Grip configuration

[C.O.B.]

As I was looking through TPS for the number of vent rib guns produced I got to thinking about the grips as well. I found nothing detailing the number of pistol grip vs straight grip guns produced.

Does anyone have knowledge of how many guns came from the factory with staight grips or the percentage of straight vs pistol grip? My own meager assembalage of Parkers leans heavily towards the straight grip configuration.

[DDowner]

I thought I read in TPS that overall that straight grip was 15%

[Bruce Day]

I like straight grip guns too, but overall, buyers did not. You could be right about seeing an overall number in TPS and I must have missed it because I looked. I did figure that as the grade went up, the straight grip percentage went up. About 10% for V's and up to about 40-50% in the A's. I suppose a person could speculate on all sorts of reasons why. I hear now that straight grip guns sell for a premium but then I know plenty of Parker collectors who prefer PG's, so I don't know if they do or not.

[Dean Romig]

I prefer the straight grip too, but the only guns in my collection with straight grips are a couple of Repros. When the right gun with a straight grip presents itself I will be sure to attempt to buy it but in the meantime I'll take whatever grip a Parker comes with. After all, one must "strike while the iron is hot".

[C.O.B.]

I can't speculate as to how the grade relates to the grip configuration as I don't own any "high grade" guns. My straight grip guns run from 12 to 28ga and from VHE to DHE in grade. The majority of these also feature the BTF.

[Dave Miles]

Originally Posted by Richard Anderson

I can't speculate as to how the grade relates to the grip configuration as I don't own any "high grade" guns. My straight grip guns run from 12 to 28ga and from VHE to DHE in grade. The majority of these also feature the BTF.

Don't forget the vent ribs, and gold inlays.

[Setter Man]

Seems to me that I read that about 10% of D's had straight grips. They may not have been coveted back in the day, but they sure are now.

I wonder if there is a correlation between the amount of DAH and the type of stock. I have not seen any straight stock guns with 3" of drop.

[Autumn Daze]

Jay,I agree with you. The straight grip guns I have owned and examined seem to have higher dimensions.Even the Parker Repro's with straight grips are stocked higher.

[Bindlestiff]

Dave, are you sure about the repro's being stocked differently?

One day I was putting a couple of repro's to my shoulder in Herb Stratimyre's (sp?) shop up in Vermont and he gave me a look and said that they were all stocked the same. He took the two I had shouldered and "felt" to be different and was surprised to find that they were in fact a 1/8 different in drop when he dropped them into a stock template. He commented "they had better get there processes fix" because he was sure they were all supposed to be the same. Herb was a hell of a gunsmith and I bet he knew what was what!

[Autumn Daze]

Robin,I have a few of the Repro brochures around here someplace and I am pretty sure that they cataloged the pistol grip guns 1/4-3/8" lower than the straight grip guns.