I took my 500 S&W BFR and 44mag Ruger Bisley apart to see what might interchange or not.
One important thing is the grip frame screws are NOT interchangable.
The BFR is 32tpi and the Ruger is 40tpi.


A couple of the pics aren't the clearest, but I think I have most everything covered.



There are a couple of things in the way of just bolting a Bisley grip frame onto a BFR.
The Ruger grip frame has 2 small protrusions to line the grip frame up onto the frame. The BFR does not.
So you could probably just file those off.



The loading gate spring on the BFR is thicker and extends below the frame just a little bit. The BFR's grip frame has a small spot milled out for clearance. The same cut could be done on the Bisley grip frame.



On the Ruger there is a longer screw on the left side that is used to lock the hammer pin in place. The BFR does not use a longer screw. Instead they have a small set screw on the back of the frame.


The last item is a cosmetic one in my opinion. The Ruger frame is tapered towards the front. The BFR's frame is straight sided. So how do you mould the 2 together? Don't, just bolt it on and let it be.



I didn't check to see if the hammer and trigger would interchange, but I didn't see any reason they wouldn't.
I don't think I'd want to put a blued grip frame on a stainless BFR, so I didn't do any cutting on the Bisley grip frame.

Does anyone see any problems with cutting the protrusions off the Ruger grip frame? The screws should hold everything in place I would think.

Brownells has a Bisley grip conversion kit for $197, but it's Blued in the white. I'd rather have Stainless.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx..._GRIP_CONVERSION_KIT

Mating the two is a pretty major operation (see below). While mine is not a BFR so to speak, it is a prototype D-Max frame (what the first BFRs were based on), with the Bisley grip frame added.

Whitworth, I remember you telling me the .50 Alaskan is not a Bisley.
Glenn, why do you want a Bisley anyway?

Of course it is. Don't you remember that it being a Bisley was your excuse not to shoot it??

It was just something to do the other day while I was thinking about different grips for the BFRs. I had heard a few times that the Bisley frame could not be made to fit the BFR, or require major reconstructive surgery,that it was a huge PITA and easier to build one from scratch...

I really don't like the Uncle Mikes grips that come on them. The checkered parts feel like they are going to start takeing layers of skin off when you shoot it with a bare hand.
So I've got a set of the Black Micarta grips on one, and a Houge Mono Grip on another to try. I just need to find time to get to the range.

Every one has different hands. I like the Uncle Mike's and they are almost the same as Pachmeyer grips. I have a feeling Pachmeyer makes them.
I don't like fat grips or slippery grips on a hard kicker.
That is why I won't shoot Whitworth's .50 Alaskan, deadly, slippery grips with no filler behind the guard.