I was able to buy a brand new S&W 617-6 6 inch barrel pistol a few weeks ago. After shooting 100 rounds for function and getting it sighted in at 25 yards , I would like to dress it up with some nice grips. There are 3 or 4 good grip manufacturers and I am looking to spend $75.00 to $120.00. My problem is how does a guy really know what kind of grips he likes ? Do you folks like maybe go to a gun show and try to find a dealer that is selling the type of S&W pistol you own and ask him if you can look at his pistol and hold it to see what you think of that type of grip ? I am thinking about a K frame Rosewood round butt combat grip ( I have to find out if my pistol is a round butt I think it is because it is brand new pistol ). If any of you have this type of grip what do you think of it ? Keep in mind I plan on mounting a 2 1/2 x 8 x 32 scope on this gun. Will be shooting 17 to 50 yards at are local range , not sure if I will be shooting in any matches for a while. Your thoughts. Thanks. MD

I’ll usually hit up a gun show or something where I can see and feel different stocks before just picking one by pictures

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JDinAz… that’s what I was thinking about doing. I am down to my last 2 big gun shows in Iowa both in June. Will see if I can find some to pick up and hold. MD

Unfortunately you will not be 100% sure that you and a particular grip are compatible until you fire it. None of the grips I use fall into your price range. However you would be better off saving extra money over time for a grip that you really like than buying one quickly for cosmetic reasons

I have purchased and changed many sets of grips.

The least expensive method is to try what your fellow shooters have on their guns. If you do not have a group of friends to draw on find a grip that feels good. With the more powerful cartridge makes sure that the back of the grip has large (wide) contact area with the hand, this is less important with a light shooting cartridge like the 22LR.

Since you mention a scope, to better handle the weight, a set of round to square conversion grips will help or even better a set of the Hogue Big Butt grips. I can't find a image of my Big Butt grips but here is one from their website

Hogue grips can be ordered with fingers grooves, jut a top groove or no grooves. My preference is for no grooves because my hand does not have the mythical average finger spacing.

The Hogue grips will not be at gun shows nor will the Factory Combat style grips on my 617, so that is going to be hard for you.

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Nice find MD. 617 is one of the next on my list. By the way I'm in SE Iowa

I think on a 6” K frame I’d go with Hogue round butt to square but conversion grip.

I have a set on a 4” 65-5 and like them. Often cheaper on Amazon than on Hogue’s website. With a 22lr checkering is optional.

Give Herrett's Stocks over in Idaho a look.

You trace your hand onto a piece of paper, and they make your stocks to fit.

You can get 'em with or without the finger grooves. Checkering is another option.

Price might be a wee bit above the budget you mentioned, but it's worth it.

The butt on the X-frame 500 is K-frame size so these would fit on your 617. Plenty of substance to help with the extra weight of the scope.

The last shot is an N-frame, but since they used the drawing of my hand the external dimensions of the stocks are about the same as the K-frame. I asked them to "round" the butt a bit more than on the 500's stocks.

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Bob

I have a red dot on my 617-1 SB, and run a set of traditional factory targets. I've found the SB targets balance better for me.

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SWCA #2817

Its hard to recommend a particular grip, simply because the human hand varies so much, as does what feels good in YOUR particular hand.

The fact is most serious handgun owners usually end up with a box full of holsters and grips that didn't quite work out.

I think Hogue has a good reputation for quality, and fitting a lot of hand sizes in your price range. I included a couple pics of mine on a 629-6 and a new Anaconda. I also prefer no finger groves due to my ape sized fingers.

Larry

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colt_saa. "Hogue grips can be ordered with fingers grooves, jut a top groove or no grooves."
So that pic of the stocks you show there on Hogue Big Butt, that can come with just the top finger cutout? I'd like that, especially if I had the gun OP has. I think it would be good for control of any S&W Revolver.
OP may want to look into those; I'm gonna. Glad you asked the question about stocks. Gonna see about that for an N frame. You can look back on different posts here & see all kinds of stocks! Expensive to cheap. Good luck.

Guys thanks for all the good info. I have always been a rifle shooter but at age 63 and 3 knee replacements can not walk that far to check targets. Ha ha. Now i am basically starting out new with pistols. I will take a look at some pistols at the gun shows in June and maybe be able to handle a few 617-6 with different grips.would you guys say the black rubber grips that the pistol came with are called combat grips ? Being a new shooter with pistols I really not even sure of the best hand / finger grip with a scope I should use. Once again thanks for the help here. What a great forum to get good info. Marty

Marty,

Looking at the 4” and 6” 617s on S&W’s site, the grips are not combat grips, though they have slight finger grooves. They aren’t as full at the bottom as true target grips either.

See some photos of S&W round butt (RB) combats, square butt (SB) combats and square butt target grips below.

FWIW, imo, the longer barrel revolvers are better with SB style grips because the lower portion of the SB grips provide leverage at the heel of your hand. I hope the photos below help illustrate that. The RB targets and combats do not provide that contact and leverage, but the smaller, rounder profiles carry concealed better and, imo, make the short barrel guns handle quicker.

The first photo shows S&W RB presentation targets on the left, S&W RB combats on the right. Second photo shows S&W SB combats. Third photo shows SB targets. Fourth photo shows a set of Hogue finger groove targets on a Colt’s Diamondback (because, somehow I don’t have a photo of that style Hogue on a S&W.) I love the S&W SB combats shown in the second photo, but they are expensive. The Hogue finger groove RB to SB conversion grips are the closest alternative at a reasonable cost that I’ve found. I think Eagle Grips offers a similar style.

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I use Hogue's Bantams in Cocobolo wood for most of my 6XX series. Though you won't really perceive it with a .22 caliber, especially with a 6" barrel the round butt grips will cause a rolling action, much like a six shooter if you were to add a couple of its bigger brothers. I actually like firing S/A's and the action but .44 mag is about my limit. Beyond that I prefer a square butt grip.

Here are a few. The bottom is the 617:

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My 17-2 with MAK grips off ebay. Think they were $79 + shipping. These are from Turkey. Bob

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Most of us older shooters have a box full of grips we buy , try for awhile and remove to try others .
Everyone's hands are different and everyone likes something different .
I've tried everything fron Jay Scott to Herrett's ...still don't have a formula to figure out what's "best" except to try a set .

My most favorite are no longer made Ahrends Retro Combat's ...
my avatar is wearing a pair in cocobolo ...fit my hand like a glove .
Kim Ahrend had to stop making grips ... I sure do miss him , super nice fellow .
Gary

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Thanks for all the info and great pictures. I will start narrowing down my choices. Marty

Guys I have narrowed my choice of grips down I think but wanted to run it buy a few of you guys that know a lot more about handguns then me. As my first post stated I have brand new S&W 617-6 6 inch barrel. Going to put a 2 1/2 x 8 x 32 Weaver pistol scope on it for sure. I want to dress my pistol up with some wooded grips. I don’t shoot matches and I am not sure if I ever will if I do it will just be some once a month slow fire targets only but you never know. After doing a lot of research I would like to buy a set of of Nill- Griffe SW037 thumb rest grips. My question for you guys is do you think this model of thumb rest grips will work with scope ? Was thinking about thumb position on the pistol with a scope and wanted to make sure that the grip would work on this type of grips ? ( no finger cut outs on this model of grips ) I would appreciate your thoughts before I pull trigger on them. $207.00 on the Germany website. Thanks. Marty in Iowa.

I have dozens of high quality (and pricey) stocks.
Anyway, I recently purchased these two sets of thumb rest Nills. One for a L frame, the other one for a N frame. One single word: awesome. Fullstop.

These are my favorite grips on my 617-1 revolver. The are Hogue round to square butt conversion grips. Mine are smooth tulipwood grips, but they are offered in several different woods and also checkered finish if you wish. I have always had a preference for smooth finish.

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Let us see them when you get them !
Thumb rest grips will work ... it doesn't get in the way of operation ... Except for maybe a speed loader ???
But you usually don't use speed loaders on a scoped hunting revolver so that souldn't be a problem .
Use a speed strip if you need fast reloads !
Gary

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