The K Frame

[AStone]

XB, thanks for the input.

The Hogue grip should sit flush with the backstrap.

That's what I suspected. I just doesn't feel right this way. It's definitely got a high ridge in the middle of the back of the grip.

It appears to not be going onto the gun enough. Check to make sure nothing is blocking it from going further.

I've now taken it off and reinstalled it twice.

There are indicators that it is fully pushed up on the frame. Notches on the upper part of the grips are mating precisely with the appropriate parts of the frame with no space left. Perfect fit up top.

Yet that back strap still protrudes.

It's as if the grips were designed to fit a revolver with a slightly different (less arch) curve on the backstrap, but this one has a greater arch.

I'll take it to the shop where I bought the Hogues next week and let them try it.

It may be that I need a different set.

Nem

 

[jaholder1971]

I have a M65-3 that was issued to my father after he made Sergeant at Topeka PD. He bought the piece from the city upon retirement in 1990. I inherited it on his death in 2001. It stays loaded with Remington 125 JHP's in a dresser drawer on HD duty but is essentially retired.

I'm desperately looking for a Model 15-3 in 4" barrel, a copy of his other duty weapon that he carried on the street. My brother ended up with that one and God knows what he did with it as we're not on speaking terms.

 

[ugaarguy]

I'll buy a high ride OWB for it asap, but also hoping to find a "drop holster", like a tactical leg holster but preferably leather, that sits below the belt line. (Needs to fit below a backpack waist belt for camp use.) If anyone knows of such a holster for this 3", please let me know.

You might look for older police duty holsters, like the ones Bianchi made. These will attach to your belt but the holster sits quite low, and is offset outward a bit for an easier draw.

So, two questions:

1) Any recommendations for getting that last little bit of crud out of the cylinder bores that's sort of hard to get at where the cylinder bore diameter decreases? I'm guessing just more brushing, but ...

Take the grips off so you don't get any solvent on them of course. Something like gun scrubber or foaming bore cleaner left to set for a few minutes should help. You could also remove the cylinder and let it soak overnight in tub filled with a solvent - generic automatic transmission fluid from the autoparts store or a mega-mart works well for this and is cheap.

Alternately if you can find a shop with an ultrasonic cleaning unit these things work great, and very quickly.

2) Please take a look at the first image below taken from straight above. (I'm still working on lighting for stainless steel, and may have to get the 35 mm film camera out soon.) Notice that the Hogues do not cover the back strap. That's OK, but the back strap is not flush with the grips on the back, but instead sticks up about 1/16" or a bit more above the back of the grip.

Is that normal? Shouldn't the strap be flush with the grips?

I agree with XB, it should be more flush, but sometimes they arent. Remember that it's an inexpensive mass produced grip - sometimes there are slight fit variations between different examples of the same gun (or grip frame) and grip. Perhaps the shop where you bought them will let you try a few of the same grip to see if one example fits better.

Finally, welcome to the K Frame club my friend. I'm glad you've got one now, and that it's thus far held up to praise we here have heaped upon it.

I have a M65-3 that was issued to my father after he made Sergeant at Topeka PD. He bought the piece from the city upon retirement in 1990. I inherited it on his death in 2001. It stays loaded with Remington 125 JHP's in a dresser drawer on HD duty but is essentially retired.

That's awesome. Getting to hear about these old duty guns that have stayed in families is one of the coolest things about THR; though I'm sorry to hear about the circumstances of his model 15.

If I may, I'd advise that you switch the loads to something in the 158 grain weight range. The K Magnums are great guns, but they are known to suffer cracked forcing cones from the velocity of the light & fast magnum loadings impacting them when the bullet makes the jump from cylinder to forcing cone.

 

[jad0110]

Nem,

That is an awesome Model 65 you have there, welcome to the K Frame Club my friend! K Frames are addicting, as I am sure you well know. One is never enough, I have two and would love to add more. A 3" Model 65 is definitely among my choices for a nice, intermediate-sized carry gun between my 642 and 686 (other considerations include 357 Mags with a 2.5=3.25" barrel, like the S&W M19, 13, or 66, as well as the Ruger Security/Service/Speed Six). I'd also love to have a well-worn Model 10 or pre-10 M&P, with lots of character.

You could also remove the cylinder and let it soak overnight in tub filled with a solvent - generic automatic transmission fluid from the autoparts store or a mega-mart works well for this and is cheap.

Removing the cylinder definitely makes cleaning a whole lot easier, especially with cylinders as gummed up as yours. Cylinder removal is very easy, if you don't already have a good screwdriver, S&W has a set here: http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=16236&training=.

Below, I am basically quoting myself in an earlier post on cylinder removal:

The most important point to remember (in addition to using the proper gunsmith screwdriver) is to hold the cylinder in the open position, in place, while drawing the crane arm out from the gun. If you try to take the entire assembly out at once (cylinder and all) you are almost guaranteed to scratch the cylinder on the frame. Not a problem on a stainless gun because it can be polished out, but not good on a blue or nickel one. It is easy to spot a gun with a cylinder that was removed incorrectly - the scratch appears as a thin, horizontal drag mark on the cylinder.

Reassembly is basically the reverse. Hold the cylinder about where it would be located when it is open, then slide the crane assembly onto the gun and cylinder.

It is a lot easier than it sounds.

 

[BillinNH]

Bad fitting Hogue monogrips

A couple years ago I bought a set of Hogue monogrips to put on my M19-5
2 1/2" round butt. The T-ridge of the backstrap stood proud of the grip by a noticeable amount. Enough to make felt recoil worse, not better. I just wrote if off as a poor product, although my experience with Hogues on other guns was very positive. I eventually mentioned it to my gun store and they said I should have told them about it right away because Hogue would have made it right. But I didn't have the receipts anymore and just wrote it off.

I still haven't found the perfect grip for a K-frame. Currently I have a Bianchi Lightning on the model 19 which turns the gun into a Bodyguard type of configuration. Not needed for my 19 and it looks a little funny but the grip is very comfortable and secure.

There is a full wraparound rubber grip for K frames that is available for the 519 and 619 that may work well. Any tried them?

Bill

 

[DAdams]

Welcome Home to the K 65

Nem enjoy that 65. Can't wait to see how he shoots, he since it is Batman.
I'll bet you will have that thing looking sweet when all is said and done.

I came here just long enough to see Nems new rod, and get hung up looking at all the fine iron in the K frame family. I need to stay away from this club. It makes me crazy.

Yeah, yeah, I know, resistance is futile. I'm waiting for the right find. I have been scouring some shops and when I find the right K I will add to my alphabet. I want a pre lock classic of some sort. 2.5 since the L I have is a 3 inch.

I use Kleen Bore Lead Away cloths to get rid of those racoon eyes on the stainless cylinder ends. I takes abit of finger twisting after 100 rounds though. Takes longer to do that than all the other processes together.

 

[AStone]

Uga, Bill, Jad and DA, thanks for the official welcome and advice.

I'll be heading over to my shop early week on another matter, so I'll take the 65 along with misfit grips and see what they recommend. It could be something I'm doing wrong with installation (but I don't think so), but I'll bet you're right: I suspect Hogue will make it "right" if I press it a bit, specially since they're brand new.

They do have another set there that convert round butt to square butt, and there's more backstrap coverage. I may put a set of those on just to try it out, though like I said above, when I tried them in the shop off the gun, the round butt felt better for my smaller hands.

Good suggestions on cylinder cleaning, too. Jad, I'm going to find a good set of gunsmith screwdrivers first. I'll check to see what my gun shop has, and can order that one from SW if I need to. Then, I'll practice taking the cylinder off.

(Speaking of gunsmith screwdrivers: the only significant cosmetic mar on Batman is on the right side of the gun, just below the cylinder. Big scratch leading both ways (front and back) away from the screw; looks like somebody was trying to get the screw out and let the driver slip ... <ouch> )

In the mean time, I'll see if the shop has some of that "gun scrubber or foaming bore cleaner" that Uga mentioned, and get a Lead Away that DA mentioned, too. (Once I get Batman clean, it'll never never get this dirty again as long as I have it.)

And, DA, you're right: resistance is futile. Good luck finding that 2.5", and come on in.

Nem

 

[AStone]

PS: almost forgot this ...

You might look for older police duty holsters, like the ones Bianchi made. These will attach to your belt but the holster sits quite low, and is offset outward a bit for an easier draw.

Uga, thanks for the suggestion. I will check them out.

However, for camp use, I suspect it won't work. Haven't seen one yet, but ... at camp (which is a primitive camp, off road, often involving packing in), I carry daily a modest sized backpack (complete with overnight gear) that has a large (3.5" to 4") waist belt that rides on my pelvis.

Any kind of OWB is just prohibited by that waist belt. No way to carry any kind of gun, let alone a K-frame under a pack waist belt.

Hence, I'm looking for some kind of tactical leg holster for it that will ride below the waistbelt. It may attach to my gun belt, but it needs to ride several inches below the belt.

I bought one at my gun shop: a nylon job made by "Double Triple Trading", but it's really made for a semi-auto; the 65 fits poorly, and thus doesn't carry very well. They also make a tactical holster for a revolver, but only for a larger (like 686+) 4".

I'll likely start another thread in revolvers to seek solutions to this rather than clog up this thread.

 

[jaholder1971]

Quote:
I have a M65-3 that was issued to my father after he made Sergeant at Topeka PD. He bought the piece from the city upon retirement in 1990. I inherited it on his death in 2001. It stays loaded with Remington 125 JHP's in a dresser drawer on HD duty but is essentially retired.
That's awesome. Getting to hear about these old duty guns that have stayed in families is one of the coolest things about THR; though I'm sorry to hear about the circumstances of his model 15.

If I may, I'd advise that you switch the loads to something in the 158 grain weight range. The K Magnums are great guns, but they are known to suffer cracked forcing cones from the velocity of the light & fast magnum loadings impacting them when the bullet makes the jump from cylinder to forcing cone.

I know about the 125's, since it's in semi retirement it's no real big deal. It stays in my dresser drawer in Dad's original Roy Baker pancake holster. When I do shoot it in practice (about 2-3 times/year versus weekly for my others) I use .38 special 158 LSWC. What I really miss is Dad's old Colt Detective Special 2" snubbie which is now Mom's HD piece. It's what he carried before he got the 65.

I saw a thin tube M10-5 today at the indoor range in NRA excellent for $320. Does this sound a little high or am I out of date for these revolvers today?

 

[ugaarguy]

I saw a thin tube M10-5 today at the indoor range in NRA excellent for $320. Does this sound a little high or am I out of date for these revolvers today?

It depends on where you are, but based on the gun being in excellent condition I think it's fair. With more searching you might find a little better deal, but K frame prices are climbing. People know what a value these old classics are, and prices are edging up toward their true worth.

 

[ugaarguy]

I'm going to find a good set of gunsmith screwdrivers first. I'll check to see what my gun shop has, and can order that one from SW if I need to. Then, I'll practice taking the cylinder off.

Nem, and all interested, I actually purchased a set of Lowe's Kobalt (their house tool brand) precision screwdrivers not long ago. I was in there on an errand and noticed that all the flat heads in the little set were hollow ground as good gunsmith & jeweler's screwdrivers are. They've worked quite well, and the torx & phillips drivers are nice for other household needs. The set was under $15 and came with a pretty nice little black nylon carrying case too.

 

[AStone]

Sounds great, Uga.

More utility than just guns.
Nylon case sounds good, too.
(I'd rather have a soft zipper case
than another hard one.)

Unfortunately, there's no Lowes in my town.
I'll check Home Depot for something similar,though.

 

[Bulldog]

 

[Tom Servo]

Bulldog, that's a beautiful 66-2. Is it bead-blasted?

Here's mine, a 66-3 4". It belonged to a New Hampshire State Trooper, who carried it until he retired in 1998. He left it to his daughter after he died, and the ungrateful brat brought it into my shop wrapped in a sock. In a sock.





Now she (the gun) has a loving home. Slapped some Badger Grips on, and she's a BBQ gun. The holster is a Bucheimer, which I'm assuming was what she was carried in.

I'd shot my P7 the previous day. After cleaning the 66 up, I took it back to the range, and I shot it just as well in DA as I had the P7. The trigger is an absolute marvel, and the gun is a natural pointer.

 

[Bulldog]

Bulldog, that's a beautiful 66-2. Is it bead-blasted?

Thanks. Yep, I had it blasted not long after I purchased it. Didn't really need it, but I prefer it. I just got the 65 a couple of weeks ago. I considered leaving it as it is, but I'd probably sit there obsessively rubbing fingerprints off, so I think I'll have it blasted, too.

 

[MTS Cop]

I'll toss my recently acquired 10-6 into the mix. It's a former NYCPD gun and from the looks of it it saw a good deal of action. I have no plans to refinish it or even change the grips, I'm leaving it the way the street left it. The trigger is about the sweetest I've ever felt. If I wanted a nice shiny Model 10 I'd buy a new one.

 

[AStone]

Two questions:

1) How common is it for a K-frame (I have in mind a 65) to have square butt grips?

2) Can any one provide me with an online source (URL other than Hogue, please; seeking $20 deal)
and order number for Hogue monogrips that fit a model 65 and convert its round butt to a square butt?

I'm looking for these:

 

[ugaarguy]

MTS Cop, welcome to the K Frame club.

I'm leaving it the way the street left it. The trigger is about the sweetest I've ever felt. If I wanted a nice shiny Model 10 I'd buy a new one.

Like aged wine in a dusty bottle the beauty of many of these old K Frames is inside. I like the idea of leaving her alone. She's an old workhorse that woke up to find herself a classic revolver - and you can still shoot her. Very nice classic M10.

 

[AStone]

1) How common is it for a K-frame (I have in mind a 65) to have square butt grips?

During near terminal boredom tonight,
I did a quick small sample survey.

Out of all the images on page 4,
none have round butts.
All are square.
(Well, OK, one has a point in the middle bottom,
but is still more square than round.)

 

[ugaarguy]

How common is it for a K-frame (I have in mind a 65) to have square butt grips?

According to SCSW all 3" 65s are RB, and the 4" guns started as SB. In 1995/96 the SB was deleted. The 65 was made from 1972 to 2004. How many folks choose to put round to square conversion grips on their guns? I think that's a great question for Hogue, Pachmayr, and other grip makers.

 

[AStone]

Thanks for the data, Uga.

How many folks choose to put round to square conversion grips on their guns? I think that's a great question for Hogue, Pachmayr, and other grip makers.

That gets at the heart of the issue for me.

As I mentioned above, I'm considering putting SB Hogue monogrips on my 65 because the RB monogrips that I bought with that open back strap don't fit. The back strap sits up a full 1/16" or more above the grip. Doesn't look right, doesn't feel right.

So, since I love the feel of the Hogue monogrips, I'm probably going to put on a set of the SB that covers the back strap more completely. All I've got to do is find the right order number.

I've got a call in to Hogue about it, but they so far haven't returned it.

<rant>

The people at my (former ) gun shop scoffed at me for even raising the question. The manager, barely glancing at the gun as he walked by, scoffed in a belittling tone, "You've got to be kidding [about being concerned]! No grip is going to fit better than that."

I beg to differ. While I was being ignored after that, I looked at every revolver in their cases.
All exposed back straps were flush with the grips.

I've been repeatedly treated disrespectfully in that shop. I'm done there.
I like to support local, but I'm not supporting that kind of customer treatment.

</rant>

Nem

 

[m.pieroni]

m19 3"

 

[m.pieroni]

m19 nickel

 

[Newkid]

.357 K-Frame Mod 19-5

This is my first post after reading about so many

good and relevant to me topics. I hope that I can get to know all of you. This M19 has a different type of serial number than I have seen from other posts and would possibly like to know if someone might be able to set a year on it for me. I think 1982, but I am not sure.. 254K4xx Thank you

 

[AStone]

Newkid, welcome to THR and to the K-club. Glad to have you here.

I'll let others address your question, cause with K-frames, I'm a new kid, too.
__________

Just called Hogue customer service. After a long conversation with a ... um, person who was, um, shall we say,
a bit difficult to converse with <whoa >, we identified the proper monogrip for RB to SB conversion.

Just in case anyone is interested: it's called the "S&W conversion grip", listed on this page
(large pdf catalog page) as S&W KRD Conversion. (At least we think that's the same one.)

Anyway, they've agreed to exchange it.

Still haven't heard back from their tech support person about the lack of fit of these RBs,
but maybe he's just busy.