For you Browning 1922 experts

[wolfcastle]

Hi. I am thinking about buying one of these. Ii is a very late b block (97XXXb) and has bakelite grips. Mostly I see the bakelite grips on the early no suffix guns and maybe early a block guns. After that they are almost all checkered walnut. However, I have seen one 79xxxb with bakelite and one c block with bakelite. Do you think the bakelite grips on these late guns are replacements? That is, was there a certain point when there was a definitive change over? Thanks

[martin08]

Wooden grips were more common by that time, but Bakelite grips could be found on all war-time production.

FN Browning Pistols, by Anthony Vanderlinden p. 245

I have a few mid to late war examples with the Bakelite grips, too.

[wolfcastle]

Thank you!