Herrett Nationals - Target grips on a budget!

1
Ohayo Gozaimasu Minna!

In 1955, Steve Herrett, a bullseye shooter, began selling custom target grips. He developed a clever method whereby folks could trace around their own hand while executing a Vulcan greeting and he could translate it into a properly fitted custom grip. Pretty clever. He started out by making a target grip vaguely like one developed by Walter Roper some years before. He later conspired with Bill Jordan to make custom stocks for Colt and S&W revolvers called "Jordan Troopers". And finally (or almost finally) he developed what would become the bread and butter of his company, the Shooting Star, for Colt, S&W, and Ruger revolvers.
Roper-Prewar-Woodsman.jpg
Herrett-Postwar-Woodsman.jpg
Herrett-Jordan-Troopers.jpg
Herrett-Jordan-Troopers.jpg (11.24 KiB) Viewed 3256 times
Sometime in the 1970's, the failure of the Fitz grip company (who had in fact ripped off Herret's target grip designs) left the Fitz Accu-Riser adjustable target grip without an heir, and Herrett started selling the Accu-Riser design, executed in Walnut, as the Herrett's National. These off-the-shelf adjustable grips were wildly popular with bullseye shooters using auto pistols. The few orders for Nationals for guns not fitted by the off-the-models were filled by handmade custom models (more about which later).

(See Fitz Accu-Riser and Herrett Nationals below)

The Herrett National survives to this day in an Italian made commercial model sold by Herrett (and many grey market editions sold by the Italian maker), and a semi-custom version made in Idaho to order. Herrett Nationals may be purchased for common guns (1911, Ruger Mark II and III, S&W M41) on Ebay for $79. Sharp-eyed folks might find older Herrett Nationals on Ebay for more or less money, depending on demand.

Re: Herrett Nationals - Target grips on a budget!

4
Later on, real Herretts and fake Herretts that look like this started popping up all over. I wouldn't pay more than $30 for a set of these, though they DO improve handling tremendously, especially if you deepen the thumb rest on the appropriate side, and groove for the index finger on the other side.
SAA_2nd-Gen._357M-5.5_Herretts.jpg
63-No-Dash_22-32-Kit-Gun_Herretts.jpg
The SAA grips have had the thumb deepened only slightly, and are finished with 6 coats of pure Tung Oil.

The M63 grips were deepened heavily for my daughter's small hand, and are finished with 2 coats of pure Tung Oil followed by 2 coats of Tru-Oil.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests