Round butt vs Square butt - S&W

[.cheese.]

I see for grips, especially the S&W factory wooden grips, you have to specify round butt vs square butt.

When I ordered S&W rosewood grips for my father's revolver (the project I'm working on), I ordered square butt grips because I looked at the butt on the frame and it was square.

Now that I think about it though, I've never seen a S&W gun with the frame's butt rounded?

What models are the rounded butt grips for, or are all the frames the same for J, K, L, N, X - and the grips make the gun have either a square or round butt?

 

[Oro]

If you go here, and go about 1/2 way down, you'll see a quick picture comparing the grip frame of square vs. round. Scroll slightly farther down and there is a large photo of different frame sizes and grip types.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/530103904/m/875107028/p/1

Basically, for most of the 20th century, MOST S&W revolvers came with round grips. The only consistent exception was snubbies - 2, 2.5 and 3" barrelled guns. They usually (not always) came with round butts. Starting about 1996, ALL S&W guns ship with square butts, and you just add the grip shape you want - so all new ones are round butts. Your last statement is true, but only for guns 1997 or so and up. Here is a picture of a K-frame, 2.5" barrel, with a factory "round" butt, circa 1977 or so.

 

[.cheese.]

interesting. I've never come across a frame like that before. Too bad, I actually like the design. Looks comfortable.

Thanks.

 

[StrawHat]

All it takes is a couple of good files and a little bit of patience.

I rounded several N frames and one K frame.

On one of the N frames I only rounded the back portion of the strap, where it meets the palm of your hand, on all the others, I did the whole job.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Pic credit

Starting c. 1995, K and L frame revolvers standardized the round butt grip frame (presumably for economy of production), but many were shipped with a square butt grip. Take the grips off, if necessary, to be sure which frame you have.