In praise of the lowly Pachmayr grip adapter (and Clarice M. Starling)

I like Tyler T grips, and I really like the BK version of the same. I own both.

I also like the Pachmayr grip adapter, and its predecessor the Mershon. I think I have more than these four, but these were at the front of the safe.



I love the Big Brother/Little Brother look of the no-dash 66 and the no-dash 63.



The one on the BSR is a Mershon. It seems fitting to be on the older gun, and even though it isn't period-correct for the wartime service of the gun it makes it easier to shoot. I shoot it a lot.



A little Pachmayr grip adapter trivia - they were very common on FBI issued revolvers. They weren't issued, but the little BX located inside the FBI Academy sold the K-frame round butt variety, and a lot of new agents bought them. Most guys who carried the issued Model 13 or the earlier 2 1/2" Model 10 had Pachmayr grip adapters on them. I never saw a Tyler T grip on an FBI gun until a few years ago, when I bought a privately-owned Bureau-approved 4" Model 19 that had one. The agent was a gun guy - most aren't.

The 66 is a former FBI gun, and the adapter is the one that was on it. I traded a good friend out of it - it was his POW, and he was on the very first HRT.

I just watched Silence Of The Lambs again. I went through the FBI Academy in 1991, the same year the movie was released. Some of my instructors appeared in the movie - the guy that puts the 1911 to Starling's head during the arrest scenario was my PT instructor. They all were very complimentary to her - she was by all accounts super nice and paid attention during her firearms training. She pulls off a pretty good reload of her Model 13 after she ventilates Buffalo Bill, who made of the mistake of cocking his Python.



In a close-up earlier you can see she had a Pachmayr grip adapter on her revolver. Nice attention to detail (though the ammo is wrong - should be lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoints).



They actually have advantages over the others on the market - you can trim them to fit with a pocket knife, or smooth off the edges or grooves with a nail file. And you can find them on eBay and elsewhere for about 8 bucks.

I know Tylers get all the attention - any other fans of the lowly Packy?

Wow, I didn't even know they made one. And at 8 bucks a piece, I'm digging that. I think the tylers might fit a little better. But for the price!

I have used both Tylers and the old Pachs. The latter fit my hand much better than the Tylers even without carving them up. They are my favorites of all.

I tried one Pachmayr and didn't care for it. I like Tyler much better. Haven't seen the BK.

I have that movie and will watch it again soon. I also read the book. The guns were the same in the book as in the movie, and I think Thos.Harris, the author, was wise in the explanation of how the villain used that six-inch Python and wadcutter ammo to kill his victims. He wanted minimal damage to the bodies, as he was using them to make something that I'm not sure I can mention here.

I have learned more about Jodie Foster since I saw the movie and there are things I don't like. But she is a very talented actress and I think, director. She was well chosen to play Clarice Starling.

Foster also handled a S&W Model 10-6 well in, "Blue Steel."

Brad-

In the movie, did you notice John Douglas in a cameo role, as he handed Starling her creds at the graduation ceremony? I've read a couple of his books, like, "Mindhunter." Interesting stuff...

Also, which ammo do you use in the BSR? Do you have to cast and size bullets for the .38 S&W bore?

Have you tried Buffalo Bore's ammo? I'm guessing it won't shoot to the sights.

Lots of cool revolver stuff in that moving picture.

Too bad it was at the very tail end of the revolver era.

Thanks SIGPR220.45. The account of the movie, the gun and your former instructors is very interesting. I'm guessing that is a model 13 three inch revolver?

When I bought my model 10-6 a few years back, I considered a T-Grip to improve the grips without disturbing the vintages of the gun. I searched Ebay and found this Pachmayr. I was not aware of it before. When I got it I was surprised that it was plastic but quickly got over it once it was installed and one I handled the new ergo's.

Through the years, from time to time I was tempted to buy wood grips but I can't abandon the perfect match of my 1977 revolver with the slightly older vintage adapter. It's just right for the gun

What I'd like to know (quite seriously) is what did people do before the advent of these grip adapters and target grips?

I have tried the Tyler T adapters several times but never grew to appreciate them. Giving them away gives me a lot of joy. I am sure if I threw one of those Tyler T”s in front of a on-coming train some fanboy would dive after it. Back in March I gave a retired LEO I met in Physical Terrorpy a Tyler T for a Ruger Speed Six. He was thrilled. I had to install it for him as he couldn’t use one hand then. He did not know the stock screw could be removed with a cartridge.

LOL when a LGS closed about 20 years ago I bought there new old stock of Pachmayr grip adapters......IIRC I got 10 (in their boxes) for $10.

A number of my 'older" guns from the 50s and 60s ..... mostly Model 17s and 18s . 22s ......work well with Executioner's stag grips and a Pachmyer adopter...... and look period correct.

Jamie Lee Curtis was in Blue Steel. Excellent movie with Ron Silver (RIP)

ABPOS said:

Wow, I didn't even know they made one. And at 8 bucks a piece, I'm digging that. I think the tylers might fit a little better. But for the price!

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Back up the calendar to about 1975 or so, Pachmayr grip adapters were about $2.00 retail, and Tyler T-Grip was about the same.

I carried K-frame revolvers both on-duty and off-duty. I always preferred the magna-style factory grip with a grip adapter, and I used both Tyler and Pachmayr products. Still have a few of each.

TTSH said:

What I'd like to know (quite seriously) is what did people do before the advent of these grip adapters and target grips?

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Actually, Smith & Wesson offered a factory grip adapter option well before WW2. These are quite rare and prized by collectors now.

I think I've got a Pachmayr on my pre-17 these days, but here's an old pic of one on the 38-2 I used to love so well (before it cracked) - as Brad mentions, I trimmed it down:

I usually prefer Pachs. to Tyler's on older guns because they seem more from the same eras, though I got them on a 13-3 here. Tyler's seem not to wobble on the gun like Pachs do sometimes, even when the little screw holding the tab is tight. Also, Pachs on the New Service Colt .357 I just got. They are especially great on these bohemoths.

Many of the older police revolvers I look at (and some I buy) have the Mershon and Pachmayr adapters.

Mershon dominates on 1940s thru 1960s guns, even though Pachmayr’s “Sure Grip” (a term Mershon used for theirs) was advertised by Stoeger as early as 1938. The S&W branded adapter was made by Pachmayr too (the 1960s one, not the fancy pre-war type mentioned above).

Back in my days of "doing" gunshows I bought a box of about 20 or so boxed Pachmayr grip adaptors in their little red boxes. When I started examining my "treasures" I discovered that about half of them had broken pieces of brass spring instead of the complete ones that should have been there. I don't know whether these were factory reject/returns, or had just broken down with age, but I was very disappointed. I need to dig out that old box and see whether there are any good ones left and what they might fit.

Froggie

For anyone who has a wobbly Pach try taking off the clip and fill the hole and gap for it with superglue and then reinstall the clip. I have done this on my Pachs and wobbling has stopped.

I've got a few of the S&W marked adapters. They do help the handling for me, I really need that filler behind the trigger guard.

Absalom said:

Many of the older police revolvers I look at (and some I buy) have the Mershon and Pachmayr adapters.

Mershon dominates on 1940s thru 1960s guns, even though Pachmayr’s “Sure Grip” (a term Mershon used for theirs) was advertised by Stoeger as early as 1938. The S&W branded adapter was made by Pachmayr too (the 1960s one, not the fancy pre-war type mentioned above).

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Well, what do ya' know. Just the other day I tried another Pach. adapter on my New Service colt I pictured earlier and it was much bigger, yet had to be for this gun, I thought. Yet the Pach. that came on the gun which is in the picture was smaller. The ad you pictured explains the two sizes for the same gun that I didn't know about. I have average hands and prefer the smaller ones on the big Colt.

Pachmayer acquires Mershon, I cant remember the date, I believed however it was early or mid 1950s.

I have it in my notes somewhere.