Rubber or wood?

[frankiestoys]

Hi Guys
I just got my new sp 101 , and now im in the market for some new grips
I really like the houge rubber grips, i have them on my GP100 .
But there something to be said for a nice pair of wood grips, lots of style's,
colors a richness to them.
My question is for those who have tried both.
I know that rubber grips take away the sting but just dont look as good as wood! Are the houge wood grips(or others) any good for recoil reduction?
Or do they just look pretty?
Pic's are always welcome,and suggestions are what make these treads.
Im sure this subject has been brought up before so forgive me for asking it again.

 

[S&W-Keeper]

I went through the rubber thing back in the 90's. I have a car load of the things. Get wood.If you use rubber take the grips off and look under them, you will be suprised. I see more and more nice revolvers that have been ruined by moisture under the grips.

 

[rcmodel]

Back in the day, I pretty much proved it to myself that I could shoot higher Bullseye scores with wood grips then with rubber grips.

Soft rubber grips can & do change your sight settings due to the way the gun can move in your hand under recoil when the grips compress.
They make a very consistent grip much more critical for top accuracy.

I keep some Hogue rubber grips around for use on my hunting guns when I don't want the fancy S&W & Hogue wood grips getting scratched up in the brush.
Other then that, they stay in the junk grip box the rest of the time.

rc

 

[jad0110]

I know that rubber grips take away the sting but just dont look as good as wood! Are the houge wood grips(or others) any good for recoil reduction?

Proper fitment to your hand goes a lot further to felt recoil reduction than material. Example: The standard rubber Hogues that come on S&Ws today don't fit my hand correctly. So my 686 is more pleasant to shoot 357 Magnums with the Ahrends wood stocks than the rubber Hogues. Actually, pretty much any wood grip feels great in my hands, as long as there are no finger grooves.

 

[PzGren]

Wooden grips need to fit the hand much better than rubber grips. The surface of the gun that fits the hand has to distribute the recoil and the larger the surface is, the better. If however the are little protrusions that press into the hand, the recoil feels worse.

Wood has the advantage, that it can be easily modified to fit. A further advantage is that the grip can be corrected, for instance in a fast draw.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

If you use rubber take the grips off and look under them, you will be suprised. I see more and more nice revolvers that have been ruined by moisture under the grips

I agree with this, for me I would never put anything other then wood on a non stainless gun, for the stainless ones however I go on a case by case basis depending on what I plsn on using it for.

If its gonna be a range/fun gun and comfort is key I will go with rubber grips, if I plan on using it for ccw I will use wood as it has less traction and is thus less likely to grab ahold of clothing and print.

there are always exceptions though where i will use pachmayr grips.

in the end I advise you just go with what works best for you based on your intended use.

 

[Steve C]

I kind of switch back and forth at times. On revolvers I like the Pachmeyer classic style Presentation grips better than most of the other types or the wood S&W target grips. I love the Colt target type wood grips on Pythons and Troopers and wouldn't swap for rubber on these. I have Pach compac grips on my Detective special. On my semi auto's I've gone back to wood on the 1911's but have Hogues on the P220 Sig and P90 Ruger.

 

[BullRunBear]

I find the rubber vs. wood thing to vary for each gun. I have Crimson Trace grips on the SP101 so wood isn't a factor. As much as I like the look of the original grips on the S&W 29, they felt oversized (and I have big hands) and the checkering was abrasive with full house loads. Smooth rubber Pachmyers solved that. (I should probably try a set of smooth coke bottle style grips on the Model 29.) I never got the accuracy I hoped for with a new model Blackhawk in 45 Colt until I put a larger set of rubber grips on it. The improvement was immediate and substantial. The original grips on my Model 10 felt skimpy. An old set of Pachys took care of that.

But the original grips on the flat top Rugers and the S&W K-22 and K-38 are wonderful and I'll never change them. Ditto for the Uberti Colt 1861 Army cap and ball revolvers which are single action heaven.

However, I'm meticulous about cleaning my guns and that includes under the rubber grips, so rust/moisture hasn't been a problem.

Jeff

 

[evan price]

I have a nice S&W Model 10-8 heavy barrel. It had a worn out set of S&W magnas and looked like crap. I put on a set of Pachmayr combat grips and it fits my hand well.

However, the soul-less rubber grips look less than spectacular. I have lusted over the S&W performance center finger-grooved goncalo alves wood combat grips for years. One day I could no longer control myself so I plunked down my money and ordered a set.

They made that 10-8 look like a million bucks, and I was so proud of the way the gun looked, the way it felt, and smugly took it to the range. The polished wood was gleaming in my holster as I started shooting.

After 200 rounds of .38 target ammo on a hot, humid summer day, I put the Pachmayrs back on and the beautiful grained S&W wood grips are in a box in the back of my safe.
Why?

The beautifully polished wood was so smooth and slippery that when I started to sweat I could no longer control the pistol properly when shooting, I would wind up with my fingers crammed up behind the triggerguard and had to constantly adjust my grip. The idea of sanding that beautifully polished wood to get some traction was considered but then why the heck did I pay for such nice grips to screw them up?

 

[frankiestoys]

evan price

thank you for your reply, these are the kind of post ive been looking for.
pros and cons

 

[gunnutery]

if I plan on using it for ccw I will use wood as it has less traction and is thus less likely to grab ahold of clothing and print.

I can attest to this, and the moisture issue (which has never happened to me until very recently, I had a hard time getting the grip securing post out a few weeks ago due to corrosion (even though I don't remember getting it wet or sweating a lot while carrying). If I could afford the wood grips I'd probably switch.

 

[BCRider]

I've shot my Pachmayr gripped 19 in a hot day and found that they shifted around too much due to the sweat. Mind you I agree that the nicely shiney and slick finished wood grips would be far worse. But maybe a set of oil finished wood grips that still look matt would likely be better on a hot sweaty day. The problem would be that after a few hours of shooting with sweaty hands they'd look like doggy doo until given a good clean with mineral spirits and a new coat of oil. If you don't mind doing so I THINK that wood could be a better alternative.

 

[GRIZ22]

I see more and more nice revolvers that have been ruined by moisture under the grips.

The same thing can happen with wood if you don't take the grips off and clean periodically.

I prefer rubber grips. They may not look as good but I'm concerned with the practical aspects.

 

[Gideon]

Can't belive all the discussion on this one It's straight up and away simple. Wood looks good; rubber shoots and grips better with less felt recoil. Period. The only exception is when one or the other doesn't fit your hand well. Wood is solid so it doesn't aborb vibration (recoil) so it gets passed through to your hand. Wood is slippery unless checkered. Periodically you should remove your grips and clean underneath no matter what grip material you have. Wood will absorb some of that moisture that can build up under a grip but then it holds it there against the metal.

This is a real "no-brainer". Many will say wood dampens recoil for them, it doesn't. It's just that they're comparing a grip that fits their hand one way (better) versus the rubber grips that don't fit as well. If the fit is close the rubber will always feel better.

For carry and the range rubber rules. For show and tell wood gets the drools.

Pick your poison.

Gideon

 

[PzGren]

If wood is only for looks and rubber for shooting, why do the world's top guns use wooden grips???

 

[frankiestoys]

Boy he's got a lot to say!

 

[tasco 74]

one of the first things i got when i bought my smith mod 27 was a houge laminated monogrip withe the finger grooves....... i like the grip feels in my hands........ i are a smaller guy with smaller hands and the target stocks it came with were a little too big to be comfortable....... the ruger mkII i got this summer has a rubber grip i like the way this gun fits my hand but i had a chance to get it out to shoot yet...........


LIFE IS SHORT.....

 

[woad_yurt]

On a Model 10-7 (pencil barrel,) I prefer the S&W original grips. But, on a 64-3, with the heavier bull barrel, Pachmayr Grippers feel best. They're almost the same gun except for the barrel difference. It's all very subjective.

In general, I usually prefer rubber to wood for the feel of the thing but always prefer wood for appearances.*

* Except, of course, for those funky H&R grips from the early fifties. I wouldn't swap out those strangely colored plastic grips for any type of wood. They're just so weird.

 

[frankiestoys]

Bought the Hogue rubber grips and 100 rounds of 357 .Time to go to the range

 

[BCRider]

If wood is only for looks and rubber for shooting, why do the world's top guns use wooden grips???

Probably because they use wood that is finished with just a couple of coats of oil so they are still rough and absorbant like I suggested in my post earlier. The downside being that they'll get really grungy, gooey and sticky nasty pretty quick and need to be cleaned with mineral spirits or perhaps even a degreaser now and then and recoated with a coat of boiled linseed or similar on a regular basis.

There's a very good reason why a lot of old carpenters and serious lumberjacks prefer using raw unfinished or lightly oil finished wood for their hammer and axe handles. That need is mostly gone now thanks to air nailers and crazy powerful chain saws.

 

[PzGren]

I am using stippled and oiled wood, the oil is rubbed in not on. After more than a dozen applications, it is fairly water repellent but still affords a good grip. Sweat will not penetrate it and a light brushing with either Ballistol or dish detergent will clean out any grime. Cleaning has to be also done with other grips, black rubber will not show the dirt but that doesn't mean that it is not there and when mixed with sweat will be detrimental to a good grip.

Rubber flexes and is a very poor choice for a consistent grip, particularly when a fast draw is involved.