Revolver grips

[tahitian.tedgrace]

Hi everyone! Hope that this question will settle a ? in my mind. What are the advantages or disadvantages between the Round butt /Square butt revolverh grips? Given the concealed carry issuse, is the a real differance between the two grips / I feel that both fit my hand but still wonder if I am missing something. I like both. What's your thinking... Thanks

 

[Dfariswheel]

For most people, a rounded butt is easier and more secure to grip then the large trumpet-like square butt grips usually fitted.
These target type grips are often larger at the bottom right where they really need to be smaller.

These days, most makers are getting away from the old type large target grips and are going to more rounded and contoured grips that fit the hand better.

 

[dahermit]

Several(many?), years ago, some of the currently in-vogue revolver experts made the argument that in case of a double-action revolver, the target grips (largest at the bottom, small at the top), were just the logical opposite of what double-action grips should be. They reasoned that the recoil forces are pushing the grips down into the hand, and the grips should actually be small at the bottom and larger at the top.
I experimented with a pair of wooden grips in the late seventies by working them down into the suggested ideal shape and what they had suggested seem to work very well. Then, a few years later, Hogue rubber mono-grips were produced that were of that design and I now have them on all my double-action revolvers. Inasmuch as I shoot my double-actions exclusively in the double-action mode, I find them to be very practical.

 

[tahitian.tedgrace]

Thanks!

dahermit, thanks for the information...I knew that there was someone out there who could give me the information I was loking for! Thanks again for your reply. Ted

 

[10-96]

I don't know if it matters or not, as far as this thread goes, but here's a little tidbit. If you've shopped around for grips, you've probably seen grips with the description "Round To Square". These allow owners of round grip revolvers to change the grip/profile to what a square grip would look and feel like. I don't know the price (I don't recall them being too expensive)- but they're still out there.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I don't know if it matters or not, as far as this thread goes, but here's a little tidbit. If you've shopped around for grips, you've probably seen grips with the description "Round To Square". These allow owners of round grip revolvers to change the grip/profile to what a square grip would look and feel like. I don't know the price (I don't recall them being too expensive)- but they're still out there.

If you can remember where you saw them, I would appreciate a link or a lead. I have a couple of newer double action revolvers that came from the factory with rounded, "modern" grips and I don't like them at all. I would very much like to convert them to the "obsolete" square butt style.

 

[10-96]

Lets see here.. http://ahrendsgripsusa.com/retro.htm

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/829507/smith-and-wesson-conversion-grips-s-and-w-n-frame-round-to-square-butt-fancy-checkered-walnut

http://www.eaglegrips.com/guns/SW-Rosewood-Classic-N-Frame-Rou.html

http://www.handgungrips.com/K__L_Frame_Round_Butt_=_Smith__Wesson/1901/c

That last one has some down in the $50 range, but I coulda swore I ran across some in the $20-$30 range. If I find em, I'll post a link to them.

 

[newfrontier45]

Roundbutts are easier to conceal, that is all. Square butts are still better for shooting. The only reason S&W went to round for all their guns for a time was ease of manufacture because they were selling more concealed carry/defense guns than sporting guns. Not because it was "better". A great many shooters, myself included, consider a roundbutt on anything other than a short barreled carry gun to be an abomination.

 

[10-96]

Roundbutts are easier to conceal, that is all.

Newfrontier, would you mind if I used that quote in a signature line?

 

[Webleymkv]

Round butts conceal more easily because they are less apt to print. While a matter of personal preference, many people consider the more hand-filling square butts to be more comfortable to shoot particularly in guns with fairly heavy recoil. I, myself, don't find a huge difference between the two so long as grips is a good palmswell that allow purchase for all my fingers are used. The trend with many revolver manufacturers, S&W in particular, is towards round butts because they can be made to feel like a square butt with nothing more than a set of conversion grips but a square butt requires modification of the frame to be converted to a round butt configuration. Here are some examples with similar grip styles:

Round butt (S&W M66-2)

Sqare butt (S&W M28-2)

Round butt with round-to-square conversion grips (S&W M21-4)

 

[smee78]

I would go with the round butt gun and then get conversion grips if I wanted a square butt grip, can't do that the other way around.

 

[Webleymkv]

I would go with the round butt gun and then get conversion grips if I wanted a square butt grip, can't do that the other way around.

That sounds good in theory, but in practice the round-to-square conversion grips feel close to a square butt but not quite the same.

 

[spaniel]

In heavy recoiling magnums at least, I find round butts to fit my hand and distribute the recoil better than square butts. YMMV.

 

[Axelwik]

I like the rounded rubber grips with finger grooves for my snubby .38 because it doesn't allow the gun to flip up as much - allowing for faster follow up shots.

But for my single action .44 Magnum I like the "cowboy" style large at the bottom small at the top steel frame/wood grips because it allows the gun to pivot upward, absorbing a lot of the recoil. And since this is a single action it puts the hammer close to my thumb making it easier to cock for the next shot.

Different grips for different applications. I don't carry the 44 concealed, so fast follow up shots are not essential, but for the snubby I do value fast follow up shots.

 

[camsdaddy]

Im guessing its due to the fact I grew up shooting a round butt model 19. I purchased a square butt model 13 and later decided to convert it to a round butt. I like it a lot better because now it just seems to melt into my hand. Of course Im sure Mr Smith and Mr Wesson were both barrel rolling in their graves as I took a grinder to the square butt.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

If you can remember where you saw them, I would appreciate a link or a lead. I have a couple of newer double action revolvers that came from the factory with rounded, "modern" grips and I don't like them at all. I would very much like to convert them to the "obsolete" square butt style.

Google round butt to square butt grips. They are easy to come by. I bought a nice set a gun show for $40 or so.

As far as preference, to me anyway, square butt grips just look "right" to me. Round just butt looks awkward. I also prefer how square butt fits my hand.