Bought a set of grips awhile back to go on my 4" King Cobra, and finally got around to "doing". I took off the pachmayers, and the new wood grips did not fit AT ALL. I noticed some evidence from a grinder of some sort on the left side of the butt. Curious, along with not overly happy, I took off the grips on my 6" King Cobra too. I am not sure how to describe this situation. The 4" butt frame (??) is not even-it is "offset" The 6" is even. I'll attach some pics and hopefully it shows up well enough. I have no idea how I can get grips for this 4", but I am guessing one of the previous owners had trouble getting grips to fit also, considering the grinding. Is this butt normal??
Abnormal Colt Butt?
- Thread starter bean357
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Vern Humphrey
Member
This is NOT normal, and I don't know how Colt let it slip through.
Quality control like this may be why Colt has done so poorly in recent years.
Quality control like this may be why Colt has done so poorly in recent years.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
Some self-inflicted genius tried to alter the frame to fit a set of stocks. It's not likely the butchery was done at the Colt factory, but nothing that company does surprises me any more.
If 'twere my gun, I believe I'd either alter stocks to fit the peculiar frame, or find a piece of stainless steel the right thickness and cut it to fit the frame. Neither of those is a good solution, to be sure.
BluesBear
member
That didn't happen at the Colt factory.
That is someone's ham handed attempt to make the left grip thinner to get speedloaders to work with the original wood stocks.
That's why it had Pachmayr's on it.
That is someone's ham handed attempt to make the left grip thinner to get speedloaders to work with the original wood stocks.
That's why it had Pachmayr's on it.
Even after all the grinding that was done by *who knows*, the two wood grip sides will not come close together on the 4". Even the two piece pachmayers that came off the 6" will not work-still a big gap. The ones that were on the 4" were a one piece grip. I do not like rubber grips, but I hate to start experimenting with a set of fancy wood grips that I paid $70 for. :banghead:
Vern Humphrey
Member
Have you considered filling the gap with bedding compound? Mix in a little sawdust to match the color, and you should have a good fit.
Vern Humphrey
Member
Quote:
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It is about a 1/4" gap front and back of grips...?
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If a stiff mixture of bedding compound won't fill the gap, use bedding compound to glue a thin sliver of wood to the grips, then after it cures, bed the resulting thicker grip to the frame.
Do you have any friends who do woodworking? They can probably give you a sliver of wood to fit. A piece the side of your hand, 3/32s of an inch thick could easily be cut to fit.
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It is about a 1/4" gap front and back of grips...?
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If a stiff mixture of bedding compound won't fill the gap, use bedding compound to glue a thin sliver of wood to the grips, then after it cures, bed the resulting thicker grip to the frame.
Do you have any friends who do woodworking? They can probably give you a sliver of wood to fit. A piece the side of your hand, 3/32s of an inch thick could easily be cut to fit.
Vern Humphrey
Member
It looks to me like it shouldn't be too difficult to shim and fit another set of grips then.
mountaindrew
Member
It doesnt look to me like a bubba job. Look at the first pic and how on the right side the grip frame is not cut back as far. The bubba couldnt have just milled one side, he would have had to add metal to the other. look at the picture to see what I mean. It looks like the grip frame is about the same thickness as the one that was "right", just offset. Have you measured the thickness of the two? I have no Idea how it could happen that bad.
I am in agreement with those who don't believe the factory was involved. Aside from having to pass factory inspection, a customer who found that in a factory new gun would send it back, not cover it up with grips. Whatever the reason, I think it was done by a gunsmith or customizer. I wonder what else was affected, like the rebound lever pin and the mainspring seat.
If you keep the gun, you can make a thin wood or aluminum shim to fill out the grip on the left side and screw it in place, then put the Pachmayrs back on.
Jim
If you keep the gun, you can make a thin wood or aluminum shim to fill out the grip on the left side and screw it in place, then put the Pachmayrs back on.
Jim
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