[Tryin]

Hello again, Long time since I needed help from you folks.
What does anyone know about 10-5 factory wood grips (or any wood grips, I guess)? Take a look at the picture I attached and tell me what you make of the stamped letters - "KPC"? Kokomo Police Cadets or Kuwait Petroleum Company or ???
Doesn't seem common to me to have ANYTHING stamped back there except the serial number - so maybe the stamping was done outside the factory.
Also the S/N on this 10-5 has a "D" prefix - D35xxx.
Thanks ahead of time - as always.

 

[jonesy814]

Those are K frame, PC Magna grips. The K is for K frame and the PC stands for Plain Clothes

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Post a picture of the other side of the grips.

Guy

 

[K22]

In the mid 1960's S&W went from individually stamping the digits to a line of stamping the s/n along the bottom of the right panel. My Model 10-6, s/n D42xxx shipped 5/68.

 

[K22]

The first shot is of stocks from my 1947 K-22; digits stamped individually.



the second photo is of stocks from a 1970 Model 30-1

 

[jonesy814]

The first shot is of stocks from my 1947 K-22; digits stamped individually.



the second photo is of stocks from a 1970 Model 30-1

Your last ones are stamped JRD. That is to denote, J frame, round butt stocks I would think.

 

[Tryin]

Post a picture of the other side of the grips.

Guy

The right side (with the s/n) has lost alot of its finish while the left grip still looks good - kinda weird they would be that far apart in condition.
KPC - K frame Plain Clothes?? I like Kokomo Police Cadet better. Ha!
Why in heck would the factory do something like this? And why have'nt i seen this before? Just wonderin'.

 

[Tryin]

Your last ones are stamped JRD. That is to denote, J frame, round butt stocks I would think.

I only see one of the grips with the large lettering - "JRD" Mine has BOTH grips with the KPC on 'em. Seems kinda random.

 

[jonesy814]

The right side (with the s/n) has lost alot of its finish while the left grip still looks good - kinda weird they would be that far apart in condition.
KPC - K frame Plain Clothes?? I like Kokomo Police Cadet better. Ha!
Why in heck would the factory do something like this? And why have'nt i seen this before? Just wonderin'.
View attachment 480585 View attachment 480586

If the gun was carried a lot you will often see a difference in grips. One side is up against the body and the other gets banged into door frames, walls, etc and is more exposed to the elements potentially

 

[Tryin]

If the gun was carried a lot you will often see a difference in grips. One side is up against the body and the other gets banged into door frames, walls, etc and is more exposed to the elements potentially

The back strap immediately below the hammer is a bit buggered-up and appears to be mainly on the right side - so the carry theory appears accurate.
I see now the "Plain Clothes" is reference to "police officers" and such that .... wear regular clothes (detectives and such) vs the Uniformed COPs. Wow - there's a bunch of detail in this stuff. Thanks all!

 

[Adirondacker]

KPC - K frame Plain Clothes?? I like Kokomo Police Cadet better. Ha!
Why in heck would the factory do something like this? And why have'nt i seen this before? Just wonderin'.

Me too. VERY hard to believe.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Those don't look like PC magnas to me. I've always understood that the plain clothes Magnas have a rounded bottom to ease under cover carry. Those are clearly Square bottom grips designed for holster carry.

Edit: I was looking at the pictures on my smartphone. Now that I see them on the laptop, I see the rounded bottom. So, it appears Jonesy is correct. I've never noticed the KPC and JRD stamps before. Interesting!

 

[jimg11]

The reason for the excessive wear on the right grip is of course it was a holstered revolver. As a police officer it did not take long to see that with wooden grips the right side was much more subject to wear than the inside left grip. I and most of my fellow officers went to "Goodyears"or Pachmayr, Hogue, etc. as soon as we could. They not only did not scuff up they were easier on the hand on the range.

 

[jonesy814]

Those don't look like PC magnas to me. I've always understood that the plain clothes Magnas have a rounded bottom to ease under cover carry. Those are clearly Square bottom grips designed for holster carry.

Edit: I was looking at the pictures on my smartphone. Now that I see them on the laptop, I see the rounded bottom. So, it appears Jonesy is correct. I've never noticed the KPC and JRD stamps before. Interesting!

Somewhere I saw another set of grips marked like the OP's. It may have been on this or another forum that I learned what those stamps meant. It seems they only did it for a while. The explanation I heard was that they were accessory grips/replacement grips from S&W sold at retail locations. That part of the explanation is incorrect though, because his grips also have the serial number stamped on them