Messing with perfection: curved backstrap grips on a 3913

[S&W247]

I can't leave anything alone, so I decided to screw with the perfect little 9mm, my 3913NL. Can't say that the straight backstrap of the OEM grips felt bad, but why not have an arched backstrap? I actualy set out to add a curved backstrap AND and inset magazine floor plate like the original 3913 TSW. But some fool bumped the power feed on the mill (that would be me) and destroyed that plan, so I went with a typical grip flush with the bottom of the frame. I'll try the original plan next week, but for now I thought I'd let you guys tell me what you think about these grips.

 

[presspics]

They look great! Must be very comfy.

 

[mlk18]

I am not a curved back strap guy, but I would LOVE to wrap my hand around that 3913. I am also very interested in seeing your inset version.

 

[Kilted Cossack]

All God's chilluns got hands, and those hands are all different. A grip that feels great to one set of hands might feel horrid to another. With that said, you did a good job on the fitting, and they look like they'd be comfortable, plus a) you're the only kid on the block to have one, and b) you did it yourself, and both a) and b) rack up the cool points.

 

[datsun40146]

I wouldn't mind paying for that. Would you mind letting me know how you did it?

 

[baird]

I would pay for a set of those if you decided to start manufacturing them.

Pretty please?

 

[Dueeast]

I like it! I love the feel of the curved grip on my mod 39. that being said, my 4053 fits me almost as well. I kinda wish that had a curved grip.

 

[rkammer]

I can't leave anything alone, so I decided to screw with the perfect little 9mm, my 3913NL. Can't say that the straight backstrap of the OEM grips felt bad, but why not have an arched backstrap? I actualy set out to add a curved backstrap AND and inset magazine floor plate like the original 3913 TSW. But some fool bumped the power feed on the mill (that would be me) and destroyed that plan, so I went with a typical grip flush with the bottom of the frame. I'll try the original plan next week, but for now I thought I'd let you guys tell me what you think about these grips.

I don't think you messed with perfection at all. I had a 3913 back in the '90s and added the Hogue rubber grip to it which had a curved back strap. That was a really comfortable gun to shoot for me, much better than the straight grip.

 

[miles71]

I would like to hear how you did this too, please go on.............

 

[Cruiser RN]

I think they look great and you might have a market for this conversion.....God bless....Mike

 

[S&W247]

Thanks guys. Well as most of you can probably tell, I cut down a 3906 grip. Basically I used an end mill to hog out the mainspring seat (my semi-technical name for it) in the grip so it would fit on the 3913 frame.

Then, for temporary trials, I cut the mainspring seat out of another old 3rd gen grip I had (it looked like a dog had chewed on it anyway) and ground it to fit both the modified 3906 grip and the 3913 frame. I plan to machine a new mainspring retainer from aluminum or delrin that will fill the entire void in the bottom of the grip and give it a professional look.

Drilling the hole was a little tricky. I clamped the pistol frame up in the mill, lined up a drill bit to the cross pin hole with the grips removed, installed the grips, and then drilled the hole. Worked great, but with that small a drill bit and despite using a 5-C collet instead of a drill chuck, the drill walked enough to shave aluminum from the hole in my frame. So I won't be doing that too many times or else I'll have a slopping cross pin hole.

As for making some, I'm open to the idea and had casually thought about it, but I'm not sure I can do it for a price most of you guys would consider reasonable. The grips alone are $18 and fashioning a new mainspring seat is not extremely quick. Let me do some cost analysis and I'll see what I can come up with. In the mean time, if anyone is seriously interested PM with how many sets you would want. No obligation to buy here at all...just trying to get a feel for wether or not its worth my time.

 

[datsun40146]

I would be willing to pay no more than 50 usd for a modded stock type grip. Any lower than that would be good, but that is as much as I would be willing to pay. Now if you used wood grip for the 3906 or your customers provided the grips they wanted modded well then that would change some things.

 

[18DAI]

I think you may have perfected perfection.

The 3906 is the only S&W Delrin grip that fit me. The first thing I usually do with my 3rd gen S&W's is take off the OEM Delrins and replace them with Hogues.

My 3913 fits me like it was designed for me with its rubber Hogues. But my 3906 feels even better with its OEM Delrins.

Please advise if you should decide to produce any. I'll take a set. Regards 18DAI.

 

[datsun40146]

So did you crunch the numbers on the grips? Figure out if the ROI was worth it?

 

[4864]

Looks very good and I am sure feels great. I like the curved back strap on the Factory grips. I put Hogues on just about all of my 3rd Generation guns due to the arched back strap. I just picked up a 4576 and had a set of Factory arched grips for it already. They feel great and not to big like the Hogues can be in some placed. I left the flat Factory grips om my 4506-1. It just feels better for some odd reason.

 

[j38]

Put me down as another very interested party.

Jerry

 

[revolvergeek]

Looks great! Years ago when I had a 3954 I built up the backstrap with a big wad of epoxy putty to give it that shape. It didn't look pretty, but it really made the gun point much better.

 

[miles71]

Just a thought, could you use the hogue internal section the pin goes through as the internals for a cut down 3906 grip?

TD

 

[ColColt]

I think it looks superb. I put the curved ones on my 4566TSW and haven't regretted it at all. It feels more...well,right for my hand.

 

[bna1jem]

Curious if you were able to start making these and if you were taking orders. Because, I too would love to have this type of a grip for a 3913.