Grips for a Derringer

Question
I am trying to find new grips for a Western Marshal derringer .357 that my dad carried with him for years as an Indiana State Trooper. I am having no luck. I have tried to find a number or e-mail for the company to contact to see if I can buy new ones and I haven't had any luck. Could you help find company info..  It says Western Marshal derringer  Hawes firearms co. L.A. Calif.   Made in Germany Derringer .357   Thank you for any help.  Greg Chastain

Answer
OK...First, a little information on your dad's derringer: Great Western was the name of a line of cowboy type handguns imported to the USA from Germany in  the 1960's to maybe the 1980's. I have owned 3 or 4 of the Single Action Army type revolvers they sold as the Hawes Western Marshall. I have one now in .44 Magnum. It is a VERY well made, strong, reliable and accurate revolver. They were made in Germany by an old firm that made beautiful sporting rifles military rifles and handguns - J.P. Sauer, which is now part of SIG/Sauer...they still make first rate pistols and military arms.

Hawes was the importer, long gone, and Great Western was the brand name. Hawes also sold similar guns under different brand names

FWIW,  .357 magnum fired from a derringer - even a good quality gun like yours - is pretty exciting...to the point of being painful. I have a .357 Mag derringer by another maker, very heavy solid stainless steel, and I don't even like to shoot +P .38 Specials in it. I would recommend standard velocity solid lead .38 Specials, and a lot of practice if you intend to carry it or keep it for serious use. Practice with it - unloaded - to make sure you know how it works. Derringers like this can be a bit tricky even for those familiar with other types of handguns - LEARN HOW IT WORKS before you load and shoot it. Keep safe!

OK, the grips: You looked, but in the wrong place.

Here is the Numrich page on Great Western Derringers, and they have grips on black plastic for under $10...and lots of other parts you will probably never need...

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacturers/GreatWestern-33271/Derringer-36420.htm

FWIW, I have never seen one of these for sale...I imagine it would sell retail for about $180 and up depending on  condition-people are finally starting to grasp that these old JP Sauer guns are first rate and prices are starting to rise accordingly.

Since it is inherited, I recommend you keep it and pass it along to the family.

A lot of western movies of the '60's and '70's used Great Western revolvers and I assume the derringer as prop guns, and there is some collector interest in them. VERY few people who own them sell them-they are great handguns and worth keeping for their own sake.

Your dad picked a very good hideout gun, and I hope he never had to use it.

Enjoy it and treasure it...not many around, and fewer still for sale.

mark