1860 Grip-Frame Question

[McCandless]

Howdy,

I've go an odd-ball grip and gripframe that has piqued my curiosity. (I don't know who made it... the serial number stampings are deep, well defined, and on the left side of the trigger guard portion, hidden by the grip, matching numbers on the back of the grip, where they'd be hidden by the backstrap.) It's a brass grip frame and trigger guard with nicely figured walnut grip. It looks like an 1860 Army grip frame, with the milled area the bottom to fit the rifle stock. But it is shorter top to bottom by 3/4 inch than any of the 1860 Army Grip frames I have. Also, the frame (receiver) area is a bit bigger, so that it is slightly over-sized for either my Uberti or Pietta 1860's.

So, the grip frame is shorter than the standard 1860 grip frame, it's too big for the "pocket navy"... The frame (receiver) area is a bit too big for the standard 1851 or 1860 frame... The back of the grip has the nice lower-outward recurve that the 1851's lacked.

 

I don't have any earlier ASM. Armi Sao Paolo, or other early 1860's... those of you who do, where any of those old frames (not the grip frames) larger than the current production Pietta or Uberti's??

 

Thanks!

mcC

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

It it's 3/4" shorter than an 1860 then it isn't an 1860 grip frame. Sounds like an old off brand navy grip frame. If you want a better guess you need to post a picture or two.