Questions about the factory combats and discussion hopefully....

[ABPOS]

So.... My question today pertains to factory J frame combats, the bit older style that they don't make any more. I have a specific question but it got me to thinking I don't know the history behind them. I see people have them on J frame and K frames. I don't think I've ever seen Square butt J frame combats but I've seen K frame round and square.

Not sure if they made them for N frames either.

So first I'd like to ask about a specific pair of J frame combats and then it would be interesting to know the history behind these of any size. If people know it. When they were offered and for how long. When they stopped making them. Maybe who exactly made them. Anything pertinent. If it's been discussed before I apologize but I don't recall ever seeing a thread on Factory combats.

It is also interesting to me that the current J frame factory combats look identical to the shape of the Uncle Mike banana type combats that aren't made any longer. And I wonder if people like them too.

Sooooo. My question is, has any one ever come across a set that looks like this? They look like they are smooth rubber. In the same shape or very very similar to the wood ones.

Here of course are the wood ones, posted in one of my threads by a gentleman on this forum. I am envious of his set up. LOL:

And then these are the ones I'm talking about. (They are from an article written by I believe his name is Robert Kolesar. He frequented the 1911forum and used a picture I took of my Colt Detective Special for this article called "Don't Snub a Snubby". I pull this article out every once and a while and read it and it's a great read. He seems to be a Smith guy. I'm not sure if he pops in here and I could ask over there but I thought I'd get a good discussion from you guys about factory combats). Obviously these aren't identical to the wood ones but the shape is closer than anything else I've seen:

It has dawned on me that those could actually be wood but they look so much like rubber... Not really sure.

Thanks in advance for any input. I appreciate you guys and gals.

 

[D Brown]

J Frame Square Butt Combats on my Model 63-3. To the best of my recollection, I purchased these stocks sometime in the mid 1990's.

J Frame Round Butt Combat Stocks on Model 631. These are the original equipment stocks, and this gun shipped from the factory on September 1, 1990.

 

[jebstuart]

It has dawned on me that those could actually be wood but they look so much like rubber... Not really sure.

I'm pretty certain these aren't wood, they would be way to fragile where they extend down at the back of the trigger guard.

I don't know who made them - never seen them before, but I sure would like to have a copy, in any frame size.

 

[s&wchad]

S&W produced the wood Combat stocks in-house from about the mid-1980's through the mid-'90's, when they started outsourcing grips. I don't know exactly when the factory shut down the wood shop, but I'm sure someone can provide more detailed information.

A number of Lew Horton "Specials" were supplied with Combat's and I suspect they played a part in their development. S&W eventually offered them on certain regular production guns, but I think the majority were sold on blister packs as accessories.

They were available for round and square butt J, K/L and N frame guns. Most had S&W medallions, but the factory did supplied RB Combats on some 629 Classics without them.

I have large hands and the finger grooves don't suit me very well, but I do like the way they look. The relatively short production window and cool factor have forced prices so high that really nice N and K frame examples are approaching the value of Cokes!

 

[sandog]

I like the Combats a lot. I don't like the feel (or looks) of Target grips.
If I could find something like the grips I ordered from S&W in 2013 for my 325PD, I'd get some for my 686. But they don't offer anything like them anymore.

I like a dark wood on a stainless gun, so I ordered some Hogue checkered Rosewood grips, should be here today.
Those black grips you show have a bit of gloss to them, which to me would suggest an ebony wood instead of rubber. Rubber doesn't shine.

 

[murphydog]

I like the Combats a lot. I don't like the feel (or looks) of Target grips.
If I could find something like the grips I ordered from S&W in 2013 for my 325PD, I'd get some for my 686. But they don't offer anything like them anymore.

I like a dark wood on a stainless gun, so I ordered some Hogue checkered Rosewood grips, should be here today.
Those black grips you show have a bit of gloss to them, which to me would suggest an ebony wood instead of rubber. Rubber doesn't shine.

The stocks in the photo are Ahrends, and still available. S & W bought these to put on certain models.

Ahrends Grips : Revolvers

Agree the black ones in the first post are probably ebony; hard plastic or rubber usually doesn't have much color variation. Someone here may recognize the maker.

 

[ABPOS]

You guys that have owned or do own them, how do you like your guns with them on while shooting? They certainly are nice looking but curious if they handle while while firing. Especially with the J frames. They seem like they'd be a good shape but I'm always scratching my head figuring out how one hangs onto smooth wood during recoil. Like especially with an airweight. I had smooth wood boot grips on my 442 once and they just moved all over the place during recoil.

Obviously a set that fills the hand better might not do that as much and then someone also suggested I try surfers wax to help them stay put. Anyone ever do something like that?

 

[D Brown]

The J Frame Combats are wonderful for shooting, in my opinion. The one huge design flaw, and it only applies to the J Frame, is the Combats won't work with a speed loader like the Safariland Comp 1 J-C7.

I modified the set pictured below on my 60-4 .38 Special so they WILL work with a Safariland Comp 1, but it isn't something I would recommend, since it will destroy the collector value of a nice set of stocks, as well as being quite difficult to accomplish. In my case, I was more concerned with utility than value.

 

[ABPOS]

I was thinking that might be the case.