Was talking to someone in our state's gun collector association today who was telling me about a competitive shooter and gunsmith from New Jersey named Richard "Hitch" Hitchcock. He shot on the US Coast Guard team in the late 1930s and was a gunsmith up at least until the 1970s. He evidently did a lot of work for competitive shooters, from what I understood from our conversation.

I know it is a long shot, but I was curious if you had ever heard of him. I wound up with a lot of grips that came from his estate, including several pairs of genuine Ropers. What really got my curiosity up was some semi-finished to finished grips that sure look a lot like Ropers, but don't have the telltale jig holes that one typically sees on the real deal. Made me wonder if Mr. Hitchcock ever made custom grips in the Roper style.

Thanks, either way!

Unfortunately I am not aware of him or if he made gripe. It is possible he acquired them from a grip makers estate . It is funny how a lot of this stuff is kept in house when someone passes.

I knew it was a long shot.

Yes, it is funny how it works that way. I got the grip lot from the man who helped Hitch's widow sell what was left of his estate. He said the guns were all gone except two, but that he had tons of parts and machinery. This was all 25 years ago or so. The guy in the club who helped the widow later moved down here to NC, which is how I met him.

So sad how much history gets lost each time someone dies.

BACK INTHE '50s THERE WAS A GUY IN PA WHO SOLD INLETTED BUT UNFINISHED GRIPS FOR SMITH & WESSON SIXGUNS. CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME BUT I'M THINKING "WINGER"???

I'll look into that.

When I can take some pictures, I'll post them. It is interesting to see, if nothing else.

I kinda sorta "accumulate" holsters, and I have several FINE quality holsters that I have no idea who made. No makers markings of any kind. I know there are any number of folks who make a few shucks for themselves or friends, and some of them make some really good stuff - they just don't have the time or desire to try doing it as a business, and don't bother to mark them.

If any of y'all have occasion to make up a holster or some other leather item, (or grips, any other fine tool for that matter) please mark it in some way so that someone who acquires and appreciates it years from now can have a clue who made it and when. The history associated with a finely crafted item means a lot to some of us old cranks.