Browning 30 cal pistol grip

[Flying10uk]

I picked up this 30 cal grip last year at a militaria show because I considered it to be an interesting curio. It was covered in thick muck and grime but it has cleaned up really well and it doesn't appear to have actually been used. There is no way of knowing how much truth there is in the story attached to the label and so I only bought the item, not the story that went with it. When cleaning it up there appeared to still be remains of Cosmolene on it which may explain it's good condition. Any observations on this item are greatly appreciated, thanks.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Brit plumber]

As you said, it's a new item. It may have been bought from a surplus store in the Ardennes but defo not a relic! If you want to see a 50 year old browning relic I'll send you some photos.

The item it's self is a late 1919a4/6 armasteel (I think that's what it was called) grip. The earlier grips for the A4 were the 1917 style with ally grips instead of wood/paxolin and had the screw for the clip. The later A6 style didn't have the recess for the clip and I think these were often fitted to the 1917a1.

[browningautorifle]

Yes, new and serviceable. It could have been somewhere out of battle and sitting somewhere safe for 65/70 years though, so technically...in the Ardennes. Not right out in the field.

Just like the ones I used. We did have a few with the Paxolin(?) grip, some looked like pearl handles off Patton's revolvers. Some dark.

[Peter Laidler]

As BAR has said. We had several sorts of these grips for our M1919A4's stored in the turret bins for when they might be used in the flexible role and flex role 6's plus our rear sear/awful L3 versions. Wood, plastic alloy...... As for being found in the Ardennes....... how do these traders sleep at nights?

[bigduke6]

how do these traders sleep at nights?

Plenty of Alcohol and a vivid imagination........

[Flying10uk]

I did wonder if it could have been picked up shortly after the battle and then stored in a barn for 60+ years. However, this theory wouldn't really make sense because it appears unused and it still had traces of Cosmolene on it when I cleaned it up.

[Peter Laidler]

Buy the gun and not the story I say. Or in this case, believe the tag or the item you see before your very eyes!

[browningautorifle]

it appears unused

It's been on and off a gun but not used. There would be signature marks on it.

[Vincent]

It’s a post-war simplified version. The m1919 I used to have came with one. It was an “upgrade” that had been done at some point. I liked feel of the older grips better.

There’s more info here.

The complete assembly like that sell for around $150 here.

[Flying10uk]

Thanks for that information, Vincent, it looks interesting and I will study it in more detail later. I paid £60 for the grip in post 1 at the end of the day of a militaria show. I think other "punters" may have been put off because it was caked in muck and dirt, although I wasn't expecting it to clean up as well as it did.