Bought another 686, but that's not the important part..

September 25, 2019, 10:05 PM

Couldn't pass up a nice clean 686 at the local pawn shop, or as I call it "Groundhog Day - Smith & Wesson Edition"

Deal was complete, and the very nice pawnbroker tells me "Oh wait, it came with an extra set of grips, some old white pearl or something, you can have them as well"

Hands me an old style Eagle Grips box, my heart starts to flutter a little.

This is what was inside....

I told them those are real ivory and worth a few dineros. Well, you're a good customer, and thats the way the gun came in, enjoy!

Needless to say, this is my favorite pawn shop of all time. I pay market value for stuff when I really want it, but more than occasionally, I get a smoking deal.

I do help them value and price old Case knives all the time, so it's not a completely one-way street.

Oh yeah, original receipt for the grips was in the box. Dated 1995, $340.

September 25, 2019, 10:28 PM

ruger357

Wow! That's awesome. Pic of the 686 wearing them?

September 25, 2019, 10:31 PM

P-220

What a great score. Beautiful grips.

September 25, 2019, 10:43 PM

ElKabong

quote:
Originally posted by ruger357:
Wow! That's awesome. Pic of the 686 wearing them?

Good idea!
With and without

September 25, 2019, 10:57 PM

rangemaster

This shit NEVER happens to me.......

Congrats! Now you need a polished stainless T-Grip.

September 25, 2019, 11:10 PM

1KPerDay

Wow. Congrats! What are the rules on ivory these days?

September 25, 2019, 11:15 PM

ElKabong

Can’t sell it across state lines IIRC
I think some states have an outright ban.
I’m sure someone on here knows all the ins and outs.

I have several pool cues with ivory as well.
The billiard industry has always utilized elephant ivory for decoration, so it has impacted that market heavily.
Existing cues still pass from collector to collector state side, but it’s a huge gamble trying to deal with the very large Asian collectors, Ive heard of cues with imitation ivory even being seized by mistake and never released. These cues often exceed 20k.

September 25, 2019, 11:25 PM

YooperSigs

Beautiful! I have a 113 year old Winchester 94 with an ivory bead front sight. I am terrified it will fall off or I lose it.

September 25, 2019, 11:41 PM

rburg

The government employee that supports confiscation is usually an idiot. OK, I said he was a government employee, so an overpaid idiot.

The ivory rules are almost impossible to keep up with. If you don't mind violating a rule or two... Back just before the new rules went into effect, I managed to buy myself a genuine 1954 Randall Model 12 bowie. With elephant Ivory for a handle.

Sure, I paid $1200 for it, but it was clearly worth at least twice that. Didn't bother me in the least. It was still legal. I've even been told I can't resell it. But I can to an in-state resident. My biggest worry is when I die, if my widow can pass it on to my oldest son. Its a big chunk of 3/8s steel over a foot long.

and it will split a watermelon in one fell swoope! Best tool for the job I've ever seen.

OK, back to the rules. You can't sell it out of the country. And you can't sell it to someone from another state. Its your job to know the rules within your own state. Some of the good states, like the one where I live, just don't give a shit. The elephant is long dead. Other politically correct ones like NJ, NY, MA and some others won't allow you to own it at all. If you've got an old piano with ivory keys, you're a criminal just waiting to go to jail. Same for your antique violin or other musical instrument. No exceptions, save the elephants. Even the long dead ones.

Keep in mind that the Feds only enforce federal law. The states enforce their own stupid laws. So its your job to know how stupid your legislators or bureaucrats are. Good luck calling them and getting someone who knows. Not guesses, but actually knows.

Working with ivory is easy and fun. Its soft and workable. Then polishes really well.

OH, and my Winchester M21 has an ivory bead. I can make the gun legal to sell out of state just by taking a pliers to that bead. And it won't happen.

September 25, 2019, 11:49 PM

ElKabong

Rburg, I’ve been told that you can’t sell across state lines, but you can mail a “gift”
If done between 2 known parties, that would be hard to disprove.
I did a quick search on GB completed auctions, and there are tons of guns with ivory grips being sold across state lines still today.
It definitely illegal as you stated, but it’s looks like GB isn’t proactively enforcing it.
eBay on the other hand....

September 26, 2019, 01:25 AM

sns3guppy

Personal possession of ivory is not illegal. Under federal law, it can be sold within a state, provided you have proof that it was imported prior to 1990.

You cannot sell it across state lines.

Various states have limitations.

Ivory can be given away, but it cannot involve any exchange for value; it can't involve an end-run around the regulation (such as pumping up the price of the pistol to cover the ivory, then giving the ivory away).

The burden of proof to show that the ivory is legal is on the holder. Exceptions exist for antiquities.

https://www.fws.gov/internatio...ons-and-answers.html

https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html

Cool grips, by the way.

September 26, 2019, 04:22 AM

ruger357

Beautiful!

September 26, 2019, 06:07 AM

David Lee

They are beautiful grips and, I've long admired the white poly stocks for S&W K, L and, N frames. There are white poly square butts available for the Smiths. Had a friend who is no longer alive who had a section of tusk near 16" in length. He had a grip cap made and engraved for a custom Mauser heavy barrel in .243. Rifle also wore a huge Unertel scope.

September 26, 2019, 07:00 AM

Buster30290

I'm not a big fan of Ivory or Pearl grips - I know a lot of people are so that's my bad - but I sure do love my 686.

Congratulations on a GREAT find.

September 26, 2019, 07:10 AM

wxdave

Even better that it doesn't have the clinton lock. None of my Smith revolvers have it, and I won't buy one with it.

I too love my 686. bought it around '92. I put Hogue grips on it and have sadly lost the originals.

September 26, 2019, 07:56 AM

CQB60

Dats just sweet!

September 26, 2019, 08:18 AM

gearhounds

Congrats- a couple of the local shops here have great deals on stuff- mostly because they don’t know better, but I’m not complaining. Mostly seem to be older JM Marlin lever actions in 30-30 but the occasional .44 slips by the goalie. Then it’s more a question of who gets there first...

September 26, 2019, 09:33 AM

lyman

quote:
Originally posted by rburg:
The government employee that supports confiscation is usually an idiot. OK, I said he was a government employee, so an overpaid idiot.

The ivory rules are almost impossible to keep up with. If you don't mind violating a rule or two... Back just before the new rules went into effect, I managed to buy myself a genuine 1954 Randall Model 12 bowie. With elephant Ivory for a handle. Sure, I paid $1200 for it, but it was clearly worth at least twice that. Didn't bother me in the least. It was still legal. I've even been told I can't resell it. But I can to an in-state resident. My biggest worry is when I die, if my widow can pass it on to my oldest son. Its a big chunk of 3/8s steel over a foot long. and it will split a watermelon in one fell swoope! Best tool for the job I've ever seen.

OK, back to the rules. You can't sell it out of the country. And you can't sell it to someone from another state. Its your job to know the rules within your own state. Some of the good states, like the one where I live, just don't give a shit. The elephant is long dead. Other politically correct ones like NJ, NY, MA and some others won't allow you to own it at all. If you've got an old piano with ivory keys, you're a criminal just waiting to go to jail. Same for your antique violin or other musical instrument. No exceptions, save the elephants. Even the long dead ones.

Keep in mind that the Feds only enforce federal law. The states enforce their own stupid laws. So its your job to know how stupid your legislators or bureaucrats are. Good luck calling them and getting someone who knows. Not guesses, but actually knows.

Working with ivory is easy and fun. Its soft and workable. Then polishes really well.

OH, and my Winchester M21 has an ivory bead. I can make the gun legal to sell out of state just by taking a pliers to that bead. And it won't happen.

I know a guy, his grandfather lived in NOVA,
not sure if he was an expat or here on a visa, (the guy I know is a UK subject here on a visa)

anyhoo,,

grandpa was a high up in a couple gun and ammo related companies,

and an avid hunter, liked big bore stuff, and hunted Africa many times,

he has a very nice set of Tusks, he is sure they were harvested legally, probably in the late 60's or early 70's,

yet Gramps is dead, and no paperwork was ever found to support the claim,

so he is stuck with them,

on the flip side, he did find some tusks he thought were Walrus, (apparently he knows gramps hunts one or 2 of them as well, or something)
he took a tusk, a broken walnut rifle stock, and a blade blank to a guy and had a small Sgain-dhub made to wear with his kilt,

he plays percussion in one of the local pipe and drum corps, they dress in the required kilt and accessories