Our reproduction grips are mainly intended for collectors who want authentic grips for their vintage Colts. However: Many owners of the current production Colt revolvers also love to use them for their classic look and feel, and since new owners may not always be familiar with the older style grips we feel that it’s appropriate to introduce them to some of the basics.
First of all: Don’t let the following text intimidate you! Installing a set of grips is normally an easy DIY procedure, and our reproduction grips will fit most guns without any adjustments. However, there are some important things you need to know, so we would recommend that you familiarize yourself with the nature of revolver grips before you install them.
Some grip frame styles (like the E/I frame) have been used for more than half a century now, and quite naturally you will find small variations in the factory machining throughout the years. This also appears to be the case with current production Colt revolvers, you will find some factory tolerances in those as well. Our grips will usually fit perfectly on at least 9 out of 10 guns, but it’s inevitable that they will require some minor fitting every now and then. Any type of handgun grips should fit firmly on the frame before you even install the screw, and if that’s not the case you will have to adjust them. It’s very easy to do, and we have written a grip fitting guide (click here) that outlines the correct procedures. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for consultation.
Please keep in mind that our Colt grips are exact reproductions of the grips Colt made back in the day, and most of them use the tiny, original style #2-64 screw. These screws are definitely not ideal for the purpose, but we still have to use them to keep our grips as authentic as possible. Colt collectors know about this, but a few cautionary words may be in place for those who are not familiar with it.
Contrary to popular belief: There’s absolutely, positively no way you can improve the fit by tightening the screw, neither should you use the screw to press tight fitting grips onto the frame! The screw is only there to hold the panels to the frame, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fit whatsoever, period. If you try to do any of the above you may very well damage the tiny #2-64 thread, and we can’t assume any responsibility for damage done due to incorrect installations. The screw only needs to be gently snugged, and if the grips still feel loose or wobbly you will have to fit them. Again, we do have a fitting guide (click here) and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. We are only an email or a phone call away.
The bottom line is that many vendors don’t want to disencourage buyers by mentioning any of this, so you won’t find any of this information on other manufacturer’s websites. However, it’s is simply the nature of revolver grips. They won’t fit perfectly on every gun ever made, and now and then some fitting might be required to get everything “just right”. This is why you often find makeshift shims like pieces of paper or rubber band when you remove the grips from old guns.
It doesn’t matter if you use new reproductions or old, original grips, you may still have to tweak them a bit for a perfect fit on your particular gun. Deer Hollow grips will fit at least as good as the competition, but we want to be entirely up front about the possible fitting issues you may encounter. This is why we are offering a fitting guide, and the competition doesn’t.
