Best revolver upgrades

[Archie]

A lot of guns have a two piece grip. So there's a left grip and a right grip to make a set of grips?

But it could also be a goofy language thing like a pair of pants. I don't know about most folks, but I only wear one pant at a time.

My understanding is the original meaning of the word 'pant' inn terms of clothing mean "one leg covering" at some point, some progressive tailor joined the two together with a addition to cover the loins. Therefore a 'pair' of pants. Separately, I was instructed in the Marine Corps that only women wear 'pants' and men wear 'trousers'. In common speech, that seems to be a secret.
A wiki article on the subject says traditionally 'trousers' were tailored, had a fly and belt loops and such. Pants have elastic waist bands or ties strings.
You're on your own what you wear.

 

[Rodfac]

I'll echo Riomouse' comments from Pg 1, in that I can no longer tolerate wood grips on my Smith DA Magnums beyond a cylinder full or two in the .357, 41 & .44 Magnums. But I've found the current crop of S&W factory rubber grips on a 5" 629 & a 6" M-57 comfortable even with full house loads. On a M-60 .357 J-frame, I like Hogue Monogrips, even with pretty stout loads. And lastly, I'll say that when shooting DA with moderate loads (~1100 fps or less), I really like Mikulek's design. In my use, they do absorb the recoil and don't give me a 2nd knuckle rap while really helping with DA control.

On single actions, I much prefer wood over the factory supplied 'cheese graters'....the ones I fashion have some add'l thickness at the top...one commercial maker refers to that type as 'gun-fighter' grips. Additionally mine include a slight palm swell. Too, I prefer the original Colt and Ruger length grips, not the extended variety, this to accommodate my a pinkie under grip technique. I've replaced all of the factory grips on my Ruger SA's with stocks that I've made myself. Initially I experimented with soft pine, then went to harder and more figured wood for regular use.

Referring to single actions, Keith pointed out decades ago, a heavy caliber, single action will curl up when fired, dissipating some of the recoil force and coincidentally allowing the strong side thumb to naturally find the hammer for re-cocking. I'd much rather use a SA with heavy loads than any DA...they're just easier on my hands.

Below are some stocks that I've made up for my Rugers; from the top: a .44 Spl Flat Top, a .22 Single-Six, a 3-screw .41 Mag & the bottom one is an Anniversary .357 Flat Top. The 2nd pic was snapped of my #2 son and his Smith M-66 in a holster that I made up for Christmas 2021. He really prefers those Pachmyr Signatures...fugly but comfortable Best regards & a Merry Christmas to all, Rod

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[westernrover]

I just tried Magna grips for the first time on a 357 L-frame. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the trigger guard would bang my knuckle but had no such issue even with stout magnums. Even more than Magna, I think I prefer the older style grips.
I'm not using the Magna for my EDC yet, but use Altamont Ropers or Hogue with no finger groove. The Ropers are a bit too fat at the base, but I like the narrow tops. The problem with all Hogue is the palm swell is too low for my hand. I have large hands (size L work gloves) with thin fingers and I like to grip high. Finger grooves never work for me because I get one and a half fingers in a groove. Even on the no-finger groove grips, the palm swell is also located lower for people with fatter fingers.



I avoided the Magna and older legacy-style grips because I saw other people wouldn't use them without an adapter (t-grip). Since I tried them, I don't know why. They're great. I always wondered why they made the grip frame that shape if it was so bad that nobody would use them that way. Now it seems to me they knew what they were doing.

 

[P5 Guy]

The Magna S&W grips were too thin and hurt with full power 357s the target grip spreads the recoil out across my palm.

Came with Uncle Mike's rubber grips which were fine but then at a gun show I saw these round to square S&W grips that just look right. Feel good too even with plus P 158s.

 

[Tallball]

As far as grips go, it depends a lot on hand size. IIRC, I have yet to run across a factory grip on a medium-framed revolver that I can fit my pinky onto. Finger grooves almost never work for me because they are made for someone with average-sized hands.

I'm 6'6" and one of my good friends is 5'6". He can't shoot a k-frame with factory grips because they're too large for him to reach the trigger properly.

No wonder new grips seem to be a top choice.

 

[nofendertom]

Rodfac---Nice job on that holster---I too, prefer the Pachmyr Signature grips, although on my Smith N frames (large hands).

 

[BillTell]

When I purchased this gun about 1987, it was in the Blue, with a Nickel cylinder. 7.5" bbl, and factory iron sights. Soon after 9/11, I was promoted in Jan. of '02, and along with a collar bar and paperwork, came a nice raise. I decided I was due a reward. This had always been a really nice shooter, extremely accurate, so I decided to pimp it out. I took it to a local guy, who is a Master Gunsmith.
He stripped it down completely, gave it a satin stainless finish, and added chrome flames extending down and over the muzzle break. (which was great for recoil, but horrible for noise. I now MUST hunt with hearing protection!)
He gave it an action and trigger job, (which now breaks at a whisper of about 2.5 lbs.) took off the sights, and mounted a base. Instead of adding a mount for a lanyard, he "scooped" the bottom of the frame and pinned it, so I could add the lanyard with no protrusions.
The Coup de Grace was engraving my initials within the Maltese Cross in the backstrap.
I then topped it off with an EOTech 512, which has served me well these past 20 years now. I took a few deer with this when it had the iron sights, but it has become my Primary deer hunting weapon over the years for it's accuracy and devastating abilities.
So, after 20 years of service, I have temporarily removed the EOTech, and replaced it with a Vortex. It is a fraction of the weight, and I can see the dot better. As I've aged, even the holosight has become a bit blurred. The "dot" appears as 3 in a corner pattern to me, unless I put on glasses. Which would then blur the target. I prefer to hunt with no glasses.
I still haven't gotten out hunting yet, and I hope I get the chance to before the season's over, but family life is demanding right now.
So the price of the modification was $1200 at the time. I keep the original wood grips, because when I shoot, I keep my pinky tucked under the grip, and the force of the recoil seems to just "roll" the gun back into my palm with very little perceived recoil! I hate changing what works, so...
And that's my BIGGEST modification....

 

[BillTell]

This is it's current iteration...

 

[nofendertom]

I love to see it when an owner builds a purpose built firearm.
I especially like the Maltese Cross (Fire Dept insignia) with initials touch.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have a Colt New Service. When I got it (for $350), it was nicely re-blued, but with the markings blurred. It had a 7 1/2" barrel, a front sight as thick as a razor blade, a rear sight to match, and shot 18 inches high and a foot to the left. After trying all sorts of crazy ideas with no results, I cut the barrel to 5 1/2 inches, put on adjustable sights and replaced the rubber issue grips with a set of Herrett Shooting Master grips.

It now shoots to point of aim and groups about 2" with my cast bullet handloads. I carry it in an El Paso Saddlery pancake holster -- and now and then carry it concealed.

The gunsmith who did the work for me put in his show case, and said everyone who came in tried to buy it

 

[tactikel]

Grips must be comfortable and controllable. I installed magna grips on my S&W 28-2. Pachmayr grips on my Model 19. I applied nail polish to the front sight ramps on both (red or white). On the 28 since it was for plinking, target, hunting I installed a trigger shoe. The improvement in both the single and double action trigger pull was dramatic. Cost $9.

 

[__steve__]

For my S&W X-frame installed a 0.002” shim to remove all existing cylinder end shake, and a stronger cylinder stop spring. Odd upgrades here but improvements nonetheless. Action is tighter, gun is safer and less prone to wear.

 

[PzGren]

On my S&W revolvers the best upgrade ( besides an action job ) is the addition of Nill grips.

 

[RKRCPA]

1) Grips that fit me better, if needed
2) Slight improvement of the trigger, if needed
3) Get rid of the hammer spur if I'm going to carry it

I end up with a lot of ugly Pachmayr grips.

The only thing I would add to the list is sights. I add Bowen Rough Country sights when ever I can.

 

[P89DCSS]

Best upgrade? Buying Rugers and doing trigger jobs. Never need to worry if full-house loads will damage your revolvers again. Never wonder which dash model you have....

 

[Varminterror]

Action work is typically the most fruitful “upgrade” for any revolver I pick up. Neutralize the sear angle, polish and cut to ~20-30thou sear engagement, limit trigger over travel, bush or shim any sloppy fit which allows inconsistencies in travel, reduce trigger springs, increase hammer springs, optimize firing pin protrusion, polish anything moving, ream uniform throats, flex hone chambers, 11degree cut and lapped forcing cone… I like to go through everything inside before I put them to work…

Then I look at upgraded grips (or grip fillers) and sights. I tend to like beefy grips, and don’t so much enjoy tapered shingles on DA revolvers (cough, Redhawks) which make for skinny little grip necks with fat bottoms, ala SA revolvers (and don’t necessarily even love tapers on SA’s, unless they’re specifically meant for me to fire one handed such I need the roll). I do like tritium sights on any defensive pistol or revolver which I own.

 

[eddiememphis]

What’s your best revolver upgrade?

Lots of ammo to practice with.

 

[StrawHat]

Best upgrade? Buying Rugers and doing trigger jobs. Never need to worry if full-house loads will damage your revolvers again....

Interesting, I never knew they were indestructible.




Kevin

 

[Tinman357]

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[Jackrabbit1957]

I shoot a lot of cap and ball revolvers so the best upgrade is getting them properly tuned and set up. I like the tradition and history of the pistols and prefer to leave them looking like traditional revolvers. Most of them are imported from Italy and 98% of them have issues right out of the box. Uberti has the problem with the short arbor on the Colt replicas among other things. Once they are fixed and tuned you have a good solid revolver that will shoot every bit as good as a modern one. This is also a shameless plug for my tuning business.

 

[P89DCSS]

Interesting, I never knew they were indestructible.
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Kevin

Obvious double charge reload. If those were lesser revolvers someone would be hurt. They don't call them "Ruger Only" loads for nothing.

 

[mcb]

Obvious double charge reload. If those were lesser revolvers someone would be hurt. They don't call them "Ruger Only" loads for nothing.

I double charged a S&W and it survived basically unharmed. 9.0gr of Titegroup under a 180gr 40-cal bullet is a bit much if your curious. Extraction is difficult and its hard on the moonclips.

 

[JERRY]

I'm a fairly simple and practical man so I choose 2 upgrades right away.

1. A grip that fits your hand well.
2. An adequately visible front sight.

Since the majority of my revolvers were/are for personal protection I've found that a set of pachmayrs will usually do the grip right, and a big dot tritium front sight does the other. Sometimes a dab of international orange testers paint works too. For my gf crimson trace did both in one.

 

[__steve__]

I assume a double charge would not be a recommended upgrade for magnum?

I did upgrade to extra strong cyl stop springs on both of my S&W mod 500’s and I am happy with the results (or placebo effect). Have to admit if squeezing a normal sized spring in there wasn’t enough, try squishing a 1 in spring in there, holy shißer!

Also installed a 9lb rebound slide spring on my wife’s 642-1. I thought it was was too light after, she says it’s still too stiff lol. Should motivate her to lift weights.