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March 18, 2014
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My new-to-me Dan 15-2 6V (born in Monson ca. 1978) came with a large square-butt grip (almost the spitting image of the grip on my S&W 686-4).
I have just acquired a small DW FBI-style grip without its grip screw, (to go with my just acquired 4V barrel, and with a 2.5 inch barrel to be acquired later).
Using the square-butt's screw, I have mounted the FBI grip.
With the screw all the way home but only hand-tight, I can't pull the trigger. With the screw part way in, I can pull trigger and let the hammer fly but can't lock the hammer back for single action. With the screw even less part way in, I can lock the hammer back for single action, but I can also pull the grip downward (as if to remove) a quarter of an inch.
All of this suggests that the screw that came with the gun is too long for the smaller grip. If my conclusion is correct, where might I find a shorter grip screw? If something else is the cause, please school me.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Yes, the dreaded hammer won't work problem. Iwill buy your gun cheap for parts. Haha. There are two grip screws. A long for most grips and a short one for conceal carry grips. Wondered who bought the "rare FBI " grips . First time I've seen them called that. Ebay often has them, Dan Wesson/ CZ may have them, and you can carefully cut a long one shorter. If all else fails PM me with your name and mailing address and I'll send you one. I can recieve PM's but cannot figure out how to send one. Therefore, your address or no screw. The long screw will do exactly as you described if used on a small grip. Sometimes a large grip gets a little worn and the hammer will not stay back in SA or you will get light strikes in DA. In that case a small washer will stop that. Rubber grips often have the washer too. The conceal round butt grip has become very collectible and about doubled in price in the last year. There is also a square butt small grip with logo, a small combat grip , an Eagle small grip , an Uncle Mike's rubber conceal grip and many custom grips that all take the short screw.
March 18, 2014
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Ole Dog said
Yes, the dreaded hammer won't work problem. Iwill buy your gun cheap for parts. Haha. There are two grip screws. A long for most grips and a short one for conceal carry grips. Wondered who bought the "rare FBI " grips . First time I've seen them called that. Ebay often has them, Dan Wesson/ CZ may have them, and you can carefully cut a long one shorter. If all else fails PM me with your name and mailing address and I'll send you one. I can recieve PM's but cannot figure out how to send one. Therefore, your address or no screw. The long screw will do exactly as you described if used on a small grip. Sometimes a large grip gets a little worn and the hammer will not stay back in SA or you will get light strikes in DA. In that case a small washer will stop that. Rubber grips often have the washer too. The conceal round butt grip has become very collectible and about doubled in price in the last year. There is also a square butt small grip with logo, a small combat grip , an Eagle small grip , an Uncle Mike's rubber conceal grip and many custom grips that all take the short screw.
Having now looked elsewhere (CZUSA/EKW/eBay), PM sent.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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PM recieved, I will mail you a screw tomorrow. Call it karma and do something good for someone.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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There are two different length grip screws for DW revolvers, and interchanging them can cause some problems.
Could you show us a picture of the "FBI" style grip?
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
March 18, 2014
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Ole Dog said
PM recieved, I will mail you a screw tomorrow. Call it karma and do something good for someone.
Many thanks. I shall pay it forward.
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Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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OK I guess I will put in my two cents worth. Original factory grip screws are proprietary custom made and not available from a normal mill supply/hardware store. The screws are respectively 1 1/2 inches long for standard grips and 1 1/4 inches long for the undercover style grips. They are of an 8-32 thread and use an 5/32 allen wrench for removal. A standard 8-32 cap screw has a smaller diameter head and will use an 9/64 allen wrench. CZ/DW sells the screws for $4.00 ea and I believe the shipping is $9.00. They are out of the short one at the moment. The up side is any local hardware store will sell you a 8-32 screw in the length you want for about a quarter. So unless you are one of the guys that has to have something historically accurate, ACE is the place. Sounds like Ole Dog hooked you up any way so how bout some pics.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
March 18, 2014
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lbruce said
OK I guess I will put in my two cents worth. Original factory grip screws are proprietary custom made and not available from a normal mill supply/hardware store. The screws are respectively 1 1/2 inches long for standard grips and 1 1/4 inches long for the undercover style grips. They are of an 8-32 thread and use an 5/32 allen wrench for removal. A standard 8-32 cap screw has a smaller diameter head and will use an 9/64 allen wrench. CZ/DW sells the screws for $4.00 ea and I believe the shipping is $9.00. They are out of the short one at the moment. The up side is any local hardware store will sell you a 8-32 screw in the length you want for about a quarter. So unless you are one of the guys that has to have something historically accurate, ACE is the place. Sounds like Ole Dog hooked you up any way so how bout some pics.
LB
Way more than two cents' worth, I'd say, LB. Thanks for the sensible fallback strategy. I'll get some pics up in the next day or so.
September 28, 2008
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I don't remember what website I got them at, but I ordered some stainless steel screws that appeared identical to the original grip screws that DW used, with the same head size. All I had to do was cut them to length. I cut all of them to the size of an original screw I had in one of my guns that worked fine. I'll try to figure out what company it was, but it was like 7 years ago, so who knows if I can do it..
March 18, 2014
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hemiram said
I don't remember what website I got them at, but I ordered some stainless steel screws that appeared identical to the original grip screws that DW used, with the same head size. All I had to do was cut them to length. I cut all of them to the size of an original screw I had in one of my guns that worked fine. I'll try to figure out what company it was, but it was like 7 years ago, so who knows if I can do it..
Thanks. Having the info here will be handy for others like me.
March 18, 2014
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Here are two photos showing my reason for this thread.
The first shows the large and small grip side by side. While "FBI" is probably not the way DW advertised this small grip, I have seen it referred to as such on the Net (so it must be true...). The 1978 brochure that came with my gun pictures six different grips but not this one, so if anyone can tell me when this grip hit the market and what it was actually called, I'd be grateful.
Anyway, I got this grip because it will aid concealment when I change to a shorter barrel, as with the 4 inch here or with the 2.5 I hope to find.
The next photo show the hammer locked into single-action mode with the small grip on the gun. In order to lock the hammer back, I had to back off the grip screw that came with the square-butt grip, such that pulling down on the small grip created a gap between grip and frame. Looks to be a 1/4 inch gap, which accords with the difference in length between in the two grip screws mentioned above.
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Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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Nice looking DW. I believe the grip you have was/is called the undercover grip. Also the grip medallion with just the DW debuted around 1980 so assuming the medallion is original I imagine the grip came from the same time frame. All of this is just the ramblings of a student of all things DW, and a "C" student at that.
Bonjour 
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
March 18, 2014
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Thanks, LB.
The thing was LNIB. Its only "blemish" is the drag line my dry-firing has created. Embarrassed to say I haven't actually shot it yet.
Been spending my range time trying to determine if my Beretta Nano is actually GTG for a trip through the Canyonlands next month (if not, it'll be the Glock 19).
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