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Curio & Relic/Black Powder Curio & Relics and Black Powder Firearms, Old School shooting fun!

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Old 03-01-2019, 11:31 AM
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Thumbs up WW2 1911 "sweetheart grips"

During World War II, it was common for soldiers to keep family photos under clear grips on their 1911 pistols. They were called “Sweetheart Grips.”
I had never heard of these before.
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Old 03-01-2019, 11:37 AM
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I don't think it was that common but it was done, See the movie "Fury"
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Old 03-01-2019, 12:06 PM
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Would it be wrong of me to put a picture of my gun under the clear grip?
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Old 03-01-2019, 1:02 PM
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Default OH MY.......

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Originally Posted by Barbarosa View Post
Would it be wrong of me to put a picture of my gun under the clear grip?
Your gun, NO.

Your pistol, YES!
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Old 03-01-2019, 1:18 PM
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Default G.I. Trench Art!

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Originally Posted by Jeff L View Post
During World War II, it was common for soldiers to keep family photos under clear grips on their 1911 pistols. They were called “Sweetheart Grips.”
I had never heard of these before.
Very cool G.I. accessorizing.

It would be even cooler to know who the "sweetheart" was and how and when the grips were made.

If the grips are period correct, they could be very valuable to collectors.

Here are a couple of pics I found.
Attachment 782999

Attachment 783000
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Old 03-01-2019, 2:24 PM
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More pictures can be found... Here.

One attributed to a Brigadier General sold for $6,900... see Here. It has an YouTube video...


Last edited by TrappedinCalifornia; 03-01-2019 at 2:27 PM..
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Old 03-01-2019, 2:47 PM
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Those are awesome!
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Old 03-01-2019, 3:36 PM
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Yep, rare. But very cool when you find them. My father acquired a WWI vintage Spanish Izarra while fighting in France during WWII. Being somewhat creative, he made some sweetheart grips for it and since he didn't have a sweetheart, girlfriend, or wife, he put a photo of his kid sister under the left grip. He kept the original grips which I have. He also made the holster.



After he returned from France and started school in San Francisco at Heald Engineering College, he bought a Luger from a gun dealer in Missouri who threw in a free box of ammo. $35 for the the gun and ammo. Then, likely inspired by the grips he made for the Izarra, he made some custom grips for the Luger using colored Lucite. And again he kept the original grips. Very unique, to say the least.



He also made a jewelry box out of the same colored Lucite for his girlfriend, later to be his wife and my mother.
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Old 03-02-2019, 4:03 PM
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All of those are really neat!!

I have a 1911A1 which was issued to a Colonel. These grips were on it.

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