Just a rear view mirror reflection on S&W grips

[lihpster]

I don't for one moment buy the idea that narrow assed rubber grips soften recoil. if anything they make it worse because they focus it on a narrow strip in one's palm

The grips that came on my new 629 Classic are so sharp at the back, they're uncomfortable to hold. I can't imagine what shooting full power loads would feel like. Luckily, people like Curt Harlow exist. He's made me a set of, as I asked for, Rd to Sq conversion smooth cokes with a speedloader cutout. Should be here today or tomorrow. As is usual for Curt, he marries function and beauty seamlessly. Here's a teaser pic he sent me before shipping. That ain't Eleanor Roosevelt. That's Maureen O'Hara.

 

[AJ]

Roger,

Some think the rubber "cushions" the recoil. My objection to rubber grips was they could not be snugged to the frame to prevent shifting while firing. On my competition revolvers, I would get two separate but overlapping groups. Enough dispersion to keep me out of the top tier. Once I understood the problem, I switched back to wood!

Kevin

Kevin, yeah. I don't understand it. If folks want to make the argument that rubber is eaaier to grip with sweaty hands, that's an argument we could have but I don't for one moment buy the idea that narrow assed rubber grips soften recoil. if anything they make it worse because they focus it on a narrow strip in one's palm plus they ugly as Eleanor Roosevelt

I did not use "Goodyear" grips on my 29-2 4 inch. But I did pull off the factory target grips and put on Herret Shooting Stars on it. Why you ask? The checkering was eating my hand, the high checkering was rubbing me raw.

 

[CMudrock]

Over the years, I've given a good bit of thought to softening recoil (or not) with rubber grips. I've had Pachmyars on several handguns - the only one I felt they benefited was a Sig Sauer P6 - possibly because of it's alloy frame.
My conclusion is strictly personal & may sound nutty - but I've been comparing hand GRIP aspects - to SHOES. I have proved (to myself at least) that hard SOLES without soft insoles - are easier to walk in & less fatiguing over distance. Unfortunately, Shoes matching this description are hard to find these days & more Expensive.
I recently picked up an older steel Taurus .357 magnum snub nose revolver. After trying it with a pair of nicely contoured rosewood grips - compared to Rubber Hogue type - I found I preferred the slick & pretty Rosewood Grips - my hand absorbed the recoil - it didn't hurt - & I think I had a more positive hold - which is important for controlling a short barrel handgun.
So for me its hard grips/stocks - of which, I'm most partial to Horn & Bone, but do have a few milsurps with plastic/bakelite, + a few in wood.

 

[webley green]

We had to buy our own revolvers, most of the department carried SWs. I had a Model 15 used it during firearms training, was later able to buy a Model 66 4" through the department which then I carried. This was in 1976.

The seat belts in those PD Novas we drove really rubbed the wood stocks, it was noticeable on several of the older guys sidearms. I replaced wood grips (which were stored in my 2 piece SW blue box) with Pacs. right off the bat.

 

[TXBryan]

It amazes me that there are so many buyers out there that do not care if a nice, vintage, revolver is wearing original, or at least period-correct, grips. I cannot, will not, pay what amounts to "full price" for something wearing plastic or neoprene after-market grips and it baffles me sellers don't understand this. Perhaps they just don't care about my gripes (that's not uncommon) because they generally sell for the asking price to someone else who doesn't mind an "altered" firearm without some discount.

I have acquired many that no longer sport original grips but do make some attempt to find decent-fitting "replicas" of some sort. The pre-Model 15 looks better without neoprene I think and so does the 10.

 

[SWTIM255]

I wrote and posted this back in 2016,
I bought a 19-5 today.
All the memories of my past sins came rushing back.
I have to make this confession to y'all, I have engaged in torture, mutilation and yes even MURDER.

As with all serial sadists, I started at a young age, and was brought into it by a older man.
I was in 7th grade, junior high in AZ in the 70's, my best friends dad worked vice for Pima County SO.
Even at that young an age, I was ate up with guns, I would do anything to shoot, hold or even look at different ones.
I had a J C Higgins double nine and 22 shells cost money, so my buddy's dad knew he could hook me.
He started me off small, loading 38's for his deputies to practice with.
A penny a round he paid me to load wadcutters with a Lee die set, a powder scoop and a mallet.
Then the horror started.
Remember, this was another age, one where Bill Jordan was the Jerry Miculek of the time.
Everyone on the dept wanted to be like Bill, and to be like Bill you need Jordan grips.
He started me off with murder right away, I killed two or three sets of beautiful Goncalo Alves just to practice my wicked ways.
I moved from destruction to mere mutilation, sanding down the checkering, rounding the beautifully cut butts, even....carving in finger grooves on some ( I shudder as I type this)

I was paid 5.00 a set,yes, it was a pittance for the butchery I visited upon them, but he would bring boxes home from the sheriffs office for me to work my sadistic magic on.
I mutalated more magnas in my life than I ever want to remember.

Please forgive me, I was young and stupid.

I have tried to atone for my sins, I readily give a home to any wayward S&W that is unloved, or unwanted. I have even worked for S&W, 1st as a manager of one of their ill fated retail stores ( believe me, that was torture), then as a RSM until the great purge in 2001.
I know no matter what I do, I will never wash away the sins I committed.

Most of those grips were probably thrown away during the great migration move to Pachmyers in the early 80's, but if you ever run across a set in southern AZ, tell them I am sorry for what I did.

Now that I have made my confession, maybe I can sleep at night.
I have been plagued for years with nightmares of all those wonderful silver or brass S&W grip medallions, sanded to smooth polished discs, chasing me down the street screaming "WHY"

 

[RMFnLA]

Those of us who grew up in hot, humid weather (Miami for me) resorted to stainless steel as a matter of necessity.

Rubber grips just rounded out the "sweat-proof" package, plus they were resistant to nicks and scratches on a working gun.

That being said, I was a huge fan of Mustang combat grips, including the pair I put on my 6" nickel Python.

Those were indeed the days...

 

[Drago17]

Back in The Day

When I started my PD career, it was with a Model 28 with Pachmayrs. All the academy instructors recommended them. So did the gun rags of the time. When Hogue's came along I tried them on a Model 65 and was satisfied until the night I dropped my gun belt and the grips popped part way off.(Anybody remember the original plastic clip Hogue used?) So I used a set of modified Herrett Shooting Stars until the department went semi-auto. I recently mentioned modifying the Herrett's on another board, and was taken to task by some fellow as I if I had defaced the Mona Lisa. Herrett's are on a Model 10 these days.

 

[StrawHat]

I did not use "Goodyear" grips on my 29-2 4 inch. But I did pull off the factory target grips and put on Herret Shooting Stars on it. Why you ask? The checkering was eating my hand, the high checkering was rubbing me raw.

I can understand that. My brother-ex-law was a Colt junkie. He had a python, I shot it once. 6 rounds and my hand let me know I did not like that set of grips. Checkered Colt grips = cheese graters as far as I am concerned.

Kevin

 

[reccpd101]

I have small hands and like the round butt guns. The K frames with the magna grips and the T-grips do well for me, like the 66-1 in the below picture.

 

[RobertJ.]

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.

I'll bet there are more than just a couple of us with stories like that!

I took a dremel to N-Frame targets (from my first Model 28) because they were too big for my hand. They did turn out nice, though.

 

[CMudrock]

For whatever its worth - the ONLY vintage guns I've owned that were pitted under the grips - came with the original wood grips in place. Had the grips been Painted on the underside - this could have been mostly prevented.
Some of the worst over-all pitting I've encountered was caused by storing a handgun in an original old holster - which has ruined many antiques.
Tanic acids found in wood & leather + a humid environment - can really do an Ugly. I have found that putting a pistol in a Plastic Food Bag first - will prevent a corrosive reaction when it is stored in a leather holster.