I am interested in hearing about people's experience with Eagle grips in general
I bought a set of Eagle Secret Service grips for a S&W last year. I made it very clear when I ordered that I wanted them to match, be grainy, and well fit and finished. Take your time and give me something I can be proud of were my exact words to the salesperson. He said they could meet my expectations.
A few weeks later I received the grips. My jaw hit the floor in utter disbelief; they were horrible. They did not fit the frame at all, the checkering borders were uneven and ranged from deeply cut to lightly scratched, the checkering was very poorly executed, not diamond shaped over most of the grips, and the checkering lines extended past the border in many places.
I called Eagle and spoke to the same salesman. After listening to what I had to say, he told me to send them back and they would make me a new set. He was professional and seemed concerned. I took detailed photos of the grips, marked each panel inconspicuously on the underside, and shipped them back.
Three weeks later I received another package from Eagle. I opened it and saw a very familiar looking set of grips, right down to the inconspicuous marks I'd placed on them. They still didn't fit the gun and clearly nothing had been done to them. Eagle simply sat on them and sent the same grips back to me. I wasn't very happy, but hoped it was a simple mixup.
I called Eagle and spoke to the same gentleman. He said he remembered me and was certain the grips were not the ones I had returned. We debated it for a moment and I told him I was willing to accept that someone had tried to pull a fast one, but wouldn't tolerate being lied to. I told him I'd marked the grips and knew I was holding the same set. The debate ceased and he asked how I'd like to proceed. I reiterated that I wanted a set of grips I could be proud of and asked if Eagle was capable of meeting the level of craftsmanship I expected. He ensured me they could, agreed to let me hold the shoddy grips until the new set arrived, and agreed to cover all shipping expenses. I told him to tell the production worker to take his time as I was not in a hurry.
Three weeks later I received another Eagle package. The grips met my expectations (which were actually not very high to begin with considering what I was paying for the grips). The checkering was acceptable and within the borders, the color and grain was very nice, and they fit well with some minor fitting. I sent the shoddy grips back, but had to call them again to get one of the shipping charges refunded.
My thoughts regarding the experience:
-The salesman, possibly the owner, was responsive and courteous to me. Whether he was trying to pull a fast one, I'll never know for sure.
-Quality appears to be hit or miss. They are obviously capable of producing quality grips, but they will clearly ship you junk if you allow them to do so.
-Was I happy? Eventually, but I should have been afforded a discount for the aggravation.
-Would I purchase from them again? I don't know. My situation was unique in that very few companies offered grips for this particular S&W. Of those offered, I didn't like most of them. Eagle SS grips really set this gun off with regard to function and aesthetics.
-Overall value: They are somewhat overpriced. Altamont grips are as nice/nicer and seem to be a better value.
Perhaps I'm just unlucky, but if you decide to purchase Eagle grips, understand that it may take being assertive to get what you want. YMMV
