Hammerdown
member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2004
- Messages
- 213
Hello:
I was looking for another K-22 a year ago and stumbled on one my local gun-Shop who had on consignment. This one was a model 17-2 and the finish was a well worn blue. I was attracted to the grip's as soon as I saw it. I knew they had to be the original "ROPER" grip's I had only read and seen in pictures. At first I tried to just buy the grip's and the owner would not sell them off the K-22. After a week of thinking about it I figured if I wanted them I had better buy the revolver. He dropped the price to accomadate what I wanted to pay and home it came. I pulled the grip's took pictures and sent them to a guy I know that collect's Roper's. He concluded that they were Roper's as they has the design of checkering and the odd looking oval shaped holes in the rear that Roper grip maker Mr. Gange was known for. I was a little disapointed as someone along the way had profiled this pair to fit a K-frame as they are marked for a 44 on the rear which would indicate they were originally intended for a larger-N-frame. I had no idea the history behind this Roper designed grip until a friend sent me old magazine articles from the American Rifleman of which I based the fact's below. I hope the story and this straighten's out any rumor's about Roper's that you may have.......The K-22 Was sent away to be refinished in Nickel as I also had been searching for a Nickel model for years and figured I might as well complete the package.
ROPER'S-The Legacy behind them.....
The original Roper designed grip's were made by a guy by the name of Gange. he was and old world artisan and his son was the only other person that was involved with the making of the "ORIGINAL" Roper designed stock's. Many thought that Walter Roper a well respected Marksman shooter that was tied to S&W was the one responsible for these and the truth is Gange and his son "WORKED" for Roper in a small factory in Mass. I can not give a definate date of When Mr. Gange quit making his famous wood Roper designed stock's but I have and article from the 1949 American Rifleman that show's he was still at work "HAND" making these grip's. They were sawn from one piece of wood carciasian Walnut most times length wise. Then they were hand chisled out to perform a "TIGHT" revolver frame fit. Then Mr. Gange would work off a drawing of the purchaser's hand to fabricate the grips by hand. The only machine process he did use was a giant sander to make sure the two half's fit flush & Tight after they were sawed. He then used a file to shape the grip and finished with sandpaper which took about and hour.From there Mr Gange would use and old v-notch cutting tool to perform the gorgeous checkering that was drawn by a pencil on the grip panel's when they were in the rough unfinished state. They were finsihed with Murphy's number 25 linseed Oil and some shellac was added to give them a sealed effect and slight sheen. Many companies have tried to "COPY" the Roper design over the year's but "NO" one can come close to Mr. Gange's hand skilled labor on the original's for which he was famous for. There were only so many made by him so if you are lucky enough to have a set like the one's pictured and dated above 1936 they are trully gem's to cherish..Another tell tale sign of the "ORIGINAL" roper grip's is the odd elongated holes in the rear of the grip's which was the jig spikes in which Mr. Gange placed them to hold them in place while he hand cut the checkering. I have been told that he also dated them and scribed the frame they were for as these have but can not be detected in the picture... Regards, Hammerdown.
I was looking for another K-22 a year ago and stumbled on one my local gun-Shop who had on consignment. This one was a model 17-2 and the finish was a well worn blue. I was attracted to the grip's as soon as I saw it. I knew they had to be the original "ROPER" grip's I had only read and seen in pictures. At first I tried to just buy the grip's and the owner would not sell them off the K-22. After a week of thinking about it I figured if I wanted them I had better buy the revolver. He dropped the price to accomadate what I wanted to pay and home it came. I pulled the grip's took pictures and sent them to a guy I know that collect's Roper's. He concluded that they were Roper's as they has the design of checkering and the odd looking oval shaped holes in the rear that Roper grip maker Mr. Gange was known for. I was a little disapointed as someone along the way had profiled this pair to fit a K-frame as they are marked for a 44 on the rear which would indicate they were originally intended for a larger-N-frame. I had no idea the history behind this Roper designed grip until a friend sent me old magazine articles from the American Rifleman of which I based the fact's below. I hope the story and this straighten's out any rumor's about Roper's that you may have.......The K-22 Was sent away to be refinished in Nickel as I also had been searching for a Nickel model for years and figured I might as well complete the package.
ROPER'S-The Legacy behind them.....
The original Roper designed grip's were made by a guy by the name of Gange. he was and old world artisan and his son was the only other person that was involved with the making of the "ORIGINAL" Roper designed stock's. Many thought that Walter Roper a well respected Marksman shooter that was tied to S&W was the one responsible for these and the truth is Gange and his son "WORKED" for Roper in a small factory in Mass. I can not give a definate date of When Mr. Gange quit making his famous wood Roper designed stock's but I have and article from the 1949 American Rifleman that show's he was still at work "HAND" making these grip's. They were sawn from one piece of wood carciasian Walnut most times length wise. Then they were hand chisled out to perform a "TIGHT" revolver frame fit. Then Mr. Gange would work off a drawing of the purchaser's hand to fabricate the grips by hand. The only machine process he did use was a giant sander to make sure the two half's fit flush & Tight after they were sawed. He then used a file to shape the grip and finished with sandpaper which took about and hour.From there Mr Gange would use and old v-notch cutting tool to perform the gorgeous checkering that was drawn by a pencil on the grip panel's when they were in the rough unfinished state. They were finsihed with Murphy's number 25 linseed Oil and some shellac was added to give them a sealed effect and slight sheen. Many companies have tried to "COPY" the Roper design over the year's but "NO" one can come close to Mr. Gange's hand skilled labor on the original's for which he was famous for. There were only so many made by him so if you are lucky enough to have a set like the one's pictured and dated above 1936 they are trully gem's to cherish..Another tell tale sign of the "ORIGINAL" roper grip's is the odd elongated holes in the rear of the grip's which was the jig spikes in which Mr. Gange placed them to hold them in place while he hand cut the checkering. I have been told that he also dated them and scribed the frame they were for as these have but can not be detected in the picture... Regards, Hammerdown.
