Theater made M1911 pistol grips

[eam59]

I received these custom made M1911 pistol grips in a grouping from a 9th Air Force B-26 pilot. The grips have a luminescent quality to them, almost resembling Mother-of-Pearl. The grips are two-part: The outer layer is plexiglass and the inner layer is aluminum. These parts were procured from aircraft materials and custom made to a precise fit with the pistol. The veteran had to return the pistol at the end of his service but retained these interesting grips.

I am curious if anyone else has some custom made grips.

[6.5 Creedmoor]

I received these custom made M1911 pistol grips in a grouping from a 9th Air Force B-26 pilot. The grips have a luminescent quality to them, almost resembling Mother-of-Pearl. The grips are two-part: The outer layer is plexiglass and the inner layer is aluminum. These parts were procured from aircraft materials and custom made to a precise fit with the pistol. The veteran had to return the pistol at the end of his service but retained these interesting grips.

I am curious if anyone else has some custom made grips.

Looks sort of like the ones that service members put a photo of their wife, girlfriend or pinup under.

[Johnny Peppers]

Theater made grip panels were fairly common in WWII. They are mostly seen with a photo of a wife or loved one under the plexiglass, gaining the name "sweetheart" grips. I have a photo of an uncle in Germany shortly after the war ended holding up his .45 with a picture of my aunt under the plexiglass grip panel. A local made them for cigarettes or candy.

I ask him if he removed them before he turned his pistol in, but he said he was so excited about gettinng to go home that he forgot to remove them.

The set you show probably had such a picture between the aluminum and plexiglass at one time.

[RonR]

This one was brought back by 1st Lt Fred R Sales.......


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[RonR]

German Radom Model 35 Pistol that was captured by a US first Lieutenant in the Third Infantry Division, and obviously carried during the War.


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[Ironcrown]

I know of a M1911 ground dug in a plane crash site here in Italy that had plexiglas grips.

[David T]

Great pistols and grips guys! Thanks for posting!

[eam59]

Theater made grip panels were fairly common in WWII. They are mostly seen with a photo of a wife or loved one under the plexiglass, gaining the name "sweetheart" grips. I have a photo of an uncle in Germany shortly after the war ended holding up his .45 with a picture of my aunt under the plexiglass grip panel. A local made them for cigarettes or candy.

I ask him if he removed them before he turned his pistol in, but he said he was so excited about gettinng to go home that he forgot to remove them.

The set you show probably had such a picture between the aluminum and plexiglass at one time.

Very interesting. When I spoke to the vet he went into great detail about the grips and the materials used but made no mention of any photo sandwiched in between.

[eam59]

German Radom Model 35 Pistol that was captured by a US first Lieutenant in the Third Infantry Division, and obviously carried during the War.


.......

Wonderful item! I never knew about these.

[Johnny Peppers]

Very interesting. When I spoke to the vet he went into great detail about the grips and the materials used but made no mention of any photo sandwiched in between.

There have been enough examples posted to pretty well indicate what they were, or maybe the photo had been taken out of the grips long ago.

The picture of my uncle and his .45.