People with J frames and boot grips, question for you....

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

How do you guys actually grip your gun? Could someone take a pic and show me what you do. For me it's virtually impossible to bend my right thumb down enough to be out of the way of my trigger finger.

I've asked this before and I don't think I've ever gotten a response that made sense to me.

1 time I saw a pic of Clint Smith with his right thumb straight, underneath the cylinder. I could do that. But I also would be worried about messing up the tip of my right thumb.

I only ask because some day I might want to try to set my 442 as a BUG and put boot grips on it. Right no it's my primary carry gun and I have hogue tamers on it. Which allow me to get my thumb out of the way when bending down, because of the extra material on the backstrap. I love the way the gun feels with those grips. But I also would like to have the option of making it a bit smaller. But have no clue how anyone actually shoots them with boot grips on there.

Pics would be helpful.

Thanks guys.

Tyrod · May 15, 2017

No insult intended, but do you have arthritis or very long fingers. I don't like boot grips, but sometimes that's what you get. When I grip any J frame, I have to draw my trigger finger back a bit where only the first pad or the first joint is pulling the trigger.

I prefer the extended combat grips on my J frames, easier to use, harder to conceal.

Posted by my Commodore 64 using tapakeyboard

BigDog48 · May 15, 2017

I believe that it depends on you. I have a 642 which had boot grips, but they were so painful to practice with, I took them off in favor of some TALO grips that originally came on it. If it's just a matter of worrying about your thumb, my suggestion would be if you need to actually use it in a defensive situation, you won't care about your thumb. Once you know the pistol works and you can shoot it with the grips, it's up to you whether to keep them or not.

Rpg · May 15, 2017

Can't tell you about boot grips.

I use the original wood grips on all my M 38's along with a tyler t.

Plenty of space for my thumb to go down touching my middle finger.

One of the reasons I like the humpback with the tyler t is that I choke up high on the grip. The humpback with factory wood and t grip lets me do this.

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

No I don't have arthritis. But I do have longer fingers than some. But I figure they're more like medium sized length. I have seen people with much stubbier fingers than me though. Dudes that were taller and bigger. LOL.

How about pics. I did youtube and have seen a a few people.

I guess maybe I should've asked, people with longer ish fingers.

It's not about caring or not caring. It's about if I try to wrap my right thumb down, it will impede the progress of my trigger finger if I have the trigger in the first joint. I guess I could try to pull the trigger with the tip of my finger, but that just doesn't seem right. I'd take pics, but I don't have boot grips on my J frame right now. I only have 1 j frame. Boooooooo....

I'm curious if some of you guys would take pics of your grip, or at least a 1 handed grip so I can see where your thumb is ending up.

ridgewalker · May 15, 2017

I had the same problem. As I pulled the trigger, my trigger finger would come in contact with my thumb producing a flinch.

Try this. Don't bend your thumb. Extend your thumb straight forward. Now you won't contact your thumb with your trigger finger. But you have to learn where to place your thumb so it doesn't get torn up by the cylinder release. Extend your thumb below the cylinder release. Sounds more complicated than it is. Practice a bit and it becomes second nature.

eb07 · May 15, 2017

thumb down on top of my other thumb pushing down into my left index finger which I wrap around the trigger guard.

Best pic I have with my LCR and boot grip.... none of the 442 but same grip.

Zoomed in for you.

crazyphil · May 15, 2017

First photo on the left is merely to show you that I have pretty big hands.
I am gripping the stocks of Herrett's Jordan Trooper stocks on my model
19 Combat Magnum.

Those small revolvers 442/642 (and many others) were made for
concealed carry. Full size stocks defeat the purpose of concealability.
I have used several types of full size stocks on the small revolvers,
and still do, but for the best concealability, I use the Spegel designed
Uncle Mike's boot grip shown on my 642.

Notice in 2nd photo from left how the grip is relieved so a speed loader
has better access to the cylinder. It is in that recess that I bend my
thumb.

My grip on the boot stocks is shown in 3rd photo from left.

Hope this helps.

I imagine someone, or more, will tell me how wrong I am.
After all I am only an NRA Certified Instructor with 72 years
shooting experience. What do I know?

OLDSTER · May 15, 2017

boot grips

I cannot shoot with boot grips. Never have been able to. But these S&W "banana" grips fill the bill for me and don't affect concealed carry

H Richard · May 15, 2017

I don't shoot any revolvers with boot grips. I have a couple, but they don't get shot. I want 3 fingers on the grip, and have enough with grips long enough. I carry in my front pocket and don't have a problem with them fitting.

Bill In Texas · May 15, 2017

I shoot my two main j frame carry pieces with boot grips. I actually prefer it. My 637 has the S&W stock grips on it and my 640 has a set of Altamont Rosewood boots. My grip on the gun is pretty much what crazyphil showed in his pic. I have medium,(I guess), hands with long fingers. Hope this helps!

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

ridgewalker said:
I had the same problem. As I pulled the trigger, my trigger finger would come in contact with my thumb producing a flinch.

Try this. Don't bend your thumb. Extend your thumb straight forward. Now you won't contact your thumb with your trigger finger. But you have to learn where to place your thumb so it doesn't get torn up by the cylinder release. Extend your thumb below the cylinder release. Sounds more complicated than it is. Practice a bit and it becomes second nature.

I'm not quite sure where you're meaning to put it straight. But I'm guessing you mean like I was thinking and just let it ride underneath the cylinder.

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

eb07 said:
thumb down on top of my other thumb pushing down into my left index finger which I wrap around the trigger guard.

Best pic I have with my LCR and boot grip.... none of the 442 but same grip.

Zoomed in for you.

Well that's something I've never seen before. Thanks for posting it.

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

crazyphil said:
First photo on the left is merely to show you that I have pretty big hands.
I am gripping the stocks of Herrett's Jordan Trooper stocks on my model
19 Combat Magnum.

Those small revolvers 442/642 (and many others) were made for
concealed carry. Full size stocks defeat the purpose of concealability.
I have used several types of full size stocks on the small revolvers,
and still do, but for the best concealability, I use the Spegel designed
Uncle Mike's boot grip shown on my 642.

Notice in 2nd photo from left how the grip is relieved so a speed loader
has better access to the cylinder. It is in that recess that I bend my
thumb.

My grip on the boot stocks is shown in 3rd photo from left.

Hope this helps.

I imagine someone, or more, will tell me how wrong I am.
After all I am only an NRA Certified Instructor with 72 years
shooting experience. What do I know?

Thanks for taking the time to post those. It almost looks like your fingers are either shorter than mine. Or it kind of looks like you have your hand more to the right on the grip than what I'm used to.

ABPOS · May 15, 2017

OLDSTER said:
I cannot shoot with boot grips. Never have been able to. But these S&W "banana" grips fill the bill for me and don't affect concealed carry

Yeah, the Hogue Tamers I have on my 442 are similar sized. But they go further up the backstrap and I like the hard plastic on the very bottom. It helps the clothes not stick to it.

Double-O-Dave · May 15, 2017

ABPOS:

Unfortunately, I do have arthritis in my hands and wrists. I have probably medium sized hands (size 7.5 surgical gloves, medium sized work and dress gloves). Pictured below is my Model 642-1 with my favorite CT LG-405 laser grips. I have included photos of my one hand, as well as my two-hand grips, as well as a close-up of my one hand grip. I hope this is useful.

Regards,

Dave

ContinentalOp · May 15, 2017

As can be seen in the photos posted so far in this thread, there is quite a bit of variation in people's hands. Ultimately, you have to find a grip that works for you.

I went ahead and took a couple of pictures, one with my finger on the trigger before pulling and one with the trigger back (note: gun was unloaded and a safe backstop was used off camera):

My hands are somewhere between a small and medium glove size. I can get about half of my pinky finger on the grip. I'm using the Centennial version of Spegel's boot grips with the tall "ears," so I can grip a little higher.

I don't notice my trigger finger touching my thumb. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I don't place my trigger finger's joint on the trigger face, it's more like the trigger face is immediately to the left of the joint, if that makes sense. You might be able to tell that on the first picture. My trigger finger does slide across the trigger face a little as I pull it, which isn't a problem since my focus is on pulling the trigger straight back. The amount of finger through the trigger guard doesn't really matter so long as the trigger is pulled straight back.

sawlog · May 16, 2017

This is how I grip my carry gun. Thumb straight out. If I don't hold my thumb out then when I shoot my trigger finger hits the end of my thumb..
Works great for me.
Hope this answers you guestion.

gnystrom · May 16, 2017

In reality, the goal is to hit what you are aiming at. Find grips that allow you to conceal to the extent you desire and learn to shoot with them on the gun. Other than keeping your thumb away from the front of the cylinder,
there are a lot of ways to grip the gun, but there is no one universal grip that works for everyone.

THE PILGRIM · May 16, 2017

I shoot my 642 pretty much as pictured by Phil.
J Frames grips come in a wide range of shapes and materials.
If the Boots don't work for you, move up into a longer- fatter grip.

People with J frames and boot grips, question for you....

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