My new Culina stocks came in with the mail today (unnaturally efficient USPS shipping for once) and they are every bit as nice looking and feeling as they looked like on eBay. The fit and finish are everything I had heard about here and the cocobolo wood used for them is very pretty. John's stocks aren't cheap but he delivers a very high quality product and I am fully satisfied.

My dilemma is which pistol to install them on. I have 4 nickel square butt 27-2's and 1 blue finish 27-5 that happens to have a cylinder that has recessed chambers like the older guns. I've taken side by side pics of my 4" nickel 27-2 and the blue 6 1/2" 27-5 side by side while swapping the stocks from the 27-5 between the two so that I can help make a decision as to which pistol will end up with the Culina stocks. The stocks that I am swapping with are a pair of Cordia wood Kim Ahrends tactical stocks.

Here are 4 pictures of the 2 guns showing them with the stocks installed on them together.

These are with the Culina stocks on the nickel 27-2 and the Ahrends on the blue 27-5:





The next 2 pictures are with the Culina stocks on the blue 27-5 and the Ahrends on the nickel 27-2:





So, which way do you think I should go with the Culina stocks? With them on the nickel gun or the blue one?

Dark Culina on Nickel = Excellent Combination

Buy another set, Culina's are great all of my Smiths wear them

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Len

Very nice! But I'll save you some grief ..... it doesn't matter what gun you put what stock on. Because tomorrow, or the next day, you'll change them anyway. So leave them alone and don't lose any sleep over it!

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Pass it on.
Mark

What a horrible problem to have.. *G* Which gun are you gonna use for shootin' and which one for struttin'?

Me, I like the Culinas on the nickel gun. They don't cover up the engraving on the right side of the blue gun and are better configured for reloading.

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Eccentric old coot

Both pistols look good with the Culina's in there but I think the Nickel takes the cake.
- The nickel brings out the red hue in the Coco, while the blued brings
out the black/darker lines of the grips.

I think you should just get it over with and send John more money.
Doing my part to help the economy move along

Yeah, they both look good with the Culina grips, but I think I'm leaning more toward the nickel gun wearing them. Like you said, buckyjames1, the nickel really brings out the reddish highlights of the Cocobolo and I think the Cordia really contrasts nicely with the blue gun.

And I would love to get another set of Culina grips, but my budget says wait a while. After all, you can buy 2 sets of Ahrends for the price of the Culina grips I bought and have money left over. I do really like the way the Culina grips feel though. They fit my hand even better than the Ahrends and are leagues better than the S&W targets that came on the nickel 27-2. If the Culina grips are modeled after the original "coke" S&W stocks like they say, no wonder people liked the cokes so much. I've never handled any of the original cokes though, or seen a set either.

Have to agree. . .put them on the nickel gun. I don't like Ahrends much at all. Too utilitarian, but they do handle very nicely. Save up for another set of Culina grips. Since you don't want to nick or scratch them, use the Ahrends for carry and/or shooting.

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Dr. B

Two for the price of one?? I can see the reason from your pictures.

+1 on the nickel; looks great on it, and shiny is pretty I'd suggest another set of John's grips (another happy customer here), are you going to carry one for field work. If so, I'd leave the Ahrends on that one, and save up for a nice M629 and a set of John's grips for it. (And yes, we encourage that kinda thinking here. Go figure.)

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50 Years of DSOTM

What a dilemna to have! My vote goes to the nickel too. Glad to see you got 'em in your hands.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

Agree the Nickel 27 gets the Culinas since they obscure the engraving on the blue gun.
I would BOLO for a set of factory N smooth presentation stocks with the right side relief cut which allows the engraving to be seen for the blued gun.

Herrets also makes smooth presentation stocks with medallions that wont obscure the sideplate shown below
(PS if you shop it around they can be found for around $50).

The Culinas look better on both, but the Ahrends look better on the nickel offering. That's a good problem to have!

I also vote for the nickel. Then, order another set from John in Birdseye Maple or Osage Orange for the blue gun.

They go better on the Nickel gun.

I am lucky enough to have a gorgeous set of Cocobolo Culinas myself.

I thought they looked best on my 629-1. I no longer have my 629-1, but they were great on there.

Jeez, it's not a prom dress. LOL

Wow. Tough choice but I'd go for putting them on the nickel gun. I bet those Ahrends feel great (the most important thing) but I find them very odd looking. I like contrast in colors. Light color on blue, dark on nickel. And in this case below, dark on dark. Culina grips come in many beautiful grains, but I like extremely dark cocobola where you have to look hard to see the grain. Even with these very dark grips they have perfect mathing grain on the bottoms. You just reignited my own dilemma of whether to get some dark ones for my nickel 19-4. Good luck, but sorry. It's hopeless for you.

I like their Cocobolo grips too! I also agree with everybody that says you need to get another pair of his grips!!!

Attached Images

Kurac Cocobolo Grips made by John Culina N Square.jpg (274.7 KB, 7 views)

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

+1 on the Nickel... the Ahrends has too much of a grain pattern that clashes with the "bling", but it enhances the look of "plain Jane" blued revolvers.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Wyatt Burp, funny you posted that pic of your 44 Mag with the dark Culina Cocobolo stocks. I have 2 sets of Ahrends on my 627 Pro and my 5" 27-2 and both of those have the dark colored Cocobolo wood kind of like yours. They aren't quite as dark as yours, but the grain and figuring is hard to see except in bright light. This set of Culina Cocobolo stocks I just bought is the lightest colored Cocobolo I've seen so far.

Here's my other 2 Cocobolo wood Ahrends.

627 Pro with Ahrends tactical square butt conversions:


27-2 5" with Ahrends Cocobolo tactical stocks:

This is the combo that I like... today.


But tomorrow... who knows. Thank goodness all it takes is a screwdriver and a couple of minutes to make the switch if you change your mind.

Beautiful either way.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Johns grips are always stunning . A set of his on my 25-2 they Fit my hand

I'll be in the minority and think they look better on the blue. It says "classic" all the way. I really like how the flare of the grip balances out the longer barrel. The curves and the color just look like a match. Target sets can be ordered with a speedloader cutout or a butterfly cut like the Harrets which will not obstruct logos.

Cocobolo is mostly logged in Mexico as it has been banned in a few Central American countries. It is definitely more difficult to find than it was just a few years ago, and more expensive too. Most often it comes in orange hues, red and dark brown are a little less common. The wood darkens over time as many woods do. It is my understanding that Ahrends no longer is using Cocobolo so maybe those grips will be collectible one day or at least worth more than you paid for them.

We are glad you like your grips, Muddocktor. Comfort and fit are primary and it is a bonus when they are pretty too. Cocobolo is not just for safe queens. It is a great hardwood that is durable and stable and perfect for a shooting gun or for carry. As other have said, maybe you will switch them around until you know what feels right. Thank you and enjoy them!

2 of the 3 sets of stocks that I've purchased from Culina. Both on Model 29-2 6".

And I want to thank you and John for putting some of your stocks up for sale on eBay. I like to look at what I'm getting before I plunk down my money and selling them on eBay gives me a chance to see what I am buying. And I've done the same for the Ahrends stocks I've bought too and not ordered direct from them.


As of right now, I have the new stocks on my 5" 27 (nickel). Since I have an extra set of stocks now with the purchase of my Culinas. I took the Cocobolo Ahrends Tacticals off it and decided to do a little reshaping on them. The one thing I'm not enamored to on their Tactical stocks is the way Kim made a flat area on the trigger guard side of the stocks and also the way the stocks are squared off where the stocks meet up with the trigger guard. So I've reshaped the trigger guard side and rounded out the flat and also rounded out the bottom side of the stocks where they curve up to meet the trigger guard. I know that after reshaping the front of them, they feel better to me. Now I am in the process of putting a new finish on them. This is something I haven't' attempted before and is a nice little project for me to mess around with on a rainy day.

And I am going to go to the range later on and try out my new Culinas and see if they shoot as good as they look and feel. The decision to make is whether to go to my club's outdoor range or spend the bucks to go shooting at the indoor range in Lafayette. It rained like heck all evening and night and everything outside is pretty drenched and muddy.