INDY45

Getting ready to buy new pistol,A New model Vaquero in .357 cal.Question what factory wood grips will fit this model?It's got the black ones on it and want to replace them with wood.

laidlerj

Good point - I just ordered a set of wood grips for my New Vaquero from Ruger and the website had different grips for those with and without the (useless) lock.

Does this mean that grips from other makers might not fit those guns?

Jim

INDY45

Not sure did your's come with the black plastic one's,I just think wood looks better.

gunjunkie

I got my factory Ruger wood grips, that were new take offs, off ebay from someone that had changed to aftermarket ones. They sure do look and feel better than the plastic ones.

caryc

When Ruger came out with the New Vaquero in 2005 they brought back the XR3 grip frame but they made a couple changes to it. In trying to simulate the smaller Colt style frame the made this new steel XR3 grip frame only 7/16" in width.

The locks that they put in the grip frames were wider than the frames at .480" in width. The plastic grips were no problem since they were concave on the backs anyway. But since the locks are wider than the grip frames, any wood or flat backed grips need recesses in the backs to accommodate the locks.

I think I was the first custom grip maker to make grips for the New Vaquero.

I think about 4 or 5 years after the New Vaquero came out, Ruger decided to put the locks in the Regular Blackhawk XR3-RED alloy grip frames. These frames were left at .500" in width and since they are wider than the locks, there is no issue with any grips fitting them.

I can't speak for any other grip makers but since the New XR3 grip frame has been around for about 8 years now, I'm sure they all know that flat backed grips for this frame require recesses in the backs for grips.