OK, so I'm a long time luster of the original no dash M610 10MM revolver, probably my Holy Grail revolver. But I've never seen one with the grips off.

I know from the factory they came with those beautiful birds head grips (or round butt, for the semantically sensitive), but since I've never seen the frame of one 'naked', I don't know what it took to get them to fit the weapon.

I suppose that's a long way of asking the following questions:
#1. How hard is it to customize an N Frame revolver to accept such grips
#2. How hard is it to find a set of the same style grips to possibly fit to another N Frame.

I'm concuring up in my mind a project that might involve such a modification, but don't have enough info. I'm sure any 10MM buff knows the gun I'm talking about, but I attached a thumbnail of it below JIC.

Thanks, all!

Attached Images

sw610.JPG (71.4 KB, 128 views)

These are round butt Combat stocks. The "bird's head" grip frame was seen in some antique S & W guns; they have a relatively sharp forward lower point. Hope this is helpful.

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Repeat what Alan said, these are NOT bird's head frames, they are round butt.

__________________
Dick

Fair enough, my semantics were off. But my questions remain.

How hard is it gunsmith a conventional N Frame down to accept such grips and does S&W still manufacture the grips that came with the M610?

Thanks

(PS I'll change my subject line to clarify the question)

Not too sure why you want to see a 610 with the grips off. Grips are not fitted to guns. They are simply installed. Just like you go to the store and buy a tire of the correct size and install it on your car's wheel.

There are only two types of N-frame grips. Those designed to fit square butt revolvers and those designed to fit round butt revolvers.

S&W no longer manufactures grips. They are contracted out to various companies. The grips that are on the revolver photo that you posted have not been made in over a decade.

Converting a square butt frame to a round butt is no big deal. Any competent gunsmith can do it for you.

Round But combat stocks come up for sale all the time. Look in the classifieds. Or you could post a WTB add.

Between converting the grip frame of a square butt revolver and purchasing a nice set of early round butt combats you will spend an easy $300 if you get lucky. Probably more like $400 or more.

Are you aware that Combat stocks were also manufactured to fit the square butt revolvers?

Uhhh...yeah. Pretty sure I know why and how both handgun grips and automobile tires are fitted, but thanks anyway for the overly simplistic and totally unecessary analogy.

I am quite aware that those grips were not made for a square grip frame, so yes I know it would take custom fitting. I wanted to see one to get an idea of how different the round butt frame was from the conventional square frame. I am very familiar with the standard N Frame grip, so I was just curious to see how different it was.

The project I'm mulling would take some custom work, and be a year or so in the making, so I wouldn't mind if it took a while or a bit of $$$$ to make it happen. I figured it might run around $350 to get it done, but in the long run it's cheaper than trying to find and buy a near new Lew Horton custom carry piece.

TexasRaider,
No body wants to offend you with over simplistic answers. It's just that we don't know how basic the information we give should be to start with.

At the risk of telling you what you already know I'll add a couple things that weren't previously mentioned. S&W dropped all square butts from production in the mid 1990s. With the exception of some revolvers in their fairly new "Classics" series round butts are standard. It might be more cost effective to trade your square butt revolver for a round butted one. The stocks you like have become one of the most expensive modern stocks mostly because they look great in photos. Later ones from the early 1990s like those in your picture have flat sides while early ones from the 1980s are more rounded in cross section. Original S&W round butt Combats sell fairly quickly in the classified ads here at $135.

I don't have a camera so I can't post a picture for you butt you can find a picture of a bare round butt frame on one of the stock vendor's web sites. Hogue doesn't make the stock style you like but they do have the picture you want.
www.hoguestore.com

No harm, no foul, no offense taken really. It just seemed to me that outside of your average 6 year old, most folks on this board know how tires and grips are fitted. That response just seemed a bit condescending to me. Maybe I'm wrong, been wrong before. I apologize if I was, but the attitude behind it smelled a bit arrogant.

Anyway, I do appreciate your information greatly. My experience with S&W revolvers is fairly extensive, but I must admit it is limited to circa 1990 and earlier models. I can't say I know much about the newer stuff, and haven't spent much time reading up on S&W weapons since the introduction of the Hillary Hole.(Please, please, all viewing this refrain from flaming me for the use of that term - I know of the current thread war on that issue and declare myself a non-hostile on that front!)

So, your info is very helpful. However, the firearm I'm looking to mod is already in the mix, so it is a question of wanting to adapt the early '90's round butt combat stocks to fit that older N Frame weapon.

Since I haven't looked that close at the newer Smiths it surprises me that discontinued the old square butt format.
Times, they are a-changin'...

BTW, if I seemed to get up on my hind legs I will apologize. I reread k22fan's post and if the underlying conception was that I was a newbie that never picked up a firearm and had no information whatsoever, then perhaps the posts were reasonable. It's not worth bickering about and I doubt sincerely that the Internet is running low on tacky or ugly thread skirmishes, so I formally withdraw my keyboard fangs and resume my thread from above with one further question:

Has anyone here actually had a square butt modified to accept the round butt grips? I'm assuming this is what Lew Horton did with his run of 657's from the late '80's as I don't think Smith was making many round butt, large frame revolvers then.

But again...I could be wrong!

Lew Horton is a mainly large S&W distributor, not a customizing or modification firm.

Any of S&Ws distributors can order a special run of firearms if they cough up the cash in advance. Lew Horton has had more Exclusive offerings than probably any distributor.

The 3" 657 that was manufactured in the 80s was not a Lew Horton exclusive offering. Mine is pictured below wearing factory combat stocks. Any distributor could order and sell this model. Lew Horton probably sold more than any other distributor.


My model 25 pictured below was shortened to 2 3/8" and round butted by Austin Behlert back in the early 80s. It was the customization by folks like Behlert as well as John Jovino's shop and others that caused S&W introduce the round butt N-frame in the mid eighties.

Didn't know that, I thought LH had those 3" .41 mags as an exclusive, good to know.

BTW, Those are nice pieces...cool you held on to them all these years!

Texasraider, I don't know if you are aware of it but S&W has mostly standardized on round butt grip frames for all of their revolvers. I believe that the only square butt grip framed revolvers are the Classics.

I have a 610-3 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel and it has the round butt grip frame, as does my 620. By doing this S&W has widened the grip options available, so I consider in a smart move on the part of S&W. If you want a square butt profile all you have to do is shop for round to square conversion grips, if you want a round butt grip you make your choice and mount it without any grinding of the frame.

As for your quest for a 610 no dash, while I understand the appeal IMO any vintage of 610 is better than none at all. If you happen to find a -1, -2, or -3, I would suggest that you snap it up. BTW, if you happen on a 4 inch 610 that doesn't float your boat, shoot me a PM on where it's located and the price. I've been looking for a 4 inch 610 to match up with my 6 1/2 inch model with no luck at all, prices for the 610 have skyrockted since they were dropped from the catalog. IMO it was a rather dumb move on the part of S&W to drop it, they sold every one made rather quickly and I'm certain the market would have supported continued production for at least another 2 or 3 years.

WOW! What can I say ? N frames are sexy.