Need help with a BK grip adapter for a Colt

wrangler5 · #1 06-27-2022, 11:23 PM

Those of you who read the revolver forums may know that i make the BK grip adapters, designed for S&W and Colt double action revolvers. I have a customer with an old (1931) Colt Detective Special, and hope someone here can help with a fitting problem.

The BK adapter for Colt revolvers is sized for their "D" frame, although it has been found to fit on their E&I and Large frame models as well. These frames all have the same distance and frame curvature between the rear of the trigger guard and the grip front strap, the surfaces that a grip adapter has to match.

The D frame was previously known as the Police Positive Special frame, after the first model produced on that size frame, although the most famous Colt in that size is the short-barrel Detective Special.

But there was an earlier, slightly smaller frame known as the Police Positive. There was a Detective Special model made on this frame, too, and that's what my customer has. Unlike all the larger frames, THIS frame has less space behind the trigger guard, and a grip adapter made for other Colt frames is too "long" front to back to fit.

The BK grip adapters for S&W guns are slightly shorter, front to back, than the Colt adapter. So I'm wondering if anybody here has a Colt Police Positive of any flavor (the Banker's Special was a common model) AND a BK grip adapter for a S&W, either J or K size, that they would be willing to try on the Colt to see if it fits?

Thanks for any help.

jimmyj · #2 06-28-2022, 07:08 AM

I have a old small frame Colt Positive in .38 S&W caliber.
I thought I had a "J" frame grip adapter, but unable to locate it. Sorry.

Babysitr · #3 06-28-2022, 08:41 AM

Hi wrangler5..I have a 1920 police positive .32 small frame...have several of your K frame adapters...I dont have a J frame adapter, been wanting to get one for my 34-1 but havent got around to it yet....the K frame will not fit the small colt frame, it wont push up flush against the trigger guard, too large....I'm close to STL, if it really becomes a problem for you

wrangler5 · #4 06-28-2022, 11:58 AM

Thanks, Babysitr, that answers the question. The J and K adapters for S&W are actually the same size front to back, but the K is wider and taller than the J. (You can put a J adapter on a K frame gun, and vice versa, but for most hands the mismatch just doesn't feel right.) So if the spacing behind the trigger guard is too tight for a K adapter, a J adapter won't fit any better.

Would you be able to take a photo of the K adapter on your Colt, pushed up as far as it will easily go? MAYBE it's close enough that an adventuresome customer could file a bit off and make it fit - the D adapter that's made for other Colt frames is WAY too big to do that.

If you can take a photo, posting it here would make it available for anybody else wondering about this fit. If you would prefer not to post it publicly, I'd appreciate it if you sent a copy to kip@bkgrips, so I could at least make a guess about modifying the adapter to fit.

Again, many thanks for checking.

Babysitr · #5 06-28-2022, 05:29 PM

Kip, looks like a bit of a stretch, but maybe.....BTW your adapters are the deal!

wrangler5 · #6 06-28-2022, 07:10 PM

I agree it's too big for the space, especially since it's the back edges of the adapter that have to fit against the grip panels rather than the concavity of the adapter itself against the grip frame. Still, it's a closer fit than the Colt adapter offers, so it might be able to be "adjusted" with some judicious filing.

I'll attach an image of a D adapter on the same size frame, as well as one of yours lightened up to show the black adapter better.

Many thanks again for the help. I've sent it along to the customer to consider.