H & R USRA Pistol and modified butt of grip

[orpington]

I had originally posted this in the repairs section thinking I’d just plug the holes in the butt of the grip, or maybe not, and now that I have the pistol in hand, I won’t.

Presumably this late 1930s pistol was used in competition shooting. But why the two holes in the grip and, even more puzzling, why was a paper thin section cut off the base of the butt with a bandsaw?

 

[WestKentucky]

My guess is that they either had a tail piece on there or they flattened the bottom to help stabilize the gun off of a rest. Those guns are old enough now that there really isn’t much to do other than guess. Hate to say it so bluntly but there’s a very good chance that the guns first owner is in the ground, second and third owner may be as well. Hard to ask those that have passed, and one would assume that if the guns lineage was known then the question would be posed to those upstream of the current owner.

As a side note, I think those guns are really really cool and hope to someday find a nice one. Single shot pistols seem an oddity today, but there was a time when they were appreciated for their accuracy and simplicity.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I always thought it was funny that USRA stands for United States REVOLVER Association, when clearly.......it isn't.

 

[Jim Watson]

Henry Stebbins described a USRA match calling for a draw and one shot on target. His was a S&W Single Shot cut to 7 inches.

 

[orpington]

I always thought it was funny that USRA stands for United States REVOLVER Association, when clearly.......it isn't.

Yes, good point. A Single Shot Pistol indeed!

I assume this pistol was endorsed by the United States Revolver Association? Or they received compensation for the use of their name?

An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | What Was The United States Revolver Association?

A look back at the U.S. Revolver Association, a major player during the early history of pistol competition in the United States

www.ssusa.org

 

[orpington]

My guess is that they either had a tail piece on there or they flattened the bottom to help stabilize the gun off of a rest.

That was my guess, but is that allowed for competitive shooting? If not used competitively, I wonder why an owner would want to do this if he just plinked with it from time to time?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Henry Stebbins described a USRA match calling for a draw and one shot on target. His was a S&W Single Shot cut to 7 inches.

For that and slow-fire matches, revolver shooters would mark whichever charge hole they considered to be the most accurate and only load and fire from that chamber. The single-shot pistols saved a lot of hassle by eliminating the need for that ritual.

 

[Jim Watson]

I had read as much.
They would also mark the worst chamber and use the better 5 for timed and rapid fire.