Author Topic: USFA Grip panels.  (Read 9731 times)

Offline Buckaroo Lou

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USFA Grip panels.
« on: July 22, 2013, 03:39:35 PM »
Did USFA's black checkered grip panels ever have anything on them other than the letters US? Did they ever have a rampant horse where the letters US are now located?

Thanks, Louis
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Offline Capt. John Fitzgerald

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2013, 04:12:26 PM »
No, never had the rampant colt logo - always used the "US" logo in its place.  They did, early on in the game, have the "US" grips with the Colt style eagle.  Had to stop using those because Colt objected on the grounds of "trade dress."
You can't change the wind, but you can always change your sails.

Offline Buckaroo Lou

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2013, 11:41:50 PM »
Capt. John,  thanks for the info. I saw two sheriff's models on a website today for sale, but they have black hard rubber grip panels with a rampant horse in place of the US ones. I don't really know why anyone would change the nice US grip panels for ones with a rampant horse that actually, from the pictures, don't appear to fit right.
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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #3 on: Today at 02:05:39 PM »

Offline Capt. John Fitzgerald

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2013, 02:25:42 AM »
Kind of like putting Volkswagen hubcaps on a Mercedes. ;D
You can't change the wind, but you can always change your sails.

Offline Buckaroo Lou

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2013, 09:56:15 AM »
Very true and here is a picture so you can judge for yourself.
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Offline St. George

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2013, 10:46:16 AM »
People did it because they were trying to make them look like more than what they were.

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Offline Old Doc

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2013, 12:33:29 PM »
Did USFA's black checkered grip panels ever have anything on them other than the letters US? Did they ever have a rampant horse where the letters US are now located?

Thanks, Louis
You may be confusing the USFA with the AWA Peacekeeper . They did have a pony on the black rubber grips although it was not rampant. It was enough though to have Colt come after them with lawyers . It didn't help that the AWA's looked and felt exactly like Colts . It's possible that someone tried to put AWA or Colt grips on a USFA and that is what you saw .

Offline pawneefork

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2014, 08:23:00 PM »
I saw Colt 'factory authorized' hard rubber grips on a finish-stripped Rodeo once, and the fit was nice.  It can be done if you know what you're doing.  And that's why I'm here.  : )

I've considered cutting and remarking a 3rd gen Colt to look like a 1st gen.  Prohibitively expensive.

I've considered buying a 2nd gen, which at least has the Gothic block letter address.  Same problem, money.

So I'm buying a USFA.  I like the eagle rubber grips and I'm going to take a whack at fitting a set (the least expensive camouflage I can think of) but I don't know for sure what gen grip frame the USFAs replicate.  1st? 

Yeah, I know it's blasphemy (but to who?  Colt, or USFA? : ) but has anyone tried this?  I can always go with walnut, but I saw it done once so it's possible.  It may be mercedes hubcaps on a VW, but I'm going for it.  I know it's not a Colt, but I don't really care.  As current cosmetics go, a Colt isn't a Colt either, so it seems like a fair game project.


Offline Old Doc

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2014, 08:13:11 AM »
I saw Colt 'factory authorized' hard rubber grips on a finish-stripped Rodeo once, and the fit was nice.  It can be done if you know what you're doing.  And that's why I'm here.  : )

I've considered cutting and remarking a 3rd gen Colt to look like a 1st gen.  Prohibitively expensive.

I've considered buying a 2nd gen, which at least has the Gothic block letter address.  Same problem, money.

So I'm buying a USFA.  I like the eagle rubber grips and I'm going to take a whack at fitting a set (the least expensive camouflage I can think of) but I don't know for sure what gen grip frame the USFAs replicate.  1st? 

Yeah, I know it's blasphemy (but to who?  Colt, or USFA? : ) but has anyone tried this?  I can always go with walnut, but I saw it done once so it's possible.  It may be mercedes hubcaps on a VW, but I'm going for it.  I know it's not a Colt, but I don't really care.  As current cosmetics go, a Colt isn't a Colt either, so it seems like a fair game project.


Having a hard time following this . You want to end up with something that looks like a 1st gen Colt so you are buying a USFA ?
Have you looked at the prices of USFA's lately ? You can get a third gen Colt for less . As far as fitting the grips are concerned , be aware that Colt grips do not fit all guns within a generation i.e. a set of second gen grips from one gun won't necessarily fit another second gen gun . I've got USFA grips from one gun that won't fit another USFA gun . They may "fit" but not well . As a consequence , most gripmakers fitting custom grips need the gun or at least the grip frames from the gun if it's a Colt or USFA .

Offline pawneefork

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2014, 09:07:37 AM »
"You want to end up with something that looks like a 1st gen Colt so you are buying a USFA ?
Have you looked at the prices of USFA's lately ? You can get a third gen Colt for less."

...and it won't look like a 1st gen Colt.  That's the thing. Colt doesn' tmake Colts.  They may make Colts Mfg SAs, but they don't make Colt's Pt Mfg Co Hartford CT USA.

I'm trading a 3rd gen for the USFA because I want the lines.  The beveled cylinder, rounded loading gate, deep flutes, sharp frame edges, caliber stamp, etc.  It was built under the same roof as the originals and it looks like the original.  Mostly.

I know fittign will be required.  I saw it done at least once, just wondering if when I go to buy 'authorized' hard rubber eagle grips I specifiy 1st gen, 2nd, or 3rd frame style to match the USFA build.  May have to get all three if no one here has ever done this or knows what style grip frame the USFA replicates.

Offline Old Doc

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2014, 11:08:06 AM »


...and it won't look like a 1st gen Colt.  That's the thing. Colt doesn' tmake Colts.  They may make Colts Mfg SAs, but they don't make Colt's Pt Mfg Co Hartford CT USA.
My most recent Colt was manufactured in 2011 . On the barrel it says "Colts PTFA MFG Co. Hartford CT USA" . Is that what you want ? Of course , the USFA is not going to have" Colt" on it anywhere

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2014, 10:24:58 PM »
I ordinarily try very hard not to cast disparaging remarks, especially since I do get hair brain schemes myself, but this one is dumber 'n' a box of rocks.  A USFA deserves to look like a USFA and a Colt to look like a Colt.  After all, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it ain't a goose.

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Offline pawneefork

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2014, 12:20:09 PM »
No, to say 'Colt' on it is not enough.  Colts now don't look like Colts then.  USFA bridged that cosmetic gap, for awhile, and it's the LINES of the 1st gen SAA that I was after -- lines the USFA faithfully produced.  I can't afford a 1st gen SAA, and any I could would be white and worn.  So I bought a USFA because it has the lines of a 1st gen Colt.  I know it's not a Colt, I don't care that it's not a Colt, and were it not for the patents that prohibited USFA from calling their guns Colts -- which they arguanly were, in a crazy way -- they would have done it.  They came as close as they could, and were forced to take 'Pt' out of their rollmark because it was too close.  USFA made a better Colt than Colt, and I'm fine with the USFA rollmark.  Who here owns a USFA because they wanted a Ruger clone?  Who slides their USFA in a modern copy of Meana leather?  Anyone?  I'd rest my case there, but it wouldn't matter -- I asked a simple question, the response to which seems to be (a) uniform misunderstanding of what I'm saying, and (b) not-so-thinly disguised disdain for even thinking of it.  So OK.  This clearly wasn't the place to ask this question. 

Offline Blair

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2014, 12:56:44 PM »
pawneefork,

Quote;
"This clearly wasn't the place to ask this question."

Where then, would you suggestion the best placed is, to addressed such a question? And, why did you not chose to take it there to begin with?
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Offline GaryG

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2014, 09:35:33 PM »
Regarding the grips, hopefully you can get them oversized and unfitted.  The grip frames are slightly different (especially the 3rds).  Oversized will allow you to have them fitted to your grip frame and not worry about whether they sit a little proud or a liitle under sized.

Offline Graveyard Jack

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #15 on: March 14, 2014, 11:21:21 AM »
It was enough though to have Colt come after them with lawyers .
That and the fact that Colt had already used the Peacekeeper name.


It didn't help that the AWA's looked and felt exactly like Colts.
They looked sort of like Colt's, more like 1st generation guns with beveled cylinders and case colored hammers. They certainly didn't feel like any Colt I've ever handled. The AWA's were factory tuned and had slick actions.
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Offline Don Kenna

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Re: USFA Grip panels.
« Reply #16 on: June 18, 2014, 11:13:54 PM »
Very true and here is a picture so you can judge for yourself.

That looks genuinely horrid.  I hope the price was lowered accordingly.  I've never personally cared for "Sheriff" or "Storekeeper" variations of the SAA, but that's just me.  If I did want one, and if the price was sufficiently lowered, that revolver would be a prime candidate for a custom one-piece wooden grip.

Don Kenna


 

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