Had to Give Up the Hogues. Wanna Know Why?

[Amadeus]

This is the long road to a question about grips. I just purchased a Ruger SP101 and a set of Hogue grips. I got them home and immediately tried putting on the Hogues. Dammit if that little bracket would not line up with the hole at the bottom of the grips. I could not get the screw to connect with the bracket and when it did I couldn't get the thread to catch. Moreover, I broke a sweat trying to get the grips to seat properly on the frame. There was just no fitting them on.

I took them to the shop this morning and two salesmen worked for close to thirty minutes to get the darn grips onto the gun. In the end we gave up. The shop refunded my money and I went back to the stock grips.

Now, I like the stock grips. They're pretty comfortable. But I like something that fills my hand a little more. Finger grooves are nice too. Aside from Pachmayr are there any other options for me?

By the way. I put just under 100 rounds through the sp101 this morning. ME LIKEY!!

Thanks.

 

[steveracer]

I had exactly the same problem!

I ended up drilling a new hole in the bracket to get it to sit farther down off the bottom of the frame, and then I had to fill the gap with epoxy to get it to not bite my hand when fired. $70 for grips and that's what we get? I would have sent them back, but I'm one of those horribly impatient people who want the new cool thing to work RIGHT NOW, and I'd sooner mod something to make it work than wait around for a new set to come and MAYBE work right.
Crappy, but I do love the grips. (Hogue Wood Monogrip with finger groove for Taurus model 94, 22lr blued and 5" barrel. Look really nice, and feel right, finally.)

 

[Amadeus]

Thanks, Steve.

Maybe we should call Hogue and tell them that we need to gripe about their grips.

Now I am sitting here looking for a pair of slip on grips that might work over the stock set.

 

[steveracer]

Forget the slip on type...

I used them, and they rusted my backstrap. I kind of forgot about the sweat and condensation that gets in there, and of course, with them on, you'll be less likely to take off the grip whan cleaning, and there's your rust. I am not one to bitch, so I won't, but feel free to use my name if you like.
Steve.

 

[model 649]

Has anyone contacted Hogue about this? They may well be able to straighten it out. Sounds like a slightly longer bolt might do the trick. I use their grips on my J-frame and N-frame they are truly nice. Try to get through to Hogue, when I have in the past, they have been very responsive.
Josh

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

You'll probably need to call - yet another reason why if it's not broke, don't fix it.

 

[The_Shootist]

Hougue Grips?

When I first got my SP 101 I got some Hogues's for it. Really made shooting (especially .357's) easy during a range session but they made the gun overly bulky (I thought) for CCW.

Went with Pachmayr's on it and have never (after going on 4 years) even remotely considered changing them. They help the SP 101 conceal well and still a joy to shoot at the range.

 

[KevinB]

I had quite a bit of trouble when I first got some Hogues for my SP101. I don't remember how long I worked on it but I finally got them on there. I don't know how, but now I've seem to have aqiured the "trick" to get them on. I can take mine on and off without trouble now. I consider them far easier to remove and replace than any other grip I've owned for this gun. Just unscrew and they pull right off. I remove them for cleaning every other time or so.

-Kevin

 

[Archie]

Revolver grips.

Herrett's. Either "Shooting Stars" or the smooth version of same.

If you can find some in an antique store, Fitz "Gunfighter" grips.

Pachmayer Presentation or Compac grips. (They's rubber, so they ain't much for looks, but they are the only rubber grips worth having.)

 

[Kamicosmos]

I just installed a pair. I wrestled with them for a while, then passed it over to a friend who has a better knack at the 'mechanically inclined' thing. He worked on it for a bit, exclaimed 'Oh!', then snap....they were on. That bracket has to be angled just right, and in just the right place on the gun frame, and then you have to slide (heh) the grips on without moving that bracket.

Not easy, so I hope I like them!!

 

[c_yeager]

They do fit, but they are OBSCENELY difficult to get on properly, particularly if you havent ever done it before. It took be about three hours the first time to get everything lined up perfectly. Its much easier now.

Of course, as soon as i got them on I realized that i A) dont like finger grooved grips nad B) cant carry with "sticky" grips that grap onto my clothes. After trying any number of grips i wound up using the stock ruger examples. They are ugly, and really look like they should be improved, but in the end they are actually very good grips. They are just soft enough to be comfortable, small enough to carry, they arent sticky, really they are pretty dang good.

 

[Ringer]

Had the same problem here. Going on the advice of someone on this board I bought a longer screw. Pushed the grip on as far as I could then was able to thread the longer screw into the bracket and guide the grip on the rest of the way. I did contact Hogue during the process and they graciously sent me a new bracket, but that didn't help. I have a set of their wood grips as well. Those I didn't have any issue with, slipped on and line up nicely.

 

[Amadeus]

"That bracket has to be angled just right, and in just the right place on the gun frame, and then you have to slide (heh) the grips on without moving that bracket."

Easy for YOU to say. You're a better man with more nimble fingers than I have ever met. Two sales clerks and I could not make it happen.

Seems that the Hogues are just a funky design. The stock grips are fine. But with hot loads my hand slips a little.

Ringer says he likes the Hogue wood. Anyone else have a good experience installing them?

I'd go Pachmayr. But their compac grips are just so clunky looking.

 

[Ringer]

Here's my original thread on this.

 

[BlackAgnes]

Hogues

Same problem--wrong stirrup. If you modify the wrong one and use a longer screw, you run the risk of driving the screw right into the butt of the gun, marring it. I e-mailed Hogue and never got an answer. The grips are in my desk drawer now, probably forever.

Tim

 

[Master Blaster]

Hogue wood grips have a groove in them to accomodate the bracket
and the roll pin. You have to start the bracket and pin into the groove and then slide the but of the gun into the grip as per the instructions that come with the grip.

I have a set of butler creek boot grips on my sp-101 and they work great Dont forget the bit fat locator pin though, or they will shift around. Hogue wood grips are on most of my smiths, and on my ruger redhawk.

Once you line up the bracket with the groove its no problem sliding them on, if you dont line it up its impossible to get it on. Hogue grips have a tight fit to the gun butt and thats a good thing. As you take them on and off for cleaning they will get a little easier to remove and replace.

If you ever have a problem call Hogue and they will get you straightened out.

 

[P. Plainsman]

You're not doing anything wrong; Hogues are fiddly. Too bad, because they are otherwise very nice stocks. I recently put a cocobolo stripe-cap Hogue monogrip on my S&W Model 10; it feels great and looks, if I may say so, rather snazzy.

I would choose another grip for concealment purposes, however. I do endorse the Pachmayr Compac grip for the SP101. I don't find it clunky-looking once it's actually on the gun, particularly if you have the 3" SP101.

 

[TonyB]

I have the monogrip and a set of wood Hogues for my sp..they went on real easy for me....now the one for my Speed 6 is another story...it's on,but it doesn't fit snugly.......I did lose the screw for my wood set,and emailed Hogue..thye sent me 3 different screws of different sizes for free.Of course the next day I found my original screw....

 

[chorlton]

I emailed Hogue. Here is their response:
"There is nothing wrong with the SP 101's, every so often when they do the over molding of rubber on those, the little pocket inside the bottom of the grip gets a little rubber shot in there.If you see black in the bottom, take a screw driver and scrape the bottom rubber out, thus that only happens every great once in a while holding the stirup out of the bottom, thus not letting the grip or stirup seat correctly on the frame.I recommend trying the grip on the frame several times prior to putting our mounting attachment on, thus you can narrow down the problem if one does occur, other than that, install and enjoy"

 

[Amadeus]

Interesting. Thanks for posting that Chorlton.

Maybe I will give it another go. I'm gonna wait though. After three people tried two sets of grips on the same gun without success I am feeling a little put off by the Hogues. Not mad at Hogue or anything. Just not willing to try again anytime soon.