Just a rear view mirror reflection on S&W grips

[lrb1200]

Back in the days of the 70's. The aftermarket "Goodyear" grips hit
the marketplace.

Promoted to, and widely accepted by the population that anything
wood and factory was unmanageable, hand biting, clumsy, and
a deterrent to accuracy.

Had numerous customers back then, that dumped the original
grips, that were subsequently discarded, before they even
fired the gun.

Just a little something you wouldn't know, unless you were there.

 

[Grayfox]

I remember those days. Many customers bought gun and rubber at the same time. Swapped 'em out right then and there, then just left them for the dealer to do whatever he wanted. Most every gun shop had a big box of factory stocks for sale dirt cheap.
This is also the reason you find many old revolvers without factory grips, but some aftermarket junk. I miss those days.

 

[kmyers]

That one plus how many tossed the box, manuals, any tools that came with it and all accessories and now when they learn what the original grips and the above may add to the value especially if the pistol is in great shape some are shocked.

 

[Laketime]

I remember all the strange looks I would get at the range for actually shooting most of my magnum's with the factory wood target stocks.This was in the early 80's

 

[AJ]

There was a gunshop with lots of spare everything in it up in Pa. Bought several sets of factory grips. Sadly the owner passed and his kids had no desires to run a gun shop.

 

[k22fan]

For a couple of decades I usually went to the gun show but couldn't afford a lot of nice guns. I most often bought reloading tools and supplies. The other frequent purchase, often unneeded at the moment but great for souvenirs, was S&W Target Stocks. Most were $5 to $10 in excellent condition.

However, before I started going to shows I bought a couple pairs new in the store for $25. That was in the 1970s. A friend bought the most beautiful pair of rosewood Target Stocks that I've seen new for $50. They had distinct white, black and red grains about 1/8" wide. Hung on the shelf next to them was the only pair of zebra wood factory Targets I've seen. They had distinct black and white grains. They were also $50. Since I've not even seen a pair on this forum I wish that I'd squandered $50 on them. Who knew?

Edit to add: That $50 should be put in historical perspective. Excellent condition Model 36 Chief Specials were readily available for $125 and excellent condition Model 10s were readily available for $150.

 

[Aircrewman]

I, too, remember the introduction of Pachmayr's famous rubber grips. I bought several sets and still have a few. While they were not necessarily pretty, they were very functional in reducing felt recoil and they were slim and comfortable in the hand. This was in comparison to the very attractive factory wood grips that fit some hands but not all and were not forgiving in regards to heavy recoil in the revolver (primarily) that you were shooting.

Kind of a two-way street..... The wood was great. But, for most or average owners, they didn't fit the hand very well. The large hand swell and sharp checkering could be problematical. The rubber was good for holding a good grip and slippage was almost eliminated while shooting any load but especially heavy loads. One problem that many of us found with the Pachmayr grip was that it had a tendency to cause "sweating" on the grip frame which caused rust. The wood grips never had any problems in this regard. I always liked the wood grips and never got rid of them when I used my old revolvers. But usually when I went shooting, the Pachs were on the gun....

 

[AJ]

I, too, remember the introduction of Pachmayr's famous rubber grips. I bought several sets and still have a few. While they were not necessarily pretty, they were very functional in reducing felt recoil and they were slim and comfortable in the hand. This was in comparison to the very attractive factory wood grips that fit some hands but not all and were not forgiving in regards to heavy recoil in the revolver (primarily) that you were shooting.

Kind of a two-way street..... The wood was great. But, for most or average owners, they didn't fit the hand very well. The large hand swell and sharp checkering could be problematical. The rubber was good for holding a good grip and slippage was almost eliminated while shooting any load but especially heavy loads. One problem that many of us found with the Pachmayr grip was that it had a tendency to cause "sweating" on the grip frame which caused rust. The wood grips never had any problems in this regard. I always liked the wood grips and never got rid of them when I used my old revolvers. But usually when I went shooting, the Pachs were on the gun....

A good friend of mine loves Pachmayr's grips. Every handgun he owns has a pair on them. He has two dresser drawers filled with loose S&W, Colt and Ruger grips. Has given me several pairs of K & N frame grips for my guns. Gave me a set of S&W K frame Combat Grips for my PPC revolver. Won't take a cent for them either......Great Friend!!

 

[rgmc2009]

I bought my first S&W revolver, Model 67, at Forrest Kruse gun shop in Austin, Tx in 1973. Mr Kruse offered a set of smooth rosewood targets for $10 extra, installed. I took him up on his offer and foolishly left the original magnas. Never thought about changing to pacs.

 

[Absalom]

Back in the days of the 70's. The aftermarket "Goodyear" grips hit
the marketplace.
......
Had numerous customers back then, that dumped the original
grips, that were subsequently discarded, before they even
fired the gun.

Just a little something you wouldn't know, unless you were there.

Yeah, I remember the days when I was such a rube who bought guns just to shoot them ...

I think I've told this story here before. I had acquired a used Model 66. I found the original target stocks too big, so I took a hacksaw and chopped the bottoms off level with the steel grip frame. That ended up not feeling great and looking worse, so I threw them away and bought rubber grips.

Ah, those innocent days of my youth ...

 

[StrawHat]

^^^^^^

Heck, whittling grips to make them fit my hand was a pastime of mine. Why else would S&W put all that extra wood in there if they did not want you to thin it down to fit your hand?

Kevin

 

[Muley Gil]

I really liked the two piece S&W boxes. You could use them to sort your brass while you reload.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

HA!!!

You brought back some fun memories. I went through various stocks for many guns. I basically don't do that anymore but sometimes I do.

However, I have some unusual ones that have always generated amusement. A few decades back I was given a Colt Cobra. I did not like those Colt grips so I replaced them - but, even after many years, several marriages, and a big fire I still have them stored away - the gun still wears these:

Also, way back around the same time, I bought a snub nosed Ruger Security Six. I didn't like its grips either, and some folks think I got a little extreme with the replacements, but that gun is accurate and fun to shoot - and I am pretty sure I still have its original grips, too:

 

[ISCS Yoda]

To avoid clutter, I'll add some other pictures in a separate post:

Guns whose stocks I replaced with elk made by our bgmntmn:

M27 Classic - had gorgeous rosewood magnas that never fit it properly:

I'm not sure why I replaced the original stocks on the M10 .357 Magnum but they might have been water and heat damaged - or maybe just because :

I replaced the original stocks on this M25-5 "just because":

 

[GF]

In the mid 1980s Keisler Police Supply in Jeffersonville IN had a bunch of S&W mod 66 Indiana State Police trade ins.
They went to a Beretta 92G and the stainless Smiths were $250 apiece if you took two or more.
I only found 3 or 4 with wood stocks in a pile of 20 or more revolvers.
I asked Doug Keisler where all the factory stock were, he said thrown away, gave away. He had a box in the back and said you can pick out a set for each gun you buy, on the house.
I got 2 target stocks and two 4 inch revolvers that day.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I have my service revolver from my first LEO job. A Smith & Wesson Model 66-2 4". It was brand new when it was issued to me. I didn't get the box. It came with Goncalo Alves Checkered Target Stocks. About a month later, I won $75 on a Missouri Lottery scratch off ticket, and used $50 to buy a set of K Frame Combat Stocks, which are still on the pistol. I tossed the targets. In the early 90's, we switched to Glock 22's and 23's, and we got the opportunity to buy our revolvers from the distributor handling the trade. I bought mine for $175, asked the Captain about the box, and was told the department always tossed it after issue.

Oh well . . .

 

[loc n load]

I worked part time for a large police S&W distributor in the 70's and 80's as an armorer. My job was to inspect and ensure that outgoing department purchases of anywhere from a dozen to several thousand S&W revolvers were functional/complete and ready to go out in a cop's holster.
Many departments wanted Pach's on their issue weapons. SOP was to remove/replace the factory grips/stocks and discard the wooden ones and slap a set of rubber grips on the new outgoing revolver. Over the years I saw thousands of S&w factory grips get tossed and this was just one distributor in the S/W.

 

[H Richard]

I have fond memories of the grip/holster box at my LGS back in the 70's & 80's. I still have a couple items i scavenged from that big old box of "junk" that people had pitched factory grips and then holsters when trading in a gun and the new one wouldn't fit their old one. Anything in the box $5.

 

[S&W Fan]

My late father bought a 686 in 1981. I now have it including everything it came with and his receipt. On the receipt it notes Pachmayr grips, thankfully he put the wood targets in the box which it wears today.

 

[G-Mac]

That one plus how many tossed the box, manuals, any tools that came with it and all accessories and now when they learn what the original grips and the above may add to the value especially if the pistol is in great shape some are shocked.

Exactly. A friend of mine has a 4" Model 19-5 that he bought new. He has never fired it. He doesn't have the box or papers. I don't think he even remembers if he got them with the gun.