Best recoil-absorbing grips for 686?

U

Unregistered

Regular
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
South Ontario
I want to really soak up the recoil of .357 full house loads in a 686, really take the sting out. The backstrap especially is always pushing into my hand. What would you recommend for dealing with recoil if that is the only concern? It could be wood or synthetic grips, huge or small, I just want the best. I'm using pachmayr grippers right now and they are okay for .38s and some .357 but I think I could use something better for the fast 125 and 158 grain loads.
 
Just make sure you try, and do like the Hogue's before you buy them. I bought them, very expensively for what they are I might add, just because everybody else was using them. I installed them on my 686 just to find out I didn't like them at all. I even liked the target wood grips the revolver came with way better, and so did my wife. The problem for me is that the part of the grip where the middle finger wraps around it is so small; it just had no gripping power on the revolver. And after 1/2 to 1 hour of shooting, my hand would hurt from the straining middle finger trying to get a grip.

I ended up buying a set of Pachmayr's gripper grips. They are made of noticeably harder rubber than the Hogue's, but I can now get a decent grip on my 686 and my hand never hurts. Maybe you can try the decelerator model; they're supposed to be softer than the regular grippers.

I do shoot mostly .38 SPCL in it, though. Firing lots of full power .357 Mag will still make my hand hurt with any of the 3 grips, after a while of shooting.
 
I have Hogue rubber finger groove grips on 4 of my handguns. I swear by them. Also have a set of Pachmayr's on my .22 Ruger. Pachmayer uses a "harder" rubber compared to Hogue.
 
"...huge or small, I just want the best..." No grip is any good if they make the revolver too big or too small for your hand. There is no "best' grip", except the grip that fits your hand.
"...Pachmayer uses a "harder" rubber compared to Hogue..." It's more the steel mesh 'frame' in Pachmayr's than the rubber. They are harder than Hogues though.
 
I changed out all the Hogue grips that came with my S&W revolvers with Pachmayr Gripper Professionals (the ones with the open backstrap). I find them more comfortable and fit my hand better than the Hogues. The other posters are correct in saying that they are harder than the Hogues. FWIW, have you checked out the Pachmayr Decelerators? They're supposed to be made of a softer rubber compound than their 'regular' grips.
 
misfire said:
I changed out all the Hogue grips that came with my S&W revolvers with Pachmayr Gripper Professionals (the ones with the open backstrap). I find them more comfortable and fit my hand better than the Hogues. The other posters are correct in saying that they are harder than the Hogues. FWIW, have you checked out the Pachmayr Decelerators? They're supposed to be made of a softer rubber compound than their 'regular' grips.
Click to expand...

The Pachy Decelerators are as big, if not bigger, than the wooden Magna grip.
 
Pachmayr's

misfire said:
I changed out all the Hogue grips that came with my S&W revolvers with Pachmayr Gripper Professionals (the ones with the open backstrap). I find them more comfortable and fit my hand better than the Hogues. The other posters are correct in saying that they are harder than the Hogues. FWIW, have you checked out the Pachmayr Decelerators? They're supposed to be made of a softer rubber compound than their 'regular' grips.
Click to expand...

+1 for Pachmayr grips.... Nothing wrong with Hogues mind you, it's just a personal preference. ;)

2007-02-26_100747_SWrevs44.jpg
 
I used to own a 686 with a 2 1/2" barrel; that thing really snapped with hot magnum loads.

I put a Hogue grip on it and noticed a big improvement.
 
Unregistered said:
I want to really soak up the recoil of .357 full house loads in a 686, really take the sting out. The backstrap especially is always pushing into my hand. What would you recommend for dealing with recoil if that is the only concern? It could be wood or synthetic grips, huge or small, I just want the best. I'm using pachmayr grippers right now and they are okay for .38s and some .357 but I think I could use something better for the fast 125 and 158 grain loads.
Click to expand...

With this stock rubber grip recoil is very tame with full house .357 factory loads.

IMGP3107.jpg
 
Pachs vs Hogues...

Just picked up a used nice condition S&W 586 6" with patridge sites that came with a soft Hogue monogrip, as in the above pic, installed. I changed them out for a spare set of Pachmayr grippers that I had on hand. Guess the Hogues will go in the 'spares' box.

Anybody know what the Hogue monogrip for the K/L frame S&W squarebutt cost new?
 
Last edited:
Unregistered said:
I want to really soak up the recoil of .357 full house loads in a 686, really take the sting out. The backstrap especially is always pushing into my hand. What would you recommend for dealing with recoil if that is the only concern? It could be wood or synthetic grips, huge or small, I just want the best. I'm using pachmayr grippers right now and they are okay for .38s and some .357 but I think I could use something better for the fast 125 and 158 grain loads.
Click to expand...

That's not a real gun - get a 44.
 
BC Mike said:
With this stock rubber grip recoil is very tame with full house .357 factory loads.

IMGP3107.jpg
Click to expand...


Got the same grips on my 686. I don't find the recoil one bit of a issue with full house 357 mag, in fact I find it very satisfying to shoot; I find 38 special loads a tad boring.
 
Last edited:
Like BC Mike and Bronco Boy, I have to say that I never even considered the recoil of .357 mag to be an issue in my 5" 686 w/stock Hogue rubber grips. In fact, I found it took me a lot longer to get used to shooting .40 S&W out of my P229 than .357 mag out of the 686. .38 special was a joke.

I think there's a reason S&W revolvers come with Hogue from the factory :D
 
sogetthis said:
Like BC Mike and Bronco Boy, I have to say that I never even considered the recoil of .357 mag to be an issue in my 5" 686 w/stock Hogue rubber grips. In fact, I found it took me a lot longer to get used to shooting .40 S&W out of my P229 than .357 mag out of the 686. .38 special was a joke.

I think there's a reason S&W revolvers come with Hogue from the factory :D
Click to expand...

Well said, you guys are good man:D

Trigun
 
As Sunray said, get a grip that fits you properly. Try several if you can

I'm not familiar with Grippers but if they have an open backstrap, you may want to try a set that covers it. Helps reduce the impact of recoil against the web of your hand.
 
Though I think they are the ugly duckling, I have found that the factory wood presentation grips fit me best. I typically shoot lighter target loads for accuracy, but even with full loads the presentation grips provide me with the best grip and most consistent levels of accuracy. You really have to try each to determine what would work best for you I think.
 
I really don't see what the point being made is, by those clamoring for a bigger gun. I love shooting my .300 Wby with 200gr bullets at 3,000 fps and 180gr bullets at over 3,300 fps without any trouble at all. I also enjoy 3.5" 12 gauge 000 shells out of my REM 870 Super Mag, whereas I've seen people claim too much recoil out of a Win 94 in .30-30 or a .410 shotgun. So what's the point?

I can shoot my Para .45 with 230gr +P loads all day without any complain, but the damn revolver just kicks different in my hand and my mitts don't like it, if it's kicking too much. Not for more than 100 rounds or so, anyways.

But the point is, we’re all different and you need to get the grips that best fit your hands, your style of shooting and your shooting needs. For me, after 3 or 4 hours shooting steel plates, the Hogue grips would make my hand hurt. Not from recoil, but from my middle finger straining to find something to hold onto over such a small diameter. The Grippers are larger at that same point, just behind the trigger guard, and my hand never bothered me once they were on. YMMV

By the way, those who think the .44 Mag is a real man’s gun, you should try a couple of hundred rounds of .454 Casull or .500 S&W, or maybe of .45-70 or .308 Win out of a 10” barreled T/C Encore. Then we’ll talk about what a real man’s gun is :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom