15-3 grips

[highcotton]

I picked up a really nice 15-3 recently with wood target grips. Can someone tell me about this gun? Are these type grips original to the gun?

serial # 1K85033

under the grips are G11 and 376CB

Also, the target grips are too fat at the bottom for my hands so I purchased a Hogue rubber K frame square butt grip.I don't like the finger grooves in the Hogue grip. The grooves seem to pinch my fingers together. Any suggestions on some rubber grips without finger grooves or different finger groove design?

I really like the S and W rubber combat grips on my round butt J frame.

Charles

 

[murphydog]

It's a K frame .38 Special, 2 or 4" barrel, blue or nickel finish. Yours was made in 1971. The G11 and 376CB are factory internal codes.

It probably came with walnut Magna stocks, that are the same shape as the square butt grip frame and wider (about 1/2 - 3/4") side to side. Being a K frame, you have literally dozens of grip options. Uncle Mike's and Pachmayr have rubber grips without finger grooves, and I'm sure others will show photos of their favorite wood stocks. Enjoy!

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

Your grips could be original to the gun. The model 15 usually shipped with magna stocks, sometimes also called service stocks. Magnas were numbered to the revolver. The 15-3 is from the 1970s, so target stocks could be special ordered at the time. They were not numbered to the gun so it is impossible to know for sure. If your stocks do not have an arch-shaped cut away ( a speedloader cut) on the left grip panel, then they are period correct and could have been ordered with the gun.
As far as rubber grips without finger grooves, the only ones I can think of are Pachmeyer Presentation grips. However, I think wood looks and feels better. I run factory targets like yours on my pre-15 and model 67 (stainless steel 15).

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Magnas on a 18-3 (same as yours, but in .22LR)-

The correct target stocks for your period, though these are N frame's on my 25-2. They are exactly like the ones for the K frame.-

The factory grips that came on your J frame that you like so much are RB Uncle Mikes combats.

 

[highcotton]

Gun 4 fun,

The grips on my model 15 are exactly like the ones in the lower picture.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Your gun could have been special ordered with them, or perhaps someone installed them at a later date.

I actually like the targets these days, but I didn't care for them when I was younger, and liked rubber on all my guns

You might try a set of original S&W combats for your gun. They are kinda pricey sometimes, if and when you can find them. I have bought and sold several pair of them over the last year or two. They are actually quite comfortable in K frame size.
I have these on one of my .44's. They are identical to the K frame combats except for overall size, and since they are rather wide across the backstrap, they really help tame the slap to the palm with full power loads.

 

[H Richard]

Here's factory grips on a 15-3, 2"

 

[highcotton]

Thanks for the help guys.

I think I am going to like this model 15. The single action trigger pull is every bit as nice (or better) than my custom 1911's.