N-Frame grips, opinions?

[rr2030]

I have Pachmayr Presentation grips on my M29. They have served me well in Silhouette competition and hunting.

 

[tominboise]

I suggest Miculek, I use Ahrends

Unfortunately, Ahrends has gone out of business. Still available used.

 

[tominboise]

If your N frame is round butt, the S&W X frame grips will fit and do a great job mitigating recoil with heavy loads. They cover the rear of the frame as opposed to the Hogue Mono grips. I have a couple sets, one on a 629 and one on a 686.

 

[Minshooter]

I've seen no one say anything about hand size in this discussion. I think the different views are all legitimate because of the difference in the size of everyone's hands. I've got large size hands and short fingers, so far the only grips that halfway work for me are the pachmeyer grippers, they were designed for women police officers. I can reach the trigger better with them but they are too thin. I would love to try a pair of the ones that Msinc has on his. John

I have big hands and long fingers, and more grippers than any other, on Smiths.
For me, the Hogue Monogrip is upside down -the largest part is on the bottom, where fingers are shortest.
The Gripper is a very close copy of "Fuzzy" Farrant's Combat design - Fuzzy was a pioneer 60's/70's grip maker.
But, Pachmayer does indeed make them a little too thin. Fuzzy adjusted the grip swell to fit your hand.
He even offered a minimized version that required cutting the front toe off the grip frame.
If you can find "Adam 12" episodes, Reed and Malloy are using Farrant grips in later shows.

 

[H2OBUG]

I just picked up a set of these for my 25 Mtn Gun

https://www.lymanproducts.com/brand...grips/renegadetm-wood-laminate-revolver-grips

 

[Adam in WI]

I just picked up a set of these for my 25 Mtn Gun

https://www.lymanproducts.com/brand...grips/renegadetm-wood-laminate-revolver-grips

Post some pictures please, I can't find a photo of those on a N frame. They look pretty decent for the price.

 

[Outrider27]

I've seen no one say anything about hand size in this discussion. I think the different views are all legitimate because of the difference in the size of everyone's hands. I've got large size hands and short fingers, so far the only grips that halfway work for me are the pachmeyer grippers, they were designed for women police officers. I can reach the trigger better with them but they are too thin. I would love to try a pair of the ones that Msinc has on his. John

I have to agree about differing hand size, for sure. I expect the reason the factory square butt target grips that came on my Model 29 were so really uncomfortable with full power loads was largely because I have small hands. The shape of the Herret's Jorden Trooper grips and the Pachmayr grips just distributed the recoil better in my hand. With the factory square butt grips, the gun just wanted to roll upward, shifting in my hand; we're talking actually moving in my hand here, not the muzzle rising from recoil one expects with full power 44 mag loads. Had to reposition the gun in my hand after each shot with the target grips, which wasn't necessary with the other two, and some others I have shot on model 29s as well.

My education as to why this behavior was encountered came from a friend who loaned me a copy of Bill Jorden's book "No Second Place Winner" (the whole phrase the title is based on is, "There is no second place winner in a gunfight.") so that I could read the chapter he wrote on grips and the effects that grip shape has on your shooting under heavy recoil. After that, I understood where Herret's Jorden Trooper grip shape came from and why.

 

[K22]

I'm a small frame guy with large hands - go figure.

The most effective stocks I've used for N frame S&W's (Model 27 - 357 magnum and Model 29 - 44 magnum) for me are the Packmyr Presentation Stocks. Not sure if they make them anymore.

The reason I like those Packmyr stocks is that it covers the back strap of the revolver and fills my large hand better than those stocks that expose the back strap. Also I'm better able to control the recoil. The rubber texture also provide a non slip grip.

I have Packmyr's on all my S&W's, including the 22 Rim Fire, Model 17 and Model 34. By the way, I consider the Model 17 S&W 6" barrel the finest revolver ever made. Mine is over 50 years old and still shoots better than I can. I estimate that I have over 100,000 round through this pistol. This summer I shot a 96 slow fire on a B16, 25 yard NRA slow fire target. I use two hands now a days and I rarely shoot anywhere that good (usually average about 88) but it just goes to show how durable and accurate that old revolver is. PS: I was in the zone that day.

The original factory "target" stocks, while beautiful, were not very functional for me.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I like the pachmayer wood with rubber combo grips. American something

 

[Adam in WI]

One thing I'm seeing is that there's not much out there for wood grips that cover the backstrap like the factory rubber does. Does this alter the trigger reach by a great deal? I'm almost leaning toward the Hogues because they seem a little more round than long. One thing I do like about the factory grips is the well defined thumb cut on the left panel. Lots of target style grips and the Altamont Cokes have this, but they all appear narrow and almost sharp at the rear.

 

[Rednexx]

Here's my 2 cents on Smith Grips I would try to check out as many as possible , just holding and see how they feel in your hand, everyone's is different mine is a bit wide and about medium length so some fancy and well known grips don't fit me very well. Ropers were always a good choice, but a bit more than I wanted to pay for , I do like older Smith smooth square butt grips, the older "cokebottle/cheese grater" grips are okay in something without much recoil say 45 Colt, 44 Special or 10mm. I'm not much of a fan of synthetic/rubber or whatever grips, I like the look and feel of real wood. Some of the so called ergonomic grips to me aren't really ergonomic, maybe to a robotic hand but not mine.

 

[jonbearman]

What about the Jerry Miculek grips ? I am not sure but I think midway sells them. They smooth and quite comfortable. I held his n-frame personally so I got to feel them. It allows the gun to move freely without the felt recoil.

 

[Outrider27]

Yes, the Miculek grips are still available from Midway - they are made by (and hence listed under) the Hogue trade mark. I have shot a friend's full power 41 mag with those grips and found them quite comfortable and controllable compared to the factory target grips my 44 came with, the ones that were, in my opinion, well described above by Rednexx as "cokebottle/cheese grater" grips.

 

[rmr]

If your N frame is round butt, the S&W X frame grips will fit and do a great job mitigating recoil with heavy loads. They cover the rear of the frame as opposed to the Hogue Mono grips. I have a couple sets, one on a 629 and one on a 686.

+1

the X-frame SW grips were a game changer for me and a 4" 629. they really don't look like they are that different, but they are!