I'm trying to go theough some grips and can't find much info on makers marks on them. Anybody have a link or insight which mark belongs to which maker?

dunno if anyone has found out who subbed which ones but the general consensus is the C marked ones are Colt and the plus/cross marked ones are GM/H&R.  There's some with a number inside the grip that are fat at the bottom like the GM/H&R ones.  There's also ones with letters at the top where it meets the receiver, a wagon wheel symbol inside and i'm sure a few others.

Well I'm going through about 1000 of them right now. I'm going to attempt to make a list of everything I see the best I can. Definitely some with markings I have never seen

good luck.  i've thought about doing that myself but got overwhelmed.  

So here is as best of list I can do from what I sorted of about 1000 grips: ("wheel" is the wagon wheel looking symbol)

Skinny Grips:

wheel
wheel C
wheel 1
wheel C with B on top of grip
wheel 3
wheel A
wheel CA
wheel C C
wheel B
wheel D

circle with a 1                                        
circle with a 2                                          
circle with a 3

1-6 numbered with fat sloppy lettering
fat numbered 4 with A on top of grip



Fat Grips:

Circle with a 3
Circle with a 2

The next set has what looks like the red cross symbol including the following:
1 and symbol with C on top of grip
3 and symbol with A on top of grip
4 and symbol with A on top of grip
4 and symbol with F on top of grip



Those are all of the ones I saw. Can anybody decode these and tell me which grips were made by which manufacturer? I will clean up the grips and get some good pictures of the markings in the coming weeks to kave on record to help everyone out I would just like to know what they are before I put the whole list together

General consensus.  Keep in mind as far as I'm aware all furniture was sub contract and not mfg'd by the three USGI M-16 platform retro manufacturers Colt, GM and H&R. I believe there were as many as 8 different subs like Freund Precision and such.  Could probably do research by NSN contractors if so inclined but IMO too much work for results.  Those with NIW pieces could help by looking at different mfg's and crossing to production dating but everything I currently have was produced by Freund Precision and came from same source and 80's production.  Mostly HG's and A-1 butt plates now.  For stocks most the wrapper pieces I've had were re-packs.

I have seen pictures of women in Colt production facility belt sanding on the early buttstocks for weapon / receiver fitment but guessing this process / step was obsolete by the introduction of the straw hole into manufacturing process but this is for stocks and not PG's. Although markings on stocks and Hg's seem to carry over to PG's or vise versa.

For PG's and general observation.

No marks without wheel or with wheel and possibly mold letter A, B , C or D is a pre H&R and GM and is Colt exclusive and mold letter is not in the same location as C on the later production Colt marked units. Some are on the bottom and some are molded on the top telling me at least two different subs and sets of molds.

Cloverleaf / Nato symbol with letters or numbers generally found on authentic GM.  Seen a couple different fonts for lack of better term also leading me to believe at least two different subs on these.

Numbers in circle on bottom with possibly what appears to be awl scratched letters or feint number stampings on top or bottom are H&R.  More than a couple different fonts so I'd look at member Somebob thread on subject for better idea as he researched as extensively as most anyone here.

Anything with a C by the pg screw hole is Colt during and post H&R and GM production.

As with most retro nothing really carved in stone after model 01 / 02 but close enough for govt work.

Thanks for the info! What about fat versus skinny grips? I have some with similar markings and in the 2 different styles?

I just call all the wheel symbol grips colt contract grips.


I've traded off several of my GMs and HRs.

I believe the "wheel" or "pie" symbol is just an injection mold date or reference mark. I've seen them on numerous plastic pieces of every kind.  Below is a set of modern ones.



The cast pie mold mark in the M1A1 Carbine buttplates are very similar, albeit the example pictured below is hard to see,

Hello.  It looks like I posted some stuff on these old threads:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/654742_Question_on_B_marked_A1_grip_and_AR15Sport_barrels.html

https://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/682914__ARCHIVED_THREAD____A1_grip_variations_please.html&page=2

I don't really know of course.

ETA: One more thing.  The few times a H&R shows up for sale the listings don't have pictures of details we are interested in.  They accidentally include the grip in some pictures and the ones I have seen have the more sparse checkered "number in circle" grip on them.  My 1971 SP1 does have the asterisk in circle mark on its grip.  When NOS grips show up on the EE I ask what the markings are and so far they match up to the timeline I suggest in the 2nd link above.  It would be nice if every SP1 owner could chime in with their grip markings, this might give some clarity but realize any one of them could have been replaced.

Keep in mind that Colt, GM and H&R did not fabricate furniture, they all had contract companies make grips, stocks and guards, among many other small parts. The three companies were only tooled up to actually fabricate 12 major components of the rifles. They did fit/finish work, assembly and testing in house, but really the majority of parts were subbed out.

Back to the grips, the thing that stands out is that, in general, Colt had skinny grips with a myriad of different markings.

GM and H&R had fat grips. GM with the cross symbol, H&R with the large single number.

I have never seen a factory Colt rifle with a fat grip, nor have I seen a factory GM or H&R rifle with a skinny grip. I'm sure, as with many areas of retro history, there may be exceptions, but these are my observations, and seem to follow the general consensus here.

Unfortunately there isn't a guide for this stuff yet, but I think we, as a community, are getting close.

Colt true skinny was early and measures generally less than 1.30 inch at it's widest segment.  Recessed checkering etc.

The rest of the A-1 PG's regardless of mfg and markings if any,  were produced later and generally measure from approximately 1.48in to 1.85 inch at widest segment.  Seen all three weapons mfg grips measure in this parameter although few were NOS but if no wear from star washer or evidence of being installed probably as close to NOS as they can get.  Star washer is a little hard on a PG on R&R and wear generally shows up rather quickly in this area.  Hard to say who did what to what at this point in time and true NOS A-1 PG's are getting more scarce weekly IMO.

I know my hands prefer an A-1 PG 1.50 inch or less and I have some of these with most all the different mfgs on my personal shooters and a few stashed for future personal relapse builds.

Will agree that generally the fattest units are either GM or H&R marked and the thinnest units are generally unmarked.  Lot of C marked by the hole Colt's that easily hit 1.80 inch at widest segment.