Richards Mason/Open Top Grip Question

[AdmiralB]

In looking at these pieces on Uberti's site, it seems that they use a hybrid grip arrangement. The parts lists seem to indicate that they use an 1851/61 Navy triggerguard, but an 1860 Army backstrap. The pictures tend to corroborate that...I know Colt went back to the 1851 grips on the SAA, but why mix on the transitionals?

 

[Curator]

I have both the Mason-Richards and the Richards conversions. Both of mine are .38 special and were built on the "Navy" frame. Both have the "Navy" back strap and trigger guard. A shooting buddy has one built on the 1860 Army frame and his has the longer "army" grip and steel back strap. It isn't possible to use an Army back strap and a navy trigger guard as it will be about a half inch too short. My best shooting Colt .45 SAA is fitted with an Army grip frame (trigger guard/back strap are interchangable but require some hand fitting) This really helps when shooting as your little finger wraps around, not under the grip.

 

[Tommygunn]

My Richards-Mason has the Navy frame, grip, TG and backstrap.
As Curator said, the Army BS won't work with the Navy TG.
I think you could replace the grip, BS and the TG with the Army ones and the whole thing would work, but you'd have to do the whole thing.
Curator apparantly successfully did that with an SAA and it should work equally well with a Richards Mason.