Smith 442 grips

Which grips do you prefer?

  • Wood Grips

    Votes: 11 26.2%

  • Hogue

    Votes: 12 28.6%

  • Stock

    Votes: 13 31.0%

  • Other ( please feel free to explain)

    Votes: 6 14.3%
  • Total voters
    42
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Not open for further replies.
M

MilesR

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2019
Messages
72
Recently bought a new no lock smith 442 and love it. Now trying to decide between looks( wood grips) or comfort ( hogue). I was curious what all the j frame owners are using.
 
I voted other. My 642-2 wears CTC laser boot grips. I like the original boot grips but these are a bit more comfortable and of course, laser.
 
I love wood grips as much as anybody, but on a j frame bigger than a 32long I default to recoil control more than looks. One crossover between looks and function is the pachmayr g10 boot grips. The lamination on the grips has a wood grain type appearance but also does a decent job of controlling recoil. I have a pair here somewhere and I can’t find them. I want to put them on something. But I think they ended up in the attic.
 
Pachmayr has a couple of good choices for the S&W J-frame.

Among other aspects, I like the way they install on the J-frames better than the Hogue's. But, admittedly, you don't remove/install the grips very often.
 
I'd ordered some fancy Altamonts for my 442 below, but found that when shooting spicier plus-Ps, the factory rubber grips just worked better for me as I am not a recoil junkie. Now I see VZ has some cool looking offerings for J-frames, but I think I'll just stick with the softer rubber grips.

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Like the factory boot grips as well as the factory wood grips along with a Tyler T-Grip adapter. Used the Rogers Combat grips for awhile and they were comfortable but a bit too long for a J frame. Have a Hogue MonoGrip on my wife's Model 34 but that also would be too big for me for concealed carry. Tried a Pachmayr Gripper grip but again big and bulky. Cut it down to make this abbreviated version and it takes awhile to get use to the shape and grip angle.
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Thanks everyone for the feedback. Its definitely very helpful. Im not opposed to a grip that's alittle longer then the stock one and trying to keep cost between $20-50 if possible so the wife doesn't murder my ass.
 
I ended up going with Pachmayr Compacs. Still pretty happy with those.

Has just the right blend of compromise for my needs.
 
mcb said:
View attachment 913973
Ergo Delta grip. Butt ugly but it really tames the the hot +P rounds.
Click to expand...

Interesting grip. I just tried one out and it did tame recoil. Kind of sent it back toward the plam of the hand rather than a muzzle flip. Not sure I like it for drawing. I do like the Standard OEM grip with grip tape. I guess I will just have to get another 642 so I can have one of each.
 
My favorite is the factory magna grip and a grip adaptor (Tyler's T-grip, BK adaptors, Pachmyer etc...)

The Altamont magna panels are thinner and more rounded. They'd probably be better for as deeply concealed as possible. The old school factory panels are wider and more square in the back which helps spread the recoil on the palm a little. Plus the wood dosen't drag and grab on the inside of a pocket like rubber does, a little less abrasive on your skin if you carry IWB too.
 
Last edited:
I was able to goto a few gun shops and try different grips. Ended up getting the Pachmayr grips. Definitely feel an improvement for my hand. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
 
Pachmayr Compac Professional. It's:
1) small and smooth enough to pocket
2) as textured and cushy as possible given 1)
 
Gordon said:
and what I use, although really not that much better than what it came with,
Click to expand...
The OE S&W grips will delaminate apart into a revolting sticky mess in a glove box over a summer. . . which is why I started shopping. They were great until them.
 
edwardware said:
The OE S&W grips will delaminate apart into a revolting sticky mess in a glove box over a summer. . . which is why I started shopping. They were great until them.
Click to expand...
wow ! I did replace them with Pachmayr Professional Compacts a few years ago. The 442 stays in a holster with speed loader and a pox of +p ammo in the truck vault hidden below console with a .40 CZ Compact in a shoulder rig with 2 extra 10 round mags and a box of ammo. . Surefire flashlight , survival knife and $$$ . :) and extra keys (it is combo safe) .
 
Gordon said:
The 442 stays in a holster with speed loader and a pox of +p ammo in the truck vault. . .
Click to expand...
You live in Oregon, I live in South Carolina. All sorts of stuff dies of sunburn and humidity here. . . but on the bright side our cars don't rust!
 
Looks like you already made a choice, but I go with wood grips for my 442. Not for looks, but when I pocket carry the rubber grips are too "grabby" and tend to stick in my pocket. The wood grips however slide right out.
 
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