J Frame wood grips?

[Bad Ninja]

So my wife ordered a set of grips for my model 60 from Altamont.
A day latet we get an email saying they were out of stock and would take 1 day to 4 weeks to make.
No worries we replied.
We would wait for what we wanted.

To our suprise, 3 days later we get a tracking number.

When the grips arrive, they dont match.
Wife isnt happy..lol

So I call Altamont, and explain the situation.
They quickly send out another set, along with a shipping label so I dont have to pay to return the mismatched grips.

Nice.
Except the new grips are flawed as well.
:facepalm:
I'm done with them.
Nice people, but horrible business practices.

Where can I find a decent set of grips for a J frame that doesnt cost $100 and will actually look at the product before they ship it?

 

[Bad Ninja]

What's the THR opinion on Ahrends grips?

 

[burrhead]

Seems like most people here think Altamonts are great but to me they look like cheap plastic stocks. I somewhat reluctantly ordered a set a year or so ago, thinking they may look better in person than they appear in pictures. Not only do they look fake to these old eyes but where not even close to fitting my 686. Returned them and ponied up another $20 for some used real walnut S&W service stocks. Did a quick refinish and couldn't be happier.

The Ahrends look very nice but no personal experience.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Seems like most people here think Altamonts are great but to me they look like cheap plastic stocks. I somewhat reluctantly ordered a set a year or so ago, thinking they may look better in person than they appear in pictures. Not only do they look fake to these old eyes but where not even close to fitting my 686. Returned them and ponied up another $20 for some used real walnut S&W service stocks. Did a quick refinish and couldn't be happier.

The Ahrends look very nice but no personal experience.

Honestly, i may end up just making a set myself.

The Altamonts fit okay considering they didn't have the gun.
If they matched and weren't damaged (under the finish, so they actually finished a chipped grip!) I would have kept them.
I'm not a pickey guy at that price, but come on.
Im also a player for about 6 sets of grips in the next few months.
They lost a good customer over poor QC.

 

[bannockburn]

Bad Ninja

Very pleased with my grips from Ahrends. First rate quality in terms of overall fit and finish.

As far as grips go for my J frames I use the factory stocks and a Tyler T-Grip adapter with the Model 649 and the factory boot grips with the Model 638. Sometimes I will put on a pair of Rogers Combat Grips on the guns as they're great for the range but tend to ride a little high for concealed carry.

 

[Bad Ninja]

I really like the looks of the T grips but have never had a chance to use them.
I have averaged sized mits, and dont shoot magnums or heavy loads all day at the range.

How are they on the hands?

 

[bannockburn]

Bad Ninja

Well I have small hands so the smaller the grip the more comfortable it feels to me. The Tyler T-Grip does a great job of filling in the gap between the bottom of the frame and the trigger guard without adding a lot of bulk or weight to the gun.

 

[lincen]

Have bought three sets of grips from Altamont and was very pleased with the look and fit of all three. BUT on closer inspection the last set had totally unfinished spot about 1/8" in diameter just above the S&W logo. Sent them a picture and they sent me a return mailing label. We'll see what comes back.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Have bought three sets of grips from Altamont and was very pleased with the look and fit of all three. BUT on closer inspection the last set had totally unfinished spot about 1/8" in diameter just above the S&W logo. Sent them a picture and they sent me a return mailing label. We'll see what comes back.

I had high hopes. I had read alot of good reviews.
They seemed like nice people, very professional on the phone, they just dropped the ball twice.
After I called and asked them to please just LOOK at the grips before sending they still sent a damaged replacement set. Im not that picky, but I would like to actually get a set of grips that somewhat match.
I was more disappointed than anything else.

 

[lincen]

I totally agree, rather disappointing ! All of the grips I've ordered are unique to Altamont so there was no other option at least for me. My 1911 officer grips are the rave of the range when seen. Really hope that I'm not let down on this set of J frame grips.

 

[Bad Ninja]

After speaking with Doug in the service dept, he is sending a third set.

Ill probably be ordering some Ahrends this week and scouting ebay for some classic panels and a Tgrip.

Its getting harder to find a business that takes pride in their work.

 

[steven58]

Ahrends grips are my favorite aftermarket revolver grips for K, L and N frames. I have small hands and the finger groove model feels perfect for me. The fit and finish is also very good. There were no defects in the 4 sets I have purchased to date.

 

[gotboostvr]

I like Altamont, but Arhends are a whole nother class comparatively.

I'm a huge Arhends fan!

 

[gotboostvr]

Now that I have a bit more time, I'll elaborate.

I really do like Altamonts. I've had about 6-7 sets of them, and only had an issue with one and they took very good care of me. They're very good for the price and have some nice options. I recommend them to most people looking into dabbling with aftermarket grips as the price is pretty easy to swallow.

My one issue was with a set of bonded ivory Magna's on my old M29. A chunk pulled out of the inside of the grip, taking the threaded part with it. I sent them a picture and explanation and they responded with a tracking # for my replacements and a note explaining that happens occasionally with the bonded ivory within 24 hours. They didn't even want the originals.

I've got a set of Altamonts on my M64 that I really like currently.

But Arhends are the next step up so to speak as far as I'm concerned. They're actually wood, not a laminate like the Altamonts. I think the actual grip shapes are more ergonomic, they have multiple similar models to fit most people's hands.
They're a little more expensive, and there's no options for medallions but you can pick which exact set you want so you can even have the type of grain pattern you want. I waited awhile to find just the right set for my 629 Tactical finger groves in zebra wood.

These combats on my 625 are excellent as well