This isn't a "what's it worth" or "How rare is it" post. It's worth what I paid for it and it's an early Ashland gun. I'm aware of how many were made.

I haven't received it yet and it appears to have Hogue's on it. While practical, I think they're unattractive. I'm a bit of a 3 inch addict, mostly 44 mag varieties. All wear factory combats whether I purchased them with combats or added them later.

I cannot for the life of me find any K frame combats online. I realize Culina and KB make them but it's a year wait.
Being impatient, what is an acceptable alternative until I can have some made or source a pair?

Pictures are always welcome

Several sets currently up for auction on a popular Bay area site - but you’ll pay a premium + price for them.

It sounds like your best alternative is patience. I'm presuming that a substitute will end up in a drawer after you eventually find what you want, and you will.

Hard wood Mono-Grips look good to me and feel good in my hand but they do not look or feel like S&W made Combats.

Very nice 66. I'd love to have one.

I have a set of Eagle combats (K frame) that came on a GB purchase I don’t use (they don’t fit my hands well) ... just taking up space in my grips box.

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The recent Culina Grips I have ordered are more like a 6 - 8 week wait

Pachmayer Compac Grips are comfortable, concealable, practical and as good looking as rubber grips can get on a K-frame round butt gun.

They will work fine until you get a set of wooden ones for when you want to dress it up.

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My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs

As much as I like the KBs/Culinas and the factory combat grips, I have these Ahrends Retro Combat grips on almost all of my 3" K-Frames. They are the most comfortable grips for my medium sized hands and they always fit perfectly.





With that said, I understand that Ahrends went through some changes in the last year or so and that they too might be hard to find...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Altamont? Fleabay has those, I think even Amazon has Altamonts.

Also a fan of those.

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I think mine are Asian but I picked them up at a GunShow on a table of odds and ends for $25

You will find the K-Combats you want. Patience, grasshopper.

In the mean time, the black rubber Pachmyr RB Compacts shown on the 2.5-inch M66 are very solid in the hand under recoil, and are easy to conceal. They present a business-like appearance against stainless steel and are quite practical.

The elk stags with T-grip shown on the blue M19-3 are comfortable, concealable and -- to me at least -- pretty. I think they look best on a blue gun, but look almost as nce on stainless.

The finger-groove combats shown on the 3-inch M696 look nice, but are not as good with recoil as might be thought, especially with the magnum cartridges. Many comment that the placing of the grooves does not fit their hands. The Herrets shown on the same gun in another photo are good, but their appearance is something I run hot-and-cold over.

The banana combats shown on the M65 and M66-2 (both 3-inch) seem to place recoil in the palm of my hand, where Bill Jordan said it's supposed to go. I believe he was correct. They are the ones I keep on my 3-inch 66-2 . They conceal well and work with heavy loads. Don't look bad, either. And they eliminate the finger groove issue. I have a similar, checkered set on my 696 now.

By far, rubber Hogue Monogrips (not shown) are the best with recoil, but I find them to be bulky and ugly as sin. Wooden Hogues are OK in appearance, but not as recoil-friendly. But since the rubber ones work they are on my 686+ 4-inch, and their utilitarian appearance is a non-issue.

All of the grips shown were found in the cast-off boxes under the counter at a LGS (some of them out-of-the way), gun shows, traded with other owners, or on fleabay when the prices were right. The hunt is all!

And when you decide to carry your 3-inch 66, remember that Milt Sparks is your friend. (VMII)

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My BBQ grips are these Hogues.

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Death? Smile back...

Check out the wood version of the Hogue Bantam grip. Very well made, nicely checkered or smooth. Have had them on a number of J, K and N frame round butts, very satisfied. The pic I have is a set on a 624 I used to have.