After picking up the .22 caliber Diamondback while on vacation to Florida in February, I was so pleased with it that I started hunting for a .38 Special version to keep it company. Found one on Gunbroker that wasn't crazy expensive, this one has a little finish wear to keep it out of the safe queen category. I've put about 100 rounds through it in the past couple weeks, it is a sweet shooter! A pic with it's .22 brother, .38 Special on the bottom. Both revolvers made in 1968, about 2000 apart in serial number:



Now, the challenging part. The original grips on the .38 Special Diamondback must be worn or something, no amount of tightening the grip screw will alleviate a looseness or "Rocking" of the grips on the frame. A previous owner has tried to fix this by gluing a small shim on the inside of the grip, still not enough to fix the looseness. In this pic, the ball point pen points to the shim:



Pic of the grip frame with grip:




I have a set of Pachmyer's that I am using to shoot the revolver for now. Not pleasing to the eye but good enough until I find something better. I think I'll sideline the original grips in case I ever sell the revolver, and find something nice to carry and shoot with. Maybe some elk horn or other nice wooden grips....

Are those grips for a Python?

I compared them to the grips on the .22 revolver, they look the same. Same roominess under the bottom of the grip frame, lots of room where the .38 Special grips have been shimmed.

Saw a mint looking one in 38 Slp. for 1700 clams where I bought the last Govt. Mdl 1911. Didn’t even ask to look at it as way out of my price range.
Noticed a few at shows in Used condition for grand or more.

those grips look different than the ones on my Diamond back .Mine are filled in under the butt and then extend town to the end of the stock . It looks like you have long frame grips on a short butt gun

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Yes. Colt switched the D-frames to all "short" in 1966. Prior to that the Detective Special had a full long frame and the Agent had a short frame. After 66 they made them all the same way and just used the grips to extend depending on the model.

I think the Diamondback was introduced in 66 so there was no "long frame" diamondback. These grips look like proper diamondback grips, but they are cut out on the inside for long frames. Maybe they were aftermarket?

You can find the proper grips on various auction sites that would likely fit well. If you look at the pictures you'll see the solid portion at the bottom of the grip. Those grips will never fit tightly on a short frame. The inside would look like this:

I found the grips on my old model Trooper . 357 rocked a bit too. Since I was doing a full refinish anyway, I tightened up the inletting with a little Acra Glass Gel.

If you fill in the post hole, the rocking will stop.
Overtime, the metal post can wallow out the hole it goes in.

Some guys will in with paper or tape around the post.
Some guys do permanent fixes by filling in with a putty that will harden. When you screw the grips together, you can't "adjust" at all until it hardens or you will wallow it out again. So you better get them where you want them before you try to screw them together.

Prescut

The loose fitting grips on Colts is a normal problem. They were thin and the screws were tiny and have super fine threads. Seen may of them that were over torqued or had fillers,glue or some additives to help them from shifting around.
Most guns that were actually used and carried had the factory grips replaced. I have said for years that's one of the reasons Factory nice Colt grips have fetched such high dollar cause they're hard to come by.
I still like some of the Colts but the grips have always been a weak link.
Some of the newer wood laminate that look like the factory style are better and stronger, most of my Colts that I shoot are wearing them with the factory stockers in a box somewhere.

I use the rubber grips on my Diamondback .22 and .38, the original wood are stored away. Paid $150 for the .22 in about '90 and $400 for the .38 about 6 years ago...

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Smithra 66,

I will look for some reproduction grips that look like the one in your picture for shooting. In the meantime, the rubber Pachmyers are fine, just hard on the eyes.

If you haven’t seen these reproductions, they are sublime. Colt grips – Deer Hollow Enterprises, LLC

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213th FBINA

If you like the feel of those non-Diamondback grips, you can fill the lower area with wood and then bed the grips to fit the frame properly.

In a funny conversation with Pachmayr decades ago, I said, "why would anyone want anything but your rubber grips on a gun in the field."
We hunt with fishing rods in South Florida, hands often wet/slimy, and Pachs worked.

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