Rosewood grips and shimming

Gunznknives · May-08-22 03:05

Good Sunday morning to you!

Well, I decided to go down the rabbit hole a little further and order a few different grips for my Black Widow and Pug to change on a whim, or to suit other needs. I figure any other Magnums I pick up in the future I could have fun with as well.

I always liked the old school look of the plane rosewood grips so I started with those. I've read where many have had to custom fit their wood grips by either removing material or adding something to shim in order to get a proper fit. In my case, they were a little loose so I had to shim.

I decided the best course for me was to do something non-permanent. What I ended up doing was just cutting small strips of electrical tape to line the inside of the grip frame as needed. In some spots, one strip did the job, and others I had to double up. Anyway, it all worked out in the end and here are the results..

Steve

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Gunznknives · May-08-22 03:05

File size... additional pics.

Uncle_Lee · May-08-22 04:05

NAA revolvers are grown men's Barbie Dolls.
Dress them, change their clothes.
Rub, stroke, & love them.

Gunznknives · May-08-22 05:05

Quote from: uncle_lee on May-08-22 04:05
NAA revolvers are grown men's Barbie Dolls.
Dress them, change their clothes.
Rub, stroke, & love them.

Lol! I haven't thought of it that way but I have to say, I agree! 😁

Terry treefish · May-08-22 06:05

Fine specimen of a gun. Congratulations .

pietro · May-08-22 07:05

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CAVEAT ! !

Please consider that ANY wood, stag or ivory grips can crack if over-tightened .

The Gold Standard for preventing such cracking is to install a reinforce around the grip screw.

I cut a small I.D. piece of aluminum tubing (I used an old aluminum arrow shaft) to exactly the same length as the width of the grip frame at the grip screw location, then thread the grip screw through it when installing the grips.

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OV-1D · May-08-22 07:05

Great idea Pietro especially on the plastic grips .

Gunznknives · May-08-22 08:05

Good advice..

I didn't really torque the screw or use any of the plethora of loctite I have lying around the house. Just finger tight. I don't want to damage the screw head or the threads so I could use the screw multiple times.

I never really shoot these guns more than 30 or 40 rounds at a time when I go to the range. I have other guns too.🙂 If the screw works a little loose, I'll just snug it up a bit...no big deal.

bearcatter · May-08-22 08:05

One nice feature of a Bearcat, the mainspring seat is the same width as the frame. Same thing your tubing does. The grips can't bow inwards. I did similar to my Single Sixes but used ABS tube from a hobby shop.

bill_deshivs · May-08-22 11:05

The electrical tape will get gummy from any oil or heat. It's not a good solution. Try thin plastic or metal.

Gunznknives · May-08-22 11:05

Quote from: bill_deshivs on May-08-22 11:05
The electrical tape will get gummy from any oil or heat. It's not a good solution. Try thin plastic or metal.

Sure, it might. But remember, the pressure of the grips themselves are holding them in place. Everything is very snug. If I decide to change grips down the road, I'll simply peel off the tape, clean with alcohol and start all over again. I never intended it to be a permanent solution.

Rimfire · May-08-22 16:05

IMHO that BW looks a lot better with the rosewood grips than it does with the originals. Which ones make it handle better? That?s another question?

Gunznknives · May-09-22 02:05

Quote from: Rimfire on May-08-22 16:05
IMHO that BW looks a lot better with the rosewood grips than it does with the originals. Which ones make it handle better? That?s another question?

It's not ideal or as practical as the rubber grips, but it does decrease the size a little. I have medium sized hands with a size 8 ring finger, so it's totally doable for me. However, I can totally see how this would not work for some people at all. Everything about guns this size is a compromise. And yes, I really enjoy the looks of them as well.

pietro · May-09-22 07:05

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I decreased the size of my BW via installing NAA Stag birds-head panels - much better concealability, and just as easy to shoot

(because of the way I hold Mini's when shooting)

Gunznknives · May-09-22 14:05

Quote from: pietro on May-09-22 07:05
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I decreased the size of my BW via installing NAA Stag birds-head panels - much better concealability, and just as easy to shoot

(because of the way I hold Mini's when shooting)

They look great! Did you have to modify the grips in any way to get a good fit?