I am looking at purchasing a pair of k frame presentation grips and they are in mint condition except they have a stainless steel metal plate mounted on the bottom of the grip that is attached to both panels. The metal is a perfect fit and looks factory.

Did the factory every do this?

Also if not factory how much would it hurt value? I have no way to post a picture but honestly I think it looks really slick and is going on a smith 67.

What say you?

There is a precedent for S&W to add a plate to the bottom of the grips. But not for a K frame.

It was for an order of I frame 38 S&W Regulation Police models with spl ordered 2" barrel (non-cataloged) to meet a Post Ofc requirement for overall weight and grip length.

But who's to say they didn't do it for someone else on special order. Presentation grips are not likely to have a serial #, but a few did. That would be the only way to confirm for sure.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Welcome to the Forum.

Back in the 1970s and '80s, it was common, in the Deep South, to see police officers carrying revolvers with a metal plate on the bottom of the grips. Most that I saw were brass and about 1/4" thick. Many were engraved; the S&W emblem was popular, as were badges, initials and the officer's name. I knew one very slight built small town police chief who carried a 4" M29 and his butt plate was engraved "Barney".

The plates were after market. Some officers liked the way the plates shifted the weight back into the hand. Others felt that the plate protected the grips from being beat up getting into and out of patrol cars. It has been surmised that some officers used the butt plate in lieu of a night stick or a baton.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

So did the LEOs at those plates as noggin' thumpers?

Anything is possible.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I was lucky enough to attend the S&W Academy Police Firearms Instructors Course in 1975. We had a Chicago Bank Guard in the class who had a stainless butt plate on his M-19, he had his Air Force Security Police Badge on the plate. I don't know if he ever used it as an applied motivator or not. I thought it was sort of kool but certainly not authorized in my dept.

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Keep Shootin' and check 6

Thanks guys. I went ahead and bought them. Should look real good on my new 67.

I'll post a pic when they come in.

Mr. johnson, were the grips expensive?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Back in the 70's, I remember seeing several 6" nickel M10's with grips as you describe. At the time, they were claimed to be L.E. trade-ins from some State Police agency. For some reason, Rhode Island seems to spring to mind, but that was a very long time ago and I'm just not sure.

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Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

Yup! Bling was objective #1, cracken' skells skulls was #2.

Around Indy in the 70's & 80's, LEO hat badges soldered onto polished brass or SS plates
was not unusual.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/786457210

This was the item.

I bought a set of presentation K frame stocks that had a brass plate on them. I had my son's initials and birth date engraved on them along with "15". This was my gift to him for his 15th birthday attached to a 14-3 SAO revolver. I wanted to commemorate it but don't have the stones to modify the gun!

It's a nice way to personalize a revolver. Look forward to pictures of your grips mounted.