Dear Friends and Customers Present and Future,
Classic Single Action will be shut down until November 2017. I had surgery to my right shoulder in October. Things got a little more complicated in January when I experienced difficulty with the tendons in my right hand. Two surgeons have assured me I will be OK. It will just take time, 9-12 months. Update 8-30-17, My hand is getting a lot better. I will be starting back up slowly in November. New customers may call in November to be put on the waiting list. I have 47 invoices I have to finish first that have been waiting since October.
Classic Single Action is owned and operated by Joe Perkins in Tucson, Arizona. Classic Single Action offers new firearms, custom grips and gunsmith work for single action firearms of all makes and models. Grips are made specifically for single action revolvers and GI frame 1911 semi autos. They are made for people who appreciate perfection and expect the highest quality. Classic Single Action has been making grips for Collectors, Lawmen, US Military Special Forces, Movies, Cowboys, Cowboy Action Shooters, Mounted Shooters and Fast Draw competitors since 1987. No plastics, resin molded grips or micarta here.
If you are looking for quality gunsmith work, you have come to the right place. Classic Single Action works on Colts, US Firearms, Colt Reproductions and Ruger single action revolvers. Everything from action work to TIG welding broken triggers and hammer notches on your 1st Gen Colt. Classic Single Action also offers refinishing services. From purchasing that new single action to providing your gunsmith needs, to creating exquisite grips, you have found the place that will do it right. Business hours are from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, MST.
Over forty hardwoods, exotic burls, Elk horn, and pre-ban elephant ivory are available for grips. The hardwoods & burls are carefully selected for their stability, color and unique figure. After the woods have been milled and dimensioned, they have cured for a minimum of one year. This insures the grips won't crack, shrink or warp. July 6th 2016 there was an interstate ivory ban put in place. Premium pre-ban elephant ivory is available to Arizona residents only. An "Affidavit of Origin" certificate is presented with each set of grips. Ivory Photos.
Grips can be had in any profile and finish. If you want a thicker grip, a thinner one, a bevel on the bottom, a display finish or the factory profile, you have come to the right place. Just ask and it is yours. See the "Grip Profile" page for common options.
The "Competition" grip is the most popular profile made by Classic Single Action. It was originally designed for Cowboy Action Shooting, but quickly became the grip of choice for most shooting styles. Joe was first to introduce a thinner grip back in 1988 and it is now the most copied profile by two major manufacturers and numerous other grip makers (case in point), however it's not just about making them thinner, it's about the contour and the finish. This grip is specially shaped to fit your hand better than any other grip on the market. The grip has a unique finish that makes it stay put in your hand. It will resist rolling/slipping under recoil. Forget checkering. The finish "breathes" so it will not become slippery in your hand with moisture. It actually stays in place better. Over six months of testing went into creating this finish. They haven't copied this...yet. Check out the "Customer Comments" page.
There are a lot of grip makers out there claiming to be "custom" grip makers. Many of them make grips from a pattern on a machine and ship the grips to you. This isn't "custom". One size does not fit all. If you ship them your guns and ask them to "custom fit" the grips, the grips are still made from a pattern and not to the exact dimensions of your grip-frame. When you buy pre-made grips through the mail, they won't fit perfectly, period.
Grips made by Classic Single Action look and feel as if they grew on your grip-frame. Every pair is carefully made to the exact outline of your grip-frame. Think of a suit made by a tailor. Two people that are a 44 long do not have the exact same shoulder width or arm length. A tailor measures every dimension and makes the suit fit like it grew on you. Every grip-frame is different, even consecutive serial numbered guns.
Classic Single Action also makes a "Collector Grade" grip for the most discerning customers. These grips start at $350.00 per gun. Classically shaped they are impeccably crafted to be works of art and perfection. Finishing them off with seven coats of a hand applied lacquer blend that is wet sanded between coats, creates a finish that will leave you speechless. The Bentley or Rolls Royce of grips if you will.
Classic Single Action doesn't ship grips to customers. You have to send in your entire firearm if you want grips made.
Some "grip makers" charge $50.00 to $75.00 to re-blue your grip-frame because they grind the grips and the grip-frame down together. I don't want someone grinding the grip-frame down on my new Colt, how about you?
Grips are not mass produced off a master pattern or ground to your grip-frame. A pattern is created from your gun and then the grips are made from this unique serial numbered pattern. The grips are then hand fit to the exact contour of your grip-frame. There is no finer or more precise way to make grips. There are no CNC or Duplicater machines in his shop. Like the finest hand tailored suit, grips are made by hand with precision, patience and a complete understanding of quality. Your grips will fit the grip-frame perfectly and both sides will match in tone and appearance. In most cases they will be "book matched". Joe's crafting of custom grips and action work is some of the finest work you can put your hands on. If you want the best that money can buy, this is it.
For the Cowboy Action Shooter the list of National, State Champions and top five shooters that come to Joe for gunsmithing and grips is quite extensive. Here are a few you might know; Tex, Cat Ballou, JT Wild, Slick McClade, Lead Dispenser, Long Hunter, Pious Player, Sassy Dancer, Ole Saddle Bags, Sweetwater, Wagon Wheels, Granny Oakley, Rattlesnake Rick or Dapper Dave.
Those of you looking for quality gunsmith work for your Ruger, Colt, US Firearms or Reproduction Peacemaker, take a look at the Gunsmithing page to see a short list of what is offered. Action work can be tailored for Cowboy Action Shooting, Fast Draw or Target Shooting.
Classic Single Action is a great place to get your new guns, grips and action work all at the same time. This will save you time and money without a doubt.
Classic Single Action makes the finest reproduction of the "Hand of God" grip
as seen in the movie 3:10 to Yuma. Details.
Figured Walnut, late 1st Generation Profile on USFA Single Action
Rare Figured Maple Burl on fully engraved Colt.