Modified Smith & Wesson Target Grips

[Bazoo]

I've spoken of my wife's 686 and the modified target grips several times in various threads so I figured I'd share for everyone that might want to see or modify their grips.

These were factory checkered target grips. I removed the shields, shaped the grips, including removing the checkering, and shortened the grips to be even with the butt. There was a splinter on the inside of the grip, that I repaired using a piece of the cutoff. I finished them with Tung Oil.

I fitted these for my wife who has small hands, but I actually like these grips better myself with my large hands.

 

[Pat Riot]

Nice work

 

[rperyam]

Wow! I really like the looks of those. Great job. Nice to see they have been used. Too many pictures of grips look like they are on safe queens and never touched.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Turned out nice!

 

[Rodfac]

Great work...not easy to modify S&W grips....well done. Rod

 

[TheFrontRange]

Nicely-done! I really like the look of those!

 

[Bazoo]

Wow! I really like the looks of those. Great job. Nice to see they have been used. Too many pictures of grips look like they are on safe queens and never touched.

Thanks, we have about 12 years of use on them.

 

[JumboJVT]

I've been consideing doing the same with a pair of N-frame targets to fit them to a K-frame RB. No idea where I got the grips, as I've never owned an N-frame. How did you go about removing the medallions without buggering them up? Thanks.

 

[Pat Riot]

I've been consideing doing the same with a pair of N-frame targets to fit them to a K-frame RB. No idea where I got the grips, as I've never owned an N-frame. How did you go about removing the medallions without buggering them up? Thanks.

Slap the panels on a Ruger. The S&W medallions will pop right off. They don’t want cooties.

 

[JumboJVT]

Slap the panels on a Ruger. The S&W medallions will pop right off. They don’t want cooties.

I'll give it a whirl! But I'd still like to have a backup plan.

 

[StrawHat]

You do nice work. I have done similar but never bothered to complete the work. I stopped after cutting them even with the bottom of the grip frame and removing all the wood that did not fit my hand. I did two sets and had them on my competition revolvers.





One pair now resides on a Model 15-3 that Herself uses. The other set is waiting for the right K frame.

(edit to add) This modification made the stocks a very close mimic of my favorite stocking combination, the Magna stock with a grip adapter.

Kevin

 

[silicosys4]

To anybody thinking about modifying their S&W target grips, K frame, J frame, or N frame, if they are in good shape,
PM me and I will buy you a set of whatever generic aftermarket grips you want in trade for your factory target grips so you can chop, saw, grind, sand, and shape them to your heart's desire, or just leave them as is. We can go on ebay and pick out a repro set from Thailand if you want to chop on those.

 

[jdavis123]

Smith and Wesson target grips have become somewhat difficult to find. and valuable. This is especially true of the older model with the diamond around the screw. Perhpas the mos valuable is the N frame ”Coke” grips of the 50s and 60s. They are simply too valuable and collectible to butcher. Silicosys4 is right, pass them on to someone who appreciates them and pick up something that you can whittle on without destroying it’s value.

 

[Bazoo]

I've been consideing doing the same with a pair of N-frame targets to fit them to a K-frame RB. No idea where I got the grips, as I've never owned an N-frame. How did you go about removing the medallions without buggering them up? Thanks.

With the grips removed you can see the back side of the medallion. I just drove it out with a punch (I don't remember if they were glued or just had the stud expanded for a mechanical hold). I thinned the grip in that area and used a forstner bit to deepen the hole so they would be flush, and then glued them back in with JB weld after I refinished them.

I put tung oil on to finish.

 

[Bazoo]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[bangswitch]

I'm not sure I could make myself cut into a set of Goncalo Alves stocks that are worth $300+. Maybe if they were all beat up and needed restoration I would modify them as part of restoring them to something usable.

 

[StrawHat]

Some of us did these modification when folks were pitching away wood to put crappy rubber grips on the revolvers. In other words, they were not worth beans.

But, if I need to modify them today, you can thank me for making yours worth a nickel more! The two reasons those old stocks are valuable is because they are hard to find and Barnum was right.

Kevin

 

[Bazoo]

I'm not sure I could make myself cut into a set of Goncalo Alves stocks that are worth $300+. Maybe if they were all beat up and needed restoration I would modify them as part of restoring them to something usable.

I don't know what the grips were worth a decade ago, but I think they were worth about $100. I didn't know they fetched such a high price now. Thanks for sharing.