New Grips, New Gun

[Tallball]

I wanted a 3-inch j-frame revolver for a while. Ran across a stainless 3" Taurus Model 85, very clean, $399 plus whatever. Bought it for a retirement gift to myself. Cool range toy, good practice for snubs as I rehab my messed-up hand, might carry it on my belt one day.

I put inappropriate grips on it. All of my carry and practice snubs have rubber boot grips, so I put boot grips on the 3", too. Bad choice. The 3" barrel makes it kind of front-heavy anyway, and the full lug doesn't help with that at all. Add boot grips and you have a poorly balanced revolver indeed.

I found out a few things when I took it to the range: it goes bang every time, it was very poorly balanced, it shoots a couple of inches to the right (two shooters, various ammo), and the trigger is pretty good. Also, boot grips are a poor choice for someone with XXL gloves trying to rehab a messed-up hand.

I looked around for bigger grips. I found some New Old Stock "banana grips" that looked like they would be a much better fit for that particular revolver. They're probably the largest j-frame grips I've seen in person. They were for an older version of the M85, and I had to modify them (poorly), but they're a snug fit and not going anywhere.

The revolver feels totally different now. The balance is very good. It points well naturally. I can get all three fingers on the grip. It's easy to control during dry fire. Looking forward to shooting it on Saturday morning.

What are your favorite grips for small snubs?

Have you every completely changed the feeling of a handgun just by changing the grips?

Do you have pictures of really good grips that some of us might not be familiar with?

Jump on in.


View media item 4567

Taurus Model 85 3 inch Banana Grips

• Tallball
• Aug 25, 2022

 

[Mike in Western Oregon]

The new grips look good Tallball! I have always changed my j-frame revolvers and sp101 to the rubber hogue mono grips for carry use. They are not NEARLY as cool/nice looking as wood, but my old beat-up hands do better with the full grip for me. Congrats on your retirement and have fun shooting your new revolver.

 

[stonebuster]

That's the best looking Taurus I've ever seen and the grips look "right" for it. Is the banana grip a Sile? My 2 3/4" and 3" Ruger Speed Sixes wear Pachmayr Compacs as does my 3" S&W Model 64-5. The wood magna style OE Smith and Ruger used don't work at all for my XL hands. I also like the old Uncle Mikes finger grove grips on my k frame Smiths. The worst was the small magna grips on a S&W Model 28-2 N frame which beat the heck out of my middle finger knuckle on the trigger guard. A Pachmayr rubber target grip made all the difference with the big N frame.

 

[trackskippy]

I like old school. Form and function.

 

[P5 Guy]

The bottom revolver is a 60-4. Originally with Uncle Mike's rubber grips. I found those S&W round to square in a box of assorted grips at a gunshow. For me they handle better than both the UM's and Houge round style.

 

[Tallball]

"That's the best looking Taurus I've ever seen and the grips look 'right' for it. Is the banana grip a Sile?"


TYVM. I hadn't thought about it until I read your comment, but it's definitely the prettiest one I've owned.

Yes. The grips have "Sile" written in the little medallion.

For those of us with very large or small or unusually-shaped hands, aftermarket grips can make an "unshootable" handgun very shootable.

I bought this little 3.5" Heritage 22 with bird's head grips to see how well I liked that grip style. (Was kind of thinking about a similar 38 down the road.) The answer was NO. Bird's head grips on a SA apparently make it difficult for me to hold or point comfortably, and my accuracy was terrible. Bought a plowhandle grip frame and set of grips for it. Problem solved. That thing is a very fun short-barreled 22 plinker for me now. I shot it very well last week.

Heritage Rough Rider 22lr New

• Tallball
• Jul 27, 2021

 

[bannockburn]

With small size hands I try to go with a less bulky grip, especially with S&W J frames.

The factory wood grips along with a Tyler T-Grip Adapter works great for CC adding very little extra weight or bulk to the gun.

Like-wise the factory boot grips are a good size for my hand and are also comfortable to use.

The Rogers Combat Grips somewhat change the handling dynamics of a J frame snubby and found they worked better with a 3" barrel gun.

Same as the Hogue MonoGrip I put on my wife's Model 34 as it makes the gun handle and balance better when used with a longer barrel.

Never really cared much for the added bulk of the Pachmayr Gripper grips on a J frame so I carved and sanded down a set of them to see what it might feel like. Not much to look at but at least they were easier to use than the original full size version.

 

[Pudge]

Ergo Delta grips
They don't improve the looks, but they make me a better shot, and conceal nicely.

 

[doubleh]

Have you every completely changed the feeling of a handgun just by changing the grips?

Yes, I have and on more than one gun.

That Taurus is a nice looking gun with the addition of the banana grips. Even with my ordinary human sized hands I don't believe I would have liked the rubber grips.

 

[Tallball]

My most-carried handgun is my LCR in 38 special. I got it used at the LGS after shooting my friend's 357 version. The 38 is four ounces lighter, and I didn't control it well with the small factory grip. I got the slightly longer Hogue grip that used to be stock on the LCRx. Problem solved. I shoot it very well now. In fact, I found out the hard way that's one of only two handguns I can operate effectively with only my weak hand.

Ruger LCR in 38 special

• Tallball
• Jul 23, 2018

 

[Pat Riot]

I also have XXL hands and love my J frames. Finding the right grip for J frames can be a challenge.

Currently this is how my 3 J frames are configured.

Model 63 with Hogue Monogrip


Model 442 with original factory boot grip - I believe Uncle Mike’s made these under contract.

Model 36-2 with original Service Panels and BK Grip Adapter.


These ended up the way they did because the 442 is my primary CCW. A larger grip is not helpful to me and I have gotten so used to practicing with the boot grip that I am very confident with it.

I tried a Hogue Monogrip on the 36-2 and it helped but the 36 is my backup to the 442. A Monogrip is just too cumbersome for an ankle holster and the rubber catches my pant leg a bit and with a pocket holster the hammer and the larger grip are a problem. Also in an OWB holster the Monogrip tugged my shirt a bit. After trying some diffferent configurations I ended up back at the service panels with the addition of the BK adapter (Tyler Tee Grip type adapter). It works for me for what I want.

The model 63 with the Monogrip shoots very nicely but honestly, I do not care for the Monogrip’s rounded butt to the back of the grip. I wish it were a little more square, but then again, I might find a squarer grip then realize the Monogrip was okay after all…kind of like my testing with the 36-2.

I wish I could remember the other J frame grips I tried. They were no name EBay grips that had issues like crappy checkering and unfinished feel but they are cheap and were in the shapes I wished to try. I just realized when making this post that I loaned them to a coworker in CA to try and forgot to get them back. I am in WV now. He can have them. I have no photos of those grips on my 36.

It’s funny, the Monogrip looks okay on the 63, but on the 36 they looked just plain weird to me. Here is a shot of the 36 with a Monogrip along with my 442.

 

[Mark 40]

Tallball, enjoy your Taurus Model 85, looks and sounds like a winner. A great retirement present for sure.

What are your favorite grips for small snubs?
Have you every completely changed the feeling of a handgun just by changing the grips?
Do you have pictures of really good grips that some of us might not be familiar with?

Have two J-Frames for pocket carry, a model 632 and 43C. Decided to go with these Altamont Falconia boot grips, a hybrid of sorts. I really like rubber grips and these offer the rubber gripping surface with a hard internal skeleton, and machined outside insert panels.

 

[Pat Riot]

Decided to go with these Altamont Falconia boot grips, a hybrid of sorts. I really like rubber grips and these offer the rubber gripping surface with a hard internal skeleton, and machined outside insert panels.

You are the first person I have encountered that has bought these. Do you know how they are size-wise as compared to the factory boot grips S&W installs? Are they wider, skinnier, fatter, etc? Do they cover the bottom of the grip frame?

They look very nice.

 

[Throwbackguy]

I gotta shout out to Altamont for my J frames. Put a Bateleur on my 640, replacing a boot-style. Not so good for concealment (it’s a bigger grip, after all), but not only did it completely change the way it feels in hand… it looks great. (Which translates to: I bring it out more often, and it gets shot by me AND friends much more than before.)

A new lease on life, so to speak, from a pure defensive/pack gun to range fun!

 

[Mark 40]

You are the first person I have encountered that has bought these. Do you know how they are size-wise as compared to the factory boot grips S&W installs? Are they wider, skinnier, fatter, etc? Do they cover the bottom of the grip frame?
They look very nice.

Just measured, the Altamont grips are slightly wider 1.26" vs. 1.14" for the S&W OEM Boot grips. The bottom of the grip is not covered, similar to the OEM boot. See pics attached for more detail.

 

[Pat Riot]

Just measured, the Altamont grips are slightly wider 1.26" vs. 1.14" for the S&W OEM Boot grips. The bottom of the grip is not covered, similar to the OEM boot. See pics attached for more detail.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

I will be getting some of those.

 

[Tallball]

I have two SP101's and they both ended up with Hogue monogrips on them. Like PatRiot, I think that the monogrips are kinda meh (finger grooves and weird rounded bottom), but they're WAY better than the factory grips.

Those Altamont Falconia grips look amazing!

I just have plain old rubber boot grips on my M642 (carry) and 2" M85 (practice). They are fine for me in that my pinky isn't going to be able to do anything with a j-frame pocket carry piece anyway. Making the grip a tiny bit shorter doesn't end up bothering me any, and it makes them easy to carry.

The 3" was never going to be a pocket gun anyway, so the boot grips were senseless. The large banana grips are good for its purposes of range toy and possible belt revolver.

Speaking of Altamont, these fat wooden grips transformed my Beretta 81. Before the grips it was just a fun and accurate and reliable pistol. Now it also balances better, points better, and feels perfect in my hand.

Beretta Model 81 32acp

• Tallball
• Aug 22, 2019

Beretta Model 81 Walnut

• Tallball
• Sep 14, 2019

 

[BigBlue 94]

The best hand-fitting grips i have are the factory rubber ones on my Rossi M720. Literally feel like they were custom molded for my hand. And im not the only one to say this lol

 

[wcwhitey]

Those wood are Siles Grips? (sp?). I had some on a J frame a while ago and they were very comfortable. They did not work well with speedloaders though, speed strips were fine which is what I carry. It’s a nice look, take care of that hand!