Nope.
Same as J frame grips from 1953 forward for more than 30 years. The long grip I frame and J frame grips are the same.
Of course, yours should have diamonds.

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Way back at the origin of this thread, the picture of the sharp, fresh checkering on those mint grips really brings out the difference between the more coarse post-War checkering pattern and the finer pre-War style. I noticed it on my pre-War Terrier beside my post-War 32 HE Snub, but both of them are pretty worn, so the difference doesn't stand out the same. As always, thanks for sharing!

Your Phriend the 'phibian

Sixgun,

You have obtained a beautiful example of a Model of 1953 Four Screw. I would just fit the stocks to the gun and be happy. They are correct albeit not the original due to the lack of serial # matching your gun.

You have also stumbled into a confusing era of evolution of this model.

If you go to post #7 on the 1st page of this thread, refer to category #3 in the outline and then to #3 "Model of 1953 I Frames; the ‘pre-models’ 4 screw and 3 screw models:" in the detailed text of the 2nd paragraph, the nuances of the grip frame size and other details of your gun are explained.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Hey Lee, a question... is that step in the rear gripstrap blued or in the white?

Drew

Drew,

Not to speak for HE, but yes the step is always blue from the factory. They have been observed occasionally added after market. They will be in the white or cold blued.

But the dead giveaway that one is original is the sharp cornered 'toe' at the front of the butt. If the step has been cut in a round butt after the factory, the front toe will be rounded leaving a gap between stocks and grip frame.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Thank you very much for the information. I am delighted with the gun.

I must say the stocks still do confuse me, given the overall state of the gun I can't imagine why it would have a set of replacement, but correct, stocks. That is the fun of buying these old guns however, if the stocks had been numbered to the gun I wouldn't have thought much of the poor fit and never come here and learned so much about the transition from I to J frame.

Thanks Jim.... always wondered. I've got guns that have both blued and white steps. Of course I've not lettered them.

Drew

This thread marks the first time I've noticed a coil spring stepped frame. I thought that by the time the coil spring action was developed there were both square and round butt grip frames so all that covering up of the frame to make it look square was no longer necessary. It does seem like a lot of unnecessary machining and fitting. Wonder why they stuck with that way of doing things so long?

Froggie

It is blued.

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Hi Froggie,

I suppose they didn't want to make new forging dies just for the grip frame and waited until they made new dies for the model of 1953 to make new dies with both grip frame and trigger guard changes.

They made several thousand Improved I frame 32s with the rebated grip from the beginning #554536, lowest # known, to #610935 highest known, before the retooling for the Mod 1953.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819