Centennial "High Horn" Stocks

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I couldn't decide if this question belonged in the 1896 to 1961 forum or the 1980 to the Present forum, so I decided to play it safe and post it here in the Lounge.

We're all familiar with the nice-looking factory high horn smooth stocks found only on the earlier Centennial models that featured "lemon squeezer" grip safeties. These stocks have unique very small washers on the backsides to fit the special grip safety grip frame.

My question is this: could these stocks possibly be fitted with larger standard J-frame washers allowing them to fit properly on later no-grip-safety Centennials or are the actual grip frame dimensions different between the two generations of guns? In other words, are high horn Centennial stocks just standard J-frame stocks with higher horns and smaller washers or are there other differences, as well? They look to me like they may be slightly narrower, front to back, also, but I don't know if that's just an illusion due to their increased height.
 
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db - the smooth high horn centennial grips with the small washer have a narrower profile and wont cover the frame properly on a std J frame even with a washer modification.
The easiest thing to do is get the Bodyguard high horn grips with the larger washer and then they'll fit proper.
Here's my 640 with vintage wood and a tyler

sss001-2.jpg


sss006-1.jpg
 
Mike, thanks for the reply, that's what I thought but I wanted to make sure.
 
VM said:
db - the smooth high horn centennial grips with the small washer have a narrower profile and wont cover the frame properly on a std J frame even with a washer modification.
The easiest thing to do is get the Bodyguard high horn grips with the larger washer and then they'll fit proper.
Here's my 640 with vintage wood and a tyler

sss001-2.jpg


sss006-1.jpg
Click to expand...

VM, I put an extra set of high horned checkered Bodyguard stocks on my Mod 640 at one time, also. I really like the look of traditional smooth Centennial stocks and I liked that S&W carried that look with most of the Mod 640s but the modern stocks are quite slippery and they were made with the traditional J frame horn dimensions, which was a disappointment to me.
The top frame screw is domed and as you know the tip of the stock horn will cover or partially cover the domed screw head. This leaves a small but noticeable gap between frame where the domed screw is and the back of the high horn tip because the back of the stock cannot fit flush with the frame surface. I had two choices if I wanted to leave them on the 640 - make a small depression on the back of the grip where it rests on the domed screw, or see if S&W makes a flat stainless screw to replace the domed one. I felt leaving the Bodyguard grips on the 640 without one of the two changes might result in cracking the tip of the horn if the stocks were tightened down too hard or during recoil from shooting. Since high horn Bodyguard stocks are not easy to find I did not think it was a good idea to leave them on the 640 without either a flat head replacement screw or a recess for the original domed screw on the back of the right side stock panel.
I did not like the back of the stocks resting on the domed screw head. Because of that and because I'm used to seeing smooth stocks on Centennials, I removed the Bodyguard stocks and put the original 640s back on the gun.

What I did like was the extra material at the top of the stocks for hand hold. It's a small attribute of Centennials and Bodyguards that allow me to use a higher hand hold for shooting the guns.

-db- thanks for this interesting post. I had the same thoughts about this a few times but never posted the question.
 
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Malysh said:
The top frame screw is domed and as you know the tip of the stock horn will cover or partially cover the domed screw head. This leaves a small but noticeable gap between frame where the domed screw is and the back of the high horn tip because the back of the stock cannot fit flush with the frame surface.
Click to expand...

correct :)
that is what I did with the revolver pictured - I replaced top screw w/ flat head
 
Malysh, I'm almost certain there is a flat version of the upper sideplate screw available. I believe regular non-Centennial J-frames have a flat screw in that position. In your case, for your stainless 640, you'd get one for a Model 60 and swap them around.
 
I have never bothered to check but I was sure I could find a stainless factory flat head screw for the top sideplate position, due to the copious production of Mod 60s over the decades. I would prefer to replace that screw than make any modification to the back of a nice old center diamond Bodyguard high horm stock!

Although S&W did eventually sell Mod 640s with traditional size J frame checkered stocks and later with rubber grips, I confess my eyes want to see smooth stocks on Centennials. That's another reason I didn't keep the Bodyguard stocks on the Mod 640 even though I gained high horns and less slippery checkering.
I'm getting old and set in my ways!
 
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