Convert to Round Butt?

[smoothshooter]

A LGS has an older Model 10 .38 revolver, blued, skinny barrel for sale at $500.
It still has most of the blue, and is mechanically excellent. Probably made in the sixties.
Am thinking about buying it and having it made into a round butt.

These are not particularly rare guns, but would it be somewhat sacrilegious to do that to an old Smith, given that they have better workmanship than the often questionable stuff the Mother Ship spews out regularly these days?

 

[tops]

It's just a gun. If you buy it yours too do with as you please. I've never round butted a pistol but I've took a wood rasp to stocks of shotguns that cost cost many times what a M10 cost. I paid to have a 1917 pistol barrel cut. Larry

 

[Muley Gil]

I have round butted a number of revolvers, including a couple that most folks would question my wisdom about doing-a M25-5 and a 4" M24-3. I want my firearms to fit ME.

The biggie is-will doing the RB conversion damage the serial number on the butt? If so, find another candidate for the RB job.

 

[lihpster]

The world is what you make of it, friend. If it doesn't fit, make alterations. Your gun should be your gun. If someone wants to spend money on making a Highpoint better, fine. If someone wants to chop a RM to make a snubby, fine. It ain't my gun. It ain't my call. If it makes them happier, then I'm all for it. You're not destroying a priceless artifact. You're modifying a service grade firearm to give better service. Like Muley Gil said, if the serial number is in the way then look elsewhere but othewrwise, go for it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I had a 4" 686 and a 4" 617 round butted back in the 80s.... because at the time I found the S&W round butt target (banana) grips fit my hand the best.

Today there are a lot more grip options readily available..... for me the best are Spiegel Boot and Extended Boot grips. I've acquired several sets over the past 30 years...... my 4" 681 wears a set of Spiegel's checkered Boot grips, my 6" 586 a set of extended Boot grips

Blue guns require a refinish which really adds to the cost.

 

[stansdds]

What Muley Gil said. Converting a square butt revolver to round butt configuration may cut into the serial number on the butt. This would be a huge BATFE no-no as the serial number on the butt is the official serial number registered with the BATFE.

 

[Neversink n Klapperthal]

if you modify it,even drastically, it will fit right in with what custom pistol smiths did in the sixties

 

[gwpercle]

With every S&W (it seems) that now or in the past few years all being round butt ... it might seem a nice older square butt would be desirable . I find shooting a square butt more comfortable ... my K-frame model 64 and N-frame model 58 are both square butt and will stay that way because I shoot them a lot .
The J-frame AirWeight I carry is RB ...but I carry it much more than shoot it so it's just fine .
I wouldn't change the Square Butt ... they don't make the SB model 10 any longer , are getting harder to find and make great shooters with some nice Ahrends Retro Combat Grips (see my avatar) but that's just me .
Gary

 

[merl67]

Not sure why there are two different threads from the same member on the this subject. It is your money, but it doesn't make sense to spend $500 on this gun spending additional money on the same gun when finding a round butt Smith & Wesson Model 10
Shouldn't be that hard, and for less money.

 

[pantannojack]

If you found a RB m10 in like condition w good grips for 800$ would you still want it?

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Blue guns require a refinish which really adds to the cost.

Not always. I roundbutted a Model 10 once (still have it) so that I could use factory RB Magnas and a Tyler. One hacksaw cut to start, the rest by hand with a file. Once I did all the masking, my local gunsmith friend lent me a sandblaster for a minute or two. That sandblasted area took cheap touch-up blue VERY well. Greased it afterwards. I have never had to do anything to that area again, even though it is visible with the grips on.

 

[Muley Gil]

Not sure why there are two different threads from the same member on the this subject. It is your money, but it doesn't make sense to spend $500 on this gun spending additional money on the same gun when finding a round butt Smith & Wesson Model 10
Shouldn't be that hard, and for less money.

Anybody with simple hand tools-a hacksaw, a couple of files, sandpaper and/or emery cloth and a hand drill, can convert a square butt revolver to a round butt. Revolvers with smooth grip frames are the easiest, especially stainless ones.

I started by buying a set of round butt Magna grips and tracing the outline. Hacksaw off the excess metal, leaving enough metal on the backstrap to leave a radius when finished. You will need to deepen the strain screw hole and either replace or shorten the strain screw slightly.

Take your time, remove the cut and file marks and cold blue (blue handguns). With practice, you can go from SB to RB in about 1 1/2 hours.

 

[Buzzzer]

If you buy it it's yours to do as you please! I, personally, can't stand round butt frames, at all. Even the few RB frames I own have some type of a square butt style grip, conversion or the older type Pachmayr's...

 

[steelslaver]

I prefer round butts. Go for it. Your hand is smaller at the bottom than the top. Square butts are bigger at the bottom opposite of the hand holding it.

 

[smoothshooter]

I have had a couple of other newer Smiths changed to round butt before.

If I buy this gun, I will probably have it done too.
I was asking because I have not been keeping up with current selling prices on S&W revolvers in this age group for several years, and was a little hesitant to alter or devalue this gun if they had been shooting up in price without alterations.
It would be used primarily as an outdoor piece and carried in a flap holster while mowing, cutting wood and brush, fixing fence, etc. I have other lighter guns that serve those purposes well, but most are 5-shooters, while this gun should not be but a few ounces heavier, and holds six.

 

[merl67]

I would have to see the gun in question, but I think for starters $500 is more than I would give for a gun I was planning on altering. I am assuming you are going to to the work yourself as this is the only way monetarily that in makes any sense considering you are concerned about value. A finish worn Smith would seem to be a better choice given your planned use for it. I still think you could find a round butt Smith fairly easily. I know I could here in Tennessee....

 

[toofartogo]

SQ butt to RD butt

Interesting topic, I have a 4" HB 64 I am contemplating
doing this very thing.

 

[Rodan]

Probably cheaper to buy one of these and have it rebarreled...

Smith & Wesson 10 Revolver, 38 Special, No Barrel, Round Butt, GSS, CAI Mark, Used, S&W.

I would go that route before modifying a nice 1960s M10...

 

[merl67]

Probably cheaper to buy one of these and have it rebarreled...

Smith & Wesson 10 Revolver, 38 Special, No Barrel, Round Butt, GSS, CAI Mark, Used, S&W.


I would go that route before modifying a nice 1960s M10...

Humm I have a couple of 2" barrels in my stash...
I wonder what the story is behind these...?

 

[Rodan]

Humm I have a couple of 2" barrels in my stash...
I wonder what the story is behind these...?

Overseas police guns... I bought a couple and they appear to be from Malaysia. Even though they are US made, import laws prevent them from being re-imported with the original 2" barrels, so they are disassembled and imported without barrels.