doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Buttplate Makers

We've seen numerous threads discussing Damascus and fluid steel barrel makers, but I can't recall reading anything anywhere about who supplied the various gun makers with their buttplates. I'd imagine there must have been multiple suppliers using different methods and materials.

Keith, I have often wondered about the same thing. Over the years I have asked the same question on the BBS, but we haven't gotten anywhere in identifying the source [s] of these interesting items.

Like this one; in standard and 1" thickness and not uncommon on c. 1900 - 1910 Smith, Ithaca, Fox, and Lefever

Drew, I don't think I've ever seen that one, even after pawing through hundreds of boxes of take off buttplates at gun shows over the years. I assume there must have been multiple suppliers of buttplates because of the many variations in style, composition, and finish. Even the back side where the plate meets the wood shows a number of differences.

Daryl, maybe by asking the question here, we're just not asking this question in the right place. The answer might be found on some rifle or handgun forum. I'd think it's very possible that the same companies who made grips for Colt or S&W handguns may have also molded buttplates and grip caps. I have never read that any gun company made their own grips, caps, or buttplates in-house.

Keith, I am sure you are right. There were literally hundreds of styles of grips, caps, and buttplates through many eras. We also see them for sale in Folsom and similar catalogs , probably from Europe. Horn, gutta percha, hard rubber were materials mentioned among others, I suppose. There must have been multiple makers in various locals and I'd guess New York must have had several, but I know of none specifically.

I still think there's a good chance that the makers of powder flasks could have made these buttplates. The designs are often very similar to those flasks produced in the 19th century and also the same skills of producing the dies would have been used. Companies in England such as Dixon and Hawksley would be prime candidates.

I think these folks may be of assistance

http://www.vintagegungrips.net/vintage-b...-buttplate.html

or

http://www.vintagegungrips.net/vintage-b...tplate-ste.html

skeetx, thanks for that link, but I'm not really looking for any replacement buttplates. Well, I guess I could use a couple LAC Syracuse Lefever buttplates and grip caps and an A.J Aubrey plate for a couple project guns I'm working on, but I'll keep looking for originals. I just thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit about the original makers, methods, and materials, and the artisans who designed the various logos and designs. It's strange that the manufacturers of literally tens or hundreds of millions of anything could be so much of a mystery.