Square butt to round butt?

B

buzz_knox

New member
Given that my search for a round butt *&* 19 is not going well, I was wondering about how much it would cost to convert a square butt to a round butt? I know it's possible, I just don't know how much it would run or what it would entail.


As an aside, I've seen a photo of a 629 converted to a K-frame roundbutt. Expensive, but nice.
 
According to a very capable gunsmith at an establishment local to you, the whole operation would run you $100 start to finish. This includes re-cutting the vertical grooves on the backstrap and re-blueing. It'd probably be a little less for a Model 66, since the blueing part wouldn't be necessary.
 
Got hacksaw and file?

And a bench vise, of course.

Scrounge up a pair of S&W K frame round butt grips to use as a guide.

Remove main spring and strain screw. Hack saw to rough, file to file. 400 grit sandpaper to polish and finish. The front strap must be altered too, if you're going to use round butt grips.

If you must, the grooves in the rear strap can be redone with a checkering file. I've always ignored it, except when I took all the grooving off.

Or, do like I do and use non checkered Herrett's Shooting Stars and file them off to match the frame strap profile.

I've done two or three. It's a couple night job.
 
IIRC, there is a jig or guide you can use for this. I think if you check with Brownell's you may be able to track it down.
 
I have seen gunsmiths that do this, and I've done it myself on 4 revolvers.
Two stainless, two blued.

It takes a few hours. First you rough in the cut with a bench grinder, to within a sixteenth inch of a pre-scribed line following the round butt profile.
The rest of the work is accomplished with files, then sanding blocks, then sandpaper.
If you are patient, and careful, you can do a wonderful job at home.
If it's a blued gun, then you can take it to a gunshop and pay them the $70 or so to reblue it.

However, I have never found anyone that would, or could, recut the backstrap grooves.

I would be very interested in knowing who is doing this!
:) -Kframe
 
A local gunsmith, very capable guy named Shannon Jennings. He's dome some miracle work with Tamara's battle-scarred Ruger Vaquero...you wouldn't know that the gun used to have asphalt scars on it from sliding across the pavement with a motorcycle on top of it.
 
Last week I was going to convert a Colt Police Positive to either a J frame handle or a Colt D frame short handle. I chose the Colt D short and all I had to do was cut .7" off the bottom of the butt. Now I can use the small rubber grips.
 
<--to his square butt K's--dont be afeared kids, he won't get you.

:(
(Too bad their isn't a crying smilie)
<sniff> I like the square butt, and since they aren't made anymore threads like this make me think of pore ole "Braveheart" being drawn and quartered.

Seriously though. I've seen a growing number of 19's/ 66's lately w/round butts. What barrel length are you after? And does it have to be a 19, or will a 66 do?
 
Not a difficult modification to do at all. George Nonte covers these simple things in his book, Pistolsmithing. See if you can find a copy at a second hand bookshop.

Best thing to do is to go to some NRA gunsmithing school. It'll give you access to the bluing tanks and buffing machines.
 
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