Question about grips on post war commercial Govt Model

[FinLaw]

What are your thoughts on this one? The finish is original and all parts look correct except for the grips. For some reason it has different grips on each side. One has the large reinforcement ring and the other side has the small rings. One also has a star in it. I thought the star grips were on Ithacas. Have you ever come across a post war Colt Commercial with non-matching grips? This particular pistol was made in 1948.

[Duane Hansen]

After the war Colt used up their remaining Military parts on the Commercial Govt Model. That is why you would see the large ring Coltwood grips on them. One may have broken along the way and someone replaced one of them with a Keyes grip panel which is correct on RR, Ithaca and Union Switch pistols.
The pistol would have never left the Colt factory with the Keyes grip and mismatched to boot.

After I posted my reply above, I checked in Clawson's Commercial book and according to him, the Colt plastic grips with the Rampant Colt Logo would have started in 1947. So that makes both your grips incorrect for your 1948 manufactured pistol. These Rampant Colt logo grips were prone to shrink and after a period of years they would not fit over the grip screw bushings any longer. This caused many to break too. Many Commercial Colt owners would end up replacing them and that's probably just what happened to yours. IMO

[FinLaw]

What do you think the pistol is worth without original grips?

[Scott Gahimer]

I think the new grips may have been introduced in ca. 1947, as Duane says Mr. Clawson states, but the large ring military stocks continued to be used until depleted. I believe there are 1948 and 1949 pistols in some models that still used the military stocks. I agree, the Keyes stock is incorrect. However, I'd find me another large ring Colt and replace it and call it good. The value of the pistol is reduced by the value of the stock(s) and perhaps a little more for the sake of originality being compromised. But, not many guys are too concerned about a common plastic stock if the pistol is nice and original otherwise.

[Johnny P]

I had a 1948 Super .38 with the late Coltwood military grips.

[FinLaw]

Excellent, it appears the pistol is almost 100% correct then. Where the heck can I find a mint left Coltwood grip?

[Scott Gahimer]

Excellent, it appears the pistol is almost 100% correct then. Where the heck can I find a mint left Coltwood grip?

Probably right beside a mint right grip. Easier to find a pair, and then just throw the spare in your parts bin. Eventually, you'll find a place to use the spare.