What kind of grips do you use?

[wraco]

I don't care for rubber grips. They're too narrow for my hands and my hands sweat with them. My preference is factory targets made before the late 70's, but older diamond magnas seem to be thicker and I can make do quite well with them. Stag or ivory is also a pleasure to use.
Rod

 

[Joe in SC]

With me it's not so much material as it is shape. Visually, the S&W targets are the most beautiful, especially when the wood is well figured. To my average size hand they are too large in the wrong place, at the bottom.

For shooting I like properly shaped (ergonomic) grips. The absolute best feel I've ever had in my hand was the palm swell K-frame combats by Fuzzy Farrant. I was/am hesitant to alter my grip frame to accomadate them. If I was carrying a gun for a living again, I would alter a 586/686 and mount a pair.

Another most comfortable "right" feel is the Pachmayr Compacts that are on my roundbutt model 19. No, they aren't beautiful, but they fit and are easy to hold even with a wet or sweaty hand. I like stuff that works, not just look good.

N-frame is a different story. Again, factory targets are beautiful, great to look at but totally wrong for my hand. Hogue's, wood or rubber, and Pachmayr's grippers suit me. I have a 625-2 that is fitted with a pair of Ahrends fingergroove that work for me. I think that gun may have a K-frame sized grip. At any rate, it feels good in my hand and is awesome to look at as well (Cordia wood, I think).

Another combination the works well for me is the classic combo of magna's (K or N) and grip adapter. I like a grip adpter and round butt guns also.

Surprisingly, I do have a pair of N-frame targets that fit me fairly well. They are rosewood, smooth and of the Coke bottle shape. From this board I have learned they are rather collectable/hard to find. They were a gift from one of my shooting mentors who has passed. Some day I will let them go to another Smith and Wesson admirer.

 

[feldspar13]

I had hogue hard nylon grips on my 29-2

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

My 29-4 wears a set of Kurac targets that allow it to slip in my hand a little with heavier loads. I tried checkered S&W targets and 50 rounds or more of Keith loads would leave me with a bleeding palm or web between my thumb and forefinger. No such issue with the Kuracs.

My 27-2 wears a set of 70s-era targets, which so many complain are too large and large in the wrong places. They fit me very well, and make my 27 handle like a dream, to me. I tried a set of magnas today with a T grip. I went home and put the targets back on.

 

[willy]

I have a good size hand ( I can hide a beer can in my hand) but I don't have extremely long fingers.
I like the wood magna grips on all my S&W guns.
With the magna grips I can keep my hand higher on the grip closer to the line of the bore.
The recoil is more back into your hand and cuts down on muzzle rise.
Which is good for getting back on target faster.

 

[ect1222t]

My big old hands prefer the Pachmayr Grippers. They fit my hand and aren't abrasive on my thin skin. I don't change grips when I'm not shooting. -Ed.

 

[Hammerdown]

I am going to put some comfortable rubber type grips on my Model 29.2 for comfort while shooting. I would like to get everyones opinion on the best grips for shooting. Hogue, Pachmeyr, etc.
Thanks

Hi
I have found that Matheis Gagne Built the most comfortable grips that were marketed and sold by Walter Roper Mainly for the Camp Perry shooting Teams back in the Mid 1930's time span. They are very thin profile allowing a Good grip and total comfort. I have a set in K-Sq. shown and a set in N-Sq. shown. Matheis is Long Gone, along with Walter Roper but Keith Brown makes an excellent reproduction of his grips that fit like a glove... Hammerdown

 

[brucev]

I have found that Matheis Gagne Built the most comfortable grips that were marketed and sold by Walter Roper Mainly for the Camp Perry shooting Teams back in the Mid 1930's time span. They are very thin profile allowing a Good grip and total comfort. I have a set in K-Sq. shown and a set in N-Sq. shown. Matheis is Long Gone, along with Walter Roper but Keith Brown makes an excellent reproduction of his grips that fit like a glove... Hammerdown


Do you have contact information for Mr. Brown? Sincerely. brucev.

 

[Hammerdown]

A Shamless Plug for Keith Brown's Grips

I have found that Matheis Gagne Built the most comfortable grips that were marketed and sold by Walter Roper Mainly for the Camp Perry shooting Teams back in the Mid 1930's time span. They are very thin profile allowing a Good grip and total comfort. I have a set in K-Sq. shown and a set in N-Sq. shown. Matheis is Long Gone, along with Walter Roper but Keith Brown makes an excellent reproduction of his grips that fit like a glove... Hammerdown


Do you have contact information for Mr. Brown? Sincerely. brucev.

Hello Bruuce
Sure do, See The Link I hope it helps, Hammerdown


KEITH BROWN GRIPS

 

[29aholic]

Grips

I bet I have used almost every grip imaginable on my 29. I love the feel of cokes but am scared to shoot the guns with them on as I am afraid of breaking them. The picture below is of one of my 44's with a heavily modified set of Herrett Shooting Stars I whittled to fit my hand.

I will say I do like the feel of the Ivory polymer Magnas on the gun in the next pic (wish they were real Ivory). I dont shoot many full house mag loads anymore and the Magnas are comfortable to me. I do need to add a grip adapter at some point to fill in the extra space.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Interesting post, Hammerdown. Most folks here are well aware of Roper grips and Keith Brown's reproductions, but not very many seem to know that Matheis Gagne actually made them. I wouldn't have known it, either, if I hadn't been recently reading about Walter Roper's employment by Harrington and Richardson to make the H&R Model 195 (USRA single shot pistol) the best .22 pistol in the world. Interesting coincidence that you should post Gagne's name just at this time.

 

[Hammerdown]

Interesting post, Hammerdown. Most folks here are well aware of Roper grips and Keith Brown's reproductions, but not very many seem to know that Matheis Gagne actually made them. I wouldn't have known it, either, if I hadn't been recently reading about Walter Roper's employment by Harrington and Richardson to make the H&R Model 195 (USRA single shot pistol) the best .22 pistol in the world. Interesting coincidence that you should post Gagne's name just at this time.

Hey Model520Fan
In my Thread I Did include Walter Ropers Name as far as him being the seller of these grips, But sadly Matheis Gagne never got the recognition he really deserved as he was the One that created and made them. There were a few selected articles of Matheis Gagne in Past Issues of American Rifleman back in the 1940's time span, But the man went Un-Noticed for his expert craftsmanship... Hammerdown

 

[flagman1776]

Original Hogue monogrips... ugly as sin... I thought I'd made a mistake purchasing for my duty revolver where they still are! I was carrying the hottest factory load I could find... SuperVels would tie up a lot of guns but not mine, luckily. Often it would be fire a couple of shots, get a new grip on the gun... Well, with the Monogrip, I could rip off all 6 & the piece was more firmly in my grip than the start. Some black magic at work in there.

 

[thomashoward]

Rubber just for shooting

 

[LOBO]

Ahrends finger groove.

 

[butchkent]

Wood grips are the thing, but Pachmyers get the job done.

 

[humphreys220]

I have Hogue hard nylon on my model 19, and Hogue rubber on my 64-5. Both perform very well for me. It is strange, because I despise finger grooves on my auto pistols, I like the Hogue grips on my revolvers very much.

 

[BobK]

For a lot of shooting, I put on some Pachmyers rubber grips, Butler Creek Boot grips, or Uncle Mikes Combat grips. I like comfort and a firm grip. But, I have wood grips from S&W Target, but prefer Hogue full size w/finger grooves, Altamont Boot grips and combat grips, and Spegel Boot grips. Bob

 

[borntoraisehogs]

I like the S&W smooth target .

 

[texagun]

I like Ahrends grips on S&W's. These are Retro Combat Cocobolo grips on a round butt Model 15-3: