I've tried 3-4 different types of carry guns and ultimately decided that the J-frame is the best for me. Hundreds of thousands of others probably have decided the same.

The only thing I have ever had a problem with is the thickness of the factory and aftermarket grips. Its harder for me to wear slimmer fitting T-shirts and the butt of the gun sticks out ever so slightly in most of my pockets.

The main solution I've been able to find is to buy a pair of older wood grips from the early J-frame models. They're way thinner, but are not readily available.

Anyway, I was thinking of getting some custom slim grips made. As an afterthought, I was thinking of even bringing something like this to the market. Is there widespread interest for tiny J-frame grips?

Crimson Trace LG-405's are pretty thin, while still being comfortable with the rubber overmolding on the front and backstraps.

I also remember seeing guys on the SNS forum make grips for pocket autos that were made out of a clear plexi glass type material. Couldn't be too hard to fashion something like that for the J-frames.


*Oh, and I think standard factory magnas are plenty thin as-is. JMO...

I have a set of compac pros that are fairly thinner than the factory magnas on my 37. While I find the rubber grips more concealable, I like the factory stocks for shooting. Plus I can't fasten the snap on my old Brauer Bros. because the rubber goes down along the back of the trigger guard, right where the strap crosses the gun.
To try to answer your question on demand for a tiny J frame grip, probably enough of the 1,000,000,000,000,000 J frame owners would like 'em.
Good luck with your endeavor,
Gordon

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better have that checked

Uncle Mike did it right. Or Spegel. Which one was first? I like them both.

Every grip choice is going to involve a compromise between controllability and concealability, and the compromise that works best for one person may not work best for another person.

The biggest concern I have with ultra-slim grips is controllability, as well as shootability. Even if you can control the gun well while firing, an ultra-slim profile may not fill your hand properly for good pointability, trigger control, etc.

Now, it's a different matter if you've already tried ultra-slim grips on a J-frame and found them acceptable to you. If this is the case, then you are likely not alone in your desire for an ultra-slim grip.

I have seen some aftermarket grips, in wood and other materials (mostly mother-of-pearl or ivory polymer) that appear to be what you are looking for. Unfortunately, they never really appealed to me so I don't know much about them.

Personally, I think the Spegel boot grips are probably the best compromise around. They're relatively slim and low profile for good concealment, but they have a palm swell that fills the hand without being bulky. I've never had a problem concealing them on my 642. The Uncle Mike's version is rubber (or santoprene, I think) so it might cling to clothing. The same could be said for the checkered version of the Spegel boot grips, but I can't imagine them being much worse than the smooth version in that regard.

IIRC, the Uncle Mike's boot grip is a licensed copy of the Spegel design, so Spegel came first.

I put the Crimson Trace 405 on a 442 this spring and it's easily the thinnest grip I've ever had on a J frame. But despite the rubber cushioning on the backstrap I found it remarkably uncomfortable to shoot more than a few rounds with that grip. Also, the point of impact was WAY off from point of aim - like 4-5 inches high and right at 5 yards. Fixable by adjusting the laser sight, of course, but that red dot isn't always visible in brighter light.

What I finally found as the most tolerable compromise is probably what you've already concluded - some older, diamond pattern, Magna style wood grips with a BK grip adapter (naturally.) Reasonably slim (and rounded) and about as comfortable to shoot with as anything this side of the big cushy Pachmayrs. And point of impact is now pretty much back in line with the sights.

I really appreciate the well thought out replies with explanations guys. I went ahead and got a prototype made. I think what I got + a Tyler T grip will be a very slim but comfortable package.

There will some unique attributes to the final product and I'll post a sneak peak picture asap.

Take a look at the grips on a 60-15 Pro. They are thin and they fit well. You can buy them from S&W if you like.

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