Grip number question

[FlexoMan]

Hey folks. I'm looking at an older Colt SAA, made in the 1890's. My only concern is that the grips aren't numbered. Is this is a big deal? i.e. does it affect the guns value significantly?

[Kid Sopris]

What type of grip Panels does it have on it ?

[FlexoMan]

It has the black rubber grips with the stallion in the oval near the top of the grip.

[Rick]

Hey folks. I'm looking at an older Colt SAA, made in the 1890's. My only concern is that the grips aren't numbered. Is this is a big deal? i.e. does it affect the guns value significantly?

How do they fit? Can you post a closeup pic?

[FlexoMan]

Sure. Here they are:
Screen shot 2012-02-01 at 2.05.15 PM.jpgScreen shot 2012-02-01 at 2.05.06 PM.jpg

[Kid Sopris]

I would more concern about the shrinkage along the underside of the grip frame itself, rather than the number. My first initial observation and it may be worthless based on the images, but I would say those are not the original grip panels for that gun...period correct perhaps, but need better detail pictures. of the underside of grip panel and frame. Left panel, unless distorted by lighting appears to have sharper detail than the right which shows more age. The left panel also appears to be broken. Knowing what these first Gen Grip panels would cost and the likely hood of finding a set that matches the gun perfectly, I would deduct from the overall value. How much ? I don't know without closer observation of the GUN and GRIPS TOGETHER.

There will be no charge for this opinion...

[coltsixguns]

I've seen them numbered and un-numbered but the most important thing is how they fit the single action. I've seen ill fitting grips that someone had scratched the whole serial number inside the grips (I believe colt generally scratched the last 4 digits of the SN inside most of their single actions) and others that fit like a glove that had either the wrong number or no number at all. Let's see the rest of that single action....what I see so far looks nice.

Nice, sharp hard rubber grips are fetching $200 plus in my area.....I've sold some on Ebay lately that were pretty worn that brought $135 upwards.

[Old-Colts]

The early hard rubber stocks (pre 1900), if they are numbered at all, will typically have the last four digits of the serial number written in pencil on the flat end that fits up against the frame or written in pencil on the inside of the stock panels along the flat outer edge of the panel. Being written in pencil it was easily wiped off after someone cleaned them once or twice.

My personal experience is that Colt didn't start scratching the serial number inside the panels until sometime after 1900. Not all panels will have a serial number inside them, so fit is the most important thing to look for. I think Colt continued the practice of using a pencil to mark the stocks as a carryover from the days when they marked the wood stocks with ink or pencil, but finally started scratching them into the hard rubber.

One thing to remember, anyone can scratch or write a number inside the panels, so fit is the most important thing to look at.

Edit to add: The right stock panel's brass insert (for the stock screw) appears to have the correct pronounced and visible knurling for the 1890's, but the left stock panel's brass insert does not appear to have the pronounced and visible knurling. This may just be the quality of the picture; a close up of the left stock panel would help as well as pictures of the inside of both.

[Old-Colts]

Here is a picture of the inside of the hard rubber stock panels from an 1892 Single Action that I own and you can see the last four digits of the serial number written in pencil along the outer flat. This is one location that I’ve seen the penciled serial number on these early guns; the other is the flat that mates up to the rear of the frame.

[Rick]

Sure. Here they are:
Attachment 19655Attachment 19656

In my opinion if you can close your eyes and run your thumb over the several areas where rubber meets steel and not get your thumb caught on either steel or rubber...they're GOOD! If that's the case don't fret over the lack of number.