While I prefer the look of "wood" on my revolvers, the Pachmayr grips excel in the areas of recoil absorption/comfort and wear. It didn't take long for the factory wooden grips of my service revolver to take a beating from striking car doors and other inanimate objects. I then transitioned to the "Presentation" grips from Pachmayr. While not as pleasing to the eye as the factory grips, they were more utilitarian.

I have the "Compac Professional" grips on my 3" Model 13 and the "Decelerator" grips on my Model 58. The only detriment to the Compac Professional grips is the fact that they are by nature more "tacky" than wood. As such when worn beneath clothing they sometimes limit the free movement of the fabric and "print" the firearm. The Decelerators on the Model 58 are excellent at point-ability and recoil absorption, especially for anyone with a touch of arthritis.

Last point, if you do use the Pachmayrs, or for that matter any other rubber grips, occasionally remove them and check the firearm for any signs of rust or corrosion. I've seen the revolvers of fellow officers who did not do so and had the finish damaged.

HTH.

JPJ