Model 60 and the quest for rubber grips.

[wproct]

The ones that I am using on my 60-12 are the ones in my avatar. I ordered them from Smith & Wesson online, sku 413040000 @ $27,75. They are rubber that covers the backstrap and fills in behind the trigger guard. They are long enough for 3 finger grip and smooth enough to not snag on clothing. I have some wood grips to dress it up when I wish, but otherwise it wears these inexpensive rubber grips.

 

[kthom]

That's exactly them, Pilgrim. They fill my hand better than any other J Frame grip I've tried, and as shouldazagged stated, most of mine are years old in use and still as good today as they were new. There is a slightly smaller set of Compacs that is also a pretty good grip, but I like the ones you and I pictured best of all for me.

 

[F75gunslinger]

I appreciate everyone's comments/suggestions and the pics! You guys are a wealth of knowledge.

uncleted327...Now that is sharp...very handsome! Is the texture similar to wood?

VZ grips are G10, which is a tough polymer material. They use it for knife scales. So it would be hard like wood.

As for rubber grips, I have a Hogue monogrip on my 642. It came with the boot grips, but I have rather large hands and hate the feeling of my pinky hanging out in the open. I still pocket carry it just fine with the full sized grip.

 

[oink]

I have the Pachmayr Compacs for my early 80s model 60. I bought them when the gun was pretty new so they have to be over 30 years old. As far as I can tell, while they don't look new (30+ years on a non-queen), they haven't gotten hard or brittle so I wouldn't be afraid of some that are NOS.

I recently took them off at least temporarily as I found some VZ boot grips on sale and they look cool. They aren't soft but they are grippy being the rough finish version. They are small but feel good in my hand. They might sting if it was a magnum gun but it's an all steel .38 so it shoots soft to me.

 

[Broke Hoss]

I'm late, but another vote for Pachmayr Compacs. I bought my model 60 while I was in the academy 35 years ago and quickly put the Compacs on it. They are big enough to allow a solid grip without making them difficult to conceal. I've carried it every day I worked. In uniform it rides in a nylon holster attached to my vest under my arm; they have held up well to the sweat. In plainclothes, it usually rides in either an ankle holster or IWB just ahead of my left hip.

 

[pasound]

Crimson Trace on both my 60 and 637 (637's are Smith logo). They keep my pinky on the grip, and the weight on my middle finger. They are a good indicator of if I'm holding it right - no laser, too loose with the middle finger.

 

[Muss Muggins]

The Hogue Bantam and the S&W standard ones that come on the 442/642 are my favorites in this area . . .

 

[scooterfiend]

I'm in the Pachmayer/Compac camp.
They fit my medium size hands.
There is an indent for the pinkie and the front wraps around the rear of the trigger guard far enough to protect THAT middle finger knuckle...........mostly.

 

[Big E3]

For some reason the Bianchi Lightning grips on my 60 are growing on me. Not very many around so you may not be able to find them. I wish somebody would make these again, I would put them on a few of mine. The grip that I like and is somewhat more available is the S&W version of the Uncle Mikes that came on my 640-1.

 

[Bobafett]

Not my gun, but I put these Pachmyer combats on my 357mag m60

 

[white cloud]

I am curious why so few choose LaserGrips for their J frame. I have a pair and never use them.

 

[model17]

M60 rubber

More for shooting than concealed carry. Pac diamond grip give it more of a K frame feel, to me.

 

[ABPOS]

I'm still trying to figure it out myself. They all have something to like but typically something not to like.

The factory boot grips are a little too small for me so I wrap 3-4 rubber band around the grip. Surprisingly they lock in pretty good.

The hogue tamers I've tried lock in even better and are still good for carrying on the belt. However, on the centennial models the tamers put my hand in the spot to draw blood on my thumb from the takedown lever / thumbpiece.

I have a gun with an exposed hammer now (637) and I want to try the tamers on that gun. It might not cause the thumb gouging because your hand sits a little lower on the grip frame.

A nice gentleman on here sent me some Uncle Mike Combat type grips and they feel really really good. However. When I was dry firing with them yesterday they don't seem to lock in as well as the boot grips for some reason. They feel really good and they are consistent on the draw for me. But for some reason I just don't feel like the gun is locking in on a 2 handed hold as well as I want.

I'd like to try the Hogue bantams some day but I mainly carry AIWB so they don't necessarily have to be that small. And the bigger grips give more control during recoil.

I have a set of Pachmyr Compacs and they feel good, and lock in really really well. But for some reason I didn't shoot well with them on the first time I tried. I need to try again. However, they're about as thick as J frame grips go and for me not the best choice for carrying. Plus the rubber is so tacky your clothes stick to them.

It's going to be very subjective though. Everyone's hands are different and what might work for me might not for you.

 

[pasound]

I put a set of Hogue grips, like the above set, on a co-workers Bodyguard - she loves them. "Night and day" she said. Still $11.00 on Amazon, amazingly.

 

[ABPOS]

Yeah I got my last set at the amazing 11 dollar price off of amazon. I wish they had that deal for the kind for the hammered guns. Actually I need to look......

Well, I just ordered the proper hogue grips for the 637 from amazon. And a safariland comp I. They were not as low as 11 bucks though. booooooo. Not sure why the centennial models have a sale on them.

 

[pasound]

Maybe because not a lot of Centennials and Bodyguards were ever sold? My LGS shooting range/store has a Bodyguard for less than $400 new. Lot less than it cost last year.

 

[ABPOS]

I wouldn't think so but it could be they are not as popular as a gun with a hammer. That probably makes sense. A lot of people like the capability to shoot single action.

I have not shot Single Action on my Smith's yet. Well, I think I did about 15 years ago when I shot my Step Dad's model 19. But I've tried to dedicate myself to shooting DA only. Although I'm tempted to try and shoot single action at 25 yards and compare if I do better than DA.

 

[NevadaBob]

As per my initial post, my ordered NOS Sile rubber grips arrived today. The condition is excellent! I bought them from an ebayer for $11.89 with free shipping. I had feared they would look old and stale with hard rubber. But the rubber is like it's supposed to be, just like when they left the factory. I installed them and they fit perfectly. And what an improvement on the model 60 over the stock wood ones. Fills out my grip much better. Nice solid feel.

Now here's the caveat...As I was watching the USPS tracking, things went catywhompus! Shipped from Texas, they ended up in Fresno. The next day they left Fresno but 24 hours later they ended up back in Fresno! After another days wait, they ended up in Seattle. They're supposed to go to Reno! They stayed in Seattle 2 days then finally made it to Reno this afternoon. There was nothing wrong with the way the seller addressed the package. Everything was correct. Now as I was watching this all play out, I got cold feet and decided they would end up as lost and I'd never receive them. As I looked back through the postings on this thread, there were several comments about the Uncle Mike's. They're no longer produced but do end up on ebay from time to time. So yesterday I ordered a set of Uncle Mike's from ebay. Got them for $35ish + $5 shipping. They look brand new and should be here Monday.

I guess one can never have too many grips!

 

[pasound]

Absolutely never too many grips. I had a giant fail with both my 60's with Crimson Trace - one S&W logo, the other stock CTG. Went target shooting today, and both printed the laser 6-8" above point of impact, and neither would lower it any further. The guns shot great groups, the CT's did not.

 

[Truckin]

Hogue Mono Grip on my 60. I stopped by the Hogue booth at a long ago NRA convention. I got to try many grips that day.