Fuzzy Farrant modified M64
- Thread starter tommy F
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Yes, I have had several. Farrant grips are one of my favorites. Seems like the cut frame was his trademark. I had the pleasure of meeting Fuzzy shortly before he passed away. I took a chance and he answered the phone and invited me over to correct a problem on a pair of his grips. What a great person.
Nowadays, it is sacrilege to cut the frame on a Smith. I can see why. However, when Fuzzy was making grips no one ever thought about it. His grips fit your hand the way they are supposed to and gave you better control. I use a couple of his grips to this day. The guns they are on did not have the frames cut to fit the grip, he made grips for standard frames too. I happen to have a brand new set for a round butt J frame that I bought from him in the late 70's or early 80's. I have not used them on anything yet.
If you try and find a set of Farrant grips today you will pay dearly for them.
Nowadays, it is sacrilege to cut the frame on a Smith. I can see why. However, when Fuzzy was making grips no one ever thought about it. His grips fit your hand the way they are supposed to and gave you better control. I use a couple of his grips to this day. The guns they are on did not have the frames cut to fit the grip, he made grips for standard frames too. I happen to have a brand new set for a round butt J frame that I bought from him in the late 70's or early 80's. I have not used them on anything yet.
If you try and find a set of Farrant grips today you will pay dearly for them.
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Anyone seen one modified like this?
Yes, the cut to the frame is the modification by a famous stock maker named Fuzzy Farrant. His excellent grip could be had two ways: (1) with the frame cut or (2) without the frame cut. I never wanted to modify anything, so when I tried them, I got the ones that fit the unaltered frame. That was decades ago, and the grips are long gone, but I recall them being of high quality and they were very well made. Mr. Farrant was quite a craftsman.
The other "elephant in the room" is a device used to convert an S&W from a flat mainspring to a coil mainspring. I am not sure of the reason anyone would want to do this, as I have never seen any evidence that flat mainsprings break any more often than coil springs. That said, Ruger in particular, touts its lack of flat springs and at least implies that coil springs are more durable. They may be, but I have never had one break. Ever. And that included a 1905 4th Change in .32-20 that was well used from its birth and shipment to Shapleigh Hardware in St. Louis, then purchased by my grandfather, used all of his life until his death in 1961, and then handed down to me and used fairly extensively from 1961 until 1998 or so. I have no issue with flat mainsprings and would not undertake such a conversion on any S&W owned by me.
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mstuhr
Member
Hi Tommy
Hi Tommy,
Could you please post a picture of the whole gun?
Are there any markings on it to identify it with a gunsmith?
Maybe a view of the whole thing would help identify the work.
If nothing else I would just enjoy getting a look at it.
Thanks a million
Mike
Hi Tommy,
Could you please post a picture of the whole gun?
Are there any markings on it to identify it with a gunsmith?
Maybe a view of the whole thing would help identify the work.
If nothing else I would just enjoy getting a look at it.
Thanks a million
Mike
The gun appears to be DAO (bobbed hammer). Perhaps the coil spring modification allowed for a more tunable pull, assuming this was some kind of competition gun (note the comp-style cylinder release and trigger stop)?
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hotrod150
Member
How about posting a pic? I've heard of Fuzzy Farant for years bit never seen any of his work. I'd also like to see a full pic of the OP's gun with the grips in place. Thanks.
I bought a model 14 that had the frame cut but not the modification for the coil spring. It came with the diamond
target grips but not were Farrant grips. I was surely surprised when I removed the grips for the first time and saw the frame cut.It was the first time I had heard of the Farrant modification. The primer under the strain screw was for temp. repair of light strikes.
target grips but not were Farrant grips. I was surely surprised when I removed the grips for the first time and saw the frame cut.It was the first time I had heard of the Farrant modification. The primer under the strain screw was for temp. repair of light strikes.
Green Frog
Member
Somebody either used that for Steel Challenge or PPC and was very serious about it! The sight rib looks like it may be a BoMar, but I don't recognize that under-rib... looks top shelf, though! That whole package is one serious piece of work! 
Froggie
PS Probably sighted in for midrange wad cutters.
Froggie
PS Probably sighted in for midrange wad cutters.
AKRuss
Member
Good looking gun! The trigger stop looks like a few I've had done by Austin Behlert of CGS in New Jersey back in the day. Enjoy!!
Ross3914
Member
What about the serial number on conversions like this? It would seem like the conversion would remove some of the serial number on the bottom of the grip.
How about a photo? The ones in this old thread went away with that photo program that nobody uses anymore. I don't think I've seen a Fuzzy cut frame. Or I don't recall it anyway.
OP repost pic please
