Calling all you Warrior owners

[leh22]

I've got two still here:

A & F Mon-O-Gram version
recurved triggerguard
.22
3297


standard later model
recurved triggerguard
.22 in Gold Medal box (box marked .22)
5891

LarryH

[ccdjg]

Thanks very much for the additional information.

I now have a total of 18 .22 Warriors in my list, compiled over about 30 years. I have come across or read about probably more than a hundred in .177 calibre in that period, so I think it is still fair to say that the .22 version is relatively rare.

[grantb]

I have a .22 Warrior with the large semicircular trigger guard. The serial number is 1360.

[DrGunn]

I’ve just acquired a relatively early Warrior with the serial number 1719 in 177 and with the semicircular trigger guard.
The grips on mine appear to be horn (the left one is delaminating slightly) and I’ve read reports of both horn and vulcanite grips being used on these. Presumably horn was switched for vulcanite at some point in the manufacture?

[ccdjg]

I’ve just acquired a relatively early Warrior with the serial number 1719 in 177 and with the semicircular trigger guard.
The grips on mine appear to be horn (the left one is delaminating slightly) and I’ve read reports of both horn and vulcanite grips being used on these. Presumably horn was switched for vulcanite at some point in the manufacture?

I have checked my early non-serial numbered Warrior with the half-moon trigger guard, and it has vulcanite grips. ( You can confirm this by applying a red hot needle to the (inside!) surface of the grip and sniffing the fumes. Vulcanite gives a burnt rubber smell, horn gives a burnt hair smell). In addition, as you say, horn can show signs of delamination, as it was made by hot pressing pieces of horn together before it was stained.

I only have anecdotal information about the use of horn, but I definitely also had a Warrior several years ago where the grips were delaminating slightly and the black finish was wearing off along the layers. Unfortunately the gun is long gone and I did not record any details at the time. As the first version of the Warrior was not serial numbered, it will probably be impossible to determine when the use of horn was abandoned. Even so, it would be interesting to hear of anyone else who has a Warrior witn horn grips, as it will give some idea of how common they are.

[DrGunn]

I have checked my early non-serial numbered Warrior with the half-moon trigger guard, and it has vulcanite grips. ( You can confirm this by applying a red hot needle to the (inside!) surface of the grip and sniffing the fumes. Vulcanite gives a burnt rubber smell, horn gives a burnt hair smell). In addition, as you say, horn can show signs of delamination, as it was made by hot pressing peices of horn together before it was stained.

I only have anecdotal information about the use of horn, but I definitely also had a Warrior several years ago where the grips were delaminating slightly and the black finish was wearing off along the layers. Unfortunately the gun is long gone and I did not record any details at the time. As the first version of the Warrior was not serial numbered, it will probably be impossible to determine when the use of horn was abandoned. Even so, it would be interesting to hear of anyone else who has a Warrior witn horn grips, as it will give some idea of how common they are.

I tried the burn and sniff test and got the distinctive burnt hair smell so they are definitely horn. Under a sufficiently bright light they are slightly translucent with an effect similar to tiger eye - it’s almost a shame they are stained. Given that my Warrior is a second series with a serial number I can only assume that the change happened later in its production history.

[ccdjg]

I tried the burn and sniff test and got the distinctive burnt hair smell so they are definitely horn. Under a sufficiently bright light they are slightly translucent with an effect similar to tiger eye - it’s almost a shame they are stained. Given that my Warrior is a second series with a serial number I can only assume that the change happened later in its production history.

But the odd thing is that my first series model, with half-moon trigger guard and no serial number, which must surely predate yours, has a vulcanite grip. I would have assumed that when Frank Clarke handed over the pistol to Accles and Shelvoke for bulk manufacture, the use of horn grips would have been abandoned at that stage, and probably even well before. It looks like there may have been some random use of old stock grips from time to time, perhaps when supplies of the vulcanite grips were short.