Altamont grips

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I ordered a combat grip from them and the fit was great except for this area at the top of the backstrap. It's a sharp section that sticks out on both sides. This is an L frame of mine that's bad but the one for the N frame was worse and I sent them back. Does anyone know if their target or Roper grips are the same way?

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IMG-20240422-082247.jpg
 
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I've encountered the same thing; the Altamonts are beautifully fit and finished, but somehow they dropped the ball there at the hump of the backstrap.
Ordered some Eagle grips, much like the old coke-bottles, to replace the Altamonts on a 25-15. I've refinished the sharp edges on J-frame Altamonts for the same reason.
I've used BK adapters with OEM wood grips as an alternative, half a box of Full Charge wadcutters worked well in a 60-3 last evening.
Moon
 
halfmoonclip said:
I've encountered the same thing; the Altamonts are beautifully fit and finished, but somehow they dropped the ball there at the hump of the backstrap.
Ordered some Eagle grips, much like the old coke-bottles, to replace the Altamonts on a 25-15. I've refinished the sharp edges on J-frame Altamonts for the same reason.
I've used BK adapters with OEM wood grips as an alternative, half a box of Full Charge wadcutters worked well in a 60-3 last evening.
Moon
Click to expand...

Same here. Last N frame I purchased came with them. Replaced them with Eagle Heritage grips before I even shot it. Atlimonts went down the road.
Some may like them and that's OK too.
 
I ordered some k frame ropers in olive wood. Beautiful grips and fit perfect except for the area you're talking about. They were cut wrong there and had edges that were sharp as a razor. Cut the heck out of the web of my hand so I sent them back, blood and all. They don't start making these until they are ordered so it took awhile when I ordered the first ones and also for the replacements. However, the replacements were perfect, look great on the gun and fit my hand well.

I think a cnc machine cuts these and Altamont is not watching/adjusting their machines properly and is dropping the ball on inspections.
 
If you ever have a problem with Altamont grips,
they will take care of you.
One time I sent back a set of grips twice,
they still couldn't get them to fit right,
so I asked for and received a refund.
 
I could sand that off but then I would need to refinish it. Not doing all that being it should be done right before it leaves their shop.
 
A few years back, I ordered Altamonts for a couple of j-frames I have. One was with S&W "coin" logos, one with laser engraved logos. The logos were not mirrored - left and right sides were off position from each other. I emailed them, with pictures, and they paid my postage to mail both sets back, and replaced them with perfectly mirrored grips.
 
I strongly dislike most Altamont grips; they're too thin, they're oftentimes sharp, and they just look plasticky to me. Examples like the one in the original post turned me off of the brand - I prefer to invest a little more money into some real wood grips from Eagle, Vitoonmakers, Culina, Herrett's, Badger Custom, Hogue, etc.
 
NY-1 said:
I strongly dislike most Altamont grips; they're too thin, they're oftentimes sharp, and they just look plasticky to me. Examples like the one in the original post turned me off of the brand - I prefer to invest a little more money into some real wood grips from Eagle, Vitoonmakers, Culina, Herrett's, Badger Custom, Hogue, etc.
Click to expand...

And 1/2 in. TOO long on the bottom. Probably designed by some engineer that never fired a big bore handgun.
 
I've had great luck using aerosol poly to touch up spots that have been sanded/modified. My trigger finger was encountering some of the fillet behind the trigger guard, so that got the treatment as well.
Finish with fine sandpaper, or even polish it with fine steel wool; then spray it. It's no big trick to blend it, with doing the entire grip.
Altamonts are now OEM on many Smiths.
Moon
 
I think their grips. They are more durable than 100% wood, they look great, and they are very affordable. IMHO, wood or "super woods" aka laminates are comfortable for full power magnum rounds. I give the comfort category to rubber Hogue and Patchmayr.

As far as the edges are concerned with the OP's grips, that's not how all or most of Altamont grips are designed.
 
Last edited:
As I've pointed out in the past, the owner of Altamont started out as a jewelry maker. He makes grips that look nice.

Function, not so much. The website talks a good game but it's obvious no one there understands the actual purpose of the classic design features, nor can execute them correctly.

If you return them, they will send you a pair with the identical dimensions and flaws.

Every single set I've owned has had to have end-user modification to make them barely shootable in any significant calibre. Their attractive stabilized plywood is hard as woodpecker lips, you will need a power sanding disk to significantly modify them. After that, careful hand sanding with successive grit paper to give final contour and remove sanding marks. Finish with an appropriate topical for appearance.

It's not a 30 minute job. Good luck.

PS. Any magnum cartridge, don't bother. Get a proper set of hand-filling grips.
 
I have 4 sets of Altamonts. I guess they are all laminated. Fine wood and awesome checkering. The fit and finish is superb. A .22, a .38, a .41 and a .44.

This thread piqued my interest, so I brought them out to look at them. The contour looks the same as the pic above. I never noticed that it was bad, and never thought it was a problem.
 
I bought 2 sets of roper style grips from them ,Had to return both with pictures of poor fit on the back of backstrap .They were the same fit on 4 different N frames .They did return the purchase price ,buit i wanted the grips to fit.NO luck
 
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