Received my New 386 Night Guard...Don't Get It?

[HarrishMasher]

I picked up an as new 386NG a few weeks back and liked it so much, it has become my main carry gun. I decided I wanted a second one, so I searched and found another as new 386NG.

The first one was manufactured in 2012 and had the larger rubber finger groove grips. The second one was made in 2008 and had the original Pachmayr rubber Compac grips as seen here:

I never keep rubber grips on my carry guns because they stick to my shirt and expose the piece. But I really liked the look and feel of these Pachmayr Compac grips and was considering leaving them on. Until I weighed them. They weigh 4.8 ozs!

The whole point of a scandium frame gun is to keep it light. Why in the world would S&W put 5 oz grips on a scandium gun that weighs under 22 ozs without the grips??? Especially when most L frame grips I have encountered weigh between 1.6 to 3 ozs. My grip set up below weighs 1.7 ozs even with the Tyler T Grip!

I immediately ordered a set of Ahrends Cocobolo finger grove grips and set it up like my first 386NG below in the meantime (total grip weight with Tyler T Grip is 1.7 ozs):

It is actually a good thing I got this 2nd NG because the timing was off on the first one and it had to go back to S&W to be repaired on Monday. Who knows how long that will take.

I just can't fathom why S&W would put such heavy grips on a gun that is marketed as a lightweight carry gun?

 

[Waywatcher]

I agree, it's been my experience that pachmayr grips feel really heavy. I never weighed them though. 5oz is quite a lot for grips. I've never weighed my Hogue J frame Tamers on my airweight, but they felt the absolute lightest of any grips I've ever held. There's not one bit of metal (not even a screw) on them.

 

[HarrishMasher]

I agree, it's been my experience that pachmayr grips feel really heavy. I never weighed them though. 5oz is quite a lot for grips. I've never weighed my Hogue J frame Tamers on my airweight, but they felt the absolute lightest of any grips I've ever held. There's not one bit of metal (not even a screw) on them.

As far as J Frame grips go, below are the lightest grips I know of:

-Vintage J Frame S&W factory Magnas = 0.9 oz
-Eagle Secret Service Grips = 1.0 oz

I have lots of J Frame grips and most typically weigh between 1.3 ozs to 2.3 ozs. Anything heavier makes no sense at all. Even anything over 2 ozs makes little sense in my opinion. It just defeats the purpose of a lightweight carry gun.

My absolute lightest set up is a 342PD with eagle secret service grips. Weighs in at 13.1 ozs loaded.

 

[Waywatcher]

Ever weigh the Hogue Tamers (or Bantams) for a J frame?

 

[HarrishMasher]

Ever weigh the Hogue Tamers (or Bantams) for a J frame?

Not the Tamers, but Bantams, if I recall correctly, are 1.3 ozs

 

[Rick_A]

The Pachmayr grips are usually steel backed. They make sense on small, lightweight, heavy kicking guns.

 

[HarrishMasher]

OP Here:
I just got back from the range. I shot my 386 Night Guard number two for the second time. I put some 357s through it for the first time today.

Very mild and manageable with 357s. I was really surprised, I expected it to be much more violent given the 22oz weight of the gun.

Not only was it mild, but at 25 feet I was able to get all 7 rounds of 357s to basically touch one another. Super accurate piece. Absolutely, hands down, my favorite carry gun!

I am genuinely beyond impressed with the 386NG. I guess that is why I bought two (the only gun I have two of). I don't understand how the 386NG, and the NG series in general, was not a massive homerun for S&W. I guess price had something to do with it.

I picked this up on Gunbroker basically new in the box for $650 3 weeks ago. The auction had just started and the starting price was $699. I emailed the guy and he said he would let me have it for $650. I see a used one up there today and it has a bid on it for $1,199! It ends in 1 hour. I'm pretty pleased with what I paid for it.

 

[Waywatcher]

The Pachmayr grips are usually steel backed. They make sense on small, lightweight, heavy kicking guns.

That's self defeating. Would be better off getting a heavy gun from the get-go since it will hold up better in the long run.

Light grips make sense on light guns.

 

[HarrishMasher]

That's self defeating. Would be better off getting a heavy gun from the get-go since it will hold up better in the long run.

Light grips make sense on light guns.

I think you meant to say "Heavy grips make sense on light guns"?

 

[Waywatcher]

I think you meant to say "Heavy grips make sense on light guns"?

Nope. Light grips on light guns and heavy grips on heavy guns. Light grips on heavy guns is fine, but heavy grips on a light gun defeats the point of a lightweight gun.

 

[HarrishMasher]

Of course, don't know what I was thinking

Nope. Light grips on light guns and heavy grips on heavy guns. Light grips on heavy guns is fine, but heavy grips on a light gun defeats the point of a lightweight gun.

 

[Dirtywaterdog]

I like that night guard, nice summer gun.

 

[HarrishMasher]

I like that night guard, nice summer gun.

...and winter, and spring, and fall.

I live in South Florida anyway, so it is summer 365 days a year!

I wear the same type of outfit every day. Flip Flops, shorts, a white tank top with a short sleeve button up shirt on top untucked and unbuttoned. This outfit type makes it easy to conceal anything IWB.

 

[b_san]

I'll point to the 386pd as a good alternative to the NG as well. I've got one with a 7 shot titanium cylinder and one with a 6 shot stainless cylinder. Great guns, my wife even likes to shoot them both.

 

[HarrishMasher]

I'll point to the 386pd as a good alternative to the NG as well. I've got one with a 7 shot titanium cylinder and one with a 6 shot stainless cylinder. Great guns, my wife even likes to shoot them both.

View attachment 167813

386PC or do you mean 386PD?

 

[b_san]

I fixed that right before you replied as you'll note in your quote...

They're both marked 386pd inside the crane, the product code on the case for the stainless one is 150647 (fired case 6/09) unfortunately I don't have the outer box (or the label clipped off) for the titanium one only the silver case with the rest of the paperwork, fired casing on that is 12/02.