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bill m · 06-15-2001, 10:11 AM

Hi Jay,

As far as all the data that I've seen or collected, I do think that up until the T block, and most likely, the U block, all the byf's originally had wood grips. The black plastic could very well be on ealier guns as replacements. You can talk to 10 different collectors and get 10 different opinions on this. Some say that the black plastic grips are correct on the 41/42 code guns, and you do see a lot of these with the black plastic grips, but I feel from serial numbers that they were not originally issued until the U block, or possibly the T block of the byf 41's. I think they were not even issued until June of 1941, but will have to look that up.

The blank bottom magazines with your gun are replacements in this case. Your gun, in the S block, originally had two matching serial numbered fxo magazines. This was the case into the U block, and then you could have either black plastic or blank fxo aluminium.

Your gun sounds like a very nice gun to me. Two proper replacement magazines and possibly replacement grips. These black plastic grips were added to lots of guns to make a "black widow", as some think the value is more on them. Hope this helps some, and this is just my opinion, so take it for what you think it is worth.

06-15-2001, 10:11 AM	#2
bill m User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 385 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: More Black Widow Questions (long) Hi Jay, As far as all the data that I've seen or collected, I do think that up until the T block, and most likely, the U block, all the byf's originally had wood grips. The black plastic could very well be on ealier guns as replacements. You can talk to 10 different collectors and get 10 different opinions on this. Some say that the black plastic grips are correct on the 41/42 code guns, and you do see a lot of these with the black plastic grips, but I feel from serial numbers that they were not originally issued until the U block, or possibly the T block of the byf 41's. I think they were not even issued until June of 1941, but will have to look that up. The blank bottom magazines with your gun are replacements in this case. Your gun, in the S block, originally had two matching serial numbered fxo magazines. This was the case into the U block, and then you could have either black plastic or blank fxo aluminium. Your gun sounds like a very nice gun to me. Two proper replacement magazines and possibly replacement grips. These black plastic grips were added to lots of guns to make a "black widow", as some think the value is more on them. Hope this helps some, and this is just my opinion, so take it for what you think it is worth.