[Guest]

In regards to the 1934 Mauser pistol, why do some have black plastic grips and the others wood? Do the plastic grips indicate a special contract? Jim

 

[Guest]

Jim: the black plastic are after market replacments, Wood is correct.

 

[huggiebear]

Negative; there are original black plastic grips made for the 1934 Mauser by the German's in pre war era so not all plastic grips are after-market. There is also post war after market-grips made as well but upon removal and examination, one can readily tell one from another.

 

[Mark]

I don't think the grips are plastic but bakelite, in the original guns. A matter of semantics and resin, but let's get it right!

 

[sauer]

Accually, Bakelite is a plastic, a phenol-formaldehyde plastic resin. The Germans used various phenoplastes throughout the war.

 

[Mark]

Bakelit or Bakelite is a "duroplast" and chips ..... unlike "plastic" as we know it. (The repro grips will not chip!) Original grips might be a phenol resin mixed with wood chips or textiles and then pressed, as in the later war guns. (In P38's)

 

[sauer]

Mark, Youre talking the difference between modern plastics and the early ones, and I agree completely. But pheno-plastics, with and without fillers were used in prewar and war time pistol grips. When used without fillers, they were brittle and easily chipped or broken. Example: the early 38-H grips which contained fillers, and the A1 grips which did not. The A1 grips break easily while the early ones which do not, but both are a "plastic". Early "plastic" grips are correct on late HSC's. some Model 34's, Dreyse, Sauer, and Walther, and some others. Let's not argue about formulas. For most purposes plastic is plastic.