Kit gun grips

[paplinker]

I have a prewar kit gun that has the stepped backstrap. I think its called a rebated frame? I would like to try the target grips that have two screws that are used on a Bekeart 22/32. Will these grips fit on my frame? It would probably look a little bulky for such a small gun but i need a larger grip to enjoy this gun. Plus if i ever find a nice Bekeart i would have a spare set of grips.

Also on this same gun the serial number is on the butt of the frame, but has the step on the backstrap . The frame does not look customized as bluing and frame look original. Most guns that i have looked at on here i noticed that if its stepped the serial number is on the side of the frame. Any thoughts?

Thanks Rich

 

[DCWilson]

Yes, the two-screw target grips will fit on a stepped ("rebated") frame. You would just end up with a small internal void between steel and wood. Nothing is visible from outside the gun, and the stocks do not slide around because of the lack of frame/wood contact over that inch to inch and a half.

It is true that the rebated frames, as well as the non-rebated frames intended to take the target stocks, usually have the serial numbers on the forestrap. Only the round butt Kit Guns are ordinarily found with the serial number on the bottom of the grip frame. But I have one Kit Gun with a serial number on the bottom and with a rebated frame. But it looks as though the frame may have been filed after shipment in order to take the slightly larger RP stocks.

Kit Guns came with three different stock configurations: round (smallest); Regulation Police (square, larger, and mounted on a rebated frame); and the two-screw extension stocks that completely cover the backstrap (largest). Yes, extension stocks look ungainly on a .22/32 with a four inch barrel.

 

[Hondo44]

You might want to try the factory post 1968 J frame target grip. They are less gainly looking on a kit gun, more hand filling, and much more available than the two screw extended targets. Most come checkered. They will fit perfectly on a pre war I frame.

 

[model17]

look & work great.........I'm sold on 'em for the "J" frames!

 

[paplinker]

Thanks for the info guys. I have a few J frames that have some targets on them and they feel pretty good.I try to keep period correct grips on my guns if and when possible.It gets harder the older the gun is it seems. I may seek to have a set made in the roper style. First i will try to hunt for a pair of bekeart type targets just to see if they will do the job. Never held a pair in my hand so it will be interesting to see how big they really are.The gun is from the early forty's so i may look for a pair with the medallions in them.

 

[murphydog]

The Target stocks on the .22/32s are small - to me, think about what a set of K frame Magnas would feel like on an I frame. Also, by the end of their production run, these stocks were not available on the .22/32, so period correct stocks would have been the checkered service type with small silver medallions to fit the rebated frame. DC Wilson would know when this happened.

 

[Hondo44]

Also, by the end of their production run, these stocks were not available on the .22/32, so period correct stocks would have been the checkered service type with small silver medallions to fit the rebated frame. DC Wilson would know when this happened.

I not aware of that. There was a period of a few years in the beginning of the 1920's when the square butt rebated stocks were standard and
the 2 screw extension target stocks were optional.

Here's my pre war Kit Gun from that period with flat silvers in the extension target stocks:

Here's my Heavy Frame Target that came with numbers matching extension target stocks (refinished, and barrel cut to 3 1/4" wearing non-original round butt stocks when this photo was taken):

 

[Hondo44]

I try to keep period correct grips on my guns if and when possible. It gets harder the older the gun is it seems. I may seek to have a set made in the roper style. First i will try to hunt for a pair of bekeart type targets just to see if they will do the job. Never held a pair in my hand so it will be interesting to see how big they really are.The gun is from the early forty's so i may look for a pair with the medallions in them.

Here's a set of period Ropers that came on my son's 22/32 Heavy Target and are perfect in my hand. They even look better than the Smith ext. target stocks on a 4" Kit Gun. Keith Brown currently doesn't make these as yet but my son plans to send these to him for reproducing:

 

[Green Frog]

Thanks for the info guys. I have a few J frames that have some targets on them and they feel pretty good.I try to keep period correct grips on my guns if and when possible.It gets harder the older the gun is it seems. I may seek to have a set made in the roper style. First i will try to hunt for a pair of bekeart type targets just to see if they will do the job. Never held a pair in my hand so it will be interesting to see how big they really are.The gun is from the early forty's so i may look for a pair with the medallions in them.

I really like the looks of the Regulation Police style stocks on I-frames better than my Bekearts with the big extension out the back. The Bekearts just "look" wrong to me.

On the other hand, post-War J-frame targets feel good in my hand, and although they aren't period, they look proportional on the I-frame and although they are not filled up by the I-frame grip frame, they effectively hide the gap, and it could be filled with bedding compound or even plastic wood if one wanted.

The foregoing is JMHO, so take it for what it is worth... and remember what you paid for it!!

Froggie

PS If Hondo44 +1 (the next generation) can talk Keith or someone else into copying the Ropers or something similar, my piggy bank is going to be in a world of hurt!! If somebody is able to develop a set of micro-Cokes, it will be "Katy bar the door!"

 

[Hondo44]

PS If Hondo44 +1 (the next generation) can talk Keith or someone else into copying the Ropers or something similar, my piggy bank is going to be in a world of hurt!! If somebody is able to develop a set of micro-Cokes, it will be "Katy bar the door!"

Yeah, Baby Cokes! But they would only work on Model of 1953 Sq butt I frames. They'd have to have a filler for I frame grip frames, both round and rebated. But not a problem.

These are on a round butt and close as I've gotten to Cokes out of a pair of factory targets:

 

[Green Frog]

Yeah, Baby Cokes! But they would only work on Model of 1953 Sq butt I frames. They'd have to have a filler for I frame grip frames, both round and rebated. But not a problem.

These are on a round butt and close as I've gotten to Cokes out of a pair of factory targets:

Yes, H44, at your suggestion I got a pair of those very grips (shout out of thanks to VM, here ) and they feel goood! In one of our exchanges, you suggested Coke-i-fying a pair of these, but this particular pair is pristine, and I can't bear to touch them with rasp or sandpaper.

As for a filler, if the Roper-style grips were cut for even a square J-frame grip, they still would locate securely on the front and back of the grip frame and on the pins at the bottom of the grip frame, so with 22 LR or even 32 S&W-L recoil they hold up fine... I did it with a pair of Mustangs on my old beater 32 RP for several years with good effect. Of course if the gap really offends the senses, Accra-glas (tm) or even Plastic Wood (tm) could be used to fill it in since it's completely hidden anyway. Or you could stash a tightly rolled hundred dollar bill there for real emergencies!

Stay tuned for the next project... upgrading a pre-War 6" RP in 32 S&W-L to be a "twin" for the HFT! That pair will really deserve a matching pair of "special" grips. I sure wish Lew Sanderson were still with us.

Froggie

 

[paplinker]

I


PS If Hondo44 +1 (the next generation) can talk Keith or someone else into copying the Ropers or something similar, my piggy bank is going to be in a world of hurt!! ]

This would very much interest me also but maybe without a thumb rest.

 

[Hondo44]

The J targets stick out too far over the bottom half of the backstrap to look like Cokes and they don't 'point' well for me. And if you slim them down it leaves a large void when used on rebated or round butt grips. That's why I used a piece of filler wood on the back and bottom of the pair shown above. The matching filler wood piece came from the back and bottom piece I cut from one target stock side. It's glued to one stock side.

My son wants the Roper copies made w/o the thumbrest as well. I'll keep you posted on progress.

 

[DCWilson]

The J targets stick out too far over the bottom half of the backstrap to look like Cokes an they don't 'point' well for me. And if you slim them down it leaves a large void when used on rebated or round butt grips. That's why I used a piece of filler wood on the back and bottom of the pair shown above. The matching filler wood piece came from the back and bottom piece I cut from one target stock side. It's glued to one stock side.

My son wants the Roper copies made w/o the thumbrest as well. I'll keep you posted on progress.

If Pontiaker has reservations about those thumbrest I-Ropers, I'm a willing buyer.

 

[Hondo44]

Once Keith makes a copy he'd probably make as many as he can sell.

 

[Green Frog]

Somebody, perhaps it was Mustang or Jay Scott, used to sell a fully inletted set of grip blanks. In this day and age of Computer Controlled Milling, it seems like these would be easy to produce cheaply (and could even be programmed for I-frames as well as the currently produced models.) We could have a lot of fun making our "dream grips" and quit bugging Keith and the others until we got close to what we wanted.

BTW, Hondo44, I may have found a set of "beater" J-frame targets to do as much of this as is readily possible now. I'll keep you in the loop.

Regards,
Froggie

 

[Pontiaker]

Couple more grips options, my .22/.32 heavy target I bought with a ringed barrel then replaced with a early Kit gun barrel. The other one is a flat latch model 43 no dash my dad picked up for me in Reno. It was cheap but a little rough. I had to do some repair work but its super tight now and shoots great. The dark black looking grips were some old customs that were just way to big for the little J frame. I took about 3/4's of an inch off the bottom now fit to the frame and also took more of the back, exposed and fit to the backstrap of the grip frame now. The S&W grips were some older smooth J frame targets that I also cut down and thinned out on both sides then added some stippling in a Roper style pattern. They both feel much better and look more in proportion to these small revolvers.
Matt

 

[Pontiaker]

If Pontiaker has reservations about those thumbrest I-Ropers, I'm a willing buyer.

I like these old I Frame Ropers so much I think I am just going to cut off the thumbrest and finish them that way.





















NOT! Lol!

 

[paplinker]

It seems my kitgun from 1940 would take the silver medallion targets the same as my reg police grips now on them.But could a set of non medallions be correct as well? I do not know the time frame of non medallion I frame grips yet.

Between pontiacker ,DC and hondo 44, they have great examples of some custom I and J frame grips. I hope Keith may see and have his own spin on a new line of these grips.

 

[Hondo44]

Stocks with no medallions were used up until c.1910 and the wood was concave in the area where medallions were later installed.
Sunken gold plated brass from 1910 to c.1920.
Non-medallion with convex area where medallions were from 1920 to 1930.
Flat silvers from c.1930 until the war.