One of the great things about revolvers is the ability to swap out grips to get the fit that’s just right for you. As long as you’re using a common platform you can choose from rubber, wood, plastic, G10 or micarta and a myriad of shapes, thicknesses and options with or without finger grooves.
With that said, there’s something about the classic skinny wood grips like the Smith & Wesson Magna grip that first came out in the 1930’s. It’s a good-looking grip, but can be a little small for a lot of folks and led to the development of grip adapters to fill in that space between the trigger guard and grip frame.
Pachmayer made their “Sure Grip” adapter, but probably the most common one was the Tyler T grip. Tyler is still in business, although you have to mail in your order and payment, and it seems orders can take a while from listening to folks on the various revolver forms. That seems to be reflected by the prices they’re bringing on online auction sites. I wanted a T grip for my N frame Smith & Wesson Model 28 and found that N frame adapters were bringing upwards of $200 regularly in auctions.
That was a bit more than I wanted to spend, so I started looking for options and came across BK Grips.
BK Grips
BK Grips grip adapters are made in molds six at a time, and then finished by hand. Whereas the Tyler T grips are aluminum, the BK grip adapter is made of polymer. They’re similar in profile and, like the Tyler, they use a set of copper tabs that fit under the grip panels to hold the adapter in place. The Tyler uses a single tab design while the BK uses two tabs.
The grip adapters are available for Colt D/E frames, S&W K/L/N frames, and S&W J frames. They’re available in black and ivory colors, although the website states that ivory ones may not pop up often since black outsells them by a large degree.
Being that these are cast and finished by hand, you have to watch the website for when a new batch drops. They sell out in hours when they drop so you need to have a little bit of patience if you want one. They only cost $25 a piece though, so it’s worth it to check back now and then until you snag a set.
I picked up an adapter for the S&W K/L/N frame to use on my Model 28 Highway Patrolman that I had fitted with a set of 60’s or 70’s vintage butterscotch Micarta Tyler Tru-Fit Grips that I’ve had waiting around for the right donor piece. They’re Magna grip profile and I thought the grip adapter would work well with them. $25 for the BK adapter was a lot more appealing than $200 or more for an old N frame Tyler so I figured I’d give it a go.
Installation
Installation of the BK grip adapter is easy. Just remove your grips, or even just loosen them enough that you can slip the copper tabs between the grip and the grip frame. Apply some pressure to the adapter, pushing it up against the frame, and tighten your grip screw back down. That’s it. It’s quick and easy.
Fit and Feel
BK Grips notes that their K/L/N adapter was made for square butt K-frames but works equally well on either square or round butt K and L frames. They also note that folks have used them successfully with N frames.
They work on the N-frame, but I discovered two things. First, I actually found that on the N-frame was more comfortable with the stock Magna grip sized panels than with the grip adapter in place. I use grip adapters on my little S&W I-frame Terrier and my K-frame Model 10 and like them a lot on those platforms. On the N it seemed a little too much.
The second thing I noticed was that while the adapter fits and functions on the N-frame, there’s more of a gap than I prefer. Nothing that affects function, but it aggravated my OCD a bit.
I swapped out the Tyler grip adapter with the BK on my Model 10 and found that it fit the K-frame perfectly. It snugged it up to the frame and was comfortable to use. It was very comparable to the T grip I had on the revolver previously.
If you’re in the market for an affordable grip adapter for an older Colt or Smith revolver, it’s worth keeping an eye on BK Grips for their next drop. At only $25 they’re a great deal and I check back every once in a while just in case any ivory ones pop up. I preferred the fit on the K-frame, which is what they were designed for, but I’m glad I tried the BK rather than dropping $200 for an old Tyler N frame adapter and then finding out I didn’t like it on the Highway Patrolman.
2 Responses
BK Grips are my grip adapter of choice!
I have a few of these and they are very well made. I have tried in the past to have Tyler T-grip make a set but they are difficult to deal with, rude, and do not answer emails or phone calls. In reality BK is the way to go, they are pleasant to deqal with and they ship quickly.