Heavy Grips On Light Guns

[HarrishMasher]

Am I the only one with this pet peeve. It drives me absolutely crazy that grip manufacturers make these very heavy grips for guns that are intended to be very light and easy to carry.

Every time I consider a new grip for my a revolver I try to find out the weight of the grip first. For example I have a M&P 340 and I am looking for new grips. The gun weighs 13.5 ounces WITH the factory grips. The factory grips are 1.1 ozs. So the gun itself weighs 12.4 ozs.

One of the main reasons I bought this gun was because it is very light and that along with its small size makes it easy to conceal. But I don't care for the factory grips and want to replace them. In my many years of experience with j frames I have learned that replacement grips weigh anywhere from 1 oz to 6 ozs.

Putting a pair of 6 oz grips on a 12.4 oz gun makes no sense to me and it defeats the purpose of buying the gun in the first place. In this case the grips weigh 50% of the gun! That's just silly.

The 6 oz grips I was referring too were a set of VZ G10 grips. A few years back when the VZ grips first came out with their G10 I thought they looked very cool. So I ordered a pair for my S&W 342PD, and 10.8 oz gun. When I took them out of the box I felt like I just picked up a boat anchor! I returned them. There was no way I was putting a 6 oz pair of grips on an 10.8 oz gun.

An iPhone weighs about 5 ozs for pete's sake. You want to add an extra iPhone to your Airweight .38?

Most grips weigh 1 ozs to 2 ozs. Here are the weights of some common grips:

Eagle Secret Service Grips Ebony = 1.1 ozs
Ahrends J Frame Walnut = 1 oz
S&W Factory J Frame Rubber Boot Grip = 1.2 ozs
Altamont boot grip J Frame = 1.2 ozs
Uncle Mike's boot grips J Frame (discontinued) = 1.3 ozs

In fact just about all the dozens of different Altamont laminated wood grips for J Frames weigh in the 1 oz to 2 oz range, with the majority being in the low 1 oz range.

Aside from VZ Grips, the worst heavy grip offender is Pachmayr. Normally I can't stand Pachmayr grips. They are big, clunky and heavy. But I saw two new models I thought looked interesting. See my experience here:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/532044-any-pachmayr-renegade-g10-tac-grip-pics-j-frame.html

Is it just me or do you guys consider the weight of the grips you put on your lightweight/alloy J frames? Obviously with a 40 oz N frame it makes no difference how heavy the grips are but on guns that weigh under 20 ozs, I think it makes a huge difference.

 

[Dave T]

What bugs me are those who have a small, short barreled revolver and put large grips (nearly as big as the gun) on it so they can control it. They should have bought a larger gun.

My$.02 worth,
Dave

 

[kaaskop49]

What bugs me are those who have a small, short barreled revolver and put large grips (nearly as big as the gun) on it so they can control it. They should have bought a larger gun.

My$.02 worth,
Dave

Your point is well taken. However, LE bodies often specify what guns may be carried. NYPD off-duty/plainclothes carry was defined for decades by the Chiefs Special and Colt DS. Many officers chose larger grips, mostly mfg'd by Fitz or Sile, because the Chief was so darn hard to shoot well in factory trim.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[1sailor]

I don't think the size of the grips matters. What matters is how well it conceals with those grips.

 

[H Richard]

What matters is how well you can shoot it with whatever grips on it.

 

[1sailor]

Self defense/survival is as much an art as a science. There's no absolutely correct way for everyone in every situation. Unless you strap a football to it I doubt that any J frame grips are too large or heavy to carry concealed. Each of us has to make choices between large comfortable and small and concealable. Most times it's going to be a compromise based on what works for you. If something works for you then it doesn't matter much if anyone else agrees or not. By the same token, if it doesn't work for you it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say about it. Light grips, small grips, small revolver or full size 1911, they all work for somebody. My own personal experience has been that if it's not fast and easy it's not going to help you anyway.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Hogue. <10 characters? OK - still Hogue. At least, that was the answer on my 325PD. For J, factory wooden Magnas are usually best, perhaps with a Tyler. On aluminum-frame guns, square butt is better if available. Otherwise, perhaps Precision Gun Specialties from Brownells.

 

[HarrishMasher]

Self defense/survival is as much an art as a science. There's no absolutely correct way for everyone in every situation. Unless you strap a football to it I doubt that any J frame grips are too large or heavy to carry concealed. Each of us has to make choices between large comfortable and small and concealable. Most times it's going to be a compromise based on what works for you. If something works for you then it doesn't matter much if anyone else agrees or not. By the same token, if it doesn't work for you it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say about it. Light grips, small grips, small revolver or full size 1911, they all work for somebody. My own personal experience has been that if it's not fast and easy it's not going to help you anyway.

What matters is how well you can shoot it with whatever grips on it.

Maybe I need to put it another way...

So you go and spend $850 on a Scandium and Titanium J Frame .357 with a 1 7/8" barrel. It weighs 12 ounces. The grips that came on the gun weigh 1 ounce. You bought this gun for exactly the reason it was created...a small and light gun that is very easy to conceal.

You decide you don't like the grips and want to replace them. Though there are literally hundreds of choices that are in the same weight class as the original light grips, you go and buy a VZ G10 Boot grip (no bigger than the factory rubber boot grip), but the VZ grip weighs 6 ounces (500% more than the factory grip).

The 6 ounce grip weighs half of the 12 ounce gun you have, and you have now increased the weight of your gun 50%.

You went and spent a fortune on gun because it was the lightest and easiest to conceal gun you could by, and now it weighs 3 ounces more than a $350 Airweight (which looks just like the Scandium/Titanium gun, but made of heavier aluminum). How can that make sense?

 

[Green Frog]

I have slightly larger-than-average hands, yet when I am shooting my J-frame (and I-frame) Smiths, they are most likely to be wearing the original "Magna" style or at most custom smooth finger grip combats that I got from one of the Thai dealers on flea-Bay. I have had to adjust my own grip to the small stocks (grips) on the revolver, since if I want a tiny gun to carry, tiny grips are part of the package. If I can afford the size and weight of significantly larger grips, a K-frame is in the offing since the bigger grips are already taking up more volume, I assume there is enough room for another round of ammo and a little more mass to the revolver itself. This is JMHO, and YMMV, but it does come from a fair amount of trial and error, and perhaps more importantly required a LOT of shooting time.

Froggie

 

[ContinentalOp]

I don't consider weight when evaluating potential grips, but my preferences tend to be fairly light anyweighs (get it? get it? ), such as my 642s that wear wood Spegel boot grips and lightweight plastic PGS Hideout grips.

I do think that either overly large or overly heavy grips negate some of the attributes of carrying a lightweight J-frame, but people have different hand sizes, and even within the same hand size there may be "architectural" differences or possibly medical issues. In a way, I guess I'm lucky in having smallish hands, in that I don't need large grips to hold a J-frame comfortably and control it.

Another thing to consider is that not everybody carries lightweight J-frames. Some people prefer steel J-frames. In that case, a 6oz set of G10 grips won't add as much to the overall weight of the gun when compared to a lightweight or ultralightweight snub. Different market demographics.

 

[Old cop]

Thought I was the only one who questioned the wisdom of heavy grips on a super light gun. I have factory magnas w/a grip adapter on my 340PD.

 

[kaaskop49]

With an entire box full of RB-J grips accumulated over the years, I have tried pretty much everything on my 340s, PD and M&P models. I've stayed with the OEM UM boot grip knockoffs as I've discovered that no other grip makes the mini-mags any easier to shoot. Health concerns have limited me to pocket carry. If I can get beyond these matters, I'll return to IWB carry and perhaps try a more hand-filling grip.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Old cop]

I too have problems that limit me to pocket carry so larger or heavier grips on an 11 ounce gun don't work.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
Weight/size of a grip is secondary to being able to shoot the gun without pain.
My SP101 and S&W M-60 Pro Both have rubber grips.
FOR ME , both factory grips hurt with 38+p but with the rubber grips
[yes they are larger] I can shoot 357 hunting loads with out pain.
If the grip fits, use it, if not, change it.
Hits count misses don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arik]

Revolvers have small, often squared off grips. Doesn't work for me. I'll take something I can fully grip and wrap my fingers around

Same can be said for carrying a 5 shot revolver that's twice as thick and close in size to a semi auto with triple the ammo.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Arik]

What bugs me are those who have a small, short barreled revolver and put large grips (nearly as big as the gun) on it so they can control it. They should have bought a larger gun.

My$.02 worth,
Dave

K frame grips aren't any better. Ever so slightly bigger

The ONLY way a revolver works for me. I don't care if it's I or X frame

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[Old cop]

I shoot my carry gun regurarly the way it's carried. I only swap out the grip to something larger when I intend to shoot more than 100 rounds.

 

[1sailor]

Arik, My J frame is 1.3" at it's very widest point. My Shield is 1.01 everywhere. Not quite "twice as thick". I try to stay in shape and find that at least for me I cannot seem to hide a semi auto very well unless I dress for it. On the other hand when worn at the 10:30 position my M&P340 will disappear under just a tee shirt. As far as capacity is concerned this is something I've never fully understood. Your carry piece is there to protect you life. If I ever feel like I shouldn't go somewhere without at least 15 to 30 rounds at my disposal then I just won't go there. If I was ever attacked by 15 guys it's not likely I'd be coming out on top anyway. At least where I live it's far more likely to be a couple of tweakers with knives or blunt objects then a dozen marauding gang bangers.

 

[Arik]

Arik, My J frame is 1.3" at it's very widest point. My Shield is 1.01 everywhere. Not quite "twice as thick". I try to stay in shape and find that at least for me I cannot seem to hide a semi auto very well unless I dress for it. On the other hand when worn at the 10:30 position my M&P340 will disappear under just a tee shirt. As far as capacity is concerned this is something I've never fully understood. Your carry piece is there to protect you life. If I ever feel like I shouldn't go somewhere without at least 15 to 30 rounds at my disposal then I just won't go there. If I was ever attacked by 15 guys it's not likely I'd be coming out on top anyway. At least where I live it's far more likely to be a couple of tweakers with knives or blunt objects then a dozen marauding gang bangers.

That was just an example to one of OP's comments. Of course there are different body types and the guns mentioned were meant to be generic. There are definitely plenty of semi autos that are thicker than revolvers.

As to your second comment. I'm not planning on going anywhere bad but that doesn't mean anything. Plenty of bad things happen in good areas. And tweekers don't necessarily react to being shot. Plenty of cases of drunks not reacting so I wouldn't doubt it if it hold true for tweekers as well. And where I live tweekers would be a a place where I'd be going with 30 rounds.

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[Grayfox]

This is exactly why I rarely carry J-frames. By the time I get a set of grips on it that give me proper control for shooting, I've lost all the advantage of its small size and weight. I might as well carry a K-frame.