Rubber grip preference; J frame RB

[otis24]

What rubber grips do you prefer on a S&W J frame round butt? I’ve ordered a 640 no dash. It has a set of long Hogue grips; of which I am not a fan. I have a set of Pachmayer Compac Professional (?) with the enclosed back and divot for the pinky. These were from my last J frame. I kept them in hopes of owning another J frame some day. These are the ones that also fit Colt D frame revolvers.

I just purchased a set of Sile rubber grips online. Robertson’s Trading Post has a batch of these NOS for $16 + $4 shipping. I will see how well I like these compared to the Pachmayers.

Are there any other rubber grips I should consider? What do you have? Pics please and thank you!

 

[Mike in Reedley]

Uncle Mikes. New Factory S&W stocks are a copy of them.

 

[Frailer]

I personally like the Spegel-licensed “Uncle Mikes” grips that came on these guns from the factory back in the day.

 

[VictorLouis]

The older style small -frame Taurus grip is my fave. Rubber behind the backstrap adds trigger reach and mitigates what recoil impulse there may be.

 

[OLDSTER]

My favorite "J" frame size revolver is this old Bridgeport CA Undercover. The Charter rubber grips help make it pleasant to shoot.

 

[DeafSmith]

For snub 2 inch J's I prefer boot grips by Eagle (Secret Service grips.) For my 60-15 3 inch .357 I prefer Pachymar 'Gripper' grips.

 

[KalamazooKid]

I have CT lasers on my 640 (and my 340 PD). They just work for a lot of reasons.

 

[kbm6893]

The new S&w factory rubber seem to be a copy of the Uncle Mike’s boot grip, and while I do very much like the K frame Uncle Mike’s, on a J frame, they’re just not enough to hold on to. Pachmayr J frame grips work best for me. The Compact ones. I have them on my 640. Hogue actually makes a nice set, too. I put them on and they feel good, but taking them off an on is a pain. Hogue specifically states not to get in the habit of taking them on and off. I’m anal about cleaning my guns and won’t clean them without taking the grips off, so I bought them and tried them but then put the Compacts back on. Go to YouTube and type in Hickock45 S&w 640. He has the Hogue grips on his.

 

[MetalMan]

I personally like the Spegel-licensed “Uncle Mikes” grips that came on these guns from the factory back in the day.

As do I….UM’ s 59010 on my Model 60.

As the 59010’s are as rare as hens teeth (and almost as dear), I just was able to purchase a couple of pairs of “CE”-branded UM’s from forum member Vtgw938. Perfect fit to my other RB J’s.

 

[The Gila Bender]

Pictured are a row of 640-1's wearing (L-R) factory Uncle Mike's combat grips; Uncle Mike's boot grip (x2); Eagle Secret Service; Hogue Bantam boot grips. The 2nd photo are my field/camping/truck revolvers: 13-2 wearing Pachmahr Compac grips and 640-1 EDC wearing Spegel walnut boot grips that have been stripped and finished with a water-resistant matte satin.

All are good but I prefer the Uncle Mike's Boot and Spegel walnut for concealability, smooth draw, and less pocket lint.

 

[NCBeagle]

I think that the old stock Uncle Mike's boot grips are perfect. That said, I often put the Hogue Bantam grips on scandium frame snubs. The Hogues feel a bit lighter. Coming in third, is the Pachmayr Compac. It has the open backstrap and extends just a few millimeters beyond the grip frame. Here's a pic of the Pachmayr on a Model 42:

 

[kaaskop49]

After getting tired of looking for used UM Boot Grips at local shows, I think I bought out the remaining supply from the S&W Store online. S&W has largely copied this grip on its J-frames and it is just as good, IMHO. The old Sile rubber grip is lighter and thinner than the Pach Compac with its fiberglass insert as opposed to the metal of the Pach. Less likely to cause rusting as we discovered in NYC.

The acid test is (are?) the 340 series guns with magnum loads. I've found that all grips handle alike on the 340s (YMMV) so I use the UM boot grips or the S&W knockoffs, both of which work well in pocket and IWB carry.

BTW, ALL of the above posters really know what they're talking about on this topic!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[two-bit cowboy]

The posts in this thread show there is no wrong answer.

It comes down to what best fits each person, that's why there are choices.

Of those mentioned the UM Combat grips fit my big mitt best.

The best fitting small ones are the Pachmayr Compacs, although -- through my eyes -- they and the Hogue Monogrip win the ugly rubber grip contest.

Of the boot style, I like the Hogue Bantam best.

It's a moot point, now, but UM's failure in creating Craig Spegel's J-frame grip design in rubber came in not copying Craig's Centennial style. UM grips don't go all the way up the back strap on Centennial revolvers; Craig's do.

 

[H Richard]

Actually, the factory grips as found on the guns made in the early 2000's seem to fit my hand very well, and absorb recoil very well.


The Culina J frame RB grips also fit your hand very well and look a lot Prettier.

 

[haywood]

I use Pachmayr Compacts and Hogue Tammers. I like both but the Pachmayr are a little fuller in my hand so I’ve been using them.

 

[CH4]

For rubber I like Hogue Bantams or Uncle Mike’s

 

[Pizza Bob]

I like the Ergo Deltas. They allow a three finger grip and while the look unwieldy, they are pretty slim and still easy to conceal.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[1sailor]

Uncle Mike's combat grips. They give an excellent grip without harming any concealability. They also absorb recoil better than any factory "boot style" grips. This is all I run on my J, K, and L frame revolvers.

 

[GerSan69]

I really like wood boot-style grips from Thailand as my main choice for J-frames, but for rubbers, Hogue rubber boot grips are my #1 choice these days, followed closely by Uncle Mike's boot style. I have a set of grips that look a lot like UMs that are marked as "Vintage" brand. Haven't used them yet but they look and feel pretty good. Not sure if there are any on Ebay. S&W factory rubber from the last decade or so are pretty good; got a pair on a 638 I picked up last year and decided to leave them on...not bad. Pachs are in last place for me. I have a few pairs but I don't use them.

 

[otis24]

I use Pachmayr Compacts and Hogue Tammers. I like both but the Pachmayr are a little fuller in my hand so I’ve been using them.

The Hogues are what’s on it. Don’t think I will like them but who knows? Will see when the revolver gets here. I have a set of nearly new Pachs like the ones you show. They have become one of my favorite grips. I will see how they compare to the Sile grips that I ordered.