Good start with a Smith 69

I have wanted a compact .44 Mag for a while that carries easy and shoots accurately. I almost held out for the new Ruger GP100 in .44 Spl as a compromise, but living in California it will be some time until it gets approved for sale. I then started looking at the Smith 69. My only other Smith is a beautiful 27-2 5" that is one of my all time favorite revolvers.

So I read up on the Smith and decided to give the new design a go. I was able to shoot about 200 rounds of .44 Spl and .44 Mag this past weekend while shooting with my son and I have to say that I am really impressed. The gun was very accurate during informal shooting and I got several 3" offhand groups at 25 yards. I was able to easily hit an old propane bottle out to 75 yards. So the Hillary Hole, two piece barrel, and MIM parts so far have impressed me. While it is definately different than my 27-2, it is still a great gun thus far. I look forward to putting a couple more hundred rounds through it this upcoming weekend between the rains. The only thing I will change are the grips. I think I will order a set of X Frame grips. My hands are kind of large and I lose contact with the backstrap as I grasp the grips firmly.

To prevent this thread from being worthless, here are some pictures:

 

I confess that this gun has me reconsidering my vow of never owning a internal lock S&W. I have a couple of N-Frames for the full magnum stuff so it will be fed mostly 44 Specials.

 

So strange I was about to start a thread asking
what grips would help me shoot mine without hematoma formation. I get those at the space between first and second metacarpals each range outing. Real buzz kill.

What grips would help this? The revolver is really accurate and easy to carry. Hope to make it a favorite.

 

Nice post, Matt.

I've had my eye on a 629 Classic 5"... meanwhile I get my .44 Mag kicks with a Super Blackhawk.

Wait til you see what the .44 Special faerie has brought to the safe lately... one more is inbound in exactly! 30 days...

 

I put a pair of the S&W 500 grips on mine:

http://store.smith-wesson.com/webap...58003_757843_757837_ProductDisplayErrorView_N

They are a big grip, but that means lots of cushioning.

 

Nothing is more fun than plinking at a propane tank at 75 yards with a .44 Spl. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside every time you smack it. Easy on the hand too.

 

I replaced the S&W grips on my 69 with Hogue grips. The trigger guard was battering my middle finger with the original grips. The Hogue drops my finger below the trigger guard and alleviated the problem.

 

My X frame grips just showed up and they feel much better! They fill the gap between grip and the top of my palm perfectly. I can't shoot for a couple of weeks, but I can't wait to get back out there.