Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
New grips for my barbecue gun. They are about 60 years old and made of sterling and 14 carat gold. That is an Aztec emperor and Aztec Calendar in gold. There is an interesting story behind both but I will leave it for a later time. They came from a Texas Ranger's family in Del Rio.
This is an original 1880 handout for Indian War Veterans. I think it is a very interesting read. I don't know how this one ever survived this well. Tell me what you think. RR7
RR,
Yes, the grips will do well for a BBC gun, especially with the nickel finish on the 70 Series 1911 Colt. (sure is a deviation from your old Colt SAA's)
The poster is very interesting. Some of those Indian wars I never heard of. One thing for sure, lawyers have always been a PITA for everyone around 'em. I'm sure they wanted a cut for their efforts.----------6
1st. Gen. Colt SAA’s, 1878 D.A.45 and a 38-55 Marlin TD
New grips for my barbecue gun. They are about 60 years old and made of sterling and 14 carat gold. That is an Aztec emperor and Aztec Calendar in gold. There is an interesting story behind both but I will leave it for a later time. They came from a Texas Ranger's family in Del Rio.
This is an original 1880 handout for Indian War Veterans. I think it is a very interesting read. I don't know how this one ever survived this well.
Tell me what you think. RR7
I think the grips are cool beans, and can't wait to hear the back story on them ! .
My thought, about the handout (besides mirroring yours re condition/age) is that, even back then, the bottom-feeding lawyers were out trolling for clients, just like they do on today's TV ads. .
New grips for my barbecue gun. They are about 60 years old and made of sterling and 14 carat gold. That is an Aztec emperor and Aztec Calendar in gold. There is an interesting story behind both but I will leave it for a later time. They came from a Texas Ranger's family in Del Rio.
Very cool. I would like to hear about the grips as well. I got a similar set. I don't know anything about them, other than they have been on this smith for as long as I remember. Grandpa carried this one quite a bit.
The top figure on the grips is Cuauhtémoc
11th Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan
Ruler of the Aztec Triple Alliance
Bust of Cuauhtémoc in el Zócalo, Mexico City.
Reign 1520–1521
Born Circa 1495
Died 28 February 1525 (aged 29–30)
Predecessor Cuitlahuac
Successor Tlacotzin
Father Ahuitzotl
Mother Tlilancapatl
Cuauhtémoc (also known as Cuauhtemotzin, Guatimozin or Guatemoc; c. 1495) was the Aztec ruler (tlatoani) of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521. The name Cuāuhtemōc (Nahuatl pronunciation: [kʷaːʍˈtemoːk]) means "One That Has Descended Like an Eagle", commonly rendered in English as "Descending Eagle" as in the moment when an eagle folds its wings and plummets down to strike its prey, so this is a name that implies aggressiveness and determination.
Cuauhtémoc took power in 1520 as successor of Cuitláhuac and was a cousin of the former emperor Moctezuma II. His young wife, who would later be known as Isabel Moctezuma, was one of Moctezuma's daughters. He ascended to the throne when he was 25 years of age, as his city was being besieged by the Spanish and devastated by an epidemic of smallpox brought to the New World by Spanish invaders. Probably after the killings in the main temple, there were few Aztec captains available to take the position
The bottom figure:
The Aztec Sun Stone, also called the Aztec Calendar Stone, on display at the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City.The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica.
The calendar consisted of a 365-day calendar cycle called xiuhpohualli (year count) and a 260-day ritual cycle called tonalpohualli (day count). These two cycles together formed a 52-year "century," sometimes called the "calendar round". The xiuhpohualli is considered to be the agricultural calendar, since it is based on the sun, and the tonalpohualli is considered to be the sacred calendar.
The calendric year may have begun at some point in the distant past with the first appearance of the Pleiades (Tianquiztli) asterism in the east immediately before the dawn light.[1] (See heliacal rising.) But due to the precession of the Earth's axis, it fell out of favor to a more constant reference point such as a solstice or equinox. Early Spanish chroniclers recorded it being celebrated in proximity with the Spring equinox.
These Mexican sterling and gold grips are very popular with the Texas rangers from the 1930s until now. The Texas Rangers serving on the mexican border started putting them on their pistols and revolvers first, then the popularity worked its way up from there. Many times the other most popular figures were the Mexican Eagle and coins. Many LEOs and civilians who wanted to spruce up their guns added these grips. Texas Ranger Dudley White has his Colt 1911 45 displayed in the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco with the same grips. If you want to see some real barbecue guns the museum in Waco is the place to go.
AJMD429 wrote:Is that a left-handed 1911...? Never knew there was such a thing.
Nope that's just how high the port is on 1911s and early 1911A1s. The first lowering of the ejection port didn't occur until the '70 Sieries IIRC. I can't read the whole #, but that looks like a nice nickeled 1st year -A1.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
RR7 - Very nice. indeed! Thanks for the details of your 1911 stocks. When I get moved back home to Texas and settled in, I sure would accept an invitation to swing down Whitney way and tour your "museum".
"If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that he has something of value to replace them." - Basuto proverb.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.
Do you know where they came from?
How long did they make them, and are they all by the same person/manufacture, or multipul?
I never seen another set before and was glad to see the post. I wouldn't mind finding a pair of stocks like yours either, I got a polished stainless colt gold cup they would look nice on.
oldtradingpost.com has some for sale and so does Ebay. The mexican or sterling silver and gold are pricy. The less expensive ones are made of nickel, german silver, or alpaca. I'm not sure when the first ones were made but probably around right after the turn of the century. Most were made in Mexico but not all. Mine are sterling and gold not plated. They average around 500 to 700 dollars; some go for thousands. I hope this helps somewhat. RR7
40 to 60 years ago, those grips were available in Mexico at most stores that catered to the tourist trade. I lived in Brownsville (and still do) and bought and sent a couple dozen pair north for folks who wanted them. I always jacketed the price enough to stop at the US Bar in Matamoros for a few drinks and the bridge toll.
My Great Grandfather collected the pension mentioned in the flyer for his Ranger Service in 1858-60 killing as many Comanche as they could find. No that did not include women and children, just warriors.
I bought a pair in Matamoros in 1965 for a 1911 I had then. A buddy of mine got them stolen out of his car that we had taken to "boys town" by some local Brownsville kids and the Matamoros police caught them. We went to the downtown police station to get my grips, some money and a radio that they had taken from the car. All we got back was the money, about half, and that was it. The kids had to stay in jail. We told the parents we weren't pressing charges but that didn't matter to the Commandant. He said he would keep them as long as he wanted until the parents came up with some money. That was my fifth time to go to Mexico during my college years and the last.
rangerider7 wrote:oldtradingpost.com has some for sale and so does Ebay. The mexican or sterling silver and gold are pricy. The less expensive ones are made of nickel, german silver, or alpaca. I'm not sure when the first ones were made but probably around right after the turn of the century. Most were made in Mexico but not all. Mine are sterling and gold not plated. They average around 500 to 700 dollars; some go for thousands. I hope this helps somewhat. RR7
Holly stuff I guess I wont be getting any soon
But thank you for the response I had no idea they were worth that much.
I am quite sure mine are the real deal too, but good grief.
If you don't mind one more question if you know........Are they still made, or do you know when they quit making them. Just kinda trying to figure out how old mine are. I am thinking they were acquired in the 60's, but that is guess. Grandpa never told me.
I think Udy your guess is pretty good. Maybe someone on the forum that lives near the border can tell you more about them and if they are still being made, I don't venture across any more as I stated above. There are a couple of things about why I don't go across anymore that I will keep to myself. I think they are probably still making them. Older ones value is also dependent on what model gun they fit; the more popular the gun the higher the price. RR7
Oh yes...Boys Town in Matamoros. The first, last and only time I was shot at was there about 59 or 60. I was in a place where one fellow shot another fellow in the head and everybody headed for the door, not wanting to get scooped up by the police. They had a habit of arresting everybody in the place and beating them until they were convinced they had the right story. Anyway, I took it on the lamb down the alley and a couple of local cops starting shooting at me. It was dark and I was young and they were poor shots, but I did hear the bullets as they went by. It was a very long walk back to the bridge as I avoided the main streets, thinking they would be looking for me.
