Anyone have any advice on fitting square butt grips on round butt frames? Specifically K frame if it makes a difference. I looked seven different ways and could find nothing with a search(actually all searches produced 20 pages of results but nothing relevant. Guess I'm doing something wrong).

Normally I'd just fit the proper grips but this situation is a little special. I found a good deal on a 4" HB M64 with square butt and picked up a nice set of custom wood grips for it. Later I found that the dealer I purchased the gun from(on GB)listed a small lot of similar M64's and I bought three more, so I ordered up more grip sets. Before all that arrived I bought another six M64's(yeah, I know,.......but it's a sickness). Now the grips are coming from Thailand and they take a few weeks to get here so it all took awhile before I started swapping the Goodyears out for the Rosewood and guess what? Only the first M64 has the square frame; the other nine are all round butts. Since they came from the same source it never occurred to me that they weren't all going to be square butts.

I'm not sending the grips back(Thailand for one,.....I like them for two,....and it's my mistake for three). I know the square grips will fit on the round butts, but is there a non-permanent filler I can use so that the cross pin isn't taking all the firing stress. I could acraglass them on but if there's a non-permanent solution that would not preclude the grips from ever being fitted to a square butt frame I would rather go that route. TIA for any suggestions. I'll work on getting a few pics up. I'm REALLY happy with the quality of the grips and would like to order more once I've come up with a good solution. Even though the grip maker offers grips for both frame styles I prefer the dimensions of the square grips. I don't think they offer a round to square conversion grip(although that's what I'd be doing if I glassed them to fit). Furthermore, for some reason the square butt grips are considerably cheaper than the round butt grips and the wood selection is better.

Why not see if the gent in Thailand will swap'm out.
Chipmunk6

You actually bought 10 M64s?

Uhmm,........yeah. LoL. Is that a bad thing?

I live by the saying "two is one and one is none'", so it's really like I have only nine,......or something. I don't know. Part of the reason I bought so many M64's is that I wanted a reason to buy a bunch of nice grips so I've created quite a dilemma for myself.

And as for sending the square butts back,..............not likely. My first thought for correcting the situation is to go out and buy a bunch of square butt revolvers so I have something to put the square butt grips on. I'm trying to be fiscally responsible by using the grips I have on the revolvers I have rather than automatically accumulating more stuff.

He only did that so KLYDE couldn't get them all! And KLYDE would, if he had the opportunity. Nothing wrong with a few extras. I picked up 2 ex-casino guns a few years back and another member hassles me for them.

I bought several UM K/L frame round-to-square butt finger groove rubber grips from the S&W website/Store. I find the SB
shape lessens the apparent recoil for the nerve damage in my shooting hand.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Ten 64s: You're cool.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

K-squares should fit just fine on a round butt frame, ( if you can live with the big gap) the pin and screw holes are in the same location for both. Trying to modify them may end up costing more than you paid for the Thailand grips though. You are probably best off selling the ones you got for what you paid for them then getting some K-sq grips.

These are closed back grips so fortunately there are no gaps; they just aren't supported by the frame. There's internal clearance front and back. They're supported at the top edge and at the bottom by the cross pin only. Pretty sure that if they were fired like this they'd crack/split. Sure are pretty tho,......and comfy too.

The M64's are DAO police trade-ins with Uncle Mike's rubber grips. I plan to clean up the stainless and dress them up a bit with wood. The square butt has a set of English Walnut grips(unknown make), but the Thailand grips are red hued rosewood and I wanted to see how they looked on stainless before buying too many sets, otherwise I'd probably already have half a dozen sets that don't fit. Just the two so far.

Can't really tell from the picture, but the wood grip doesn't touch anywhere along the backstrap.

Five, sir -- in modern firearms math you have purchased five.

Congratulations...but of course, logically the math immediately reduces that number two-and-a-half, barely enough for a New York reload -- which should be two but then the math strikes again, dropping it to one.

Shortly, if you follow the equation correctly, you've got none.

You can see why so many of us can't stop purchasing: it's not us, it's the math...and math is universal and without flaw.

With some wood and basic hand tools its not that difficult to make a filler plug ,

Placing one grip panel on the gun the hole where the RB frame turns in is your template ,
Make the filler plug slightly larger and thicker then sand to fit,
You want them slightly proud so they stay in place when the grips are tightened down.

Once they fit you can then either stain them to match the grip or paint them silver to match the frame....I prefer staining them.

Altamont Company - Smith & Wesson

This is the obvious solution. I wouldn't put much more thought into it. Since you seem to prefer stainless, I'd suggest Model 66's.

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Because of the metric system?

+1
Prolly what I'd do.

yes, you can use any wood putty filler or any of the Acraglass or other such bedding/fillers, let harden and fit ( inlet) to shape..its all "inside" so you canot screw up anything..aside from that if the top inside(round) fits into the round of the guns frame and th ecross pin is NOT too short (loose) there should not be any play....when the grip screws are tightened, is there ANY "play" ( movement) of the grips when you hold the gun by the cylinder frame or barrel ( unloaded of course!!)
if there is NO "play" , then the open spaces (voids) mean nothing and will not affect using the gun, have seen many over the years shot and used with square butt grips , over a round butt frame..........

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dan
NRA Benefactor,PMA

If the grips are snug and not moving around, they will work just fine.
The frame does not need to support them. The circle at the top and the pin at bottom is plenty enough to hold them in place.

Bunch of enablers here,.......I knew this was the right place!

The SB grips fit very snug on the RB frame; no movement whatsoever even before they're screwed down. I have to press them into place to get the screw started. My only concern is the lack of contact along the backstrap but I think a few dabs of glass will fix that up if needed. Not so concerned about the open air pocket at the heel,.......no support there might break the grips if dropped but I'm willing to risk that. If the grips only need to be supported from inside the frame windows I guess I'm good.

I've got three more sets of these grips picked out for color/figure and just wanted to come up with a workaround or OK before ordering them. The Altamont link is helpful,.........nice looking grips for the price,.........but I won't order grips from an "example". Grips are too individualistic. I need to see the exact set I'm getting so it's either across the counter or an individual on-line sale with good pictures for me.

Here's a better shot of the fit and a pic of the SB grips on the one SB gun I received. Thanks for all the input.

If they were a 50-60 year old pair of Coke grips that cost $500, and there was a similar thread................I probably wouldn't offer the advice
I think you will be fine with these grips on your mod 64.

Complete non-issue then,.......thanks. I had not realized that the support was provided by the raised circle inside the frame window. That's going to help with another project I have going. I was a little worried about grip fitment on a 25-2 that has been chopped and round butted. It's got Pachmayr Compaqs on it now but will be wooded up once it comes back from my gunsmith.

If anyone wants to go over to GB and take care of the last dozen or so M64's this guy has got I would sure appreciate it! Then I could quit thinking about them. They've been hard to ignore at $250 apiece. My lot of three were 64-6's but this last batch of six were 64-5's.

I said this guy was cool, didn't I?

In another vein, S&W believes they have done correctly in solely producing RB frames. One shape fits all, is that it? Yet from the above posts, it seems they have caused a great deal of needless consternation among those for whom the SB is perfect. Any thoughts here, please?

I was wrong. kaveman is very cool.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. There is a precedent here. The late gunwriter and LEO Tom Ferguson refused to leave his home in San Antonio, I believe, when the neighborhood worsened. He bought a bunch of police trade-in 10 HBs and kept one in each room of his house, loaded with the LHP round.

"In another vein, S&W believes they have done correctly in solely producing RB frames. One shape fits all, is that it? Yet from the above posts, it seems they have caused a great deal of needless consternation among those for whom the SB is perfect. Any thoughts here, please?"

I prefer the RB frame myself.

It is easier to make RB to SB grips than it is to make a SB into a RB.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

If you only have two sets of the offending grips and you don't want to deal with fitting them why not just sell them on here and order the right ones?

I have a set of Thailand N square butt N frame combat grips. Took them off my Model 28. They are enclosed front & back, so no frame shows. For a short time, I had them on my 625JM, which is a round butt. There is a void between the frame & grip but I was the only 1 that knew it. Combats don't work for me, so back in my grip cabinet. Bob

That practice is not at all unusual for San Antonio residents, at least the part about keeping one gun per room. I am one of them. The principle here is that if you are more than two steps away from a gun in your house, you need more guns.

I also like the Thai grips, but I have only two pairs at present (one K, one N). Some have reported problems, but mine fit perfectly and look good.