Grip dilemma, what should I get?

[gaspipes]

My experience with S&W revolvers include a 686-3 and a 629-3. My most recent purchase is a 617 which is not even in my hands yet but should be here tomorrow. It's new production.

On my 686 4" and my 629 5" i bought Eagle Grips. They are the Heritage grips, conversions round to square butt "coke" style. They were $99. and worth every penny. I also had the S&W medallions installed at the time of purchase for which Eagle charges $35 for the medallions installed. I bought these early 2010 $134 total for one set of grips with medallions.

So in looking for some wood grips for the new 617 I ran across Altamont grips and I called them yesterday because it says to call about round to square conversions for K frames. So I did. Initially I was all set to buy some Magnas. I found out they can't do those on a round butt. What they can do is conversions targets, checkered, super rosewood with medallions for $62. I think the normal smooth grip is $42, they upcharged $10 for checkered and $10 for the medallions. The grips look very nice and would be for a 4" 617.

My question and my dilemma is this. The Eagle Heritage "coke" style grips are double the price of the Altamont grips. From those of you who may have grips from both manufacturers is there $70 more worth in the Eagles?

I love the Heritage grips I got 18 months ago for Eagle. But I guess I'm having a hard time understanding how one company can charge $35 for the factory medallions and the other company only charges $10. I think I ran across at least one other company that did the medallions installed for $10 but I don't remember who it was I have looked at a bunch of different web sites.

If the Eagle Heritage were $99 + $10 medallions, I'd have already ordered them. My hesitance in ordering the Altamont is they are only available in the Target style which many around here seem to think they are like a 2x4. I know the Heritage "cokes" are also considered target grips but I really like those. Will I be unhappy with standard target style grips from Altamont?

I have no problem paying for quality stuff, but I don't like to feel like I'm getting gouged which is how I feel about Eagle charging $35 for the factory medallions when clearly if Altamont can do it for $10 they are not loosing money on it. It's $2 worth of materials.

If anybody has some pictures of 4" K frame with Altamont conversion target grips I'd love to see them. Decisions decsions...... I guess I could just skip the medallions, but I really like them in the grips.

I hate rubber and I really hate rubber grips with finger grooves(i won't have finger grooves on any pistol). I wish S&W would just either go back to the wood stocks or at least give customers a model # with wood as an option. Wishful thinking I guess.

 

[Butchbird]

Round butt magnas w/medallion can be bought from S&W's web site -- They are made by Altomont -- Not too expensive -- I too love the Eagle Heritage grips -- They are worth the price IMHO

 

[steamloco76]

I have grips from Eagle, Altamont, Ahrends, Hogue and Herett.

The Eagle Grips are made in India and final finished/inspected in the USA. They are constructed of solid hardwood with metal reproduction S&W medallions. Some of my Eagle grips fit very well, others have needed significant routing and sanding to fit.

The Altamont Grips are made in the USA on CNC machines which are very precise. The material used is laminated walnut or rosewood which is very strong and take checkering very well. The S&W medallions are plastic. The grips always fit like a glove. A very good grip for the money. I like the Altamont grip on 4 inch K-frames.

Ahrends makes a Retro Target grip out of solid wood that is also very comfortable and attractive. They won't put medallions on. Grips are made in the USA and can be had for around $60 for urethane finish or with a nice hand rubbed oil finish for $80. Several kinds of wood are available, though the most common is coco bolo.

I love the fancy wood Hogue grips I've installed on many revolvers. Great fit, made in the USA and no side screw. The do not look traditional S&W is the only drawback to using Hogue wood. Pricing is generally $65 to $140 for the really high-end stuff.

 

[gaspipes]

Round butt magnas w/medallion can be bought from S&W's web site -- They are made by Altomont -- Not too expensive -- I too love the Eagle Heritage grips -- They are worth the price IMHO

Is that what this grip is?

They call it Dymondwood Checkered Service.

 

[campfire]

Altamont Grips

Hi Gaspipes, can you tell me if the Altamont conversion targets you refer to are the same as the ones shown on their website for a K frame revolver.
These grips have the finger grooves, diamond cut-out and are made of laminated wood.
My model 27-9 classic has Altamont targets but they don’t have the finger grooves which I much prefer (these aren’t laminated either).
Nice grips but I was disappointed when one of the plastic medallions dropped out and I realised they were only held in with silicone.
I cant quite understand why they need to make grips with laminated wood when there is still plenty of the real stuff available.
I have a 617 and I put a set of smooth Ahrends Retro Targets in cocobolo with the tung oil finish on mine.
They are beautifully made and a perfect fit, I’ve also installed a set of gold S&W medallions which really set it off.
My only wish is that they were made with the checkering which unfortunately Ahrends don’t do.
Campfire

 

[gaspipes]

campfire,

Under the K frame category it says to call about conversion grips. So I did.

At first the guy told me no magna type conversion. Told me they could do a conversion round to square in a target with finger grooves. I told him I did not want finger grooves and he said they can make it without. I said I wanted them checkered with medallions and he told me they could checker for $10 add medallions for $10.

Here is what I like the looks of and was trying to get.

I may call them back and see if I can just get what they call a "classic panel" for round butt.

The only grips they show in their web site for K frames are square butt grips. The pic above is from the N frame portion of the sight. I don't think I would want to shoot that grip on my .44 magnum but on this new .22 I think it would work fine and look good, although I like the square butt look better.

If I got a grip that fit like this from any of them I wouldn't be to happy. This is the Altamont conversion target super rosewood grip supposedly on an N frame. But it looks like it may be on a K/L frame. Hard to tell.

 

[Nico Testosteros]

I LOVE my Hogue wooden grips. No, they don't look like traditional S&W grips but to me they're beautiful and I shoot better with them than with the stock grips.
I got mine in coco bolo. I really need to take some pics to post.

 

[gaspipes]

I have zero interest in any grip with finger grooves. Hogue as far as I can tell, all have finger grooves.

 

[Oldherkpilot]

I have a rule which saves me money: If the stocks aren't factory, I skip the medallions. But if you NEED medallions, since you are already two for three with the Eagles, I suggest you stick with what you like! It's only money-- wait a couple weeks if you have to save up the balance.

 

[Stainz]

Here is what I bought for my 4" 617 - Ahrends cocobolo, delivered unfinished and oil-finished here, retro target grips - $60 + $6 s/h from Kim Ahrends:

The DS-10 speedloader and baseplate add to the range fun while the HiViz #SW617 fiber optic front sight aids my mature eyes.

Stainz

 

[bananaman]

Stainz, I have a set like like that on my 67 no dash. Picked up used on ebay shipped for around $30. look good, and fit my hand well! I would have to say they look good on yours as well! Bob

 

[gaspipes]

Picked up the new 617-6 today. It has the new style factory rubber grip. It's not horrible. It looks better than the Hogue which I can't stand. It has finger grooves but not as pronounced as the Hogue. The new style covers the back strap of the revolver, it is a two piece grip held by a center screw but the screw only shows on one side. I may not buy any grips and just see how these work out.

I have wanted a 617 for a while, finally took the plunge. It is a nice looking revolver, hope it shoots good. I'm sure it will.

 

[Tyrod]

These are all Altamont grips. RB To SB conversion.

This is the OEM grip to come on some Pro Series J frames

The following 2 come from Kelly Arms which markets various Altamont grips.

 

[Tyrod]

I cant quite understand why they need to make grips with laminated wood when there is still plenty of the real stuff available.

Is plywood not real wood? Ayway there is a multitude of reasons to use laminated wood in grips. The grips will be far more stable. It shouldn't crack, warp or check with age. It creates figure where previously there was none. Consequently, the grips makers can use cheaper new growth trees without harm to established forests. The glue stabilized wood takes to machining operations and lasering far better than soild versions. It's very easy to make matched sets of blanks. Hardly any wood is scrapped. Far more grips can be made from a log using lamination methods than solid hunks of wood.

 

[gaspipes]

Tyrod I like the looks of all those grips. But I don't see anything on Altamonts web site that looks like them. What style are they? If I call them what should I ask for? Those all look "rounder" more contoured following the line of the the back strap vs other round to square which are more square at the butt.

I like your grips better than what they have listed as a conversion grip which I thought would look like the picture of the one above that I commented about the fit of a few posts up. Yours don't look like what I think of as "traditional" target style grips. I like those better actually, especially on the K/L I think.

 

[Tyrod]

The second 2 sets of grips come from Kelly Arms Smith and Wesson Double Action. Altamont doesn't market these direct to the public. If you order from Kelly Arms, be very specific. If you want plain checkering you have to tell them "just plain checkering".