I am far from an expert but I understand that some of the early Pythons had their stocks numbered but that later models didn't. I know that both of my third generation stocks for my 1978 Pythons were not numbered.

 

I am far from an expert but I understand that some of the early Pythons had their stocks numbered but that later models didn't.

That is not my understanding. Target stocks are not fitted, so why would they need to be numbered? It is fairly common to find service stocks with numbers, but my first year 2.5-inch Python with service stocks has no numbers on the stock panels.

 

I have seen sets of 3rd gens with the same numbers in both panels; but with NO relation to the gun serial number.

 

I just happened to have my 83 Python stocks off the firearm here on my reloading bench. There is a number 293 hand written on the inside of each of the halves. There is also a single 3 written on one and a 6 (or 9...hard to tell) on the other.

 

Thanks. The reason I ask is kind of embarrassing but I got mixed up. I bought this 4" Python about in the 1990`s. It was mint but no box or pw. It looked about new. I am almost sure it came with these black rubber grips with the colt gold emblem. Yet I have another pair of period correct wood grips with the colt gold emblem too and aint sure if I got them (or two pair) with the gun or if I bought them separate later. My gun is V 73090 or close. Did the rubber grips like mine come with them in that era? Also the wood, are both correct just with the luck of the draw? To shoot I like the rubber better, to show I like the wood better. I also have a set of faux ivory with the colt gold emblems. My memory is a little foggy what I done as I have several troopers with extra grips too.

 

I inherited my Python from a friend of mine who passed away in 1990. I know he was the only owner and that he purchased it new. Unfortunately, the box, manual, etc was long gone by the time I got it. C'est la Vie.

When I received it from his widow, it had the original stocks on it which were the wood ones that I just posted the numbers from. I put rubber stocks (grips?) on it after I got it, mainly because the rubber ones felt better in my hand but also that I didn't want the wooden ones to get dinged up.

I am far from a Python expert....heck, when I got the one I have, I had no idea of the history of them. To me it was just a nice revolver. The owner and I were good friends though he was about 30 years older than myself. When he passed away, he had left it to me in his will, much to my surprise.

It's possible that they were available new with rubber stocks. The ones I do see for sale at gunshows (which is not many), all seem to have wooden stocks if my memory serves me right.

 

Just for kicks here is a picture of it with the faux ivory. I don't have a picture on the computer with the wood targets but they are as new and genuine colt with numbers that dont match the gun`s serial # inked on the inside. I also have a 2 1/2" with the service grips.

 

Wow! Beautiful

 

Curiosity got the best of me so I pulled my Python out of the safe and checked the S/N...not even close to the number on the inside of my grips.

 

I`ve had those for quite awhile but I think they were well under a $100`s. I suspect you can still get them for about a $100s. Think several places handle them. Let me check. I will see if I can find where I bought them. I have some for smiths too.

 

Here`s a couple I have on smiths.

 

Here`s a set I have for a Colt SAA.

 

Stop it, Merril, you're killing me!!! OK, OK, they are all beautiful! Nevertheless, I checked the OE stocks for my 1977 Python and no numbers at all inside of them.

 

Rubber Pachmayr "Gripper" grips were not used by Colt until the early to mid-1990's. They were standard for a year or two on 4 inch Pythons.

The Python "V" serial number series ran from 1978 to 1980.
A Python made during that time would have shipped with Third Type Walnut Target grips.

It's likely very early Pythons had grips numbered to the gun, and those would have been the First Type fully checkered type.
Later, grips may have marks or stamps inside, but these are most likely control numbers used during manufacture and have no relationship to the serial number of the gun.
Since later Colt's did not have fitted grips there was no need to number them to the gun.

 

I got these (which I think are Python stocks) at a gun show a while back. They have numbers pencilled in them that look like partial serial numbers.

 

My belief is that some stocks are numbered prior to the 70's, some not. Unless you have the ORIGINAL package, chances are they will not be numbered to the revolver. A lot pf swapping was the norm. My '66 Python has no numbers and did come from the original owner. No markings whatsoever. The caveat is that there was a lot of stock exchanges over the years and unless you get an early 60's, chances are no numbers that make sense to the serial of the Python. Just my experience.

 

I have never seen any Colt grips with numbers matching the gun, not even on one-owner guns. I have never seen any grips with prefix (like in some serial numbers) either. I don't think there is any significance to the numbers, it's just a way to keep the panels from getting mixed up in the factory. I have seen guns with the serial number penciled in, but it looked more like a later addition. This does happen now and then, like when a gun owner replaces the grips and numbers the originals to remember which gun they belong to. It's also common practice in shooting clubs, police departments etc where they have several guns of the same type, and on those you may also find that many other parts have been numbered.

If you look at hand made custom grips, you will find that they are almost always numbered on the backs. This is something stock makers do just for practical purposes, and this (obviously) has nothing to do with the numbers on the gun they finally end up on. There is always a bit of hand fitting done even on factory grips, and if you take two sets of, for example, Python grips and try to swap panels between the pairs, you'll more than likely find that they won't line up very well. This makes me 99.99% sure that the numbers are only there to identify the two panels as a pair.

PS: Of course, I'll take it back if somebody can show a gun with factory numbered grips that match the gun.

 

Since the grip frame shape and QC on the Python was so tight there's no practical reason for grips to be numbered to the gun. It's possible that the first ones numbered were just a carry over habit from the late SAA era.

 

There are several two-digit and three-digit Pythons owned by Forum members. Those owners should check for serial numbers on the stocks and report whether there are serial numbers on the stocks.

I can say that Python 1XX does not have a number of any kind on the stocks.

Next.

 

I dno't think the numbers in the grips match serial numbers. None of my pythons ever did.

 

Post-War Colt grips were not really hand fitted like the Pre-war Colt revolvers were.
Pre-war, Colt installed the grips on the frame during final polishing of the frame before bluing or plating. This insured the grips were a perfect fit to the frame edges with no gaps or exposed wood edges.
Pre-war grips were numbered inside in pencil or a marker of some sort. I assume the number was a partial serial number.

Post-war grips were simply installed and you commonly see grips that are slightly larger then the frame with the wood not mating perfectly with the frame.
I suspect that any fitting was only done to a set of Target grips that didn't mate up with each other well enough, and that fitting was simply to shift the grips on the frame to get the two halves to match up at least better.