Pachmayr Compac Grips. Has anyone used these on a j-frame 638 or 442? I am thinking of buying them for both of these guns and use them for pocket carry. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Frank.

I have them on my Model 60, and they feel great in the hand. I do use them for pocket carry quite regularly, but be aware, they are pretty big and wide for that purpose. I'd probably start with just one set to see how you like them. Even if they're too big for your pocket, they are great for the range.

I've got Pachmayr Compacts on my 442. It carries great in either my pocket or on my belt and feels great in my hand.

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Have used them on several J frames. Excellent grips.

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I have them on one j frame.

I think they are a good compromise between comfort shooting and size.

The smaller more easily concealed grips are usually painful to shoot with 357 mag or 38 + P.

And full sized grips larger than Compac are hard to conceal but easier to shoot comfortably.

With the Compacs, Pachmayr hit a sweet spot compromise in between.

Thanks all. I will go with one set and see how they fit.
Frank.

I tried them, and then Hogue came out with the Bantam. I prefer the Bantam.

The Pachmayr Compacs with the enclosed backstrap do me the favor of extending the length of pull of the J-frame to the point where the gun shoots better for me. That said, the purpose of a J-frame is to be small and concealed, and the Compacs sort of get in the way of that, as compared to the excellend Hogue Bantam that Mr. McCarver mentions.

Anyhow, I have a pair of Compacs that I sometimes put on my 36-1 . . . and they help it to shoot really well in my hands. I don't like the way they look, but I like how they make the gun handle for me.

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I like the compac grips; they fit my hand well and soak up the recoil. For me, they don't work well for pocket carry; for that purpose I prefer Spegel boot grips or the discontinued Uncle Mikes/Butler Creek copies of the same grips.

There are Compac grips on every J-Frame that I shoot regularly, including the Model 60 that is my EDC. I can live with the slightly bulkier size because they fit my hand perfectly and help tame felt recoil, even with hot .357 loads.

I prefer Compacs without a medallion, they still turn up on auction sites from time to time.

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Some VERY savvy folks above like snubbyfan and cal44 are fans of the J-frame Compacs, I'm not. For their size, they are very heavy, IMO, and also quite thick across the middle. For the life of me, I can't see how snubbyfan pocket-carries his snub with these grips.

Yes, they cover the backstrap and cushion recoil, but they add 1/4 pound of weight to guns that are designed to be light. I, and other LEOs have had a problem with the metal inserts of the Pach grips somehow attracting moisture under the grip, causing frame rust. Altho out-of-print, the Sile rubber grips were thinner and lighter, with a fiberglass insert, much superior to the Compacs.

Any rubber grip can trap moisture but, yeah, the steel inserts in Pachmayr's don't help things when it comes to rust. Uncle Mike's also have metal inserts. Hogue's Bantam, with no such insert, is the lightest of the bunch. I see the old Siles offered occassionally on the auction sites. A coat of RIG on the gripframe will help keep rust at bay while using any of these grips.

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SWHF #448

I prefer uncle mike boots but compacs aren't bad- although they are a bit misnamed in this case. FWIW Compacs are about $25 new but Numrich has some used ones for about ten bucks. I just ordered one for a buddy so I'll report on just how "used" it is when it arrives.

It's not the material that causes the rust, it is lack of maintenance. Bill

I like Compacs on anything with a barrel shorter than 4".
Withe a 4" or longer barrel, I like Grippers.
Compacs are compact, compared to Presentations or Grippers, but not so compact in the strictest sense of the word.
When I carry my 2" 36, I use the factory magnas.
Most Hogue grips don't fit my hands well.
YMMV.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

My opinion on the Compac's is that they are too big for the real role of a snubbie.
Unless you mean the Compac Professionals that is.
On a 3 inch J used as a holster gun I like the Compac or the Uncle Mikes Combat but for a pocket carried J I always goto the Uncle Mikes Boot.
I dont like the Bantam that much, I tend to not get the feel for aiming I do with the Spegel boot copy.

From L-R
Hogue Bantam, Compac Pro, Compac

Years ago, Pachy compact professionals were the best, until Uncle Mike's came out with the Spegel boot grip design. The UM boot grip are still the best out there, IMHO.

Hi Bill, you're correct, of course, about maintenance, yet I would have to remove that grip DAILY to wipe off the moisture from the frame. It got old very quickly.

FWIW, ever see that Thompson SMG at FBI HQ in Washington? Absolutely mint, except for the rust-thumbprint etched into it that someone did not wipe off back in the 30s!

Always great to chat with another NRA Life member!

Alan (Kaaskop49)

That quip about maintenance was based on my own unfortunate experience. I was carrying Model 640 with standard wood grips in a SmartCarry holster two days a week. The other days it was carried in an IWB holster.

After carrying the gun it got wiped down each night but the grips were not removed. After I few months I took the grips off and was shocked by the corrosion that I saw.

I've been doing some experimenting with carrying a blue steel gun in Florida. I carried a Model 10 for one month (July) and removed the grips and wiped down each night and had no corrosion. I am now doing some experimenting with using wax instead of oil and so far I like the results.

A while back I bought a 4506 police surplus gun. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in 10 years. I took the plastic Delron grips off and there was corrosion and that gun was not likely carried that close to the skin. The point is that it appears that whether it is wood, plastic or rubber the corrosion risk is similar.

Bill

I'd just like to salute everyone who's posted on this thread for a really good and informative discussion of the pros and cons of these Compacs. Well done, gents.

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And I thank you all for your response. I truly appreciate your input.
Frank.

The great thing about Compacs is that the are fantastic for shooting. Especially with an Airweight/+P ammo or a Charter Bulldog .44 Spl.

The not so great thing is that it adds a good bit of bulk.
Not a problem for holster carry. Bit of a problem for pocket carry, for me.

A lot depends on your body size/type, and the way you dress.

As always, YMMV.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

To all posters on this thread: Know how to tell when you're getting old?

When the Pach Compacs you bought 30+ years ago to cushion the recoil impact have hardened and now THEY hurt your hand when shooting!

Good shooting to all.

I have the Pachmayr Compac Professional grips (exposed backstrap) on my Model 49 Bodyguard which is also my BUG when on duty. I like them and I find it helps in the shoot-ability of the 49. I tried the Houge Bantam grips and it just didn't fit my hand properly. I prefer the Pachmayr design. All subjective I know.

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I have the Pachmayr Compac Professional on my Model 49 which serves as my backup. I also find myself dealing with rust under the grips, but I like the grips so I make do. I suppose I should consider purchasing a stainless steel version, but I just like my old blue steel Bodyguard.

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It really is a pleasure to have a local gun store that allows all these options to be tried, because you're right: it's such an individual thing.

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In my case I believe my preference for Pachmayr grips originates from my childhood. Dad taught me to shoot and all of his handguns (revolvers and semi-autos) wore Pachy rubber grips or sleeves. My hands were formed at an early age.

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There is a "hard material" version of the Compact Pro....... sold by one of the big parts suppliers...Brownell's I think..... that don't grab the covering garment like rubber. I have a couple of sets for K-frames and liked them.

Sorry its been awhile, I've gone all Spegel Boot Grips on my carry revolvers.

The Hogue Bantam grips are also nice on the J-frame and easier to get than Spegel's who is generally 3-5 months behind.