doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Evolution of "Pistol Grips" on American Shotguns ?

When did "Pistol Grips" become common on American shotguns as the standard? It seems that prior to 1900, the straight grip was the standard on American shotguns and rifles. The Winchester Model 94 and Springfield 1903 were still straight-gripped in the early 1900's, as were most SxS shotguns of that era.

What caused the change to pistol grip style, and when? What American gun company led this change?

gold40

I would say about the 1880's and 1890's.
I know at least with the Winchesters, the pistol grip with checkering was reserved for the delux model guns only.
If you look at Parker for example, Almost all of the guns prior to the 1880's had straight stocks on them. Then they changed.
Not sure exactly what triggered the change.

The prevelance of the straight grip might have just been a hold over from the muzzleloading days.

I think there's a fair amount of evidence that a gradual transition had begun prior to 1900. Walt Snyder's Ithaca book, p. 243, shows photos of Ithaca catalogs from 1886, 1892, and 1900. All three guns featured on the covers have PG's: semi or round knob on the first two, squared-off PG on the 1900 book. Photos of the Crass model seem to show the same progression: round knob on the early guns, full PG on the later ones. Brophy's L.C. Smith book also shows quite a few photos (and catalog pages) of pre-1900 guns featuring PG's. Again, many of them of the round knob/semi variety.

Blame it on Fred Gilbert. He used a L.C. Smith to win the DuPont World�s Pigeon Shooting Championship in 1895 and the "E. C." Inanimate Target Championship Cup in 1896. Orders for the "Fred Gilbert Specifications" then flooded Hunter Arms: drop at comb of 1 3/8 inches; at the heel, 2 inches; length from trigger to heel, 14 1/4 inches; trigger to toe 14 1/2 inches; and trigger to center of butt 14 inches; with a "full pistol grip" and 30-inch full choke barrels.

The straight grip was the "standard" on the E. Remington & Sons Model 1873 Whitmore Hammer Lifter. A pistol grip was an extra cost option on their later Whitmore Lifter action doubles. By the time E. Remington & Sons introduced their top-lever Model 1882, the round knob pistol grip was standard. Semmer reports that he hasn't found a top-lever Remington hammer gun with anything but a pistol grip.

Lots of info on the "when", not much on the "why".

Even though the pistol grip seemed to be coming into fashion on "standard" American shotguns, Remington's Pigeon Gun and their FE- and CEO-Grade Trap Guns were always catalogued with straight grips.



Likewise when the Remington Autoloading Gun was introduced, most grades had pistol grips, but the No. 3 "TRAP" Grade had a straight grip --



Same thing when the John D. Pedersen designed Remington Repeating Gun was introduced --

Thanks for this thread. I've often wondered myself, and the replies to this thread illuminate the reasons why many American guns have PGs.

I don't know the reason but I suspect it was a result of military tactical changes that occurred around 1890-1910 and the way infantrymen fired the rifles. A straight stock is the best configuration for making quick shots while standing, kneeling, or on horseback. But a stock with a pistol grip is the best for shooting from sitting or prone. Try it out with a couple of guns and you will see for yourself.

Military usage has always driven weapons design. Cordite and nitro on the battlefield initiated the decline of black powder sporting guns and led to the standardization of nitro burning rifles and shotguns for all applications. A million young men returned home to their various countries after WWI with the taste for a bolt action rifle and the golden age of bolt guns followed. GIs came home from WWII where they had been using Garands, M1 Carbines, BARs, Thompsons, and Grease Guns and the demand was so high for semi-auto sporting guns that several new designs of rifles and shotguns appeared and sold off the shelves.

The latest revolution/evolution as a result of military changes is the transition of the "black rifles", into the sporting arena. This of course is due to demand created by young service members returning from the last ten year's activities in the middle east. The gun industry is seeing a birth of new manufacturers like the US has never seen before. Companies like Rock River Arms, Delton, Bushmaster, Anderson Manufacturing, Sabre Defense, Stag Arms, Sun Devil, SOG Armory, LMY and BCM have joined the old standbys AR15 makers of Colt, Armalite, and Olympic Arms. And who would have guessed that we would see ARs from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Remington manufactured and marketed for sporting use?

Similarly, I suspect the transition from straight grip to pistol grip was just the result of changes in military firearms to make them more suitable for shooting from a prone position. Nevertheless, it's just a guess.

From the very beginning of the Lefever Arms Co in 1883 the guns were all ordered. That is, no gun was produced until an order was placed by a buyer. They advertised the guns in their early catalogs with full pistol grips. You could order whatever LOP and drop you wanted. You could order a staight stock if you wanted. Very few of those seem to be around.
This would seem to indicate a buyer preference at that period of time.