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This is hard. We're coming up in two years since the death of the friend I refered to as "my brother by choice" to anyine who asked. His widow, who I also call sister is slowly trying to deal with his gun stuff. I am trying to be helpful, but not make choices for her.
There are many saa clones and one real Colt's as well as several levers, both originals and reproductions. I'd love to buy them all, but am not in a finacial situation to give what they're worth and what she needs. The money is important.
I am guessing that these fit the one Colt's he had, which I believe to be a third generation.
According to the certificate, they are honest to goodness pre-ban elephant ivory. Can anybody give me a real idea as to what they are worth?
I think Paul Persinger's price on plain ivory custom fitted to your gun is $445.Some other grip makers are more like $500. My guess would be about $300-$350 as they are.
One thing to bear in mind is that Colt SAA grips are not generally interchangeable. The grip
frames vary in dimensions due to polishing techniques, etc. If those grips were properly fitted
to one of the SAA Clones or the Colt, you might do better for the widow to mount them on the SAA it fits, and sell them with it. I personally would love ivory grips on my own SAA, but buying
them used is a very risky matter unless you have your gun there to try them on, or unless the seller will accept them back if they don't fit/aren't over-sized enough to be properly re-fitted.
In a case where I had to buy a set on speculation, without knowing if they'd fit and I was unable to return them, I'd probably pay at most $200 for them. If I knew they fit my pistol exactly, I'd fork over the $500.
Hope this helps,
John
"Pistols do not win wars, but they save the lives of the men who do. The noble 1911 is a mechanical marvel, whose ruggedness, dependability & ferocious power have comforted four issues of GIs and which, unlike any other instrument you can name, is as much superior to its rivals today as it was in 1917."
-Col. Jeff Cooper, 1968
Thats a tough thing to have to deal with. I always think about the vultures circling overhead trying to grab this'n that when a gun guy crosses the Great Divide.
John in MS said it exactly. The only thing I can add is that with a Colt, (nothing against Rugers, clones ) you want the fit to be exact---its goes with the quality and prestige of a fine revolver. As John said, find the Colt they were originally on---its a good sales move.-----------Sixgun
I sold three sets of Ivory grips for Colt's about 5 years ago. Two sets were for the 1911, and one set was for the Single Action Army. I sold all three to a dealer friend(who made money on them) for $1200. However they were were valuable than the ones you have there because they had the Rampant Colt Medallion in the grips in gold color. So they were actual Colt brand grips. Just an experience.
Funny thing was I bought an entire box of grips(over 100 sets) at a gun shop-gunsmith auction. And I only gave $150 for the entire box. All three sets of those ivories were in that box. Along with a bunch of Ruger reds. Tom.
Mikel had one piece grips on the gun for general use. The ivories were in the box they came in with the Colt's medallian wood grips that came on the gun.
I haven't pulled the one piece grips to check the fit as I didn't have e properoy fitting screw driver at the time. I will do that as soon as I can.
She doesn't need the ivory, but I'm hoping she keeps the Colt's.
) you want the fit to be exact---its goes with the quality and prestige of a fine revolver. As John said, find the Colt they were originally on---its a good sales move.-----------Sixgun