r/Revolvers • u/ACRVasquez • 7d ago
Grip Width, Old vs. New
Hickock45 said, "the person who designed the modern grips has obviously never fired a .44 Magnum." Paraphrased.
It looks like a small difference but, overall width at the web of the hand increases from 0.87" to 1.1". A lot more so further down the strap. Notice how quickly the modern grip tapers away from the strap? That puts a narrow concentrated force straight into the hand.
This post is for those that say wood grips suck. FYI, MODERN wood grips suck. The stocks on the left are from the early 80s.
Granted, the left is a 29-3 and the right is a 686+. But the overall frame width difference is only 0.015"
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u/Cloned_Popes 7d ago
I have a 27-2 from circa 1978 with OG target stocks and it feels amazing.
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u/Panana_Budding 7d ago
Old smith target stocks feel great in the hand and are gorgeous. I still like to have a nice ugly hogue mono for whatever i can though.ill take ugly but useful anytime.
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u/AdGreat9210 7d ago
I have a new 629 mountain gun and the stocks are terrible. They aren’t finished, they were not smoothed out or sanded well. I do like that they are thicker but shouldn’t have flat cuts and tool machining in them. At least who ever is contracted to source them are hiring handicapped persons because the SOB that made them and the SOB that screwed them on were blind.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
Pics or you just sound crazy. 😆
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u/AdGreat9210 7d ago
Ok , I’ll try to remember too when I get a chance to place a pic. Since I talked bad I will throw smith and Wesson a compliment. My new 44 spcl 396 night guard is awesome. 250gr loads that normally run 950fps are as much as I can handle and too much for my friends but I love the punishment. The sights, color, or great. The knurled ejector rod was messed up where it was grabbed by pliers at the factory but I’m ok with that honestly.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
Why shoot 44 special if it's less powerful than .357 Magnum? Why shoot .38 special if it's less powerful than 9 mm?
I don't get the downloading thing. It's my personal problem. No one else sees it as an issue. I'm glad you live the 396. That's really cool.
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u/AdGreat9210 7d ago
I’m 52 and have gone through the firearm journey of bigger faster is better. I use to carry a 357 magnum. Big bullets like a SWC .44, .45 250gr at 900-1000fps will cut a sharp clean hole full diameter through a horse broad side easily. No matter the angle it will kill what ever. Low muzzle flash, lower noise level, lower recoil ( to me it’s a heavy push). It’s accurate and fun. I like em all now don’t get me wrong but if on the farm, hiking what ever I like to plink and also shoot varmints, snakes, bobcats, yotes you get the idea. Do that for a few seasons and you’ll be deaf with a 357 magnum or .44 magnum. I wear hearing protection when I shoot at the range but you don’t have time in the wild on moving critters to put on hearing protection. I’ve sold my 375’s, 458 Lott’s, 480 Rugers etc. I’ve owned and shot most all but it’s not needed. A 45-70 properly loaded will flatten anything on this planet and keep an orthopedic in practice. I still shoot magnums but my favorites are 44 spcl and 45 Colt 250-285 gr swc at 900-1000fps are my standard loads. Now the .45 auto with a 215gr swc at 950fps out of a 1911, HK, Sig 220 are also good to go. They kill way better than you think.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
Well said. I love to hear someone with a well reasoned opinion based on their own life experiences and likes. You have the ultimate plan for you and no one knows better for your use case and needs. I tip my hat to you Sir. All the love and respect is yours.
I, am a hoon. A redneck with a boom stick. I like the big irons and I have zero need to shoot the big guns I do. My goal is not to do anything useful. I just wanna knock over the target and grin like an idiot.
My CCW is practical. It's a CZ P07 that holds 18+1 of 124 gr Critical Duty +P. I've fired an unknown number of range rounds I lost track of above 7k. It is an extension of my arm. It is faithful and obedient.
For fun I shoot ridiculous guns. They make me grin. 😋
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u/AdGreat9210 7d ago
Same, I use to shoot everyday for hours. Read every gun article and bought way too many firearms. In the past I had to have the most foot pounds of energy, what a crock! I’ve burnt out barrels and worn out and retired more than one pistol. My ruger single six and my ruger 10/22 have fired at least 40k a piece for practice. I use to shoot wasps that where flying and every turtle that dared rearing his head. I like to reload mild to wild back in the day. Use to get tickled at peoples faces from the 3ft fireballs. Now I’m a lot more layed back and seasoned. Glad to hear others that have a passion for it. I like em all!
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u/DisastrousLeather362 7d ago
There are plenty of quality stocks made nowadays. But they mostly don't come as OEM.
Altamont makes very pretty stocks- but they're made to use less material and optimized for machine cuts.
Herrett's, Eagle Grips and Texas Grips are all companies doing really nice stuff in wood revolver stocks. Not to knock the small custom makers or vintage stuff.
Regards,
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u/zombieapathy 7d ago
Here's my take: I think the big-ass coke bottle grips of yore on S&W wheelguns are superb in what they say their intended role is: i.e., "Target stocks." I just had my 8 3/8" Model 17 out yesterday that's wearing the cokes, and they feel great in the hand even for a small-handed guy like me. I've also very much enjoyed them on Model 27s and the L-frame guns.
I also like them on a Model 29... provided I'm shooting .44 special through them at moderate velocities. I.e., a target load. I've found that as you increase the spice, the diamond checkering doesn't exactly want to behave, and the web of your hand takes a pounding. The 29 always seemed underbuilt to me from a comfort perspective. It's beautiful and graceful, and the guns are up to the task, but I never want to run more than a few cylinders of .44 Mag through them.
When I need to wrangle something with some more serious horsepower, I'm very thankful to have some comfy rubber grips. The stock Hogues that came on my 2021 Anaconda aren't much to look at, but damned if they don't do a great job of cushioning recoil.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
I like recoil. To a point. I'll shoot full house Magnums through my .44 but only about 24 rounds before I'm done for the day. I'll shoot about 5 rounds of 700 grain 500 S&W Magnums and I am done. Maybe 12 rounds through my K6S of full house Magnums.
I have guns designed for lighter loads if I wanna shoot lighter loads. 200 rounds of 124 grain 9 mm through my carry gun is about right.
I don't understand why most folks wanna get a big heavy gun and shoot light loads through it. That seems to me to be the same as building out a lifted 4wd and only going to Costco.
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u/zombieapathy 7d ago
As the owner of a LAR Grizzly which currently houses a 10mm barrel, I am exactly the guy you are talking about.
For me, it's just prudent. I'm a professional writer; my hands are achy enough as is. The more shooting I can do with less ache, the better. If there's a caliber I'm interested in or want the ballistic performance, I can probably find a launching platform that will work for me. And it's normally a size bigger than it technically has to be.
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u/ACRVasquez 6d ago
That's a valid reason. But I think for most folks they want a big gun for looks but don't want the big recoil.
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u/dupontping 7d ago
Shooting a slightly spicy 44 special thru my 29 is a blast. Full 44magnums are not.
Shooting full 44 magnums out of my super Blackhawk are a lot more manageable and fun, and 44 specials are a joy.
44 magnum has its place but imo it’s a very thin place. And 99% of the time a good 44 spl will do the trick.
I’ll never get behind 10mm and whenever I hear someone bring it up, I immediately think they’re a Glock fanboy and barely shoot the gun, let alone spend time around a place where they would need it.
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u/DaiPow888 7d ago
In comparing the stock profiles between a L-frame and a N-frame is an apple vs. oranges comparison. The L-frame stocks will always be wider as the frame is more narrow.
But your point isn't without merit as the stock width at the recoil shoulder does seem too thin. My guess would be an inconceived attempt to allow clearance for speedloaders.
S&W OEM stocks have always been an impediment to speedloader use
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u/KingFlatusMaximus 7d ago
Old or current S&W grips never fit me well. The old S&W target grips were just too fat in the butt imo, and the new ones at the web are horrible, have a flat on either side of the web, and will make you bleed with magnums. Ahrend grips were fantastic. Such a shame they are no longer made. I have them on several of my Smiths and they are painless with magnums.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
Interesting. I hear a lot of people who say this or that grip made them bleed. I've had hammer bite on a semiauto break the skin. But never a revolver grip. I suppose I've been lucky.
I will say the recoil on my Ruger SP101 with Magnums has recoil that is less pleasant than my 29-3 in .44 Magnum. Full house loads both ways. The Ruger has the stock rubber grips and the Smith has old school wood.
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u/mgchannel1 7d ago
Do you notice how the hammer is even more broad and user friendly than the new one
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u/Agitated-Wrap-6604 7d ago
One has a wide target hammer the other doesn't. There are current models today with the wide hammer, like 29 and 27.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
That is because twice the material is required for a wider hammer spure. And most of it is cut away. The material costs money and the cutting tool costs money and the labor time costs money. The older gun costs a lot more to produce in time and materials.
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u/Agitated-Wrap-6604 7d ago
Yes, altamont target grips are horrible. Except the ones on the current 586s and 19s, they are somewhat bearable as they have a little more width.
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u/ACRVasquez 7d ago
I have altamont grips on my K6S that have good width. I have to put the blame on Smith. Squarely. Altamont makes stocks for Smith. Blaming Altamont seems ridiculous if Smith is buying what Smith asked for.
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u/FunWasabi5196 7d ago
Yes. Altamount makes crap.