Ruger SP101 - Hogue Monogrip

[Fred Defender]

I've seen comments on other boards, as well as in comments on Amazon, regarding the fit of Hogue Monogrip on the Ruger SP101. Some people rave and some others have indicated that they've had problems with proper fit. I'm in the latter group.

I bought a set for my wife's SP101. I was excited to receive the Hogues because the SP was hard on her hand with the stock grip. But the darned thing just doesn't fit right. There is a sizable gap (at least 1/8") behind the trigger guard. It is possible to rotate it so that that gap closes up but it opens up at the top of the backstrap below the hammer.

I've called Hogue and e-mailed them photos but have gotten zero response. Pretty p***-poor support if you ask me. I guess I'll just write it off as a $16 lesson learned.

I've e-mailed Pachmayr and asked them for installation instructions for their grips. I wanted to see how they install before I purchase. No response from them either. What IS it with grip manufacturers???

 

[Jim NE]

I can't remember if the Hogues on my recently sold SP101 fit like that or not. I do know that I wouldn't let that sort of thing bother me IF the grips stayed tightly fixed in place during shooting. When you say you can "rotate" it, do you mean even after the screw is tightened up? If so, that's no good.

I seem to remember that they made both a rubber AND a vinyl version of the grip. That may be a factor. Mine were rubber. Which do you have? TO be honest, I didn't like the hogues anyway, but mine did stay firmly in place while shooting.

 

[Fred Defender]

I can't remember if the Hogues on my recently sold SP101 fit like that or not. I do know that I wouldn't let that sort of thing bother me IF the grips stayed tightly fixed in place during shooting. When you say you can "rotate" it, do you mean even after the screw is tightened up? If so, that's no good.

I seem to remember that they made both a rubber AND a vinyl version of the grip. That may be a factor. Mine were rubber. Which do you have? TO be honest, I didn't like the hogues anyway, but mine did stay firmly in place while shooting.

Hi Jim & thanks. Ours are the rubber grips. Hogue tells you in the instructions not to overtighten the screw. But it seems to me that no amount of tightening improves the fit. I can't say for certain that the improper fit would be a problem. But neither can I say that it would NOT. I'm just not happy with it. If they weren't labeled specifically FOR the SP101, I would be a little more forgiving, I think.

The lack of responsiveness ticks me off as much as anything. I phoned them when I first encountered the problem. The lady I spoke to was very nice so my first impression was positive. But I e-mailed detailed photos on Monday. Four days later, not a word from Hogue.

 

[strambo]

It's rubber, why not just dremel away where it is making contact and custom fit it? I have had to do this with Magpul AR grips and I also cut and shaped off a section of a rubber hogue grip on my wife's revolver to get more clearance for speedloaders.

 

[Fred Defender]

It's rubber, why not just dremel away where it is making contact and custom fit it? I have had to do this with Magpul AR grips and I also cut and shaped off a section of a rubber hogue grip on my wife's revolver to get more clearance for speedloaders.

I guess I could - if I wanted to go out and buy a Dremel (it's certainly something that I should have anyway).

But what really ticks me off is the fact that this thing is labeled specifically for the SP101. I shouldn't HAVE to Dremel it to get it to fit right!

 

[CraigC]

Firstly, off the shelf grips aren't going to fit perfectly. That's just a fact of life. If you want a perfect fit, you'll have to send your revolver to a professional custom gripmaker. The gap you show in the picture is common on the Hogue monogrip. Hogue makes a decent quality grip but they must make them to fit every gun possible and they may fall anywhere in a 100yr production spectrum. There is so much variation between individual guns for an off the shelf grip to fit any of them perfectly. Hogue's are terribly shaped anyway but the grip stud of the SP/GP/SRH line of Ruger revolvers allows them to make them extra crappy. There's too much of a hump and a palm swell for comfortable shooting. I honestly don't know how they stay in business.

Secondly, this may be the 21st century but customer service is still in the 20th. Most companies will have better response over the phone than by email.

 

[19-3Ben]

I had Hogue Monogrips on my SP101 and they fit perfectly on mine, but seeing your pic, I have to say I don't know that it would bother me if there was a gap like that on mine.

I'd just shoot the snot out of it. Aside from anything else, if a 1/8" gap on a cheap set of grips is really enough to bother you, in the grand scheme of things you life a pretty great life!

 

[Fred Defender]

Perhaps I AM being hyper-critical. Thanks to all for your feedback.

I'll just throw them in the trash and move on.

That being said, in my opinion, tolerating shoddy quality merely encourages companies to continue providing c**p product. Again, JMHO.

 

[beag_nut]

I had Hogue Monogrips on my SP101 and they fit perfectly on mine!

I have to agree; my Hogue grip fit my SP just fine. However, I'd be the "squeaky wheel that gets the grease" if I got what the OP got. Hogue isn't perfect; nobody is. But they should correct their mistake.

 

[Drail]

If there are any gaps then you either have been sold the wrong grip or it is not installed properly. I have an SP 101 with Hogue grips and they fit perfectly. Many times grips are sold to people and customers have been opening packages and replaced them in the wrong package. I sold and installed these grips for many guns for years and used to see this all the time. After every gun show we set up at I would have to spend time getting all of the grips back into the correct package. There should be a molded in model number inside the grip - check and see if it matches the package or your gun model. Don't go by the number on the package. Looking at your photo I would have to say that THAT small gap is normal and does not affect how the grip functions. If the grips are rocking on the frame and the screw is "snug", NOT cranked as tight as you can get it, they should fit and not slip around. Back the screw out and shove the grips as high up onto the frame as it will go and then just snug the screw down. Overtightening the screw distorts the grip. Hogue uses a completely different attachment method than Pachmayr or the OEM grips. Over tightening the screw will pull them down away from the grip frame. "Dremeling" the grip is not going to fix it.

 

[CraigC]

That being said, in my opinion, tolerating shoddy quality merely encourages companies to continue providing c**p product. Again, JMHO.

You're not listening. It's not shoddy quality, it's the reality of mass producing aftermarket grips for firearms that exhibit variations from sample to sample, era to era. What Hogue has to do is to make them to fit EVERY sample without modification. Sure, they could make them fit 'some' guns better but then there'd be problems with others. If you're expecting perfection out of a $16 rubber grip, then you are expecting too much. You can get perfection but not off the shelf for less than $20. Roy Fishpaw is no longer accepting new customers so if you want perfection, you'll have to get on Herrett's waiting list and send your SP to them about a year along with a check for ~$350.

 

[Hometeached1]

Sorry to hear about your problem the ones on my Mom's SP fit just fine, so maybe it was just a fluke.

If you are going to just throw them away send them to me I'll even pay for shipping!

 

[Ironman615]

I've had good luck with Hogue grips on Rugers. Of course both of the grips I've purchased have been exotic wood, but they do fit perfectly. I bought a set for an old Taurus revolver, and they fit very poorly. I managed to modify them to fit better, but I'm not completely satisfied. My conclusion is that sometimes Hogue is dead on, and sometimes they're not even close. I'm not sure what the answer is, other than going with custom made grips.

 

[Kernel]

The Hogues on my SP101 snug up perfect in that area. I'd recommend taking them off completely, then reinstalling making sure the stirrup irides down in centered the channel inside the grip. Then tightening the the screw up firm. After that, if they still gap, and it bugs you, give them away to the guy who said he'd pay the shipping. On mine, if the screw isn't firmed-up they'll gap like that.

 

[Fred Defender]

If you're expecting perfection out of a $16 rubber grip, then you are expecting too much.

Maybe I am. I'm not asking for "perfection"; just a reasonably good fit. And that's why they're going into the trash.

You're not listening.

And, yes...I am "listening". But that being said, I'm not going to get into a p***ing match with you.

 

[Fred Defender]

The Hogues on my SP101 snug up perfect in that area. I'd recommend taking them off completely, then reinstalling making sure the stirrup irides down in centered the channel inside the grip. Then tightening the the screw up firm. After that, if they still gap, and it bugs you, give them away to the guy who said he'd pay the shipping. On mine, if the screw isn't firmed-up they'll gap like that.

Thanks, kernel!

I've had them on and off three or four times now. I'm done with them.

 

[hardluk1]

Guess you get to find what you like . Guess you can try wood?

 

[CraigC]

I'm not going to get into a p***ing match with you.

If you think I'm trying to start a pissing match then I cannot help you at all. :banghead:

 

[Jim NE]

Ruger should just design a better grip from the factory for that gun. The original grip is so ill designed that 90% of SP101 owners change the grip out, usually to Hogue.

And for all of the praise for the Hogue when installed on the SP101, I didn't like it. I always had to shift my hand down a quarter inch from optimum trigger access position for my hand to fit into the grip properly...and that made the trigger a little too far away. I was always fiddling around and shifting my hand when shooting that gun.

To be honest, I'm one of the few people who wasn't that crazy about the SP101 in the first place. Mine wasn't as accurate as my Smith or Rossi snubbies, though I suspect that my grip woes were a contributing factor. It was mostly just the gun - I've had occasional accuracy issues with Ruger revolvers. I guess I'm just being Mr. Negative, today. I'd still like to get an old Speed Six, though.

 

[19-3Ben]

And for all of the praise for the Hogue when installed on the SP101, I didn't like it.

Not that it matters a whole lot, since it sounds like you already got rid of the gun, but I know a lot of people absolutely rave about the Trausch grips.

The mono grip happened to work wonderfully to me and made the gun point as naturally as a finger. But had it not worked, Trausch was next on my list.

 

[silicosys4]

Anybody who says the Hogue grips shouldn't be expected to fit right is blowing smoke.
but then again, I actually have an SP101 with the hogue rubber monogrip that fit correctly, and some people just love to make a big deal about their custom grips.
I'd have sent them back for a refund.

 

[Hometeached1]

Not that it matters a whole lot, since it sounds like you already got rid of the gun, but I know a lot of people absolutely rave about the Trausch grips.

The mono grip happened to work wonderfully to me and made the gun point as naturally as a finger. But had it not worked, Trausch was next on my list.

Those look nice. I'll have to file that away for later. Thanks for posting them.

 

[Jim NE]

Not that it matters a whole lot, since it sounds like you already got rid of the gun, but I know a lot of people absolutely rave about the Trausch grips.

The mono grip happened to work wonderfully to me and made the gun point as naturally as a finger. But had it not worked, Trausch was next on my list.

Thanks for the tip. I certainly like how they look better than the Hogues. Yes, I did sell the gun, but for future reference, I'll keep it in mind.

 

[wproct]

Don't know where you purchased your grips from? If it was from a gun store that had several of them in stock, I would return the ones that don't fit to your satisfaction and exchange them for another of the same grip. I have had Hogue grips fit the revolver frame a little differently from one example to the other. If you like the feel of the Hogue grip, just not the way these fit up to the trigger guard, it would be worth a try.

I'm also surprised that you aren't getting satisfactory response from Hogue. I've been a Hogue fan for years. Some folks say they are ugly, and some say that they just don't fit their hand, but IMO, they do make a quality product for the money. I sure hope you are able to exchange these for another pair of Hogues to see if they will work for you. Best of luck to you.

 

[Catpop]

I would carry back to store and show them the problem. If they have another set, try them IN THE STORE. Then you'll know if its the gun or the grip. Bought on internet, good luck, they are into sales, NOT SERVICE! Good Luck, Catpop