[Vettepartz]

Since one of the administrators mentioned that things were a little 'stagnant' here, I thought I would show this. I recently acquired this WWII Colt that has a set of 'Sweetheart Grips' on it, along with the correct set of grips.

I have heard that during WWII some of the servicemen would get pieces of the canopies from downed aircraft and shape the plexiglass to fit their service pistols. After much cutting and filing and polishing, they would put a picture of their girlfriend or wife under the grip and mount it to the gun. Thus the name "Sweerheart Grips".

I have only seen a couple of other pictures of this before, but would invite others to show their's here.

 

[crankypop]

Wow, How cool is that.That is a great idea I wonder who thought of that.

 

[JES517]

This reminds me of the story posted on this forum back in 2008 about the lost Remington Rand with sweetheart grips that eventually found it's way home.

http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5291911282/m/5440071591001

 

[Vettepartz]

I kinda remember that story. Thanks. Here is a link to a LIFE magazine pic:

http://images.google.com/hosted/lif...20&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&imgurl=9b756eac4e4181ae

 

[1saxman]

I think it came out during that discussion that G.I.s usually didn't make the grips themselves - there was quite an industry in the occupied countries using aircraft plexiglas to make these. It is true that the plexi came from shot-down planes. I know that at least in Italy, artisans made beautiful small fighters (3" to 4" wingspan) out of aluminum from similar crashes.

 

[dsk]

I always wondered about that. Most I've seen were too well-made and shaped to have been carved with a pocketknife by a bored airman.

BTW Vettepartz nice pistol.

 

[Johnny Peppers]

In WWI there were so many brass shell casings from the field artillery that they were made into souvenirs with different battles and dates pecked into them, or just decorated. They were called "Trench Art", but there was a cottage industry there where the locals turned them out to sell to the GI's.

 

[RickB]

I have a set of clear "factory made" grips, which must date from WWII, as one of the grips has the appearance of a set of aviator wings carved or cast into the back. The pilot rating represented no longer existed after 1942, IIRC, so the grips must be that old. My dad said they would put the foil paper from cigarette packs behind the grips, which gives them a sort of pearl appearance. I'll see if I can take a decent pic.

 

[Vettepartz]

Johnny Peppers you are right on about the locals in a war zone using whatever they could find to turn a buck. I know this is getting a little off-topic, but here are a couple of pictures of a brass vase and its bottom that were fashioned from an empty 105 howitzer case that I picked up for $2 when I was in VietNam in 1968.

 

[oldcanuck]

An old set of mine.....

 

[Sgt Art]

An old set of mine.....

I like her "set" better. Is that Jane Russell from "The Outlaw"...Howard Hughes' big movie?

 

[vette]

Jane Russel on the left and the amazing Rita Hayworth on the right. Very cool.

 

[ADC]

Wow..very cool. Never heard of this before.

 

[RickB]

I have a set of clear "factory made" grips, which must date from WWII, as one of the grips has the appearance of a set of aviator wings carved or cast into the back. The pilot rating represented no longer existed after 1942, IIRC, so the grips must be that old. My dad said they would put the foil paper from cigarette packs behind the grips, which gives them a sort of pearl appearance. I'll see if I can take a decent pic.

Kind of an old thread, but here's the pic I promised . . . three years ago.

 

[kwill]

 

[Vettepartz]

Thanks, RickB - I have been checking everyday for three years now to see that picture - lol

 

[Texxut]

Very cool Rick, Thanks for posting it.

 

[Ranger566]

Vettepartz....PM your way.

 

[mikegc]

My dad was a medic in the South Pacific during WWII. He brought back an 8mm Nambu with sweetheart grips. The old photos aren't in great shape, as you can see:

Mike

 

[Piexcel]

I haven't seen anything like this on my M9 pistols!