Some may recall the Combat Masterpiece made in 1947 I saved from becoming a parts gun.

What I'm trying to locate now is a set of Magna grips for it that fit properly to the frame. I have purchased 3 sets that do not follow the frame contour properly and have tried several sets that belong to friends with K frames but none of these guns are from the late 40's or 50's.

I'm aware the frame contours varied back then so I'm looking for advice on how to discern what I'm looking for and where to obtain a set.

This pistol is a simple shooter backpack gun etc so I would not be looking for a pristine set.

Thanks

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

My primary 22 shooter is a 1947 shipped Masterpiece and I could not find a set of stocks that fit. I had to take a set of high shoulder magnas and sand all the tight spots until they did.

Hello Mr. Anderson, I know what you are running into. I have had a few from that era and the contours do vary slightly. It might be frustrating, but keep looking. Keep those old beauties shooting. Best.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Appreciate the response that there is a way around the problem.
I'm not sure I know what High Shoulder Magna's are if their the current production style then I think I know what you mean.

My problem is in the width of the grips for the back strap and the front strap. For ref I purchased a set from Altimont grips and the overall dimensions for width is to small.

I can relocate the cross pin hole in the bottom of the grip if need be.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Oh I'll keep looking I just can't keep ordering sets hoping they are the correct fit. I really like this gun it's too bad it had a rough life. I shoot maybe 100 rds a month out of it and have been carrying it a lot as a CCW gun in a old Safariland shoulder holster with some vintage SuperVel 125 gr JHP.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

See PM from me

In 1947 stocks were still individually hand fit to each gun because of slight variations in dimensions. That's why the serial number was stamped on the inside of the right grip, so they could be reunited with the proper frame further on down the production line.
Nowadays with computer aided manufacturing most frames are almost exactly the same, hence no need for individual fitting.
Finding a set of exact fitting non-original grips for a gun of that era is difficult.

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John

sent a PM to you

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

[QUOTE=JayCeeNC;139123117]In 1947 stocks were still individually hand fit to each gun because of slight variations in dimensions. That's why the serial number was stamped on the inside of the right grip, so they could be reunited with the proper frame further on down the production line.
Nowadays with computer aided manufacturing most frames are almost exactly the same, hence no need for individual fitting.
Finding a set of exact fitting non-original grips for a gun of that era is difficult.[/QUOT

Alright this is making more sense now. I'll need to obtain a set that is slightly oversize, hand fit and refinish.
Thank you Sir.... lot of knowledgeable people here

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

"This pistol is a simple shooter backpack gun etc so I would not be looking for a pristine set."

If so, I guess were it me, I would not worry a great deal about finding a pair having a precise fit, so long as it was not too far off.

Yes Yes I agree. The sets I have tried are very ill fitting. I now have a set combat grips with an acceptable fit, worn finish couple of small nicks etc. They actually look good on the gun matching the overall condition of the gun. But I would like to have a set of the magna's. I have this 30 year old daughter that
really likes shooting this pistol and the Magna's would be a better fit for her hand.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Think I would put a set of Hogue Monogrips on a backpacking gun and call it good..........

Randy

I had a K22 that even the original set of magnas wouldn't fit correctly. They were cockeyed on the gun so that the toe of the grips was short and the heel extended beyond the frame. The stocks had to be "forced" onto the pin and the wood edges at the top-forward corners were both cracked. After staring at it long enough, it finally dawned on me: the revolver had been dropped on its heel, bending the grip frame slightly towards the muzzle. It was obviously dropped on a well padded, probably carpeted, surface because the finish wasn't marred in the slightest. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if someone reading this knows exactly what carpet I'm talking about.

(At this point you may want to place the ends of both forefingers in the appropriate ear canals, because a chorus of groaning is getting ready to ensue that might be painful to listen to. Some of those groans may even condense into interesting and/or amusing print responses.)

So I got out my rubber hammer and........

I am in no say suggesting this is the answer to your fit problem, but it sounds as if you are encountering more problem than is usual in finding a set of sharp-shoulder post-war magnas that offer at least a somewhat reasonable fit to your revolver. Your standard for proper fit may differ substantially from mine, but in the days when I bought K22's solely on the principle of "good buy/steal of a deal" I bought, sold, and fitted various post-war diamond magnas to guns which weren't the one with which they left the factory. I don't remember all that much trouble finding a suitable set.

Back to my bent frame gun, I was very much surprised by both the ease with which the frame may be adjusted (too easy if you are heavy handed in the least) and my very much successful effort (which involved removing the hammer spring and the cylinder, carefully securing the frame in a padded vice and repeatedly test fitting the grips after very careful "taps" to carefully calculated targeted locations on the grip frame) to restore the frame back close enough to its original contours to make for a factory-close fit. Perhaps I was insanely lucky (not par for my course) but I wouldn't be afraid to try it again. (I have no problem visualizing the two raw "in the white" broken ends of the frame that could result from slight miscalculations...it makes me careful. I have also found myself more careful in handling collectible arms, less they are dropped.)

Again, I'm not encouraging the practice, which many of the faithful here will likely condemn out of hand. (At least I didn't remove the SN in the process, which brings out the hounds of heck here.) Hopefully, and almost certainly, yours is a different issue.

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Cy

I've had the same problem with a pair of diamond N frame magna grips. They cost me dearly and don't fit any N frame that I own. Also, they don't appear to have ever been altered. Perfect fit at the bottom but very narrow at the top.

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Dr. B

I was reading this thread thinking "I wonder if his grip frame is bent?"
IIRC someone posted a K frame a few years back that appeared was intentionally bent in the grip frame to change the grip angle.

IMO you should post some pics with one panel on to show the grip angle compared to the stock shape.

PS Post the serial as well if you dont mind to establish what year your "Combat Masterpiece" is, 1947 sounds a tad early for a factory 4" gun.

Regarding the grip frame being intentionally bent, I have often wondered about this K frame 38 from the 1920's. Fitting a nice set of period Smith grips was a pain. Is this grip frame normal? Maybe quality control at the factory didn't see this one back in 1924. Has anyone ever seen a grip frame like this?

Attached Images

HE 38 1924.jpg (101.7 KB, 87 views)

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Dr. B

I like the way "hardscrabble" described what he did to his pistol. In my early LE armorer career 2-3 times I have bent barrels left right up down to get them to shoot POA-POI by laying them in a fixture and gently giving it a smack with a lead hammer. I'm not adverse to trying this procedure but I would have to study the fitment of several pairs of grips prior to moving the grip angle, you just don't want to change this angle just to see what happens.

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

You could have a grip maker like Grashorn or Kurac make you a set. Cost would be about the same as a decent set of 1940's stocks. Just trace your grip frame and send it to them.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

The serial number is K86751 there is a space between the K and the numbers. The pistol I believe was originally blue and has been re-nickeled and sports a 4 inch bbl.

On my very first post when I joined the forum there are a couple of pictures.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Yup I have a few sets of those Hogue's and they actually fit very nice and secure.

Member jmace57 was kind enough to offer to send me 4 sets of the magna's on Monday with the option to buy a set at a very reasonable price should one of his sets fit

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Wow. What a generous offer.

Yes.. a very kind and trusting offer. We actually spoke on the phone for 15-20 min.

As I mentioned before the members here are very nice and helpful to us with less knowledge about the older pistols.

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Thread drift!

It is possibly lighting or angling of the gun, but the grip frame looks bent forward. Do you have a .38 M & P of similar (or nearby decade) vintage to compare?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

They look terrific Mark!

2 pics above for the final draft.

Some may recall an earlier post on this 1947 Combat Masterpiece that was renickled and saved. It was in a sorry condition when acquired. It was not even able to fire. It looked like a cup of coffee with 2 creams and 2 sugars had been spilled on it and allowed to dry. Rear sight damaged apparently having been dropped on it The hammer and trigger were nickeled and the cylinder release inoperative. Intial thought was to just take it apart and savaged a few of the internal parts.

Well one afternoon I decided to try and save it. Went through the lockwork, replaced the rear sight, hammer ,trigger, hand. and the bolt and installed a Wolff spring kit set up to fire CCI sm pistol primers.

A special Thanks to member Jim Mace for supplying a set of maga grips to finalize the package.

13 lb wolff trigger return spring
Headspace set at go plus .002 (.062)
cylinder to bbl gap set to .005
All cylinders lock up in time with a slow D/A roll of the cylinder
All 6 cylinders accept standard range rod at .3445
Smooth combat trigger
Narrow to me .265 hammer

The pistol turned out very nice, shoots straight and is a very nice backpack gun, range gun, etc.

Thanks
Anderson3754

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

I guess it could be lighting, and it may be bent ever so slight. One can only assume it may have been dropped several times based on the damage to the original rear sight.

I did have trouble finding a set of grips, Jim Mace sent me 3 sets and the set now on the gun really fit nice.

I know how to put it in a fixture and rebend the grip angle with a lead babbit but sometimes this can produce disastrous results. I just don't think the risk is worth it on this gun.

I have approx. $ 250 dollars in this gun it shoots very nice I enjoy shooting it along with my daughter, and my daughter-inlaw. yesterday the 3 of us crossed over 400 rounds without a hiccup.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Jim HI... A pleasure getting to know you.

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

Sounds to me like a rousing success. The proof is in the shooting, and cosmetics are a bonus. Well done, and BTW, it sounds like great family fun for you and the ladies! Congrats all around.

Froggie

Thanks ,it was fun to save it. I guess I'll start looking for another one to save. I don't have any N-frames so I think I want to try and find a 44 spl ,4 in or 5 in bbl.

Regards

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LE Armorer S@W GLOCK H@K

There was a post above that caught my eye. The one about stocks for 1947 era K frames being made to the frame. This K-22 was my dads and while I am not sure he bought it new I think he did. I have the box and the stocks are numbered to the frame. Also there has always been a set of mother of pearl grips and they fit fine as well. They also fit a K-38 from 1951 and a Model 10-8 from 1981. Is it just luck they fit all of those models? Especially the '47 K-22 which had stocks made just for it.