Help ID'ing A1 Pistol Grip - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help ID'ing A1 Pistol Grip

Posted: 3/6/2017 9:37:44 PM EDT

I happened upon several A1 Grips and this is the first one I pulled out to look at. I wiped it down with some alcohol to try to clean it up. IS this a Mottled brown grip? Inside is marked A with what looks like a pie symbol. Any idea who made it? So after looking at the rest I believe the A below the Pie symbol is the mold location. Several of these have a "C" between the Pie symbol and the screw hole. I am assuming the "C" is Colt?

Finestkind

Posted: 3/6/2017 11:17:41 PM EDT

[#1]

The "C" marked grips are late Vietnam Colt grips mfg after GM and H&R started making parts. The unmarked ones date before that. Yes, your grips are brown mottled, which means that they are earlier construction, AND they were left outside in the elements for an extended period of time.

Posted: 3/7/2017 7:40:01 PM EDT

[#2]

Edited cause I'm dumb.

I have one with a A mark, It came with a non trapdoor stock set from numrich.

Posted: 3/10/2017 7:38:19 PM EDT

[#3]

A is a mold letter and no significance except mold A. Appears you have a non C marked Colt PG pre 1969ish from Colt sub contractor that used the pie symbol. Pics are generally definitive.

Posted: 3/10/2017 10:51:25 PM EDT

[#4]

Appreciate all the input.

Finestkind

Posted: 3/18/2017 7:27:38 PM EDT

[#5]

Previously posted:

:.....The "C" marked grips are late Vietnam Colt grips mfg after GM and H&R started making parts. The unmarked ones date before that...."

".....A is a mold letter and no significance except mold A. Appears you have a non C marked Colt PG pre 1969ish from Colt sub contractor that used the pie symbol......"

If I may humbly and most respectfully ask........what hard data do these statements come from? ........By "hard data" I mean such data as Colt, US Government or subcontractor documentation that supports these statements.

Again....with all due respect...I see many statements as to what is and what is not without actual data to back them up.

Just asking........

And ....if I may add to the discussion....this grip appears to not be a "brown" (as in the 601 type grip) but the later cotton impregnated black Fiberite grip. What appears to be brown is the cotton fibers and a close look will show the black Fiberite "plastic" binder.

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/18/2017 7:47:58 PM EDT

[#6]

I have a very mottled pistol grip like the one the OP posted of which I recently acquired. I am going to use it on an early M16A1 (circa 1967) clone I have in the works.

Posted: 3/18/2017 8:56:44 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:

And ....if I may add to the discussion....this grip appears to not be a "brown" (as in the 601 type grip) but the later cotton impregnated black Fiberite grip. What appears to be brown is the cotton fibers and a close look will show the black Fiberite "plastic" binder.

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

View Quote

That's interesting. Would those fibers have been visible when the grip was new? Or were the grips painted/finished black?

Posted: 3/19/2017 3:27:07 PM EDT

[#8]

The fibers show up in the grip, stock and hand guards of this type of furniture.

As far as I can determine from the research I have done so far they were not painted black.

As soon as I can figure how to post photos on this forum I will show some photographic data as to this.

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/19/2017 4:49:17 PM EDT

[#9]

OK...if I have done this right...there should be two photos showing the cotton impregnated furniture clearly.

Photos are from my research at the National Archives (NARA).

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/19/2017 5:43:58 PM EDT

[#10]

DELETED

Since you fixed them yourself

Posted: 3/19/2017 6:18:54 PM EDT

[#11]

Thanks.......

Let me see if I can do this myself......now that I upgraded my membership!

Attached File

Attached File

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/19/2017 6:25:45 PM EDT

[#12]

OK...that seemed to work...so here is another photo where you can clearly see the "mottled" type of grip.

It is a M-16A1 so these grips were not quite so "early" as might be expected.......also shows you can use the rifle for a splint!

Ft. Benning, 1971

Attached File

Attached File

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/19/2017 6:54:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Just a little more on the subject.........

Here are photos of a couple of grips I have laying around here that show the difference in the early 601 type "brown" grip and the later black "mottled" grip.

The difference is more noticeable in the daylight than with a flash.

Attached File

Attached File

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: 3/20/2017 6:24:06 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
The fibers show up in the grip, stock and hand guards of this type of furniture.

As far as I can determine from the research I have done so far they were not painted black.

As soon as I can figure how to post photos on this forum I will show some photographic data as to this.

View Quote

Thanks very much for the info and for the photos.

Posted: 3/25/2017 12:53:05 PM EDT

[#15]

Here's a pic of the A and the pie symbol

Posted: 3/25/2017 1:08:22 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

OK...if I have done this right...there should be two photos showing the cotton impregnated furniture clearly.

Photos are from my research at the National Archives (NARA).

Jim Gilmore

Jim Thorpe, PA.

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr329/gtw484/IMG_0048_01_1.jpg

http://s496.photobucket.com/user/gtw484/media/IMG_0048_03_1.jpg.html

View Quote

Interesting

It's amazing how the mottled the furniture is compared to little wear on the rest of the rifle.
Rifle shown is a late XM16E1?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help ID'ing A1 Pistol Grip

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