Are Rubber Grips Worth It?

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JLStorm

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This may sound very silly and a bit long winded, but hear me out!

I am considering getting a revolver for my wife that she liked in the gun store. She has never really wanted to carry a gun, but lately she has been expressing much interest. You may have read my post in the revolvers section about the gun she likes most, which is a S&W model 60LS or 642LS (both would use 38 or 38+p ammo, even though the 60 is capable of 357) This is the lady smith model and looks "pretty". I think she feels more comfortable with the idea that the gun was made for women and she isnt carrying the same gun a man would use. It apparently was a big deal to her that it said it was for a lady hence the "lady smith" on it. I know this sounds pretty silly, but if feeling like the gun was made for a woman and looks feminine will make her feel more comfortable and happy to own it and carry it then so be it.

The issue I have with the lady smith, even though it is slightly lighter weight is that it costs more for no apparent reason other than it is "pretty", is the fact that it comes with wood grips instead of rubber hogue grips. I assume the hogue bantam grips that come with the 640 regular model would probably more effective padding for the recoil of this little lightweight gun. I know I could by the lady smith and then put hogue grips on it, but then the only difference is it simply says lady smith, so I am paying an extra $150.00 for the word lady smith, and my wife will probably no longer think its as "pretty" (you have no idea how much it pains me to call a gun pretty BTW) lol.

SOOO...my main question is:
1. Is it better to have her take it out of the box and be amazed that I picked the pretty gun she liked that she cant wait to try out and be happy that she got the model made for a woman, even thoughit might possibly not have enough padding against the recoil, thus having to to change the grips and having to convince her it wont hurt as much to shoot next time we go to the range. Oh and the fact that Im spending that much more money for basically nothing.

OR

2. Is it better to have her take it out of the box not be really excited about it, but then possibly be more comfortable to shoot, thus making her want to come back to the range and fire it again. My fear with this is because its ugly and a "mans gun" she may not be as excited about wearing it or using it, even though it is more comfortable to shoot (which it may or may not be).


I have a 340PD with the bantam grips, and granted its chambered in 357 rather than 38 and about 20% lighter than these models, I really couldnt imagine shooting it with wood grips, however, there is a rather large difference between 357 recoil and 38 recoil!

Forget the fact that her priorities are backwards....and advise me please lol


HELP!!!!! :banghead:
 
This is the lady smith model and looks "pretty". I think she feels more comfortable with the idea that the gun was made for women and she isnt carrying the same gun a man would use.
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HA! I think you'll find that there are far more men carrying Ladysmith models than there are women.

I'd go with the rubber grips. I hate wood grips on a revolver. Rubber grips make shooting more comfortable and allow for quicker follow-up shots because the gun doesn't slide around in your hand. But if it's her gun then it's her choice.
 
Lady smith

I would go with what she wants. Have her start with light loads to get used to the handgun. We males always think we have to have the latest dragon slayer for ammo in our guns. Start her with light wadcutters. 150.00 is not a lot of money if your wife will be happer. Also you can change the grips later if she wants rubber grips.

The heavier gun will recoil less and be more confortable for her to shoot.
 
haha dragon slayer ammo...you got that right. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
That extra $150.00 isn't just for the wood stocks or name "Lady Smith." They also do some extra work on the lockwork and action.

As for changing the stocks. I would let her shoot it "as is," and if the size/material of the stocks bother her cross that bridge when you come to it.
 
Why don't you let her choose? She's the one who will have to use it.

Better yet, take her along and let her buy it!

Just my opinion.:eek:
 
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She already chose, she likes the pretty gun lol, but the problem is there isnt anywhere I know of that rents either model, so she cant feel the differences in grips until AFTER I buy it :(

She really wants one, but doesnt think we have the money, thats why I want to surprise her. She refuses to spend money on anything, so the only way she gets stuff is presents from me.
 
That extra $150.00 isn't just for the wood stocks or name "Lady Smith." They also do some extra work on the lockwork and action.

As for changing the stocks. I would let her shoot it "as is," and if the size/material of the stocks bother her cross that bridge when you come to it.
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No kidding? I called smith and wesson this morning to ask what I was paying extra money for besides the engraving of lady smith and the wood grips. The sales representative that I spoke with said there is no difference other than that, and that he would go with the cheaper model, which surprised me considering this was the sales department lol.

Well I feel a little better now! Thanks :)
 
Grips: Rubber vs. Wood

There are other considerations besides looks. Wood grips don't "print" as much on clothing concealling the weapon. And rubber grips have a tendancy for material to "cling" to them....whether under a jacket, or the lining of a purse, or the inside of a glove box or console of a car. If it's not a magnum caliber weapon, please try the wood grips first, then replace with a pair of rubber grips as necessary.
 
Well, I would buy the LadySmith, since that's what she asked you for. Have you ever bought her something different than what she asked you for, and had it turn out well?

The LadySmith line is supposed to attract LADIES. Not surprising that she likes it.

Why does it pain you to say that a gun is pretty? Guns can be very pretty.

Why are you introducing your wife to shooting? Isn't she a lady? Do you want her to be anything different? I presume that you married her because she is a lady. Perhaps she likes the LadySmith because she sees your sport as a manly thing that she doesn't understand, doesn't want to be mistaken for a manly woman, and so she sees this as a way to participate while maintaining her femininity.

Spend the extra money, get what she wants, let her be a Lady. That's how she should be. It's just money. You'll make more.

And buy the rubber grips, too. Stick them in your range bag and don't tell her about them. If she shoots it and doesn't like it, pull the rubber grips out and have her try it with them on instead. If she likes it with the LadySmith grips, then never tell her that you brought them. Just keep them for another gun, or return them to the store.
 
No kidding? I called smith and wesson this morning to ask what I was paying extra money for besides the engraving of lady smith and the wood grips. The sales representative that I spoke with said there is no difference other than that, and that he would go with the cheaper model, which surprised me considering this was the sales department
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Interesting, and sad if true. When S&W introduced the Lady Smith series some extra action work was part of the package. Maybe that's gone away as part of a cost cutting move. Still another reason to prefer the older production guns. :(
 
Why not buy the revolver as is......

along with the rubber grips. Make them part of the gift. Or not. Either way, take the rubber grips and a screwdriver with you the first trip to the range. If the wooden grips hurt too much, just whip on the rubber grips. Either way you're the hero.
And if it were me, I wouldn't just put rubber boot grips on. I'd put some Pachmayr Gripper or Decelerator grips on. Rubber boot grips may give better control, but IMO they don't offer that much protection from recoil.
 
Picking a Gun for the Wife, 101.

First and most cardinal rule: Let her pick the gun she wants.

Okay, you did that (kudos!). But now you've got cold feet. So it's time for the pep talk.

First, don't argue with her choice. If you want her to grow as a gun owner, you have to let her make her own mistakes (as long as they are not dangerous ones). The LadySmith is a good weapon and there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it. So even if you have private doubts, don't let her see them. Be enthusiastic, and let your enthusiasm build her enthusiasm.

Don't make fun of her for wanting something pretty. Wipe the condescending smile off your face if you're wearing one. You can replace it with an indulgent smile, if you must -- but remember she likes pretty underthings too, and nobody sees those except you & her, so if she wants a pretty something she can show off, it's good to indulge her. You reap the benefits, most of the time, from her desire to have pretty things around her. :)

If you are worried about recoil with the gun she picked (a valid worry, I think), then buy the Hogue grips and hide them at the bottom of your gun bag. When she tries out her new toy, IF she finds the recoil a problem (she may not), offer her the grips. If she doesn't say anything about the recoil, don't say a word. Just quietly return the rubber grips and get yourself something else.

And as for the $150 more "for basically nothing," I have to ask: how much would you be willing to pay to make your wife happy and get her involved with shooting? I hear a lot of guys say they'd give anything at all to be in your shoes.

pax
 
First and most cardinal rule: Let her pick the gun she wants.
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Sage advice which took me some time to learn. Got a wife and four daughters and. when I chose the gun, it just never seemed to be quite "right"! Eventually, I just tried to make sure that their selections were from good alternatives - and then let it go at that. They were much happier, enthusiastic, and effective shooters. Let her choose!
 
Pax hit it in paragraph #3. Also, with 38 loads the wood grips work fine with me. I use the rubber with 357 stuff, much easier to maintain control with the barn burner loads.

Another thing:

Fashionable womens clothing tends to be made of lighter weight fabric than mens. Rubber is grabby. Much less chance of a lighweight shirt riding up on the slicker wood grips.
 
Well, a good 90% of what I was going to say has been said, but this last 10% has only been alluded to, so I'll say it here.

Being only 22 yrs old, I don't have nearly as much experience with "the fairer sex" as most of you do. However, one thing I have learned in my short span, is that most of the time women don't make sense. At least not to us.
To men, a gun is a functional thing. It's a tool that does the duty of self-defense, and hole-puncher.
It doesn't sound like your wife is interested in getting a tool. She wants a fashion accessory. That is where the nice finish, pretty grips (yes, they are pretty. There is NO shame in saying a gun is pretty. My 19-3 is damn near the prettiest thing I've ever laid eyes on--a girl was oggling it at the range this morning as a matter of fact.;) ), and all the subjective things come into play.
Men think in terms of "well, if it will be comfortable to shoot at the range, I'll shoot it more."
Women, don't just want to get good at shooting. They want to do it IN STYLE! It's my guess that if she doesn't like the way the gun looks, she would be even less likely to shoot it than if it is uncomfortable. Women are willing to do what is uncomfortable, if it means they can look good. Why else would they wear high-heel shoes, and get Brazilian waxes?
So yeah, you may not be buying any more GUN for $150, but that money is buying an insurance that she will like the gun, which is 90% of the battle already.
By the way, one more option is that you could get the less expensive gun, and for $150, you could have REALLY nice grips made, and possibly even engraved, or personalized or something for her. To make her feel really special. That way, for the same price you could have the same gun, the beautiful wood grips (which we know she likes), AND it would be "hers" right from the get go.
(In fact, if you got it engraved with "hers" it gives her an excuse to buy you another gun so you can have "his"):D
 
I decided to compromise. I ordered the 640 because I along with a number of other people think its the perfect mix between concealment and recoil control, and actually was the same price as the lady smith I think lol. I am ordering some custom grips for her to make it look nice and pretty :)
 
Appropos of nothing in particular, when my birthday rolled around last year my loving husband proudly presented me with a chair for my computer desk. He and I had kinda-sorta shopped for a chair together a few weeks before that, and although we discussed it when I found what I considered the perfect chair, we decided to hold off on the purchase for a little while. So when my birthday rolled around, he got me a computer chair.

Of course, it was a completely different chair than I wanted and had picked out. It wasn't as comfortable and didn't match the room as well, to my eye.

But hey, he was happy with it.

pax
 
Of course, it was a completely different chair than I wanted and had picked out. It wasn't as comfortable and didn't match the room as well, to my eye.
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:eek: That about says it all.
 
Hate to say it, but you blew it. Should have gotten the Ladysmith. Your common sense and reasoning have nothing to do with it. She wanted the other gun.
 
Actually I didnt blow it, or at least I am pretty sure I didint. I spoke to smith and wesson and they said the only difference with the lady smith was the grips which were wood and made for smaller hands of a woman. My wife has very long fingers and made it clear she wanted grips around the same size as my hogue bantam grips on the 340PD. The wood grips that I am getting with her initials in gold leaf ar slightly wider than my hogues and perfect for her fingers, and gives her the extra finger grove she was hoping for that my hogues dont have.
 
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