This is a "shaped" grip which reminds me of several nice custom jobs I have seen on rifles. Who inspired who or is this just a case of great minds thinking alike? This gun should be from before 1906. Or is this a restocked shotgun by someone we know who also did rifles? That is a very distinctive shape. Not my gun. But interesting enough that I might take a flyer on it just to get it into my hands.

There are lots of variations on the s-curve grip but that one is a little bit distinctive in my opinion. The sharp tip of the grip at the bottom rear is unusual. I would wager (and maybe lose) that the gun is restocked. The engraving looks a bit unusual too, though I don't know what Savage engraving might look like normally - I wonder if someone customized this gun long ago.

Googling proves otherwise. Looks like it is probably factory, although POW grips are far more common on google



These might interest you too.
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...amp;type=thread

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f...un_id=101214300

To each their own, but to me it looks backwards.

Looks very similar to what Marlin did on their Ballard deluxe rifles from 1875 on. Or what Remington did on deluxe Rolling Blocks from the same period.

LRF, Some have done the S-curve the other way, but it does not work for my taste.
Everyone has their own ideas, but some of the oldtimers sure did the S-curve well.
Chuck

Chuckster, what do you mean by the other way? The picture at the top of this thread or the way Marlin did them on the Ballards for example?

I think he means like this.

http://www.shilohrifle.com/forums/download/file.php?id=1620

John Oberlies used a curved bottom grip, often with an ivory or horn inlay.

I am not a member of the Shiloh Forum so can't see your link.

Thanks
Yes I like John O's grips much more and his for the most part were like the Marlin ones, maybe not as pronounced as Marlin's but the certainly not backwards as the one at the top of this thread is. ( MO ) I like the curve just not the layout of the one at the center of this thread.
Made from horn or ebony or blued steel is fine, however ivory or white line spacers, not so much. There was a time for that but its time has passed, IMO

This is a backwards S grip. In comparison to that Syracuse gun, it is much more proud to breakage..

Yes that is the correct orientation, again in my opinion. The one on the Sharps is more exaggerated then for example on a Ballard but it fitted the times. I would think a little more subdued would be more fitting on a bolt gun today, like John O's work, that Michael introduced many of us to.

Most S-curves are concave forward and convex toward the rear.
This forms close to a right angle at at the front of the grip and where the rear of the grip intersects the stock and looks good
Some have put the convex forward and concave rear, but never look right to my eye.
Either works fine, just a matter of preference. it is easy to over-do an S-curve.
Chuck

One of the most elegant grip treatments was on one of Michael's rifle, a roller iirc., but among more common rifles the Winchester 1885 has the most beautiful and fusiform of grips, not at all dissimilar to the Syracuse gun.