Over the years I have had my share of older ( 1960-90s vintage ) S&W revolvers. Most of them were sold and supplied with factory wooden grips, usually made from a South American hardwood called goncalo alves. One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the time the two grip panels didn't match in grain, contrast and colour. They were certainly not book matched pairs. Sometimes I swore the grips actually came off two different guns. I was wondering if the grips were mismatched at the factory and that the grips were just thrown into a large bin when manufactured and the grip installer reached in and grabbed a couple at random. I know that S&W combat grips were usually book matched and marked in felt pen with an identical number written on the insides of both panels. I have never seen checkered target or service grips identified in this way. Anyone wish to share their comments?
Last edited:
