Making the Bodyguard bearable

[Mastrogiacomo]

I'm saving up for the S&W 649 which I plan to get a Pachmayr for, but I'd also like the 638 for deep carry. I sold my 442 due to the long trigger pull and recoil so what grip can I put on the 638 to make shooting more pleasant?

 

[SouthpawShootr]

First one I would try would be the Hogue Bantam boot grips. Still, it leaves the backstrap open so that may result in some discomfort. Next up would be the regular Hogue rubber grips. Only problem here is that they will substantially increase the size of the revolver and make it that much more difficult to conceal. My preference has always been Uncle Mike's Boot Grips. Bad news is that they are currently out of the grip business, but these shouldn't be hard to pickup on gunbroker or ebay.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I'll check there. This isn't a gun I'm getting right away as I'll be buying the 649 first. Does Pachmayr work well with this gun?

 

[Lord Bodak]

Uncle Mike's is out of the grip business? The Airweights currently come with Uncle Mike's boot grips.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Story I heard was that they had a falling out with Craig Spegel, from whom they licensed the boot grip design. I hope this is nothing permanent, but if you look at their website, they no longer list individual models for different handguns (you apparently can order grips, but they're not listed by gun type - I wonder what they would do if somebody actually placed an order). It's very possible that S&W had stockpile a large quantity of these grips and is still working through their inventory.

Laura,
Which Pachys were you considering? There were 4 different models listed on the Pachmayr homepage. I have the most experience with the Decelerator grips (which came on 2 of my revovlers) and the Compac. Their Compac professional looks pretty promising, though. In all cases, I could do without the Pachmayr logo.

 

[T WARD]

I have been carrying a 649 for about 25 years. I have the little wood grips that Smith once put on all j-frames. They were made to conceal, not to be pleasant to shoot. Practice with light loads. You will never notice the recoil of a hotter load if you have to use it for defense.

Can't help you with the 638. I don't like lightweight j-frames.

 

[jonathon]

Don't shoot .357's..

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

Can't do that with the 638 but I only use the magnum load with 686.

 

[jonathon]

I don't recall the bodyguard kicking to bad with WWB.. but its been a while...

 

[Lord Bodak]

SouthpawShootr:

You're right, no more grips on Uncle Mike's website. I haven't fired my 642 yet (just recently picked it up), but I'm going to try the stock Uncle Mike's boot grips and the Hogue Bantam and see which I like. Like I said, the Airweights still come with the Uncle Mike's, but the scandium Airlites all come with the Hogue Bantams. Anything else (that I know of-- please point me to other possibilities if I'm wrong) makes the gun bigger, and I intend to pocket carry.

 

[Majic]

Unless you plan on cocking the hammer on the M638 for every shot you won't gain anything by switching from the M442. The 2 models weigh about the same which means no significant difference in recoil. If you shoot double action then the trigger reach will be the same as they are both are built on the same frame.

 

[magsnubby]

I used Taurus small frame rubber boot grips on my 642. They're the same lenght as the S&W grips but they cover the back strap. Much more comfortable than the S&W boot grips and they don't really add much bulk. They're only $9 on Tauru's web site.

You'll have to drill a new hole for the grip pin or you can just remove it. I removed the Taurus emblem, ground it smooth, applied JB Weld, sanded it smooth and painted it flat black.

www.taurususa.com/products/rgrips.cfm

 

[BusGunner007]

I believe Hogue makes the J-Frame grip in NYLON, too.
That may help with making it easier to grip without being 'sticky'.


http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?pid=1758&lastcatid=189&step=4

BANTAM:
http://www.hogueinc.com/getgrip/merchant.ihtml?id=198&step=2

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Unfortunately nylon would end up making the recoil worse.

 

[SnWnMe]

What Majic said

+1

 

[Sarge55]

Looked all over for an extra pair of UM Boot Grips (my favorites), and no one has 'em except S&W. You can order them from their website, but they're a little salty.... I believe they want $26.00 a pair plus shipping.

 

[XavierBreath]

Unless I'm mistaken, these are Uncle Mike's. Keep an eye out for them on ebay. Here ya go!

 

[Person of Interest]

The J frame .38 is one of guns that for most people is a carry often and shoot seldom piece. I find the recoil in my Centennial a little uncomfortable with max loads so I tend to plink with my K frame guns for fun. rubber grips can help but can get bulky if concealment is an issue.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Unless I'm mistaken, these are Uncle Mike's. Keep an eye out for them on ebay. Here ya go!

They certainly are UM's. However, these are the larger non-boot style. I remember seeing these on quite a few J-frames while others of the same model were adorned with boot grips. The grips in your picture are the ones that I would recommend for a range gun and certain (OWB/IWB/Off-body/Fannypack) types of carry. These grips would make the gun highly unsuitable for pocket carry unless the owner has very deep, wide pockets. I believe I have a set of these somewhere around (IIRC, my 640 came from the factory wearing these).

 

[chaim]

My preference has always been Uncle Mike's Boot Grips. Bad news is that they are currently out of the grip business

Butler Creek used to have the same style grips as Uncle Mike's. I don't know if they still make the Speigel style grips or not (there is a link to "boot grips" on the website catalogue, but then then when you click it there are no grips), but at least it is another brand name to look for if you are looking used.