A method of fixing old S&W grips

[ClickBang!]

Hi all,

For you seasoned pros out there this might look like amatuer hour, but for anyone who has an old set of original S&W grips that they would like to get into "viable user condition" this approach might work. While I have used two-part epoxy to mend two broken grip pieces together with reasonable success, what if you have a set of grips with a missing chunk? Well, that's what I am going to address. I recently purchased some Milliput putty on ebay. I am not a shill and not a sponsor, and I don't sell it. However, I have found it to be suitable for this application. However, time will tell. Your results may vary!

Process:

• On a set of original grips for a 1st Model SH with a missing chunk, I first drilled a few shallow 1/16" holes to give the putty something to bite into. I also scratched the shiny area with a dental pick and wiped it with rubbing alcohol on a q-tip.
• My normal method is to use a cut piece of thin plastic from a grocery store bag as a backstop for the putty to keep it from sticking to the metal frame.
• The putty itself is two different sticks, one white one black. When you mix the two together, it becomes black; when dried it is a very dark grey - almost black in my experience.
• What I usually do is press smaller pieces in in layers to make sure that the putty gets into the holes I drilled.
• Using this build-up technique, I typically bring it just a little taller and wider than the original profile so I have something to file down to.
• I then lightly press it against something flat on the butt end side. It takes about 24 hours to fully cure.
• Once it cures, I work it down with a file. No power tools. File and sandpaper, file and sandpaper, from 150 down to about 400 grip for the final profile.
• I then knock it back with some super fine steel wool.

The result may not be totally invisible, but it appears stable. My guess is that the part chipped out when the gun was dropped or banged causing the ugly dent on the rear of the grip below where the grip safety is pinned. I was going to try to address that damage as well, but I might just leave it for now. There were a variety of issues with this one, including a fully gummed up grip safety that I was eventually able to work free after a few days, WD40 and carefully applied heat gun. Dental pics and patience are also a big part of getting these often poorly maintained gems into shootable condition. We'll see how it does after a few cylinders of recoil. Overall, I think this product is pretty good, reasonably priced, and relatively easy to work with. Use rubber gloves as the dye in the epoxy is very dark and its hard to clean off skin.

 

[somniosus]

hi-thanks for sharing tips on a nice cosmetic restoration job from an aesthetic and colour match viewpoint and also thanks, I was not aware of the Milliput product but it goes on my list of restoration products, I like the colour match vs other 2 part polymers. I also do a bit of resto on antique pistols , so any new materials and methods are welcome. I recently restored some walnut grips on a SW Russian 44 that had the original serial number stamped inside but were badly cracked and falling apart, that was a CA glue job with some cosmetics after with tung oil. The early polymers used back when, gutta percha etc are harder to deal with and match for colour and patina, you did well, these were being made inthe early era of synthetic plastics. The post WW 2 era in Europe saw some really bad polymer grips, particularly in France where the lovely Unique long barelled 22 target pistols had grips that basically melted, have redone a few of those.
Great work!
Chris

 

[gwpercle]

I have used J-B Weld Epoxy Putty to repair handgun grips for years ... look for Epoxy Putty Sticks at local wally mart or big-box store ... easy to find , it doesn't drip or run and it works well .
They make a Epoxy Putty for metal , plastic and one for wood ...
I've used them all and they all work very well for re[airs .
Gary