Hello all - Let's hear it about J-frame grips! With pics please!

What are most comfortable to shoot? What are the most concealable? What are the best looking? What are the best compromises of the above?

I'm particularly interested in Airweight Centennial suggestions in the comfort department.

Thanks in advance -

Shooter686

Top left, originality. Top right, shootability. Bottom, it's all about the looks.

My 638 shares the same woodstocks.
I have the longer barrel j-frame so it gives it an interesting look.

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27-2, 66-1, 640 Pro, 10-5

Is the bottom picture Altamont Rosewood?

Concealable? On a Centennial? I've got to vote for Craig Spegel's boot grips. You can get them as plain or as pretty as your wallet can stand. Checkered or smooth.
The 'high horn' style allows most folks to snug-up on the gun just a little higher which seems to direct the recoil straight back as opposed to up. Of course, YMMV. $45 for the base set is a screaming deal for custom wood stocks.

Craig Spegel - Custom Pistol Grips

Centennial on the right....

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Stu

Well, I'm not having to much problem with the stock grips of my 637. But I am partial to stag. Stainless with stag grips, woof!

For shoot-ability paired with conceal-ability, I like the Crimson Trace LG-405 grips.

+1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Another Spegel fan

I just Googled those. One of my wife's weapons is a Mdl36 Chief. They sell them for her weapon. Prices run from 179.00 to 300.00 plus ( both new ).

My point is, my 6906 is one of the most popular of the 3rd gens. Whats the deal, her 36 vs my 6906, and no lasers anywhere for mine...don't make much sense to me.

This lady does some fine work!
http://www.esmeralda.cc/

Thanks for reminding me-

I stumbled across this woman's website a while back but had forgotten about it. Those really are beautiful grips - for all manner of hand guns.

Anybody using them on a J-frame and care to post a picture? I'd sure like to get a look at them on a 642 (or similar enclosed hammer mode.)

Thanks,

Shooter686

There are a whole lot more J-frames out there than 3rd Gen double stack compacts - i.e. the 3913's chubby little brother




Try this.

that's nice looking -db-

In a word............Spegel.

Dragon - who makes the grip in the bottom picture?
St/Db - I really like the looks of the spegels, escpecially the high position on the back of the frame, and they look to be wider helping to distribute recoil over bigger area. I've been using a high grip position with the web of my hand right at the top of the frame - but I'll be honest - even with light 38s the recoil is well - somewhat painful with the stock grips. STock grips are nice feel, small, and certainly fit the concealable role. but I like to be able to shoot a reasonable amount w/o pain...

Thanks again all - now off to look at the Spegel offerings.

Shooter686

Dead tree grips are real purdy and all, but if you want something durable, comfortable, and concealable, you can't go wrong with a pair of Hogue Bantams for your round butt J-framer.

stock SW target grips

Altamont.

Altamont - Pistol Grips

For myself, I like the "smaller is better" theory. I like the minimal Dymondwood for my pocket-carry or boot-grips for belt and/or pocket-carry.

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GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

Strictly for carry purposes, IMO it's hard to beat the original Uncle Mike's boot grips. For everything else, I like wood...

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I second that... the slim little Dymondwood grips are perfect for me... in a pocket or on the belt I know I can get my whole hand around them no matter what. I also find that they let me get a higher grip on my Centennials, which helps me with accuracy and follow-up shots. Plus they look cool, imo...

I've got Eagle Secret Service grips on my 642. Makes it very concealable, and easy to grip high.

Rubber Pachmayr combat grips are great for shooting a round butt J frame, but they are ugly things. For J frame square butt, I like the original wood grips.
For looks, wood has it all beat. Model 36 & 63.

[QUOTE=Mike1957;136140652]Rubber Pachmayr combat grips are great for shooting a round butt J frame, but they are ugly things. For J frame square butt, I like the original wood grips.
For looks, wood has it all beat. Model 36 & 63.

I agree about Pachmayr's being ugly. Add Butt to Ugly and you have Pachmayr. However, I was really considering them for shootability with a airweight, but picked up the Hogue Monogrip instead.

I think I need two sets - Hogues for shooting and (something wood and attractive) for carry.

Shooter686

I keep going right back to the original Uncle Mikes on my 637. I did take a three finger UM from my 640 and cut the bottom off it so it isn't much bigger than the smaller model. It has a slight amount of rubber covering the back of the grip and I left the bottom finger groove to anchor the middle finger some.

For me, those old Uncle Mike Boot grips are most functional.
I have some wood grips including Eagle's Secret Service grip, Spegel's boot grip, couple different Pachmyr grips, Tyler T Grip Adapter, etc. but I always seem to come back to cheap Uncle Mike Boot grips.
The rubber is a little tacky but not too tacky and the rubber materal seems to absorbe the recoil better than wood and it doesn't increase the size of the revolver.

I have altamont super rosewood checkered boots on mine and they look great. So great I ordered a set for my dad on Sunday and they arrived this morning.

Danny, yes it is C&S. The good folks up in Nebraska do good work.

For comfortable shooting, it doesn't get any better than the old, discontinued Uncle Mike's combat grips...

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Centennial Every Day

This one has skinny magnas to match it's larger bretheren. The small wood conceals well. I don't mind shooting with these grips. Wish I had a Tyler-T for it, though.


This one came with fancy walnut grips. Nice to look at, but not very comfortable to shoot .357's with. Also, I think they would get damaged too easily if carried.

Everyday carry 640 has Hogue Bantam Rubber on it. Very comfortable and controllable.

My Airweight 442 has the Desantis Clip Grip on it, and I like it alot, for that particular gun. It's my "pajama/gym gun", and with that grip on an airweight, I can just stick it in my waistband even if I'm wearing sweatpants or pajamas. Sorry, no photos of that one.

Eagle's Secret Service grips...

My favorite also, close 2nd is current S&W full J rubber grip that closely duplicates the MIKES

I don't have any myself but I find it interesting this is the first thread on stock or grips that there is zero mention of Ahrends Grips. I'm going to order some Altamont magnas to try my BK grip adapter with. The factory magnas work but I'm too stingy with them to wear them out.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Lots of nice looking set ups! I'm leaning towards a Spegel boot and/or a hogue monogrip. I must say that the factory rubber grip is attractive and comfortable - for everything but extended shooting sessions.

Thanks again,

Shooter686

That is funny!

I don'thave pics to share but, my 36 and 37 both wear the factory wood with a Tyler T Grip.

Here's a few pictures of my 642. Picked it up used at a good price. Test fired 12/10 and I dont think it had been fired at all besides that. I really love the factory grip - hope Trail Boss does the trick, I'll know tomorrow.

Shooter686

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Eagle Rosewood and Tyler T Grip on 438 Bodyguard

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Bob, mine is an original T...but if I needed one, I would go with BK...

BTW, I had that Sile rubber grip (top left) on my model 60 and it was very comfortable to shoot...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Want another one if I can find it???

For long-session shooting comfort with a J frame I haven't found anything better than the Pachmayr Decelerators. Lots of very cushy rubber behind the backstrap, and plenty to hold on to. Even airweights are painless. Only problem is, they're pretty much oversize K frame size. But boy are they comfortable to shoot.

For something that you might actually carry and still shoot a lot, the Pachmayr Compacs are indeed terrific. Mine were a bit sticky when new, but use, age, sweat and skin oil smooth 'em out nicely.

Shooter686, my most commonly shot 38 loads are 158g lead round nose bullets over 3.2g of Trail Boss. These go about 585fps out of a 442 (625 from a model 10) and are very comfortable loads. For comparison, my carry loads (Hornady 158g XTP, non-+P) go 740 and 785fps from those 2 guns, and the heaviest loads I've shot (Remington 158g lead HP +P) go 820 and 900fps. The Trail Boss loads are clearly comfort shooters.

Trail Boss ain't the cheapest powder on the market, but it meters very accurately and I find it to be clean shooting. And I use it because it is absolutely impossible to overcharge a case with it. Even though I've found it virtually impossible to overcharge a case without consciously manhandling the progressive presses I use (Lee Loadmaster and Dillon Square Deal) I still find it comforting to use a powder that can fill a case and yet do no harm to the gun.

y

Thanks Bob...but I ankle most of the time and they don't work for that....

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Another vote for the Taurus boot grips......as pictured by chp, in post #90. Nylon instead of rubber, so not sticky or overly squishy. Well made - even have alignment pins molded in (to keep the two halves aligned with each other). Cheap - $9.00 on the Taurus website. Absorb recoil very well. The shape is nearly perfect for my hand.

Since I stay with synthetic grips on J-frame sized revolvers (for carry and recoil reasons).....these are the ticket (for me). Best I've ever found.

I got these from a forum member and love them.

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Go big or stay home

Wrangler - thanks for the input. I put together 50 rounds of 158gr LSWC over 3.0 grns Trail Boss last night. Hope to try them out soon. With any luck this load will be comfortable enough with out any grip change. I appreciate your grip suggestions too and will keep them in mind if the grips are still necessary.

As far as Trail Boss goes - this is the best powder since sliced bread. I have all kinds of uses for this stuff.....

Shooter686

hogue pau ferro

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My 442 with a Lobo Gun Leather Enhanced Pancake Holster. The grips are Altamont. I also use the same 442 with a Crimson Trace laser grip.

442 & Enhanced Pancake.jpg 442 with CT Grips.jpg