The highest quality Parker grip caps are now available.

[B. Dudley]

One issue that can exist with making reproductions of buttplates and grip caps is that they are molded from original examples. And though the absolute best examples are sought after to make molds from, the manufacturer often has to settle for the best that they can find until something better comes along.
Since these parts are individually fitted to each gun, they can vary in size from gun to gun. So an original being molded for reproduction runs the chance of being on the smaller side of what someone may encounter in a sampling of guns. You just dont know how it will compare.

Unless one has the opportunity to mold a brand new never fitted part which is what happened here.

I was able to obtain a brand new, never fitted Parker Bros. marked grip cap last year. It was an amazing specimen with a full square edged flange around its full circumference.
I supplied this cap to my manufacturer of caps and plates to make a mold from. And now I have them available to use on my restock/service jobs or to sell outright. My supplier is a wholesaler only who supplies the industry of gunsmiths. Not to individual retail customers.

This cap is a reproduction of the large size Parker Bros marked capped which was used from just after 1900 up to the move to Ilion in 1937.
The detail in the cap is incredible. It truly compares to new old stock and is far superior to any other Parker Bros cap available from the usual retail outlets for caps and plates.

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[Mike Hunter]

Looks good, a question though... many years ago I used grips/buttplates made by a company out of FL, they were very nice...Until you started fitting them, then you would find all kinds of air pockets/voids right under the surface.

How are these?

[B. Dudley]

Sounds like there was an issue with their process in making them.

These are no issue in that regard.

The maker of these has been a long time standard in supplying gunsmiths and restorers in the trade.

[Dean Romig]

Brian, what’s the price of your caps?

And what’s the price if you fit one these caps to a customer’s gun?





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[B. Dudley]

The price of the caps are $25.00

[B. Dudley]

A little bit of an update to the topic of high quality reproductions of Parker grip caps.

As most may know, Parker made 3 different variations of grip caps over the years. 1: The "early style" which has a checkered center that was used on all hammer guns and on hammerless guns up until about 1905 (give or take). 2: The "late style" which is shown in this thread with the Parker Bros. name on it. These were used on all guns after 1905 or so (with the exception of later small bore guns that used style 3). And 3: The small sized late style cap which is of the same design as the Parker Bros. marked cap, but much smaller in size. I do not have a definitive date for when these were started to be used, but I believe it was around when the 00 frame 28g. guns were introduced. These caps were used on those guns as well as later production 20g. guns. Basically if it had an 0 sized buttplate on it, it also had the small grip cap.

I was certainly fortunate to be able to locate a new old stock cap of the large late style and have it reproduced. It left me wishing that a solution just as nice for the early style cap could present itself. Yes, the current reproductions are decent, but not nearly as nice as that NOS cap was with the wide square flange and the crisp details. All of the correct reproductions of the early cap still exhibit some wear to the edges and some flattening of the checkering. Again, since they are molded from used originals.

I started comparing the old and new style caps to each other and I found that the new style cap was a little bit taller than the old style, AND that the inner oval on the new style cap was the same size as the checkered portion of the old style cap.
So... I decided to take the time and rework one of the reproduced new style caps and make it into a master to pull a mod from for the old style cap.

I very carefully worked down the lettering and the area around the oval until it was at a comparable height with an original cap. This surface was then smoothed out using varying grits of paper up to 1200g and then finishing with 0000 steel wool. What was left of the oval was then knocked down flat in preparation for checkering. I measured an original cap at around 30 lines per inch. So, I figured that using a 32 line per inch cutter was acceptable. The center oval was checkered and fully pointed up which leaves a detail that nearly no no original cap will still retain. (checkering is not just for wood)

If I had found that the cap was not taller (allowing me to just remove material), I would have had to fill the center with epoxy in order to give me material to work with. I am glad I didn't have to go that route.

Now, I have a master to have a mold made from that is comparable to New Old Stock condition. So, these high quality old style caps will soon be available.


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[Dean Romig]

And then there is the PARKER - ILION, NY cap produced at Remington Arms in Ilion.





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[B. Dudley]

Yes dean. That is a variation that I did not think of right away. It is essentially the same as the late type, but reads Ilion, NY instead of Meriden, CT.

I maybe did not think of it because I have never had to use one for a restock or replace one. For the few guns that would have had those guns, they are usually in higher condition and not needing major work.

Actually, I have restocked one late gun, but it was a straight grip. And I am still not sure if it was an Ilion gun or not.

[tom tutwiler]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

A little bit of an update to the topic of high quality reproductions of Parker grip caps.

As most may know, Parker made 3 different variations of grip caps over the years. 1: The "early style" which has a checkered center that was used on all hammer guns and on hammerless guns up until about 1905 (give or take). 2: The "late style" which is shown in this thread with the Parker Bros. name on it. These were used on all guns after 1905 or so (with the exception of later small bore guns that used style 3). And 3: The small sized late style cap which is of the same design as the Parker Bros. marked cap, but much smaller in size. I do not have a definitive date for when these were started to be used, but I believe it was around when the 00 frame 28g. guns were introduced. These caps were used on those guns as well as later production 20g. guns. Basically if it had an 0 sized buttplate on it, it also had the small grip cap.

I was certainly fortunate to be able to locate a new old stock cap of the large late style and have it reproduced. It left me wishing that a solution just as nice for the early style cap could present itself. Yes, the current reproductions are decent, but not nearly as nice as that NOS cap was with the wide square flange and the crisp details. All of the correct reproductions of the early cap still exhibit some wear to the edges and some flattening of the checkering. Again, since they are molded from used originals.

I started comparing the old and new style caps to each other and I found that the new style cap was a little bit taller than the old style, AND that the inner oval on the new style cap was the same size as the checkered portion of the old style cap.
So... I decided to take the time and rework one of the reproduced new style caps and make it into a master to pull a mod from for the old style cap.

I very carefully worked down the lettering and the area around the oval until it was at a comparable height with an original cap. This surface was then smoothed out using varying grits of paper up to 1200g and then finishing with 0000 steel wool. What was left of the oval was then knocked down flat in preparation for checkering. I measured an original cap at around 30 lines per inch. So, I figured that using a 32 line per inch cutter was acceptable. The center oval was checkered and fully pointed up which leaves a detail that nearly no no original cap will still retain. (checkering is not just for wood)

If I had found that the cap was not taller (allowing me to just remove material), I would have had to fill the center with epoxy in order to give me material to work with. I am glad I didn't have to go that route.

Now, I have a master to have a mold made from that is comparable to New Old Stock condition. So, these high quality old style caps will soon be available.


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Brian, any update on when the small size might be available.

[B. Dudley]

Funny you mention that...

I was going through my stuff and actually found that I had a new old stock small cap also. I forget what I have sometimes.
I did send that one off with the old style cap to have a mold made.
The molds are made as of now and I wilL be having some made up for my inventory soon.