grips for j frame

[Glock 23]

i have an airweight s&w j frame. 642 i think.

my hands arent huge, but the stock grips and the recoil are not a good match.
i saw some hogue grips (model 6000) which seem quite a bit larger.

anyone recommend these or another brand or type for j frames? i need more grip.

[couzin]

I put a pair of Pachmayr Gripper Decelerators on my wife's SW 637 (J Frame - as is the 642) because the original SW grips were a little hard for her to control the weapon. Quite a bit larger, extra finger groove, and soft. She liked them, but wanted a Crimson Trace, so off they came. I didn't like the Pachmayrs - to soft, too sticky, too large for when I wanted to pocket carry my 360PD. Goto http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?p ... ber=273577 for info.

[Glock 23]

thx for your reply. i never carry it in my pocket so that downside is irrelevant to me. i think with bigger grips i'd carry it more. the crimson were on my list, but too pricey right now and im pretty accurate with the stock sights.

[TexasGal]

I really love the crimson trace grip on my J-frame 642. They offer a couple versions for this gun. Mine is the full size so my pinky has someplace to go. It can make the grip more likely to catch on clothes, but also gives much better grip on the gun and less felt recoil. I am considering using black gaffer's tape on the parts of the grip my hand doesn't cover to help it slide past garments when I am drawing it.

[casingpoint]

The answer to your problem is a three-fingered grip by Pachmayr or Hogue. I don't personally like the Pac's. Too fat. Find the Hogues at http://www.getgrip.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. They come in soft rubber or in many various woods. Plenty of ebay sellers of both brands. A three finger grip turns a J frame into a different gun.

Also check these J frame grips out:
http://www.esmeralda.cc/smith_and_wesson_j_frame.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
She might do a three finger grip for a J frame, but I've never seen her advertise any for sale on the website.

One conceivable advantage to the new Ruger LCR is the grip is a little larger than the two finger J frame grip, perhaps affording a little more purchase area.

[A-R]

I've always used the boot grips. First the old style thin wooden grips, then the original Uncle Mike's (don't care for the new style), now Hogue Bantams. These have always worked for me. But for your purposes/stated needs, I'd try a Pachmayr Compac grip http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=145531" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gives you just enough room to place your pinky with about being oversized for a small gun. Can still pocket carry with this grip, though not quite as easily as with the boot grips.

I've seen the J-frames with the large three-finger grips on them and I always think "what's the point?" if you're going to conceal something with grips that large, why not just step up to a K-frame with 2-inch barrel or better yet a semi-auto? Just my opinion, but I think the J-frame is best when kept a small very concealable package (it's almost exclusively a pocket gun for me). If you can conceal something larger, then carry something larger.

[The Annoyed Man]

I became sold on Hogue grips for revolvers when I bought my Model 29 S&W. It came with Hogue grips on it, and they take the sting out of shooting it quite nicely. When I was at the last Ft Worth gunshow a couple of weeks ago, I saw a pair of the Hogues on a 340 PD revolver. They looked only a tiny bit bigger than the standard J-frame rubber grips, but I'll bet they make a difference in handling the recoil.

Hogue on the left, standard on the right. In the pictures, you can't really tell a size difference, but it seemed apparent to me when I held both guns side by side in my hands:

[A-R]

Right you are TAM. Those grips in your photo on left are the Hogue Bantam boot grips that I use. They have a slight "swell" to the sides aroun the palm area that makes them slightly larger and gives more padding and more surface to grab onto. They're very nice. Much better than the "new style" Uncle Mike's on the right in photo.

[RECIT]

I prefer the three finger grips that come on a model 60 w/3" barrel.

[The Annoyed Man]

I prefer the three finger grips that come on a model 60 w/3" barrel.

I have those on my 640, but they are a bit more difficult to conceal, particularly for pocket carry. The smaller grip would make it better. That said, the grips you mention are very good at managing .357 recoil. I have no trouble shooting my pistol comfortably.

[A-R]

For shooting, I like those three-finger grips too. But as TAM said, they make pocket carry more difficult. A snubby is already quite long from muzzle to base of grip compared to a pocket semi-auto (like a Kel Tec/Ruger LCP). So if you're pants pockets are not very deep, you already run risk of the butt of your snubby sticking out top of your pocket even with boot grips. With the three-finger grips it's really a concern.

My personal opinion (to each his own) is that once you put three finger grips on a 5-shot revolver, you end up with a hybrid gun that really doesn't fit well into any particular carry scenario that I "need". Too big for pocket carry, can be belt carried but if you're going to belt carry with a cover garmint why not carry a semi-auto with more rounds or a 6-shot K-frame revolver with a 3 inch barrel? Perhaps the three-finger grips will conceal OK for ankle carry? But I'm not much of a fan of that type of carry. Also if you like to carry a backup gun on belt (maybe small-of-back?) like a lot of cops do, then a 3-finger grip 5-shot .357 is a good choice.

[mr surveyor]

the somewhat "soft" rubber grips are fine for shooting, but I just can't like them for carry purposes. They are just a bit too tacky...as in "clingy". My cover shirt tends to ride up as it clings to the soft rubber. I tend to prefer the standard hard rubber boot grips on my 637 for carry, and I tend to carry it a whole lot more than I shoot it at the range.

surv

[rdcrags]

I agree with much of what has been said. I would sum it up like this, though. The original grips on my Airlite are best for pocket concealment. Otherwise, I carry a full size 9mm either IWB or OWB. So, what do I practice with most? Not the snubbie, because it kills my hand. But it may save my life some day during a “close encounter” when the adrenalin will be so high I won’t notice the pain of firing the thing. I know that violates the axiom that you practice with what you carry, but I do carry the 9mm sometimes. Lately, I have been driving with the 9mm in the door pocket and the snubbie in my pants pocket. That way, I can enter and exit the car without handling a weapon without being seen doing it, and I can draw from the door pocket quite easily while seated.

TX CHL 1997
CO CHP 2005