M&P Grip Advice Needed Please

[hittman77]

Here's an old shooter I picked up recently.

Those grips (that folks seem to either love or hate) feel good and fit very well. Should I be worried about them breaking if I continue to shoot this gun? What would you guess I'd have to pay for factory original wood stocks? I'm sure a "WTB" here would find me a set but I don't know if they're worth $25 or $250. Anybody have a pic of the factory wood? This gun was shipped in '33.



Appreciate your help. Thanks.

[Alk8944]

Yes, you should be concerned about breaking MOP stocks. They are brittle at best.

You can either use wood stocks from a later round butt K-frame of any model, or a pair of replica hard rubber (actually urethane) from Vintage. It is item S-13 on this page: S & W New Model #3 .<br> 44 D.A. Frontier Break Top Revolver Be sure to order a stock screw set to go along with the stocks. The stocks and screw set will be roughly $35 + shipping. An original set of wood stocks for that gun should be somewhere in the $50-100 range depending on condition. As late as your gun is the correct stocks could be either the convex top style without medallions, or the later style with silver medallions. The early 30s is when the change between the stock styles occurred.

[DWalt]

Were it mine (and this is what I do), I'd take those grips off and put on something else for shooting purposes. I have no idea of the value of yours, but whatever it is, I would preserve them by keeping them safe.

I like Pachmayr presentation grips myself, but I don't know if they are available in the round butt configuration. Look on eBay - lots of grips of all kinds, new and used, are listed there.

[glowe]

I have several S&Ws with pearl stocks and have never had any problems with them. I think most damage occurs when stocks are improperly removed or the gun is dropped or banged against a hard surface. I do not think those are factory grips, since they do not have the S&W logo. If you want to get original stocks for your Smith, you should first get a factory letter to find out in what configuration the gun was shipped.

You can find K frame round butt stocks from ebay, Gunbroker, etc. at a reasonable price. I think both wood and hard rubber were available in this era and if you are willing to rechecker and refinish some K frame wood stocks, the cost is still quite reasonable. Hard rubber should also be available at a good price. You can find well made reproduction stocks for under $40 from places like Vintage Gun Grips. S & W .38 Special Revolver

[DWalt]

I checked eBay, lots of round butt K frame grips listed, about anything you would ever want. Typical Pachmayr - SMITH & WESSON K FRMAE ROUND BUTT PACHMAYR GRIPS | eBay

Much more comfortable to hold than those of the original size, especially if you have larger hands.