Plastic grip panels
- Thread starter Switchblade
- Start date
They put them on the New Model Flattop single action revolvers. They were nicknamed on here as the cheese grater grips. Others can tell you what other single action models Ruger put them on.
Add: I believe they might have used them of some Vaquero models, as well.
Add: I believe they might have used them of some Vaquero models, as well.
DGW1949
Hawkeye
I've seen those, but in the smaller (XR3) size. I believe that the screw was offset to clear the now-discontinued lock......
But I don't follow the NM's all that closely, so I could be wrong.
DGW
But I don't follow the NM's all that closely, so I could be wrong.
DGW
I bought this one new and it came with the plastic grips but I can't remember what year. It has the internal lock.
Look like the grips on the Super wranglers, or Wranglers with some silver paint on the logo!
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I have a set like that Ruger sent me for free a few years back. I tried them on a stainless single six & they were way undersized for the grip frame
trapperon
Blackhawk
The grips you pictured are the current factory grips on the blued blackhawks and single sixes. Xr3-red size.
Ron
Ron
OP
Switchblade
Bearcat
If the grips are current would they still fit a sixties Blackhawk? Are they the same as current factory grips? Do all Xr-3 grips fit all Xr-3 frames? You would think they but I'm not sure. These grips came with a 68 Blackhawk and they are a bit thinner than wood grips, wondered if they were original or used by someone who needed or wanted a smaller grip.
They're not original on a '68. The hard R also puts then into the New Model Flattop range and newer.
Cholo,
All of my NM/FT's have the S/R grip medallion or the solid Black Eagle with neck feathers.
Do you know of a NM/FT with the Hard R ?
Terry
All of my NM/FT's have the S/R grip medallion or the solid Black Eagle with neck feathers.
Do you know of a NM/FT with the Hard R ?
Terry
OP
Switchblade
Bearcat
I agree I had some doubts on the”R” being correct it does look like it’s bolder than early grips
contender
Ruger Guru
"Given that you have XR-3 Red frames and panels that fit them perfectly, I'd lean toward them being original Ruger plastic grips from the mid-1960s."
Wrong. The medallion type, PLUS the internal shape, as well as the screw hole location is not the same as the original Butaphane grips from the 1950's & early 1960's.
The frame shape,, IS the same,, XR3. However most often,, the grip locator pin hole in the grips will not align with OM XR3 grip frames. So, in general,, the new ones,, like shown above,, won't easily fit on an OM,, unless you modify the locator pin hole. This has been done on some grips I've seen.
Wrong. The medallion type, PLUS the internal shape, as well as the screw hole location is not the same as the original Butaphane grips from the 1950's & early 1960's.
The frame shape,, IS the same,, XR3. However most often,, the grip locator pin hole in the grips will not align with OM XR3 grip frames. So, in general,, the new ones,, like shown above,, won't easily fit on an OM,, unless you modify the locator pin hole. This has been done on some grips I've seen.
Yes. I don't have one, but I just now looked online at the NM FT images and in the first 15 or so images I enlarged all had the hard R on the medallions. Apparently the change from S/R to to R happened during the FT run.
Thanks for pointing that out!
Went and checked out the NM/FT images & found the hard R on the .357/9mm model.
I do not yet have those guns in my collection yet.
Maybe Chad will see this and can verify the year of change, I think is was around 2017.
So any NM/FT revolvers will have the hard R....
Thanks
Terry
I do not yet have those guns in my collection yet.
Maybe Chad will see this and can verify the year of change, I think is was around 2017.
So any NM/FT revolvers will have the hard R....
Thanks
Terry
trapperon
Blackhawk
All the new model flat tops had xr3 and black eagles. No r or sr logo.
Ron
Ron
OP
Switchblade
Bearcat
I agree with Contender regarding pin holes. I have a set of newer grips that someone modified the pin holes to fit an older model. The hole modification is very obvious and even with that they really don't fit well. That is what made me wonder about these grips as there is no obvious modification to the pin holes but I do agree about the "R" not being correct. The hole either has to be enlarged or widened to fit an older model.
OP
Switchblade
Bearcat
I need to correct my initial post. They don't fit perfectly. They came on the Blackhawk, didn't like them and replaced them right away.
I installed them on the revolver today and took closer look. They stick out ever so slightly at the bottom and they aren't even with the backstrap. Another thing I noticed is the screw holes are not in the same location, there is a 3/16" difference in height. The one thing that is the same is the size of the pin hole both are the same just a bit over 5/32" the pin is 5/32", this is what led me down the wrong path initially. I apologize for any confusion I might have caused! At least now I know for sure what they are not!
I installed them on the revolver today and took closer look. They stick out ever so slightly at the bottom and they aren't even with the backstrap. Another thing I noticed is the screw holes are not in the same location, there is a 3/16" difference in height. The one thing that is the same is the size of the pin hole both are the same just a bit over 5/32" the pin is 5/32", this is what led me down the wrong path initially. I apologize for any confusion I might have caused! At least now I know for sure what they are not!
contender
Ruger Guru
Besides all the obvious things,, (to me,) those grips have a totally different internal image & shape from the 1953-1963 Butaphane ones.
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Just so there's no confusion: The original plastic grips from the 50's just had the phoenix with no S/R.
Confused yet? LOL
Confused yet? LOL
These are the SR grips. The latest grips have the "hard R" in the phoenix. This isn't a flattop.
I believe most of the newer New Model flattops have the silver phoenix like the non flattop in the pic above. The 2005 and 2006 anniversary flattops have the black phoenix without the letter logo. I don't know when that changed to the silver phoenix with the hard R.
Standard 2020 Blackhawk .357/9mm combo
DGW1949
Hawkeye
I'm not sure that's the phoenix....It looks more like the Neck Feathers or Squashed Chicken to me.
DGW
DGW
As far as I know the bird in the medallion has always been referred to as the "phoenix", clear back to Alex Sturm.
The medallion in post #25 is the current "hard R" and it does almost show neck feathers and is kinda "squished to me. JMHO
The medallion in post #25 is the current "hard R" and it does almost show neck feathers and is kinda "squished to me. JMHO
DGW1949
Hawkeye
No...there's been several versions of the black bird over the years. I would think that you knew that....and yeah, some were known by the very names I stated.....Maybe it's just been too long, and maybe some were only on the wood grips. At any rate, it don't really much matter these days anyhow, does it?...I reckon that I shouldn't have mentioned it, and sorry if my doing so caused a problem.
DGW
contender
Ruger Guru
DGW has made an excellent observation. I blew up the pictures in post #25 & post #28,, and the silver eagle, with the hard R, DOES appear to have small neck feathers.
Over the decades,, as noted,, there have been different shapes of the grip medallion phoenix's (or eagles) as we call them.
Yes,,,, they were labeled as a phoenix,, but people being people,, started calling them eagles as well.
We call the early ones, "Red Eagles," for the original Standard Auto pistol before the color change in early 1952 to black. And in the early years,, up until the early 1970's,, they were all a recessed phoenix,, and the it was black. there are a few variations within this type too.
In the early 70's, there was a transition from a recessed phoenix, to a raised one,, colored silver, AND it had the SR in the chest area. There have been variations of this design as well.
Then we have the switch to the hard "R" from the SR in the chest area.
And next,, we got some guns,, that Ruger built to re-create the desired XR3 g/f, and they returned to the recessed phoenix, and painted it black.
Throw in the molded in the plastic oval shaped medallion,, and a few others, & we have several variations of the phoenix.
And let's not forget the Bearcat medallions, or the Red Label medallions,, which are also different.
Confused yet???
Over the decades,, as noted,, there have been different shapes of the grip medallion phoenix's (or eagles) as we call them.
Yes,,,, they were labeled as a phoenix,, but people being people,, started calling them eagles as well.
We call the early ones, "Red Eagles," for the original Standard Auto pistol before the color change in early 1952 to black. And in the early years,, up until the early 1970's,, they were all a recessed phoenix,, and the it was black. there are a few variations within this type too.
In the early 70's, there was a transition from a recessed phoenix, to a raised one,, colored silver, AND it had the SR in the chest area. There have been variations of this design as well.
Then we have the switch to the hard "R" from the SR in the chest area.
And next,, we got some guns,, that Ruger built to re-create the desired XR3 g/f, and they returned to the recessed phoenix, and painted it black.
Throw in the molded in the plastic oval shaped medallion,, and a few others, & we have several variations of the phoenix.
And let's not forget the Bearcat medallions, or the Red Label medallions,, which are also different.
Confused yet???
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