On my revolvers, I have always preferred
grips made of a natural material. On a combat double action,
Hogue rubber grips are good, as are Uncle Mike’s,
but they are utilitarian, and I still prefer grips made from
natural materials even on these guns. On my single action
revolvers, natural is mandatory. I cannot tolerate rubber
grips on a single action, with the exception of the old
style hard rubber that Colt placed on their Single
Action Army sixguns. For the most part, I need a grip
made from a substance that was once living, such as genuine
wood, bone, horn, or antler. I like walnut and burl
mesquite. Buffalo horn looks great on the right gun, as does
bone or ivory. However, my preference on a nice single
action has always leaned toward stag. I just like the stuff.
Not the polymer grips that are made to look like stag, but
the real shed antler from the Sambar deer of India.
As anyone knows who has recently purchased a
set of stag grips, they are getting to be expensive. The
government of India has all but cut off the supply of Sambar
antler, and the existing supply is quickly being depleted,
especially for popular sixguns. A set of stags for a Colt or
Ruger single action now sells for around $375 and higher at
gun shows that I attend. I have at times purchased sixguns
just to rob the stag grips from them for another gun. The
fake stag grips that I have seen look fake, and even if they
didn’t, I would know that they were. I need the real
stuff.
The situation was looking pretty bleak until
I happened across Raj Singh at the 2004
SHOT Show. Raj is the president of Eagle Grips
of Carol Stream, Illinois. Raj knows grips. He and his crew
make some of the best looking and fitting handgun grips
available, using both natural and synthetic materials.
However, what caught my eye in the display case were the
beautiful grips made from American elk antler, and I
immediately purchased a set for my stainless
Ruger Bisley.
Using elk antler for handgun grips is a
great idea, and I am sure that is has been done before by
custom makers, but Eagle is producing them for most popular
handguns at very reasonably prices. After handling the
American Elkhorn grips, as Eagle is calling them, I now
prefer them to Sambar stag. Sambar seems to be denser, but I
prefer the lighter colors of the Elkhorn. I also like the
fact that the American elk is a native to our United States,
and is still abundant in parts of the American west. It just
seems natural that the antler from this majestic animal
would be used on sixguns that are the epitome of the
American west, such as Colt single actions and replicas of
that fine weapon.
Having recently acquired an unfired Colt New
Frontier revolver in .44 WCF, which is no longer unfired by
the way, I immediately realized that it needed a really
special set of grips. While the New Frontiers were some of
the finest revolvers to ever be produced by Colt, they also
were shipped from the factory with some of the plainest,
ugliest grips ever to grace a Colt handgun. They are of
plain walnut, with a finish so dull that it looks as if
there is none. I removed the grip frame and trigger guard
and sent them off to Eagle so that they could be fitted for
a set of the American Elkhorn grips. I was not disappointed!
The results can be seen in the pictures.
The Eagle American Elkhorn grips are perfect
on the New Frontier. They are very well fitted, and the
color and texture is excellent. They are a bit thinner than
the stock grips, with less flare and bevel at the bottom,
resulting in a grip that points naturally, like the finger
of God! I greatly prefer them to the set of Sambar stags
that are shown for comparison in the picture. The Elkhorns
are a light creamy color, with the bark a medium brown.
Contrasting with the blued and case-hardened finish of the
Colt, they are stunning. They are the perfect compliment to
the quality of this gun, and are pretty enough to show off
at a Sunday afternoon picnic. I also like the looks and feel
of the Elkhorns on the Ruger Bisley. They add some overall
color and texture to the stainless finish of an otherwise
plain sixgun.
The American Elkhorn grips sell for less
than half the price of a set of used Sambar stag grips, and
give up nothing in beauty, durability, or feel. Eagle makes
these to fit most popular semi-automatics and revolvers, and
will custom fit them to your frame for a small charge. On a
single action revolver, there is nothing that I like better
than these American Elkhorn grips from Eagle Grips. I cannot
give any higher recommendation than that.
Check out the entire line of high quality
handgun grips online at: www.eaglegrips.com.