was used on the later grips you had? It is my understanding that both WWI and pre war WWII 1911a1 grips were finished with Linseed oil (it seems a lot of grips made more recently have a polyurethane finish). Don't know if it's true but that is what I've heard.

The grips were identical in every respect to commerical aftermarket checkered walnet grips--which I'm sure is what they were. I dont remember any poly finish, and wouldnt be surprised if linseed oil was the original finish. The issue of grip maintenence and refinishing never came up; the MTU weapons traveled to and from the firing line in pistol boxes and never were subjected to any significant wear.

I am appending a picture of my Colt Commander--obviously not a military weapon, but the grips are identical to those I recall seeing on the MTU pistols.

Thanks for posting that picture. It looks like there is very little difference in those grips and the pre-war 1911a1's. Do you have a readily available picture of the other side? There are some comparisons I would like to make on the right grip if possible.

I do not. But without inspecting the pistol, as best I recall there is no difference in grain, finish, etc, between the right and left grip panels--aside from a few dings I put on the right side climbing in and out of vehicles while carrying the pistol in a holster.

OK, thanks, that Commander is a good looking gun by the way!