Please help newbie with grips on a 686 PC

Flintstone69

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Greetings fellow members. I just purchased my first revolver in 20 something years. A used, but new to me gently loved 686 PC 2.5 in snubbie. It is a beautiful gun. I love the slab side barrel. The unfluted cylinder. But the rubber grips it came with were ugly. So I got S&W to send me a pair of the oem wood grips. Which are beautiful. And they fit nicely around the backstrap. But. They are a bit on the thin side for my medium sized hands. I also ordered 2 different sets of Altamont grips. Combat with finger grooves and combat without finger grooves. Those 2 sets were way too thick. And the fit was awful. I had to return them. So right now. The ugly rubber grips feel best in my hand. I prefer the look of wood on the satin stainless finish. So what does the forum recommend for wood grips that are a hair thicker than the oem??
 
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While I do not own one of the 2 5/8" Performance Center 686s, I do own several of the 627 and 657 versions of the same configuration. So my examples will all be on N-frames but the same grips are available for your revolver

We have no way of knowing which wood grips you are referring to as there have been several wood OEM grip offerings.

When initally introduced back in the 1990s these snubbies shipped with the Eagle Secret Service boot grip as is shown on this older Factory photograph. These N-frame revolvers were originally called the PDR or UDR for Personal Defensive Revolver or in the case of the 8 shot 357 Magnum the Ultimate Defensive Revolver.

pc627_large2.jpg


I was not fond of these Factor supplied wood grips and found several sets of the last version of the Factory's round butt combat grips. That is what is on these 2 5/8" N-frames. I am not sure if this version was ever offered for the L-frame

PDR-pair2s.jpg


My hands are on the larger size and it is actually the older design of the Factory's round butt combat grips that are my favorite. Unfortunately they are getting harder to locate and increasingly expensive. This pair is on a 3" Model 625 and this design was offered for your revolver as shown on the 3" Model 65 below (grips are in a bit of shadow).

625%203%20Ls.jpg


Cook%20County%20small.jpg


Your revolver is an L-frame, so it takes the same grips as the K and X frames. Using K-frame to search the internet for grips might turn up more choices than using the term L-frame.

Another wood choice is the Hogue offerings. While not Factory, they are available with finger grooves, top finger groove only or no finger grooves. These have a medium thickness to them, but they do have a palm swell that makes the grip feel real good. I only order mine with no finger grooves, I often add the contrasting butt cap and the white line spacer. Most all Hogue grips can be ordered checkered or smooth

610-6r.jpg


625-88l.jpg
 
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