I’m looking for recommendations on wood grips for a Model 19-3 with a 6 inch barrel. I bought the gun used, and all it had with it were Pachmayr rubber grips. I’m currently having the gun reblued, and also want to get a nice looking set of wood grips for it.

I have really small hands/short fingers, so I want grips that are not too thick. And I want grips that do not cover the frame’s backstrap as I assume this will provide a shorter reach to the trigger. However, I do have a question about this. How much does not covering the backstrap increase felt recoil?

I’m not sure if I want finger grooves or not...still trying to decide. Thoughts?

I don’t want anything too exotic. I lean more toward the traditional, “classic” look, but the original wood grips that came on the 19s are too big for my hand. I’ve tried them on other guns.

I don’t want to spend more than about $75, but would possibly go a little higher…max of $100.

And they need to be easy to install. I’m assuming this is the case for most, if not all, of them anyway.

This gun will primarily be used for just plinking and range use. It will not be a carry gun.

Thank you!

You may ant to consider the combination of factory Magna grips and a Tyler T. Check Numrich & fleabay and you should be able to get this combo in your price range.

I recently refinished a Model 10-6 and am trying this combination after seeing it recommended for years. It feels really good. The Magnas are pretty thin and the T pushes your hand further up on the frame.

Personally, I've found the exposed backstrap to not be an issue as long as the grip fills your hand well.

Here's a pic - just for fun:

zipty6 - I appreciate the recommendation, but I'm just not crazy about the looks of the Tyler Ts. I realize looks aren't as important as function, but...I do want it to look good. I may eventually end up resorting to a T/Magna combination if I can't find anything else that works, but I'm hoping to not have to take that approach. It would be nice to find something with a similar profile/function, but in a one/two piece wood grip...if anything like that exists?

Have you thought about the Hogue series of wood grips? I find them to be very comfortable. Right in your price range, too.

How about these? Dan Eagle makes them, available on Amazon for around $80. They fit just like the factory grips, and don't cover the back strap. They are laser cut checkering and engraving, come in a couple of patterns and you can get the metal S&W button or just the S&W engraved. They are laminated rosewood, smaller than the target grips but larger than the standard grip. the finger cutouts extend along the index finger and thumb, and fits the hand perfectly (at least mine they do).

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Hair Trigger - I looked up Dan Eagle, but unless I am overlooking something...it looks like he only makes 911 grips?

GerSan69 - thanks. I will take a look at the Hogues.

So…I’ve been doing a lot of internet/forum research on the topic of “K frame grips for small hands”. I really like the Ahrends grips and have read a lot of positive reviews about them. I also think I am leaning more towards smooth grips rather than ones with finger grooves. That being said…does anyone know if the Ahrends Retro Target Stock grips are a good choice for small hands/short fingers? And does anyone have any photos of these on a 19? I seem to be seeing a lot of recommendations for the Retro Combat grips, but not as much info about the Retro Target grips.

Altamont panel super rosewood. Despite the exposed backstrap,v recoil is surprisingly light with textured crockbac stipple. Or whatever they call it.

Don't ignor the tyler t grip.

That combined with original slab sided wood grips can be delightful.

Unless you have tried this combo, don't dismiss it.

These may not pass your "not too exotic" criteria, but I'll mention anyway. I recently put VZ grips on a 686 and a 629. They The fill the space in front of the grip frame similar to a Tyler T. I was also surprised to find that they fee substantially slimmer than other grips of the same style.

Here they are on a 3" 686+:

Have you considered the smooth wood magnas? You can sand these down to reduce the width (I've seen others do this), refinish and you have a good look.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I have smaller hands and do not like checkered grips for shooting purposes. I do not have very many S&W pistols and have only in the past couple of years started looking at replacement stocks. I wish I could walk in a gun shop and try out all the different stocks, but that is a "pipe dream". I have one set of Kim Ahrends grips. Reto Tactical. he makes a Reto Target. His website says they are for those of us who can not palm a basketball. I like my grips, they are thinner that the stock S&W grips, the smooth sides do not scrape my hand when firing and the finger grooves appear to help me hold the gun better in aiming. Be it know, I am not an old time pistol shooter. Really new to this and learning, but so far, I like the fit and feel in my hand of his grips and I think it has a lot to do with them being thinner that the factor originals and no checkering.

I have smaller hands and short fingers.

I put a set of Ahernds retro target stocks on a model 66-1 and they work very well for me.

It's way in the back of the safe... but maybe I'll get it out for a photo.

Ordered the stocks from Brownells....

Check the smooth grips from Jerry Miculek:

Miculek S&W Revolver Grip for K & L frame, square butt, smooth [MIC-620-S-K/L] - $85.00 : Team Miculek - The Legacy Lives On

Smooth, narrow design by the "fastest revolver alive" gives competition and speed shooters a fast draw and maximum recoil control. One-piece construction features an open backstrap for a comfortable grip and excellent trigger reach; provides a solid fit to the frame. Minimal size helps prevent "printing". Non-checkered so clothing slides over it easily. Made of attractive Pau Ferro.

Asking a question like this is like asking what the best small car is. You'll get hundreds of answers and most won't suit you.

Back in the day, my first move was to remove the factory target grips and replace them with Standard Magna grips. Those have always seemed to fit my hands better than the oversize grips all the gun writers seem to rave about. They must have big hands (from taking graft for writing glowing articles about lousy products.)

By and large, almost all the aftermarket grips are pretty much garbage. The exceptions are Roper and Kearsarge products. Not much chance you'll ever run into either in this lifetime. Rubber grips, commonly grouped together as "goodyears" are terrible.

About the best set of factory grips I've run across for K frame products are the K presentation models as I've seen on the Texas Ranger M19s. Same exact size as the standard grips, but smooth Goncolo Alves (a type of wood). Maybe someone here has a photo of the Texas Ranger set. But don't buy the set, the knife is cheap junk.

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Dick Burg

Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback...I really appreciate it! I have looked at and considered all of them. I think I have my search narrowed down to two...I'm going to go with either the Ahrends Retro Target Stock or Retro Combat. I'm a little hesitant to go with the Combat version because of the finger grooves. I'm concerned that the grooves may not exactly fit my hand. However, I have read lots of positive reviews about the Combat grips where folks are praising the perfect fit and feel of these grips...so they do seem to fit a lot of hands. But with my luck, I will be one of the few that it doesn't fit. So I can either try the Combats and send them back if they don't work, or just go with the safe bet of the Target grips. Has anyone had experience with both grips on a 19 or similar gun? Thoughts on which of these two I should go with...pros and cons of each? And which wood choice would go well with the blued steel?

Also would appreciate any general feedback on smooth grips versus combat/finger groove grips...pros and cons of each. Does one give more control than the other? Does one reduce recoil more than the other? I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about the different styles.

Thanks!

I was primarily focused on semi-auto for many years and recently got back into revolvers with a recent acquisition of a 19-3, and in my short time back, I have found that the combat style with finger grooves work best for me, the cut outs seem to accommodate a variety of hand sizes.

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DAV Life Member

The problem with checkered grips is they can tend to abrade or tear your hand under recoil. M19s are light weight magnums. Full power loadings can wake you up. You can wear light gloves to lessen the pain. Like leather driving gloves.

Don't buy until you've tried the various styles in your hand. Its why we go to gun shows, where there are thousands of guns to view and even handle if you're polite. Its why we have boxes of almost new holsters, too. Those we even sometimes try on before we buy and decide it was a bad decision.

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Dick Burg

Yeah, I definitely don't want any checkering on my grips. When I said "smooth versus combat grips", by "smooth" I meant grips with no finger grooves. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of finger grooves versus grips without them. Sorry if I used the wrong terminology.

I got tired of looking. I never could find a set I really liked for my hands either. This weekend I'd had enough so I went out in the shop and made these.

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Trucks and guns.

I think that fitting grips is like trying shoes. Some styles and sizes just don't work for some people while others love them. Even the type of firearm can make a difference.

A case in point: for 20 or so years I had a pre-72 Colt Detective Special with a factory hammer shroud and skinny wooden grips. I bought a Tyler T-Grip and loved it.

A few years ago, I bought a used S&W Model 67. It came with Pachmayr presentation grips that covered the backstrap. They were way too big for my hands. I bought a pair of the magna grips from Midway USA (Smith & Wesson Factory Grips S&W K L-Frame Square Butt Checkered) and another T-grip. Everything felt okay until I tried to shoot double action rapid fire. It was like trying to hold onto a wet, pealed, banana. The 67 shifted drastically with every shot in spite of my firm grip.

I have no idea why the T-grip worked fine on my Colt but not the S&W.

So, I bought a set of Pachmayr gripper professional grips with the exposed backstrap. They're comfortable and they stay put when I shoot. My revolver doesn't shift when I shoot double action and the rubber compresses slightly when I have a firm shooting grip. I don't share the disdain that many on this board have for rubber grips. If they fit your hand well and help you with controlling the gun, then go ahead and use them!

I'm happy with my Pachmayr grips. The only thing I would change is that I wish the right side had the speed loader cut out like the left side does. I think that would give me another 1/16th of an inch of trigger reach. I've got a good first joint trigger reach now, but a little more might be nice.

The Miculek, Ahrends, and Altamont grips all have the right side relieved. Hogue wooden grips do too, but not their rubber ones. For my part, I'm done buying grips for now. I would love to try some other ones and find just the right pair, but I really want to try before I buy. It would be awesome if a bunch of us revolver fans could get together and try each others' grips. :-)

Regards,
-Drew

Those look nice. How do they feel when you shoot?

Warm regards,
-Drew

I'll let you know next weekend;P. The penetrating oil finish is still drying/penetrating. I pointed it around the shop and drew it out of my holster a few times and it feels awesome. I don't think slippage is going to be a problem because I'm getting a better grip now even one handed. If they slip I'll checker them. I didn't use a slick clear coat I'm hoping that will allow for a good purchase without the checkering.

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Trucks and guns.

Thank you for all the great feedback. I decided to go with the Ahrends Retro Target Stocks in Moradillo with the hand rubbed tung oil finish. Hopefully made a good decision. We'll see...

I have small hands. I like hogue w/ finger grooves and I like Herrett shooting star/with checkering, you would have to go eBay to meet your price on the Herretts. JMHO/YMMV

I agree that Herretts are a good choice. Have had around 6 sets.
Altamont Target stocks are smaller and slimmer than S&W. They are priced reasonably. Good luck on your hunt! Bob

I have a set of Ahrends Retro Target grips on my no-dash M17. They are the most comfortable grips in the Ahrends lineup. I personally like finger grooves and the flat front of Ahrends modern style grips, but the Retro style seems just right for a vintage revolver, especially one not carried for self defense.

These grips have the general appearance of S&W targets, sans checkering. However they are smaller in diameter, without the extreme taper of S&W grips. All Ahrends grips have this feature, and rarely require re-positioning even with heavy recoil.

Herrett's makes beautiful custom wood stocks to fit your hand.
Go to their web page and take a look

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In Omnia Paratus

When I looked up my order on Amazon, it said they were no longer available. Too bad, they are nice quality grips and comfortable.

I for one have been using service stocks and T grips for quite a while now. I have bought and now sold all my fancy after market grips... because imho, the above described works great for me.
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Been carrying this 19-4 for about ten years now. Refinished the grip panels last year.

Good luck on your search.