First Colt - Diamondback

[choices and consequences]

Pretty excited, just picked up my first Colt, a Diamondback from 1968 I think.


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[Maddawg46]

Congrats. I have one in .22 caliber. They are nice shooters.

[Virus55]

Nice gun! Not a fan of the grip but the gun itself is nice!

[choices and consequences]

Thanks. I would prefer the wood grip as well. In fact I'm hoping someone here can fill me in on whether this grip would have been original to the gun in 1968.

[VegasND]

Nice and congratulations.

[nickel plate]

1968 seems too early for a Diamondback to have rubber grips but this is strictly an uneducated guess but I'm basing this on the fact that I have a late 1980s B STS 6" Python that also came new to me with a full wrap around rubber grip that hid the fluted backstrap that matches the fluted trigger face, Colt had only started the B STS rubber grip line a couple of years prior. As you are wanting to do, I recently switched them out for a proper Gen III era set of Colt factory NOS walnut checkered grips (paid dearly for them) which made the revolver giant steps better looking and the grip feel of the crisp checkering is sensational. I still have the Pachmyer rubber grip tucked away in the safe.
I've seen authentic Diamondback walnut stocks up for sale here in our classifieds but also try coltforum.com as there are a lot of Diamondback members and a fairly specific classified section where you'll probably get lucky-for a price.
It would help your search if you posted a PIECE of the Diamondback's serial number for year manufactured authenticity then start shopping for that time period of wood stocks.

[kurac]

ahhh!, someone "harvested" the original grips, sadly that is very common place these days. Expect to pay $200-$300 for a replacement set, now you know why people sell them separately.

[Cool Custard]

Awesome!

[beerman]

Congradulations on a magnificent firearm...I've wanted one for years

[spinitch]

Was that the one from river city? I was looking at it but didn't come with the original box and newer pach grips but still a nice gun.

[RedFord150]

Love the vented rib on a .38 special. Totally unnecessary, but looks really cool.
The grips look like Pachmayr. You will have a hard time and will spend some serious $ to get the originals.
Maybe a nice set of Hogue exotic wood grips will work until you find the originals. Too pretty of a gun to leave the Rubber on :-).

[dfletcher]

An "alternative suggestion" while searching for the original target grips - Colt D frame service grips and a Tyler T Grip insert. Not exactly 100% authentic, and be certain to get the correct D frame grips, but certainly better than rubber.

[choices and consequences]

Thanks for the suggestions on finding the correct grip, I will definitely be looking.

I did find this at RCGE, it was on consignment. Price had dropped and I was in there doing a PPT with a friend I sold a couple guns to. I was trying to re-coup some money I had spent on another purchase and I saw this in the showcase....so much for that plan! Anyway, couldn't pass up the D-back despite guessing the grip was not original and no box.

[den888]

Congrats!