Altamont grips?

Anyone have a clue why pretty much all their wood grips are "Not available"? Did we run out of wood in the US?

I just received a set for my 66. I think they're being made to order. Give them a call, great Customer service.

It's weird. I wanted to try a set of their checkered Altai grips for J frame, but they only show smooth available now. So I went to Hudson River Valley to get them (see their available now and custom build section). However, they are charging TOP DOLLAR compared to what Altamont was selling them for.

My guess is, they take orders for a particular pattern until they have enough to justify a run of them, then make them. Much of their day-to-day production is going to certain firearms manufacturers, S&W being one of them.

I have half a dozen sets of Altamont stocks, have gotten them as quickly as three weeks and as slowly as three months. Place your order and read a book while you wait.

Look under grips on gunbroker. They sell a lot there that shows out of stock on website. Sometimes you can find a real bargain.

Look for them on Amazon, it will show if they are in stock and if so they will give a delivery date.

Hair Trigger said:

Much of their day-to-day production is going to certain firearms manufacturers, S&W being one of them.

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....and all the new Pythons Colt is selling!

I have several pairs of Altamonts, mostly used as bar-b-que and photo opportunity grips on my antique Smiths. I do have one set of smooth semi-targets on my 36 - they fit my hand well. All but one set I ordered over the phone after seeing them "out of stock" on the website. All came in under three weeks. Only set I did not like came as the factory grips on my 60-15. The checkering is too sharp. Saving those to make it factory issue if I ever sell it.

Bald1 said:

Look under grips on gunbroker. They sell a lot there that shows out of stock on website. Sometimes you can find a real bargain.

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Yep, just picked up a set for $45... but there are no returns or exchanges on the Gunbroker auctions. Read the description carefully but there are deals to be had.

pasound said:

I have several pairs of Altamonts, mostly used as bar-b-que and photo opportunity grips on my antique Smiths. I do have one set of smooth semi-targets on my 36 - they fit my hand well. All but one set I ordered over the phone after seeing them "out of stock" on the website. All came in under three weeks. Only set I did not like came as the factory grips on my 60-15. The checkering is too sharp. Saving those to make it factory issue if I ever sell it.

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Good points. The problem is that Altamont seems to have removed items altogether from their website. For example, in the J frame Altai grips, there used to be many options listed (each either in stock or not in stock). Options included wood type/stain and texture (smooth and many variants of texture). Now there are shown only two types of wood (silverblack or super walnut) and one surface (smooth). They don't show a whole bunch of different options as out of stock. Those different options have been removed from the website altogether.

I ordered a simulated Ivory set for my model 29 in November and didn't receive them until sometime in January. Very slow. They are very nice grips and fit well.

I ordered a set on February 22nd, received a friendly email letting me know those are made to order which takes 1-3 weeks. They gave me the option to cancel, if I did not want to wait. I let them know that I am waiting for the set. February 28. I got the email with shipping/tracking info.
That's pretty good. I previously bought Altamont grips off eBay, fit and finish is always very good. I figure their pricing results from laminated woods which they call "Super" whatever the wood may be.
For my latest K- frame 19 -3 w/ 2.5" I decided I like the "swirly" appearance resulting from the layers when the grips are sanded into shape.

While I like the round butt finger groove stocks the Altamonte diamond center round to square conversion grips they are putting on the new classics are the worst,
First they are way too thin and very narrow and square at the heel, NO fun when shooting magnums, also the checkering is cheap n sloppy and the grips hang way too low in the heel,
These issues would not be too hard to fix if they cared to.
The best mass produced ones out IMO are the Eagle coke copies,
Of course the hand made ones by the artisans are by far the best,
I love my Culinas , most are smooth, would be nice if he hired an extra hand to do diamond center checkering on the cokes.

I put a nice set on my Model 34 but that was back in 2016. Last time I bought Altamonts I think. Nice grip.

larondo said:

I ordered a set on February 22nd, received a friendly email letting me know those are made to order which takes 1-3 weeks. They gave me the option to cancel, if I did not want to wait. I let them know that I am waiting for the set. February 28. I got the email with shipping/tracking info.
That's pretty good. I previously bought Altamont grips off eBay, fit and finish is always very good. I figure their pricing results from laminated woods which they call "Super" whatever the wood may be.
For my latest K- frame 19 -3 w/ 2.5" I decided I like the "swirly" appearance resulting from the layers when the grips are sanded into shape.

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Fine looking grips! Great selection.

Thank you. I also like the Altamont pricing. $50-60 is the usual range.
Looking at Culinas' website, I see a lot of exotic wood being worked into handgun grips. Nothing wrong with that, but I am sure those are pricey and occasionally they will over-impress on the gun's visual appearance.
I do prefer solid-wood grips over grips made from laminated wood. In this case however, I thought it will make a good fit for the Nickel re-finished K-frame Snubbie.

Not sure what is going on with Altamont. The only good thing they had going for them was availability/reasonable price, and now that's gone.

While the grips fit the guns, and depending on your perspective, look good, they are not designed for shooting. Which is appropriate for a company that started out making jewelry.

Every one of their "engineered wood" - aka polymer-infused plywood - designs is a departure in some manner from the S&W originals which they attempt to emulate. Nice for lookin' - like jewelry - but poor for shootin'.

Eg. The Altamont target grips which S&W puts on their classic line are too narrow and make magnum shooting painful. The original S&W real-wood "coke bottle" grips had girth which spread out the recoil, instead of directing it into the web of your hand.

Eg. The Altamont boot-style grips have a bizarre flat bottom with an abrupt square edge all around. When shooting a J-frame with +P loads, the corner of this edge whacks into your bottom finger every shot.

Eg. ALL of the Altamont grips with exposed backstraps have a square edge at the rear where the grips meet the backstrap, right at the web of your thumb. Once again, the grip is uncomfortable in the hand under mere handling, and under recoil becomes painful.

If these grips were designed, manufactured and tested by a SHOOTER, and not a jewelry-maker, these defects would be obvious, and be corrected. But in Altamont's case, they are solely for show. The modern "gunsumer" has no idea what correct revolver grips are supposed to feel like, so it all works out.

PS. Those of you thinking you will just do a little whittling and sanding to correct these defects... think again. The engineered wood used in these grips is not like solid natural wood, and is extremely hard - hand sanding has no effect. You will need to use a power micro-tool (eg Dremel) and a sanding wheel to remove any appreciable amount of material. ALSO... the engineered wood contains toxic chemicals as part of their manufacture, including various polymers and formaldehyde. Avoid breathing any of the material during removal, and a filter respirator is advised.

Just sayin'

I tossed and turned between buying Altimont grips or smooth Eagle Secret Service (select) grips for my new 340 M&P. I opted to go with Eagles, but honestly... I probably would have been completely satisfied with the Altimonts.

I often find factory stocks work well but occasionally swap out for after-market. Years ago, I bought five pair of Altamont stocks. None fit well, but kept one because it was closer than the others (should have sent it back, too). From what I've read in recent years, Altamont now makes stocks that fit better than they used to.

I've had good results with Eagle, but they haven't been perfect. I continue to think you need to spend a little more for best fit. Anyone have similar experience?

Interesting thread, I have also wondered what happened to them. Assumption, they laid off some folks given how soft the firearms market is now, or maybe they're having trouble finding people who will come to work. I also just picked up two pair from AMZ - with engraved logo, and another very nice set from Fleabay. Hadn't thought about GunBroker, will have to check. As far as design, I would agree that the shapes don't have the eye-appeal of S&W originals, and they do look kinda angular or boxy. The angular part prolly saves time in the CNC cutter box and time is money. All of this said, I like them a lot and have spent hundreds of $$ of Uncle Sam's (Soc Security) money on them over the past few years!