N frame grips for small hands

[CWelch58]

Inherited a pre 27 357 magnum. Sentimental value but have small hands.
Want recommendations for grips.
Don't like Pachmayr, haven't tried Hogue. Who else offers something that can help me?

 

[wheelgun610]

That gun most likely shipped with magna stocks with the diamond around the screw hole. They're much smaller than the target stocks it's currently wearing and would retain the original appearance - if that appeals to you. I'm sure you're aware the stocks on it now have been modified.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Assuming it has a square butt which I THINK they all did then your options are limited. The Hogue might be OK or something more esoteric in wood. Or have a decent gun smith roundbutt it. That will help some.

 

[The Kid]

I wear a size medium glove and have no practical use for factory target sized stocks. I also don't care for rubber grips aside from a very few instances. The best fit I've found for me with square butt N frames is Magnas and a grip adapter.

I also generally prefer smooth aftermarket Magnas or stags of the same shape. The border around the checkering on factory Magnas digs into my palm after a few rounds of 44.

 

[jaydoc]

Altamont "Coke" grips seem to have a smaller profile in the hand. Would be decent for shooting. Their finish is a dead giveaway that they aren't real cokes though

 

[jaydoc]

Not much difference in this view.
Noticeably slimmer in the bottom picture and feel the difference in hand.
( sorry for the bad cell phone images)

 

[StrawHat]

As others have mentioned, the Magna stock is a much smaller option for the N frame. The only stock smaller, offered by the factory, was the Service stock found on the 45 HE for example.

I like the Magna stock but add a grip adapter to fill in behind the triggerguard. Here is a set of smooth elk on a S&W Model 1950 Army revolver.



In this group shot, 3 of the four revolvers are shown with Service stocks. Factory Magnas are on the bottom left revolver.



Kevin

 

[Nightowl]

I have small hands and absolutely hate Magna grips, even with the grip adapter! I've got a box full of grips I have tried over the years, and the only grips that I have found that help me are the Hogue rubber grip. Lately, I tried their rubber grip without the finger grooves and it feels pretty good. While I like wood better, even the Hogues are not as comfortable as their rubber ones. Just about all I shoot are the N frames and the Hogues!

 

[Fessor]

I have small hands also and found the magnas with Tgrip or S&W cokes are comfortable for me.

 

[Riposte1]

I wear a size 7 glove, I do like Magnas+Tyler T grip (which seems to be "unabtainium" these days but I hear BK adapters suffice).

I also like the various copies of "coke bottle" stocks from Eagle or Altamount. Hogues seem to be OK as well but I like the non finger grooved ones better than the finger grooves.

Here is my 1950 "pre-27" with worn Magnas and a Tyler:


Here is my 27-2 with Altamont copie of Ropers:



And here is my 3" 624 with some sort of home-made copies of Roper size stocks, but no idea who made them - they are really thin - bought them off eBay :


Riposte

 

[Rustywrench]

I have a medium sized hand also. I prefer the Rubber Hogue Mono grip. Not the Prettiest, but comfortable on my 629 and 625. They seem to have somewhat of a "Cokes" profile and additional material in the area that the Tyler fills. For around $25, worth a try.
Also, I have the same grips on my 617, 629, 625, 64, and 686. Model 64 in pics. All have same feel to shoot...

 

[Gun Relics]

I just picked up some Altamont magnas in black and had them add the medallion. The base grip is $48 and medallions add $10 (you add them in the shopping cart and different styles are available). They are an engineered wood and are available in rose, brown, or black.

I don't think an N frame, no matter what grips, will be comfortable in a small hand, but these would be a lot better than targets. You can also try experimenting with different gripping techniques.

Here's how mine came out with the Altamont's. I think they're pretty comfortable for a magna style.

 

[raljr1]

Altamont "Coke" grips seem to have a smaller profile in the hand. Would be decent for shooting. Their finish is a dead giveaway that they aren't real cokes though

I put a set of these on my Model 24-6. I have large hands and find these to be too small for me, so perhaps they would be a good choice for someone with smaller hands.

 

[wheelgun610]

... Or have a decent gun smith roundbutt it...

The problem with that is that it's usually hard to do it without obliterating the serial number.

 

[Pizza Bob]

I'm not a big fan of the factory Magnas, even less so with a T-grip added. I have a number of guns equipped with Ken Driskill's Elk Magna stocks. While appearing the same as a OE Magna, the profile is much different. Fills the hand without being overly large and also is more rounded. Ken makes what he wants, when he wants, so you have to be in the right place at the right time. He sells a lot through the classifieds on this board - his board name is bigmtnman.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Papa Lee]

This is a great pictorial example of why I don't like Altamont grips. Notice how thin the wood is at the back strap compared to the factory S&W grips. Very painful when you shoot the revolver.

 

[pharmer]

These work pretty well. Gun show "Bargain bin" stocks from 20 years ago. Joe

 

[Tom K]

I've posted before about a pair of custom grips I found at a gun show that are pretty perfect for smaller hands. They are grips that S&W should have made, but didn't. Much better than magnas with a grip adapter in function and appearance. Adding a grip adapter looks like what it is, a kludge to fix a situation that shouldn't exist. The bad thing is, is that they are not commercially available. I had several new sets made in both N and K frame size by a gripmaker (Steve Jesse) who has disappeared.

Who made these grips?
Some stocks by schofieldkid81.

 

[zodraz]

I wear a size medium glove and have no practical use for factory target sized stocks. I also don't care for rubber grips aside from a very few instances. The best fit I've found for me with square butt N frames is Magnas and a grip adapter.

I also generally prefer smooth aftermarket Magnas or stags of the same shape. The border around the checkering on factory Magnas digs into my palm after a few rounds of 44.

This is the answer,magnas with a grip adapter.

 

[wileyjackhammer]

Inherited a pre 27 357 magnum. Sentimental value but have small hands.
Want recommendations for grips.
Don't like Pachmayr, haven't tried Hogue. Who else offers something that can help me?

Try Altamont Grips...they have a pretty big selection or go on line to look for the smaller Magna grip. Don't give yours away, they should pay for your new grips