Smallest grips available for K frame round butt?

[Estela216]

I have a great 2.5" K frame round butt that was customized and is a serious shooter. However, I want to put a better set of grips on it other than the Hogue monogrip that is on it now. I thought a nice wood set would be nice but they all seem so big and bulky.

My question, "What is the best set of grips for this revolver that are the least bulky and preferably hard wood?"

Thanks guys!

Kev

 

[Old Fuff]

"The" smallest would be the pattern S&W used before World War Two. You may find these to be too small, but if not, order Item number 359110 ($45.55) from Numrich Gunparts Corporation (www.e-gunparts.com) for a vintage look and pre-war quality.

Too expensive? then order item number 359150 ($27.30) that are similar, but plain, uncheckered wood made for the square but frame. However it is not difficult the work then down to fit a round butt.

Larger? Numrich has Magna-style service service stocks of various kinds. These are the kind that came on the round-butt revolvers back in the late 1940's.

 

[sgt127]

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=9924&title=S&W+HIDEOUT+REVOLVER+GRIPS

Take a look at these. They are dirt cheap, indestructible and easy to reshape if you so desire. I have several on Round butt K frames. Clothes don't catch either. Back when Wilson's Gun shop made tricked out carry revolvers, this is what they used. Very cool and utilitarian grips. I stippled the front strap on a pair with a soldering iron. They are made of black nylon. The K round butt, smooth are VERY thin.

 

[NoahFN]

I too am a fan of the hideout grips.

Sgt127, any chance I could see a pic of the stippling job you did on yours? I've considered doing similiar things myself.

 

[Brian Williams]

Spegel boot grips, are thin and fill in behind the trigger guard, ditto with Eagle Secret sercive grip.

 

[Gary A]

Hogue makes Bantam grips for K-frame round butt that are even smaller and lighter than Uncle Mike's. (Edited to add) I put some on a k-frame .38 that came with original really tiny wooden grips that were just, IMO, way too small. You could probably order the really small wooden grips from Smith and Wesson, the kind they put on the McGivern reproduction Model 15s.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

For square butt, I like Magnas and T-grip adapters. For round butts, I like the Spegel boot grips.

I have yet to find a set of Eagle grips that didn't require LOTS of fitting.

 

[Old Fuff]

I don't know that I'm pushing the "McGivern era" stocks unless someone really wants small ones. However I can't see buying the reproduction grips from Smith & Wesson when you can get an original pair from Numrich.

 

[sgt127]

Hope you can see them. I'll get a close up of the stippling if you need a little better shot. Basically, just draw out the pattern you want to stipple with a white china marker or crayon and start touching the soldering iron to it. Touch it for a very short time, maybe a second and vary how long you hold it and how hard you gently press, makes a very nice random stippled pattern.

Ok...after I downloaded the picture, you can't see the stippling very well, though its a very nice picture of a 2" 64...heres another one of the stippling.

 

[Majic]

A set of smooth Magnas and a Tyler-T adapter.

 

[Gary A]

Thanks, Old Fuff. I was trying to pass on some "helpful" information without much knowledge to back it up. Your knowledge and experience helped me (and maybe the poster) out. What do they call those skinny little things? I don't have large hands and they are so small they just get lost in my hands. Gary

 

[Standing Wolf]

If you really want small, just cover the grip frame with a layer of duct tape.

 

[Old Fuff]

Gary A:

They are sometimes called "pre-war service stocks," in this case "pre-war" meaning World War Two. From its inception in 1899 to as late a 1940 round-butt K-frame revolvers were normally supplied with small, hard rubber stocks. But shortly after the turn of the 20th century checkered walnut stocks were made available. The grade of wood was much better then what we see today, and the checkering was finer. Great "old-school" quality.

Today's shooters generally don't like this style of grip. I do ... I have small hands and they also don't cause any problem with speed loaders. The can also be used with a Pachmayr or Tyler-T grip adapter, that add zero bulk where it would make a negative difference. The only reason I brought the subject up was because part of the inquire was " what are the least bulky ... " These stocks are, except for Standing Wolf's duct tape.

Strangely the square-butt K-frame's were always stocked in walnut, not hard rubber.

If you are interested at looking at some older Smith & Wesson's go to:
www.armchairgunshow.com

Click on the thumbnail and the color pictures will be expanded. You will learn a lot in short order, and the viewing is free.

 

[Gary A]

Old Fuff, that's fascinating. Thanks and thanks for the link. When I saw the very small grips I thought I would like them more than I did because I, too, do not have large hands. Turned out, though, they seemed a bit too small for me. I brought them up for the same reason as you; they are the smallest grips I have encountered. The Hogue Bantams for K-frames, however, I liked quite a bit. Still small but they fill in much the same as those Tyler-Ts you mentioned, I guess. Anyway, thanks again. My evolution as a shooter has taken me in various directions but finally back to where I started, with revolvers. I always appreciate you sharing what you know.

Gary

 

[Old Fuff]

One time I encountered one of the older 1905 Hand Ejectors (K-frame/.38 Special) with a square butt. Someone had laid the stocks on thin piece of wood about 1/16" thick and traced around them. He then cut out the pieces of wood, drilled a hole for the screw, and shimmed the stocks to make them about 1/8" thicker overall. It made a big difference in the way the butt felt, and was so neatly done that one wouldn't notice until they picked up the revolver and felt the difference.

It should be remembered that when many of the guns we have today were first designed, often during the later 1890's, men generally had smaller hands then is the case now.

Over in Tombstone they have a suit on display that belonged to some important person during the 1880's, when he was a full grown adult. Today it would be about right for a 14 year-old boy ...

 

[DHart]

Spegel boots are among the smallest...

But I find the Ahrends finger groove round butt grips just a tad longer where the little finger goes... making the gun much more stable and controllable in my hand.

 

[71Commander]

How about stock OEM grips?

Sorry. Don't have a pic by itself.