Why no blue/black grip hardware?

[KLNC]

My very favorite grips, those made by the master, Cary C, feature black hardware, including the screw, which he finished to perfection. I think it really made the grips, particularly with blued guns. Why doesn't any other maker seem to use the black hardware? It seems all use stainless, or worse in my opinion, a combo of brass and stainless hardware, which to me just takes away from the wood. Surely Cary wasn't the only maker that could find the dark hardware? Or am I alone in being the only one who prefers it?

 

[street]

As for Ruger! When they started making the Stainless Steel guns back in 1974, they had 3 choices. Make both blue and Stainless Hdwe. or make all blue Hdwe. or make all Stainless Steel Hdwe. As for making both kinds it's a matter of price and having to make and store both. It was just cheaper to make and carry one kind. Now why they chose the Stainless I have no idea. I guess the process of bluing just made it more costly then using the Stainless.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I prefer the stainless but the ones I get from Brownells have brass escutions with stainless screws. I like that look just fine.

 

[rugerguy]

because the brass, or stainless and aluminum don't "rust"............... 8)

 

[Hondo44]

Street is correct.

You can get the gist of Ruger's reasoning in this response to a similar question, directly from Ruger:

From Kyle @ Ruger:
"Part of our "Lean Manufacturing" standards is finding new ways to produce firearms while reducing production costs. It's actually less expensive to use a stainless steel part and to apply a black oxide finish [some screws] than it is to produce an alloy steel part and to send it out to the blue department."

On my blue guns, all Ruger's OM grip ferrules are blued steel (my 1st year 1973 NM still has blue steel), went to black anodized alum, and then to bare alum which is still current.

My 1st stainless gun from 1974 has SS ferrules. Pretty early on they also went to bare alum that also is still current AFAIK.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Mine all wear period-correct grip hardware. My very few New Models of course wear the "silver" bits with the "silverbird" medallions. I do have a couple from the 1973-ish period that wear "silverbird" medallions (many are of the "squashed chicken" variety) with blue/black screws and escutcheons . . . interesting variation.

On the Old Models, I make an effort to be sure the "blackbirds" have the correct neck configuration for the gun's time period.

I have a pair of Cary's "hollywood" panels that wear the black hardware, and a very late pair of nice walnuts from LETT for which I provided black bits and pieces.

Picky, I am.

 

[CraigC]

This is one of those minor details I like to address and prefer my grip hardware to match the gun's finish. It's forgivable on a factory gun but I don't care for silver on a blued gun or brass hardware at all in a set of custom grips.

Rob Rowen is one maker that makes them match.

I also like a blind screw when possible. This one has a blued screw and escutcheon on the other side.

I had Cary do blued hardware for all the blued guns he stocked for me.

 

[Colonel Daddy]

A product from Midwest Shooters Supply is called 'BrassBlack. I order black screws from them and also order brass escutcheons. Put the escutcheons on a string and drop them into the Brass Black then dry and polish. Repeat until desired color is reached. Send your hardware to a grip maker to install on your custom grips. I'm one who prefers blue/black grip screws and escutcheons on all my Blackhawks. I own no New Models (except Anniversary Models) or Stainless single actions. Used to be that XR3-Red grips with black hardware were always available on eBay or Gunbroker but the supply is starting to dry up.

 

[mike campbell]

A product from Midwest Shooters Supply is called 'BrassBlack. I order black screws from them and also order brass escutcheons. Put the escutcheons on a string and drop them into the Brass Black then dry and polish. Repeat until desired color is reached..

This. Some cold blues (Formula 44/40) will also blacken brass.

I prefer blue/black hardware and I make them for the grips I make. Blue 5/40 screws are readily available. I virtually always use a blind nut, so I only have to fabricate the ferrule by drilling out a cap screw. Still, I'd buy black if I could.

I could possibly tolerate silver on a stainless gun

I don't care for brass since there is no brass anywhere else on any gun I own. I suppose I could tolerate silver on a stainless gun, but I always go with blue since even my stainless guns have complimentary blue parts.

 

[eric conrad]

I believe Cary C had the black screws made for him.
Eric

 

[CraigC]

IIRC, Cary was buying the blued hardware from Colt.

 

[41 Magnum]

I have offered Stainless, Black, Brass or Blued hardware since I started making grips nearly 20 years ago. It's always been up to the buyer.
Right now, I've slowed down a little, and need to get things back up & running on a new photo hosting site, and it's not going too well.

Jim

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Right now, I've slowed down a little, and need to get things back up & running on a new photo hosting site, and it's not going too well. Jim

I was wondering when you'd get over the Photobucket blues. That's gonna be a major effort, isn't it?

:roll:

 

[41 Magnum]

Yes, it has been !! I managed to salvage all my shots from PB, but I have been growing older & tired-er and slower, so it is just taking L--O--N--G--E--R !!! I've been selling the Mdl.77 Rifle stock inserts in other places, & have run out of those, as I sold over 40 sets this Fall that I had made up ahead, & even a few more made on special order. After the weather took a dive, I can only wait till Spring. So, that should give me time now that Hunting Season & the Holidays are over, to take some new Pic's & mess around with them.
I sometimes wish I didn't love working with wood so much ! But I do !!
I'll get there, "Slow but Sure."

Jim