testtest

Feeling a Little Guilty about Grip Switch

wmg1299

wmg1299

Professional
I'm a fan of .22 Magnum revolvers, so I own both the S&W 351PD and the S&W 351C J-Frames. The 351PD comes with a beautiful set of deeply varnished wood grips that are obviously a premium upgrade over the usual J-Frame rubber grips. Unfortunately, they are not a good fit for my hand, and limit me to a two-finger grip. I found a $29.99 (w/ free shipping) set of aftermarket checkered walnut grips that allows me to get a much better grip on the gun than the stock set.

The stock wood grips are the same size as the rubber grips on most J-frames, and take away approximately 1/2 inch of usable space by covering the gap between the trigger guard and the grip frame (see comparison photo). The new aftermarket grips by Premium Gun Grips allow me to get a 3-finger grip without adding any noticeable amount of overall length to the gun. I feel a little guilty about ditching an expensive set of grips for a set that probably costs a third of the price, but they offer me a more comfortable grip with much better control when shooting.

I've always tried not to "Bubba-Up" classic guns, and have gotten used to paying more for aftermarket upgrades that improve the fit or function of my guns. Have any of you made any changes to your guns that were significantly cheaper than the stock parts, but were a significant improvement?

S&W 351PD New Grips.jpgS&W 351 Comparison.jpg
 
Not sure why you would feel guilty. They look good, and are more functional for you. I sm sure you saved the originals in case you ever pass it on. I believe that is basically a copy of the older style grip used before the Jframe. I preferred that to the thin wood grips used on the jframes for years.

It's not like you took off the grip and wrapped it in skate tape like Godfather lol.

I change grips , sights, whatever I decide I like and never worry about it. They make millions of each firearm. One being customized won't send me to gun owners hell I hope lol.
 
Pitdogg2 said:
My 640 .357mag came with the 2 finger rubber boot grip. It's a handful with those grips. I switched them out for something similar to these. Much much better control of this little handful of power.

www.ebay.com

Altamont S&W J Frame Round Combat Grips Silverblack Gator/Stipple | eBay

Wood: Silverblack. Version: Combat. Coloring can vary slightly .
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
Altamont makes beautiful and very functional wood accessories, I know the guys running that place, great people.

If you have a gun your going to carry for SD then you need to be able to have complete control over that firearm, worrying about your grip is that last thing you need to be concerned about when you have to draw it.
Get what works.
 
Those actually look like like a remake of the classic S&W stocks. As for filling the space behind the trigger guard, a lot of people prefer that; there’s actually (or at least, there used to be) an aftermarket piece called the “Tyler-T Grip” that would fill that area wil stil using the factory stocks. You don’t, though, so go with what works best for you.

They look good on the gun, no reason to feel guilty at all.
F565228E-FC17-42E6-ABFB-FB6564CE1949.jpeg


This is a pre-Model 36 Chief’s Special with the thin stocks…
 
HansGruber said:
Those actually look like like a remake of the classic S&W stocks. As for filling the space behind the trigger guard, a lot of people prefer that; there’s actually (or at least, there used to be) an aftermarket piece called the “Tyler-T Grip” that would fill that area wil stil using the factory stocks. You don’t, though, so go with what works best for you.

They look good on the gun, no reason to feel guilty at all.View attachment 27024

This is a pre-Model 36 Chief’s Special with the thin stocks…
Click to expand...
They are still made.

 
wmg1299 said:
I'm a fan of .22 Magnum revolvers, so I own both the S&W 351PD and the S&W 351C J-Frames. The 351PD comes with a beautiful set of deeply varnished wood grips that are obviously a premium upgrade over the usual J-Frame rubber grips. Unfortunately, they are not a good fit for my hand, and limit me to a two-finger grip. I found a $29.99 (w/ free shipping) set of aftermarket checkered walnut grips that allows me to get a much better grip on the gun than the stock set.

The stock wood grips are the same size as the rubber grips on most J-frames, and take away approximately 1/2 inch of usable space by covering the gap between the trigger guard and the grip frame (see comparison photo). The new aftermarket grips by Premium Gun Grips allow me to get a 3-finger grip without adding any noticeable amount of overall length to the gun. I feel a little guilty about ditching an expensive set of grips for a set that probably costs a third of the price, but they offer me a more comfortable grip with much better control when shooting.

I've always tried not to "Bubba-Up" classic guns, and have gotten used to paying more for aftermarket upgrades that improve the fit or function of my guns. Have any of you made any changes to your guns that were significantly cheaper than the stock parts, but were a significant improvement?

View attachment 27018View attachment 27019
Click to expand...
I bought a S&W 642 performance center like this ---> https://www.academy.com/p/smith-wes...e-center-38-special-p-revolver?sku=38-special

While the grip was hand filling I just didn't like it so I got these --> https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/grip-parts/grips/s-w-j-frame-diamond-pro-grip-prod78354.aspx

I love this grip and after shooting the 642 with them on , I bought a second pair to put on my model 36 nickle Smith.
 
It's your gun. Put whatever on it makes it work best for you (keep the original stuff should you decide to sell it). The cost of parts which make your firearm work better for you shouldn't determine your choices as long as they don't render it unsafe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top