Comfy Grips for an SP101?

[DMK]

Just picked up a new SP101 snubbie in .357 (Really cool little wheelgun BTW. Now I see what all the love for these is about!).

I plan on carrying this one OWB for the winter since I already have a J-frame for pocket carry and a couple semi-autos for IWB.

So, that in mind, what's the best grips to tame the recoil of .357? I'm looking for maximum comfort with hot loads.

I'm thinking Rubber Hogues... or is there something better?

 

[DouglasW]

Yep, rubber hogues.

My 3 1/16" SP101 was the first handgun I ever bought...and it would be the last one I ever sell. Congratulations on your purchase -- I expect you'll be quite happy with it.

I'm thinking Rubber Hogues... or is there something better?

I find the rubber Hogues 100% more comfortable than the stock grips, especially with .357:



please excuse the dirty revolver, I snapped the pic right as I returned from a range trip.

 

[larryw]

I find the Hogue wood grips to be more comfortable than the rubber ones on my 3" SP101 with hot loads. They also draw better from IWB.

But the rubber ones are also very nice, and a lot less money.

 

[19-3Ben]

My every day carry gun is an SP101 with Hogue rubber grips. I find that the grips really help tame it when I shoot with magnums. I'm very happy with them. They do cling to clothing a little bit but they do conceal nicely.

 

[DMK]

Congratulations on your purchase -- I expect you'll be quite happy with it.

I am very happy with it. It's this model: right here.

I bought it on my lunch break today, sort of an impulse buy, although I have been looking for a .357 smaller than my N frame for a while. I had to make the tough decision in the shop between this or a Birdshead Vaquero. I heard so much about the SP101 and figured it was a lot more practical than the SA gun. If the Vaquero's still there next month, I'll interpret that as a sign from the range gods and buy it too.

So, after going back to work a while, I couldn't take it anymore and snuck out early to go home and put a couple boxes of .38 through it. I'm very happy with how it shoots, very accurate and it just feels as tough as nails. I don't know why I didn't buy one sooner.

 

[ronto]

Trausch Grips

A lot of owners (including me) on the Ruger forum use them and find them the best in maintaining a good no-slip grip with hot 357 loads.

http://www.trausch.com

 

[98 Joes]

I can recommend the Hogue grips also. I can shoot .357 all day with these comfy grips.

 

[DMK]

Although those Trausch grips look cool, I'm going with the Hogues. I just checked Brownells, and not only do I get them dirt cheap with my C&R discount, but I also had them throw in a Mepro Tritium sight blade.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[VA27]

New grips on a new gun? One of the many things that attracted me to the Ruger was the fact that the factory grips fit me and wouldn't need changing. I find the grips on the SP to be a 'just right' compromise between concealability and comfort while shooting heavy (158gr GD and 180gr CastCore) loads. I would never think of changing the grips on my 101 unless I wore them out.

 

[Gideon]

I ended up putting on Pachmyr presentation grips. They look good and really do tame a lot of the recoil. Makes shooting .38's mild and the hot .357's more than tolerable. I like these better than the hogues because I think they conceal just a bit better.
God Bless
Gideon

 

[Unisaw]

Gideon, aren't those Compac grips? I put a set on mine after years of using the Hogues and never took them off. They are great and they do conceal better.

 

[GaryP]

I have small hands but I find the stock Ruger grips on my SP101 work as well as any to tame recoil. The max load I have tried is the old Georgia Arms
.357 Mag round at 1475 fps. I have added a set of Lett Zebra Wood inserts for looks. My .357 Mag SP101 is a 2.25" with a Magna-Ported barrel which has a noticeable effect on perceived recoil.

 

[Rexster]

The important thing with the SP101 is to hold it properly, HIGH on the grip, with the web of the hand right at the top of the rubber portion. The majority of the guys who try my SP101s hold them too low. That causes greatly increased muzzle flip. I like the factory grips just fine, and shoot some quite heavy loads without pain, including such things as the Federal Castcore 180-grain hunting loads. The finger grooves on Hogue grips I have tried with other weapons are a bad fit for me; I have not tried them on an SP101.

 

[Legionnaire]

The important thing with the SP101 is to hold it properly.

Ditto. I have large hands, and find the factory grips quite comfortable ... and I like their diminuative size. Holding high on the grip is the key.

 

[larryw]

The Mepro sight blade was a big improvement for my SP101 too; that big dot is so fast to pick up.

Just make sure to take your time when drilling the drift-pin hole.

I inserted the sight into the slot, used a clamp and wood blocks to hold it tight and a drill bit in a pin vise to drill by hand (very soft iron). Note the orientation of the drift pin's chamfer when you tap it back in; make sure it matches the barrel shroud profile.

 

[camacho]

I would go with the Hogues!

 

[bulltaco]

Trausch Grips

I got em on my SP 101 and they really cancel out recoil on the HD 357 loads!

 

[DMK]

I inserted the sight into the slot, used a clamp and wood blocks to hold it tight and a drill bit in a pin vise to drill by hand (very soft iron). Note the orientation of the drift pin's chamfer when you tap it back in; make sure it matches the barrel shroud profile.

Thanks for the front sight advice Larry. I have one of those pin drill things somewhere. I'll dig it out and try it before trying the Dremel. (just kidding)

 

[chris in va]

I also have the Hogue grips. They're very ergonomic for my large hands. One thing though, they're pretty long for CC work as they stick out pretty far.

 

[PzGren]

I find that the Hogue rubber grips on my SP101 fit me much better than the Hogue rubbers on my other revolver but it really depends on the size of the individual hand.

 

[DouglasW]

I also have the Hogue grips. They're very ergonomic for my large hands. One thing though, they're pretty long for CC work as they stick out pretty far.

That's a good point, Chris. My SP101 is a 3" model that gets carried IWB and the Hogue grips aren't a bother at all -- It's still smaller than the GP100s or 686s that some guys carry concealed. If you were considering pocket carry (I'd much prefer a J-frame over the relatively bulky 2" SP101 for that duty), the length of the Hogue grips might cause you grief. Maybe you can find a kindly shop that'll let you try 'em out and see.

 

[Gideon]

My grips are the "compac" size by Pachmyr; also question for you guys who've had be eagle secret service grips and badger grips, where the eagle secret service grips smaller than the Badgers? I tried the badger grips on my SP101 but found them just a bit too large and the finger groove spacing off just a hair for my small hands. The Eagle secret service grips look smaller, are then? If any of you have had both I'd really like to hear from you.

For comfort of shooting I love the Pachmyr but for looks and for carrying I'd love to have some wood grips.

God Bless

 

[Jomax]

The Ruger's OE grips are actually pretty good, even with full .357 loads. But, the slightly longer Hogue rubber grip makes shooting .357 full loads virtually effortless. Just a tad more difficult to conceal because of the extra length.

 

[PzGren]

For me the Hogue's are not just more comfortable to shoot, I like the way the gun is indexing much better and faster for me.

A longer grip also gives you a bigger margin of error when you have to reach for your gun in a hurry.

 

[TonyB]

the Houges are great when shooting the gun,but are a little harder to conceal.Some find they are a little "sticky"..I used to carry an SP,and I kept the stock one on most of the time,but if I was going to the range for a long session,I'd use the rubber Houges.
I also got some wooden houges that looked awesome and dressed up the gun when I went to sell it(a mistake BTW).