How do I make Bison horn grips?

[happy7]

I have a pair of Ruger Bisley Vaqueros. I wanted to make a some grips from buffalo horn, so I bought some bison horn on ebay. But the horns I got are hollow and pretty thin. There isn't enought thickness to carve a grip from. So how to you make buffalo horn grips. Do I just have the wrong horn, or do you have to laminate it or something?

[KCSO]

Don't...
Horn grips and inlays were made of water buffalo horn which is thicker and less grainy. Bison horn doesn't even make good powder horns. They look nice when finished but unless you keep them well oiled and protected from the sun they start drying and splitting in no time. I have yet to see an original buffalo powder horn that wasn't either rawhide wrapped or split and useless. Even the water buffalo horn inlays on old shotguns and rifles are shrunk up or just dropped out. If you want the look without the problems go to a good grade of ebony and you will be happier.

Now if you insist, what you do to make the grips is to use a wood backing and cover it with horn. If you really juggle the fitting you cover most of the backing with the horn. Then oil them once a month and keep them out of the sun.

[happy7]

KCSO,

Thank you very much for the information. Exactly what I wanted to know. By ebony, I assume you mean ebony wood. I will give that a try and see if I can come up with some of that.

[bearcove]

The NRA gunsmithing guide has an article on it. The older edition, think 1976?

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

My last bison, got him with my 50-110 M86; has horns over 1/4" thick at the base. I got my first one with a Santa Fe Hawken about 1981. The powder horn I made that year has not been oiled or anything except wiped off from time to time and still looks shiny new black.

Rich

[hickstick_10]

Those paint stripping heat guns are your friend here.

Slice the ti[ off the horn and saw it right down the middle, apply a slow and gradual heat with a heat gun, clamp between 2 boards in a vice.

That horn will move like hot plastic when it gets hot enough, but heat slowly and throroughly, or else youl scorch the outside surface of the horn.

[Lloyd Smale]

Like was said you are going to have to find one big bison to get grip material. Its better used for knife scales or possibly 1911 grips.