3.0 grns of Trail boss and 158grn and I can shoot all day. No longer need to find a recoil soaking set of grips.

Now to review all of your wonderfull pics of wood grips and find something I like. I happen to be partial to wood. Some beautiful grips here.....Thanks to everyone for contributing!

Shooter686

Who makes that?

Pachmayr used to. There's a recent thread on them somewhere here.

What is this?
It is not often I am so stumped.

It's a pocket holster of sorts, I believe it is sized for cargo pockets. It may not be legal in some areas because the weapon can be fired without removing it from the holster.

__________________
"Shall not be infringed"

I've tried all sorts of rubber, oversize and other fancy grips. In the end, it came down to the most basic - My Js wear service stocks and grip adapters, which work best for me in pocket carry.

__________________
-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I'm really liking these banana grips

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I saw a set like these on a model 60 at a show last month.
They are Bianchi Lighnings. They shroud the hammer spur and give the gun a profile like a model 38.

See??? I can't even give that thing away!!!

S&W's stock 60 Pro grips are nice, if you like a larger grip and don't intend to pocket carry. They can be pricey - these grips, new as they were, cost me $651 OTD last January!



There are ways to buy 'just the grips', as I had previously found:



They are a great improvement over the stock grips. So were the square-conversion Hogues:



Of course, my grip selection is in opposition to the OP's request - they make a J-frame feel 'larger'. In my case, they make them more 'shootable'. My only other J-frame - a CCW (642) - kept it's OEM boots for CC.

Stainz

These are Safariland grips that were cut down.

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I like a compact grip (only two fingers) that cover the backstrap (I have large hands). It's ugly, but the best grips I've found that fit that bill are made for the Taurus "J Frame" line (minor fitting required)

Well at least Taurus is good for something.....

I like the CT, LG-405s also......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

The standard Uncle Mikes full size grip works great, but not as concealable. My choice for 357s in the 640. For concealability, the 640 wears Altamont boot grips and the 642 keeps the stock boot grips. See a good discussion on Stephen
Camp's Browning site: Getting a Grip
Anthing that covers the backstrap with rubber will make shooting less painful but less concealable. Wear big pockets.

Seasonally appropriate attire influences choice of weapon, BUT ALWAYS dress around the weapon you are carrying......

__________________
'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Here's a set from Karl Nill :

From the pictures I've seen in the past, I don't think Esmeralda's grips are any better than most of the other "big ones" (Spiegel, Nill, etc.) - she just gets some amazing wood. And she's HOT!

I like MoP

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Bill - SWCA #2327

dryheat -

That is a beautiful firearm - might i inquire who did the engraving?

Shooter686

Wayne D'Angelo. He has been an engraver for both Smith & Wesson and Colt factories. He is well regarded on this forum. Real nice guy too.

__________________
Bill - SWCA #2327

I finally figured it out Dryheat, i just had to look at the picture That is a beautiful firearm!

Thanks,

Shooter686

Going to give the Hogue Monogrip a try....

The good - covers the backstrap, increases the distance to the trigger (my thumb and index finger were binding when pulling the trigger), has that great grippy feel of Hogues.

The bad - they're not wood, they're ugly and utilitarian looking, and they don't reach to the top of the "hump".

These grips totally change the feel of the gun. With the Smiths grips, a high hold (web of hand at, or above, the hump) felt good. The added finger groove on the Hogues makes a lower hold feel more natural. I suspect these grips will make it more pleasant to fire. If not, then I'm switching to a steel frame....Range report to follow.

Shooter686

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has anyone tried these?

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Who makes them?

Shooter686

VZ makes those. They are very heavy.

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Centennial Every Day

It's true, they are pretty heavy. My 640 nd with vz's weighs 24.75 oz ( loaded ). My 640 nd with magnas and Tyler t weighs 23.25 (loaded, same ammo), so they are 1.5 oz heavier. Might make a difference on an airweight, but on my stainless guns, it's fine. The airweight wears hogue bantams, and is 16.75 oz (loaded, same 125 gr gdhp).
The VZ's have a nice subtle texture that is grippier than wood, but less tacky than the hogue rubber, and the texture doesn't chafe my skin like either. The G10 stuff seems really durable. Time will tell.

In reference to the VZ grips that someone above mentioned...

I read a review where someone said that they had sharp edges on them...but that was some of the first grips produced....maybe they have gotten better.

I keep having visions of a 340 m&p with some VZ grips in black mounted on the grip frame!

I just received some VZ's in black, and already love them. They fit great, look great, and feel good. I want more.


I also finally got a Tyler T-Grip for my 640 that wears magnas. It did not fit very well, looked kinda rough, and was kinda sharp. I went at it with some 220,500, and 1200 grit paper, and now it's ok.


I guess it's new school vs old school.

I got a black set of those VZ GRIPS on my 940.

*8/16 UPDATE*
They were too heavy. Sold them and bought a beautiful set of Spegel boot grips.

Just bought the 632-2 and have yet to try Esmeralda's grips, but I like both. Also, like CTC laser grips on my 637.




S&W J frame

Another terrific grip maker is Nill Grips in Germany. I have many of their grips.
https://www.nill-shop.com/group_sele...3b2e51e05e0b35

i use dymondwood pannels from brownells, and a tyler t-grip on my 442-2. just hides like a hammerless should...

For a while I ran a Hogue Monogrip on my 340MP just because recoil was so unpleasant. Problem is the Monogrip is huge, and makes pocket carry about impossible.

I then went to the Pachmayr Compac Pro (pictured) and liked them a whole lot. Harder rubber than the Hogues, less sticky in the pocket, and still plenty to hang onto at the range.

I really like the look of the G10 grips by VZ and the wood from Spegel. My next J-frame will wear one of these two for sure.

I agree the Hogue mono adds to the size of the gun, and the tacky rubber makes it hang up a bit. Pachmayrs are probably next, until I have enough sheckles for some pretty wood grips.

shooter686

Uncle Mikes Boot grips

Never understood larger grips on a J-frame... I carry one for concealment, if I have big honking grips on it'll I'd rather carry a bigger pistol...

Amen to that one....

__________________
GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

I kind of agree, but some grips are larger than others. I have a set of Badgers on a model 36 that are larger than a boot grip, but no where near the size of the oversized Houge rubber that I have used from time to time on the range.

Tyler T-Grip and Dymondwood Service Grips:

__________________
686-4 442-1

She does get some really nice-looking wood to work with.

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Here are my own observations FWIW: I recently purchased a new 640 to replace my tested-to-destruction ruger LCR .357. A little about the ruger.
Surpisingly comfortable to shoot with the little hogue bantam grips and full power .357 mag loads. I guess there is something to be said for the polymer "fire control housing" absorbing recoil. By tested to destruction, I mean the cylinder began to drag after about 1200 rounds. After sending it back, Ruger sent me a new one which I proptly sold.

Now I'm a fan of pocket carry. And while revo's tend to be bulky compared to most of the little mouse guns, Reliability and Power make up for this IMHO. For a replacement for my LCR, I strongly considered the S&W 340. Its light weight is really appealing to me. However, I was put off by the reports of almost uncontrollable and painful recoil with .357 mag loads and the fact that most guys ended up carrying .38 special in them. I'm also someone who shoots alot. Like 800-1000 rounds of .357 a month (mostly in my 686, but I also practice frequently with my carry guns). I'm not convinced that the airweight alloy revolvers can hold up to heavy use any better than the plastic frame LCR did.

Enter the 640. 23 oz empty is a bit on the corpulent side for a pocket gun, but it is every bit as concealable as any other j-frame in spite of its extra 1/4" of barrel length (as compared to the 340 or my 642). One thing I didn't like about it was the factory plastic grips. Way too big and bulky. I ordered a set of smooth classic (wood) panel grips that are very dainty and ideal for a tight pocket. They also look really pretty compared to the ugly stock grips.

A big plus for me besides the added concealability of the panel grips is the fact that I'm actually able to get three fingers on it since I'm gripping further up into the "horn" area than most of the other compact grips on the market allow. I also imagine that a higher grip leads to potentially better control of muzzle flip. However, there is a problem: When I loaded it up with Double Tap Bonded Defense 158 grain loads (I chronoed at 1260 FPS BTW) I was in for a rather unpleasant surprise. The felt recoil was so bad I almost did not want to finish the cylinder. DoubleTap Bonded Defense S&W 640 - YouTube


For me the main point of discomfort was where the backstrap met the web of my thumb. I would like to retain the compactness and looks of the wood panel grips. Does anyone have any ideas of ways to cover the backstrap with a little padding that would not look too hokey? I'm thinking of experimenting with glueing a strip of rubber or something back there.

My M&P 360 with the Pachmayr Compac grip. Makes shooting .357 mag rounds tolerable.

I don't see how you guys pocket carry a J frame with Pachmayr Compac grips! I have a set and love them for high volume shooting at the range, but I can't get the gun in my pockets with that grip on there. Not without people wondering if I'm extremely happy to see them.

I've actually been using some of the Desantis hip grip type grips. Similar concept to the Barami Hip Grip, which I'd used previously, but with the shape of the standard rubber boot grip the gun comes with. They aren't great for extended shooting, but for carry they're a very good option.

In my mind, nothing looks as good as standard S&W wood. Nothing feels as good as Hogue Bantams. The wood equivalent, I suppose, is something like a "boot grip." I think that type was first made by Craig Spegel, but now almost every maker of wood grips has a combat grip that is sawed off at the frame, which is what distinguishes the "boot grip" from a "combat grip" that extends below the frame.

By the way, my remarks are really only for pocket type carry. If you carry in a purse (for the ladies) or in a holster (unheard of around here for a J frame), then there is no reason not to get a real combat grip.

There are plenty of those around also, and the ones that look the best, in my opinion, were the ones made by S&W back in the day.

I guess the theme to my remarks is tradition and advancing age. For the most part, I can do without Zombie green and pink and laminated rainbow looking stuff. Walnut, Goncalo Alves, Rosewood all look pretty good to me!

I have a Hogue Bantam grip on my nickeled Model 37. I'm thinking about a T-Grip or a BK with a pair of buffalo horn grips that I came across.

ECS

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Model 60 .jpg
I bought this new in '75, (Model 60,.38 SPL. 2"), and always used the original grips with the grip adapter for 17 years carrying it as a backup. It was very easy to conceal. I'm in FL and carry it in my back shorts pocket.

Looks just like my no-dash, my favorite carry piece !

I have tried many. e.g., Spegel, Ahrends, etc., for a J Frame and IMO the best are Esmeralda's. They are not only beautiful, but mine have a palm swell that greatly reduces recoil in +p loads.

Anybody have a source for J frame round butt stag stocks?
How about vintage elephant/mammoth ivory?
I tried a search but my google-fu was weak.