Grinding a square butt to a round question.
- Thread starter 3Gunnah
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Never done it but I think a stock of what you want to put on would give you the pattern. Use both left and right stock (grip panels) and mark carefully!
In a retired welder and have remove by many methods steel that needs to go. Go slow check often, get close by power tool if you feel comfortable and do the last by file work ,CHECK OFTEN or you will need someone with welder's skills to put the metal back.
UncleEd
Member
Don't do it. It can only decrease the value of the 28-2. And I doubt the round butt will give you any greater satisfaction than
now owning a piece of classic gun history.
now owning a piece of classic gun history.
I have a set of steel forms from Brownells for going N-square to K-round. Remember N-round did not exist until S&W realized how much business was being generated for all the gunsmiths doing the conversions.
I am not sure if these are still listed as a tool on their website or not.
However, before you go off an buy a set you need to make sure that the conversion will not deface the serial number if the butt is the only location that the serial number exists on that particular firearm. If it is marked in more than one location you should have no worries.
I am not sure if these are still listed as a tool on their website or not.
However, before you go off an buy a set you need to make sure that the conversion will not deface the serial number if the butt is the only location that the serial number exists on that particular firearm. If it is marked in more than one location you should have no worries.
To clarify a bit here since some folks have taken my comment to the extreme. The frame is the firearm. I was referring to if the frame has more than one serial number on it.
Not if the firearm and the cylinder were serial numbered the same or the firearm and grips, etc
I have one gun that was converted to round butt, it is a 65-1:
I bought it in this condition and whoever did the job only did the back strap portion of the conversion. The front strap also needs to be reshaped and the strain screw relief deepened to do a complete round butt conversion. This is needed if you are going to use Magna grips or most wood grips (unless there is room to modify the inside of the grips.
My gun wears Pachmayrs, so the full conversion was not necessary.
I bought it in this condition and whoever did the job only did the back strap portion of the conversion. The front strap also needs to be reshaped and the strain screw relief deepened to do a complete round butt conversion. This is needed if you are going to use Magna grips or most wood grips (unless there is room to modify the inside of the grips.
My gun wears Pachmayrs, so the full conversion was not necessary.
I'm curious... why do you want to do it? If the square butt grip profile is not to your liking, have you already explored the (potentially) less expensive and non frame altering route of a better set of grips than factory?
I like a certain type of Smith and Wesson grip the factory Hoge style. They only made this type of grip for I guess a couple of years for the square butt. But the round style grips are very abundant. So it just seems easier to me to grind the frame to fit the grips.
ruger-p94
Member
It's fun to tinker with guns that you want to be unique to yourself. As stated above easier to take off than put on again....just go slow and check your work often. I'm sure you are not planning to put the gun up for auction at Christies. It's only a gun so have at.....don't forget to take a few pics for inquiring minds.
UncleEd
Member
And the great part about having a round butt sixgun, as Smith & Wesson has proved so well, you can then turn around and put square shaped grips on them.
Sebago Son
Member
Square-to-Round Butt Conversion.
Unless you undersize the frame in this conversion you will leave the grip strap serrations partially removed. It looks like hell.
Being blue, you'll have to refinish the frame of your 28 too.
I've done this with K-frame guns, mostly 64's, 65's, 66's back when they could be found for very low prices on the Police Trade-In market.
I did this 66-2 in the late 80's.
I used a pair of factory "Magna" stocks as a pattern. The fit of factory round butt "Target" stocks is not nearly as precise.
At the time my shop took in over 20 of these 66's against SiG 226s for the local PD. The trade-in value I allowed was $140 each.
I also did this one single 686.
And I gussied it up a little more by grinding the trigger smooth and adding Mepro sights.
I did alot of these conversions 20+ years ago, but hung onto these two as they make great home and field guns.
Unless you undersize the frame in this conversion you will leave the grip strap serrations partially removed. It looks like hell.
Being blue, you'll have to refinish the frame of your 28 too.
I've done this with K-frame guns, mostly 64's, 65's, 66's back when they could be found for very low prices on the Police Trade-In market.
I did this 66-2 in the late 80's.
I used a pair of factory "Magna" stocks as a pattern. The fit of factory round butt "Target" stocks is not nearly as precise.
At the time my shop took in over 20 of these 66's against SiG 226s for the local PD. The trade-in value I allowed was $140 each.
I also did this one single 686.
And I gussied it up a little more by grinding the trigger smooth and adding Mepro sights.
I did alot of these conversions 20+ years ago, but hung onto these two as they make great home and field guns.
Sebago Son
Member
One last thing...
If you are going to round butt your gun to a "factory" dimension so you can use factory fitting stocks, you need to remove metal from the front grip strap as well. Don't forget to order a new, round butt mainspring strain screw. They are not interchangeable with square butt guns.
Drew
If you are going to round butt your gun to a "factory" dimension so you can use factory fitting stocks, you need to remove metal from the front grip strap as well. Don't forget to order a new, round butt mainspring strain screw. They are not interchangeable with square butt guns.
Drew
sac-gunslinger
Member
Grinding caution:
Grinding with a power tool creates significant heat. This heat could be enough to change the temper of the metal in the frame therevby weakening it. Not a good outcome. I have seen aircraft parts destroyed by over zealous grinding.
What are the other options? First, a good ol' fashioned set of files. Metal removal is relatively slow so there is little heat build up. Second, find a local machine shop with an electrostatic discharge machining tool; very precise and the heat build up is nonexistent.
Grinding with a power tool creates significant heat. This heat could be enough to change the temper of the metal in the frame therevby weakening it. Not a good outcome. I have seen aircraft parts destroyed by over zealous grinding.
What are the other options? First, a good ol' fashioned set of files. Metal removal is relatively slow so there is little heat build up. Second, find a local machine shop with an electrostatic discharge machining tool; very precise and the heat build up is nonexistent.
Do yourself a favor and just buy a round butt revolver. They are readily available now, and that makes the most sense by far from an economic perspective.
BJoe
Member
Don't do it. It can only decrease the value of the 28-2. And I doubt the round butt will give you any greater satisfaction than
now owning a piece of classic gun history.
On a lot of other guns I would agree BUT on a 28-2, not unlike a 10 is there are MILLIONS out there.
I get offered at least one a month. In G-VG condition I turn them down for $400. Shame because they are so much fun to shoot.
Dave T
Member
It sounds like you don't really want a round butt, just a particular set of Hogue grips. I would think checking eBay and GunBroker for used grips would be a lot easier, and a dang sight less expensive.
Dave
Dave
Cal44
Member
If it were me, I wouldn't cut up a nice gun. I'd keep the gun you have, and look for another gun with a round butt.
Dave
Dave
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jwk
Member
I have had a lot of S&Ws round butted including a beater Texas DPS trade in M28 that was mechanically tight but had no finish. My gunsmith had some company that plates oil field tools plate it with some type of nickle that is straw colored like the old colt nickle on Commanders. He also de-horned it so there isn't a sharp edge on it. I had a set of wood Hogue mono-grips without finger grooves fitted to it. The hammer spur was also bobbed since most of my shooting is double action. It can still be thumb cocked however. Not the prettiest thing but I sure feel good when it is on my hip. From comments that I read, I'm probably the only guy on this list that really doesn't like the square butt configuration even though I still have a few of them.
