Help Me Decide - S&W N-Frame Grips

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  • Which Grips for my Old S&W 44 Mag?

    • VZ grips - black cherry

      Votes: 3 13.0%
    • KN Replica Coke Bottle Grips

      Votes: 5 21.7%
    • Altmont N-Frame Grips Coke Bottle Target

      Votes: 9 39.1%
    • Eagle Grips N-Frame Grips

      Votes: 1 4.3%
    • Other?

      Votes: 7 30.4%

    • Total voters
      23

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    I've got this old Smith & Wesson 44 Magnum, and the grips on that old thing have seen better days - the left one is missing a chunk right by the trigger guard, Dad tried (operative word, "tried") to re-cut the checkering at one point and kinda messed it up, but they are original "Coke bottle" S&W grips.

    With that in mind, I'm looking at a few options:

    1.) VZ grips, G10 - black cherry
    https://vzgrips.com/products/tactical-diamond-s-w-n-frame-square-bottom.html

    2.) KN Replica Coke Bottle Grips
    https://www.nill-griffe.com/Replica_grips_for_revolvers_72.html

    3.) Altmont N-Frame Grips Coke Bottle Target
    https://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/smith-and-wesson/n-square/

    4.) Eagle Grips N-Frame Grips
    https://www.eaglegrips.com/heritage-series/50-sw-n-frame-square-butt-rosewood-heritage-grips.html

    5.) Other? I'm open to suggestions.

    (On my screen the selections are showing clockwise from the upper left)
     

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    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    Interestingly, it seems that there really aren't a lot of folks making the traditional style of grips for the classic S&W N Frame. It's pretty much the choices above, unless there are some custom/boutique makers.
     

    DZ

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 9, 2005
    4,091
    Mount Airy, MD
    I was going to recommend Kim Ahrends. Shame they aren't in business anymore:

    http://ahrendsgripsusa.com/

    We will not be taking any new orders after 02/22/2020.

    Many of you know that a few years back Miss Judy lost a 10 year battle with cancer. I guess the business got neglected to some extent during that time. The medical bills and business debt gave me little choice but to take bankruptcy.

    It appeared for a time that it could be worked so I could keep the business going but thats not going to happen. Im looking forward to the future.

    It has been a real joy for Judy and me to meet so many great people. I thank you for all the business you have given us. There are so many good memories. Judy handled the phone and made so many lasting friendships.

    The bank tied up the programs and even my name. It appears they are going to continue the grip line. There wont be any one named Ahrends associated with these grips and we only hope they can continue the quality we offered.

    Cheers, Kim
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    If you're actually going to shoot it, I recommend Pachmayr Presentation grips. Hogue Monogrips are not comfortable to me and I like the covered backstrap.
    I am going to shoot it, but for this I'd really like them to be either wood, or something like G10 that's tough and has a grained appearance similar to wood.
     
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    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    If you're actually going to shoot it, I recommend Pachmayr Presentation grips. Hogue Monogrips are not comfortable to me and I like the covered backstrap.

    I second this. Until I just sold my last .44 Magnum, I have been shooting that caliber for at least 40 years. For hard shooting guns you really don't want checkering. Additionally, the grips above will slow the onset of arthritis. ;)
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    I second this. Until I just sold my last .44 Magnum, I have been shooting that caliber for at least 40 years. For hard shooting guns you really don't want checkering. Additionally, the grips above will slow the onset of arthritis. ;)
    I could probably be convinced to reconsider on the Pachmayrs, although I reload and I don't shoot this gun heavy - that will be for my next 44 - probably a Ruger Redhawk.
     

    python

    Active Member
    Apr 15, 2010
    600
    If in fact you have a real set of "Cokes", find someone to rehab them. You can probably get some information on the Smith and Wesson forum. Even repaired, they are worth hundreds of dollars. No disrespect intended, but letting someone work on collector items without the proper skills can be a costly mistake. Real "Coke" stocks were generally found on pre-1957 S&W revolvers. That being said Here are my thoughts on your choices:

    VZ- Nice for what they are. Very "grippy". G-10 a little out of character for the gun, but nice for shooting. Checkering is very sharp, so you'll feel it with full bore loads in a 44 magnum

    Nill- Fit great. Look good. You get what you pay for. Not for me on older guns.

    Altamont-IMO they look cheap. Their fit is iffy. I've owned three sets, and they all had some wiggle room. Long gone.

    Eagle- Crappier than Altamont for the same reasons and a lousy finish.

    My suggestion would be to look at Herrett's. They have the designs appropriate for the gun at really fair prices, and the quality is excellent. The stocks shown in the photo are Jordan Troopers with the covered backstrap. I had them on a model 29, and they were excellent at taming reccoil.

    You can go really uptown with Keith Brown (2 year wait) or Culina. There are others, but you'll have to do some work on your own.

    Consider an older set of S&W "N" frame targets.
     

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    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    Python, that's just the kind of post I was hoping for - someone with firsthand knowledge of the products in question.

    The grips are original to the gun, and the gun is a 1956 first year production S&W 44 Mag, or Pre-29. They are pretty clearly "Cokes" too - they have that distinctive curve in the grip.

    Part of what I'd like to do is to kind of get this gun back to the original look with a set of grips that isn't broken, and to keep these from breaking any further. Functionally this gun is fine - I had it out last weekend on a boy's weekend camping/shooting trip and it performed admirably with some moderately loaded 240 gr LRN loads with Unique. It's still a 44 Magnum, but I've shot that pistol with heavier loads than that. (On a side note, I got to a shoot a 500 S&W Magnum this weekend. Now THAT'S an experience!)

    I'm not really concerned about whether or not the gun or grips are collectible - this old gun was my Dad's, and as a result, it will never be for sale. But, Dad was also never one for thinking along the lines of "I've got to keep this gun original!" I'm pretty sure there were times where he did blue touchups on this gun with good ol' Brownell's Oxpho Blue. I'm also pretty sure that he reshaped the contour of the thumb cutout on the left side to make it more comfortable. You can see where he tried to recut some of the checkering and kind of crossed the line right there by the center diamond.

    This gun got used - it was probably his favorite gun for a good long while after he initially bought it, and I know he carried it as a duty pistol in our small town where the police officers carried what they wanted. For him it was the pistol flavor of the day, and this one was part of that.

    Lots of food for thought. On the subject of the VZ grips, they make them smooth as well - I just like the idea of the outlined checkered pattern if I were to go that route, although I'd prefer to get something made of wood if I can.
     

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    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    Python's post as starting point , with 2 changes plus observation .

    I'd skip over the G-10 . If I was willing to move that far away from the original esthetic , I'd just go Pachmyer , either a Presentation variant , or the discontinued but still common Jordan's .


    It's more of a 1982 vibe than 1950's , but the S&W Finger Groove Combat for N frame are excellent for shooting . Decent examples go for $$ among S&W Collectors , but you're looking at $ grips in some of your other options .

    Herrets offers excellent grips , and many of their designs date back far enough to be Period Correct for the gun . A few years back when Late Shooting & Handloading Partner #1 ordered some made to measure Herrets , it was 2 yr wait .

    And regardless of your replacement selection, by all means have the Originals professionally Restored . Instead of trying to correct botched re- checker attempt , request checkering removed . Non- Checkered was factory option , and it was Period Correct for owners who actually shot a lot to remove the checkering ( and thin down post Coke Bottle Target Grips ) .
     

    HiStandards

    Active Member
    Aug 1, 2017
    569
    Anne Arundel Co
    I bought a set of Pachmayr Jordans when they first came out. I liked the shape, but they were hollow hard plastic instead of rubber and there was too much flex when I squeezed the grip. I returned them.
    I have never found finger groove grips that I would call comfortable.
    I heard Herrett's closed. I guess I should call and see.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    Python's post as starting point , with 2 changes plus observation .

    I'd skip over the G-10 . If I was willing to move that far away from the original esthetic , I'd just go Pachmyer , either a Presentation variant , or the discontinued but still common Jordan's .

    It's more of a 1982 vibe than 1950's , but the S&W Finger Groove Combat for N frame are excellent for shooting . Decent examples go for $$ among S&W Collectors , but you're looking at $ grips in some of your other options .

    Herrets offers excellent grips , and many of their designs date back far enough to be Period Correct for the gun . A few years back when Late Shooting & Handloading Partner #1 ordered some made to measure Herrets , it was 2 yr wait .

    And regardless of your replacement selection, by all means have the Originals professionally Restored . Instead of trying to correct botched re- checker attempt , request checkering removed . Non- Checkered was factory option , and it was Period Correct for owners who actually shot a lot to remove the checkering ( and thin down post Coke Bottle Target Grips ) .
    A 2 year wait on a set of grips is a non-starter for me. In this day and age, I don't care what the quality is - 2 years is too long to wait for anything IMO. I waited around 3 months for Dan Wesson to fill my order when I ordered a 2020 Valor through their LE/Military purchase program earlier this year - I felt that was reasonable considering we were in the middle of a Covid-19 shut-down. (Of course I waited even longer because I didn't realize that a 1911 wouldn't be on the MD Handgun Roster, so I had to petition to have it added.)

    If I do have the originals restored, the only thing I'd ask for is to have the piece on the left grip replaced. I'm not going to sand off a checkering error my deceased father put on there.

    I'd like to get something that has a decent fit though, and I definitely want something close to the original aesthetic, but I'm not going pay through the nose for a set of OG Coke Bottles - replicas will get me where I want to go.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    Doing a bit more digging on this today, it seems that if I really want the original aesthetic, and I want grips that are going to fit well, I'm going to wind up paying - there's no getting past it. From what I originally posted, the pair that keeps popping for me are the pair from Eagle Grips....but they're going to run $209 if I get them checkered with the S&W medallion. However, they look pretty much identical to the OG grips. That might be the way to go.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,584
    Glen Burnie
    To update this, I've been thinking about this old gun quite a bit. I've always wanted to have it re-blued. The pistol is IMO worthy of it, and is still functionally sound. This is going to wind up being a full restoration. Yes - I'm aware that refinishing that old gun will detract from the collector value. I don't really care about that - I think that it would be nice to have it restored to its original glory, and I've found a company endorsed by S&W who can get it close.

    With all of that in mind, I'll be buying the best set of grips for it that I can, and as expensive as they will be, I think that Eagle Grips are probably the closest match to factory original that is available. Some of the other options are decent, but Eagle Grips, from what I've been able to Google-fu, has a great reputation for exact fit.

    Thanks for the responses.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    To update this, I've been thinking about this old gun quite a bit. I've always wanted to have it re-blued. The pistol is IMO worthy of it, and is still functionally sound. This is going to wind up being a full restoration. Yes - I'm aware that refinishing that old gun will detract from the collector value. I don't really care about that - I think that it would be nice to have it restored to its original glory, and I've found a company endorsed by S&W who can get it close.

    With all of that in mind, I'll be buying the best set of grips for it that I can, and as expensive as they will be, I think that Eagle Grips are probably the closest match to factory original that is available. Some of the other options are decent, but Eagle Grips, from what I've been able to Google-fu, has a great reputation for exact fit.

    Thanks for the responses.

    Just don't send it to S&W. A good friend of mine did that with his model 29 and it came back with a 6" barrel instead of the original 6 1/2". There was nothing wrong with the barrel! Someone must have wanted the original barrel and took it.
     

    Czechnologist

    Concerned Citizen
    Mar 9, 2016
    6,522
    eUl9zYD.jpg


    I voted Other. I never shot any grips more comfortable on a S&W N-Frame than these Pachmayr Target grips, especially if you're shooting the hot stuff. They're not much to look at but they make it a lot more bearable.
     

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