What are your thoughts on the current day revolver grips? They all look the same ( color ) and generic to me. I look at a new revolver, as the first thing I have to do is change the grips.

I just heard that S&W sales are off 25%, and profits are down 75 %. I am sure there are probably some bad business decisions in there, maybe some anti gun sentiment, but I would not lose curb appeal. It is obvious that older model sales are strong, grips too

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I recently bought a Model 10-11 NY Department of Corrections revolver with rubber grips just as beat up as the gun. I looked at many sites and settled on some round to square grips from Altamont which have a S&W emblem. I did some fitting and am happy with the result, though they are far too attractive for the gun. Alternatives were round butt S&W factory from *bay or something even more expensive.

I remember visiting the factory and seeing the room where stocks were made. The smell of sawdust was in the air. A nice selection of wood was always available from the technician at reasonable prices. No doubt this was outsourced for cost savings. Same reason that rubber grips are supplied on most S&W revolvers today. It looks like Altamont supplies the remainder.

To me the older S&W revolvers are more visually appealing but even the current production is better than the new Colt Cobra.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

AFAIK the modern day wooden Grips are made for S&W by Altamont. Some do like them but they are not my personal taste. They also use Rubber Grips which I believe to be made my Hogue.

Gun sales in general and across the board have been off since all the "panic buying" has sort of subsided. Also, I believe people ran out of money for new guns.

As far as many of the gun owners I know, (myself included) there has not been a S&W made in the last 20 years that we would own. So while that might not account for the recent downward spiral, it certainly doesn't help either! What they have the gaul to call "Classic" is IMO a laughable excuse to extract more money from novice buyers who simply don't know what a real Classic is.

S&W has been plagued with poor manufacturing standards & final inspections, lack of skilled labor, and IMHO lack of employees with a good & proper work ethic! What has come out of the Factory over the last few years is simply unacceptable! Couple that with the fact that Ruger, Kimber, Colt and others have jumped back into the Revolver market - gives people other choices - hence less sales for S&W.

IMHO the management at the Company needs to take a long hard and fast look at the internal workings of their Company, improve work ethics and employee skills, eliminate unwanted features, and clean their act up FAST! If they don't, they will be filing for bankruptcy in the near future!!

I SINCERELY HOPE they get their act together! I would like them to produce a quality product we can all be proud of and want to own once again!

Altamont does make wood grips for S&W. I bought a 24-6 and when I removed the grips for cleaning, they were missing the two small stabilizing pins. I sent an e-mail to Altamont and they sent me two more pins at no cost, Priority Mail.

The Altamont stocks feel thinner than the old S&W made stocks of the same style, i.e., target or coke bottle. However, I think they look good, much better than any rubber grip.

If outsourcing grip manufacture is a way to keep costs down, I think S&W has chosen a good supplier.

To me there's just something about the laminate and dymondwood grips that just doesn't say "I belong on your gun."

My thoughts exactly.
Laminate and Dymondwood are just a marketing spin on what they really are.... PLYWOOD
And plywood grips are ugly...they stand out like a sore thumb and are one of my pet peeves. They look cheap because plywood is cheap. For the prices charged we should be getting real wood.

The grips on my avatar's model 58 are dark red Cocobolo from Kim Ahrend , these are beautiful !
I like Altamont grips , I have a nice walnut set on a Walther P38, I just don't like the "laminate" material.

Gary
No plywood on my guns .

Ahrends grips real wood great fit. Altamont grips none of that.

First of the process of laminatating has been used for centuries. It allows for better utilization of a precious natural resource while also providing a superior product from the standpoint of strength and stability. I hear the comment the Altamont grips are plywood like "I just don't like them because they seem like plywood". You are correct only that they use a laminating process. I feel strongly that Altamont produces a fine product and like anything else as a consumer if you don't like there product just don't buy them, but please don't disparage them as many of use appreciate them for what they provide. Life moves on, move on with it.

Attached Images

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	S&W M19-3 4 inch .357 1976 SN9K3691 009.jpg (89.1 KB, 90 views)
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This thread sure has a lot of
disparaging remarks.

Not informed remarks.

Just disparaging, like a lot of
old man prattle...."why in my day"

Guess what: Nothing being produced
today like it was in days gone by.
Not even toothpaste or diapers or
rakes or lawn mowers or.......

The new grips look better in person than in photos, and feel good in the hand. Talo grips look sweet also. But I'll 2nd or 3rd the laminated ones don't look good, and I prefer checkering. Smooth grips are ok for Rhino horn or mammoth tusk.

Why is it that the ones who claim to not like the new guns and say they will never buy them are the people who spend the most time talking about them on this forum? If you prefer old ones, buy them. If you don't like new ones, don't buy them. But shut up about it already. We don't need to hear from you on every post saying you'll never buy one and don't like them.

Laminate Wood Grips are a lot like Ferritic Nitrocarburizing, infinity more practical, durable, and environmentally friendly than traditional Wood Grips and Bluing, but some folks are just plain more concerned with form over function.
I can understand wanting to carry a firearm with a bit of style and aesthetic appeal, especially if you open-carry, but I actually like the look of Laminate Wood Grips and certain types of FNC finishes, not to mention that I can actually carry them without having to worry about the finish being worn off or corroded by my sweat.

Another uninformed comment. Altamont are birch WOOD,As to the fit all that I have purchased were spot on. I also enjoyed Ahrends and any other grips that are a good fit for my needs. I like to keep an open mind and most recently purchased a pair of Ajax walnut presentation grips from a fellow member, they turned out to be some of the best grips I have purchased for fit and are made from American walnut. To bad they are no longer made.

I call them "Hole Tolls".

Maybe, if we all refer to them with a polite but disparaging nickname they will take the hint and go away.

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~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Don't like them ...........junk!

On the contrary they keep returning echoing the same pablum over and over again. We’ve heard you twenty times or more already, give it a break.

Bashing, Crying, & Whining

It’s not just aesthetics, they are very narrow compared to the old in-house S&W grips...that were made by real handgun makers. The narrow width of the new grips is a total joke on N frame guns that launch 200+gr bullets past the speed of sound.

Altamont must be contracted to Smith at cost even cheaper than their grips look.

On the subject of grips, all my S&W revolvers wear a Hogue grip of some kind. They fit the gun, fit my hand and generally look good.

Warning: image is of S&W revolver with internal lock system. Those with weak constitutions are advised to cover image or avert their eyes.

I agree they look very good, If they were just a little wider they woukd be perfect for my eyes and touch .

I have had 2 sets of Altamont jframe grips. The first set stuck up beyond the top of the backstrap & made the gun uncomfortable to shoot. The 2nd set (yes I know should have learned the 1st time) were loose on the gun when tightened down. Uninformed? No that’s my experience with them.

Only found 1 set of S&W factory grips I liked. Not 1 style 1 set. Have 2 identical looking sets but not the same feel. Finally got them when a buddy's dad who had them on a M29 passed away.

On the other hand give me a set of Hogue RB no finger groove grips on most S&W revolvers and I'm a happy guy. My old gunsmith roundbutted every S&W I bought for years until that became standard.

Lord only knows how many square butt targets I've tossed given away over the years. Don't work for me.

Your hands are different than mine. Find what works 1st then pretty 2nd. Handguns are tools. May be a really nice tool but a tool none the less. Sure some forum members will burn me in effigy over that statement but to each their own.

I was a fan of grips from Thailand but recently got a set of Altamonts from an Ebay auction. These are the finger groove style and I love the way Altamont sculpts the panels to melt into your hands.

Yes these are a type of laminated wood material but there are a few advantages to that.

The wood is not only laminated it is also "stabilized". The air inside the wood is removed by vacuum and then resin is pulled in to replace the air. This makes a virtually indestructible piece of material.

There is no stain or finish applied to the grips. If you wish to tweek the fitment a bit, sand with about 400 grit, sand with say 2000 grit wet/dry, then polish with Mother's metal polish. You will be back to the factory finish.

I kind of like the topographical map look of the laminated wood grips. I have seen examples that look much like Arizona Ironwood.

What’s the attraction of Ruger, Colt or Kimber grips?

A M617, 22 LR, 4" full lug barrel, pre-lock is bargain priced at ~$900 to $1000 on GunBroker a year ago. My local Indoor Range / Gun Emporium had a M617 with lock, 4" full barrel, 10 shot cylinder with a monster red dot sight (no rear sight) for $325 + tax.

It had been on the shelf for 2+ months before I saw it. New rear sight was $50 from S&W. I swallowed my pride, bought the gun and saved $500 from GB. I now have M17 / M617 in 4" and 6" barrels to shoot. I may have too much pride but first I'm cheap. I'm not planning on buying any new S&W revolvers or plastic wonders. My stainless steel 1911 S&W target will just sit next to its cousins in the vault.

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S&WHF 366