Smith revolver rubber grip question

[Just1more]

It took my 3rd Smith J frame purchase to realize this new gun has a different grip. (other 2 were purchased earlier this year) The new grip has a Smith & Wesson Logo on it and slightly different design. My other 2 have a generic (possibly Uncle Mikes) rubber grip. I would really like to have the grips with the logo on them (especially if i decide to sell them later on). Smith customer service was useless to my husband when asked if we could swap them (said he would pass info on with no offer of contacting us again! Later, I called sales and he offered me to send mine in and he would swap them rendering my guns useless in the meantime or i could pay upfront and order them then get reimbursed. He said they have been using those grips for 30 years or so but I dont believe this is the first time stamped logos are on their grips. ?? Does anyone have a Smith revolver with their grip stamped with the Smith & Wesson Logo. Just wondering.

Did I just get guns with generics grips on a run maybe when they temporarily ran out of their logo stamped ones?

I may sound petty but i paid the big bucks and would like the name brand grips !!

[imashooter2]

Were the grips Hogue Bantams like this?


If so, S&W bought a custom run with their logo molded in. They will fit any round butt J frame. I don't see them offered on the S&W web site though.

What I do see on the S&W site with logos are these:


and these:


Frankly, I'd stick with the Bantams, logo or not.

[Just1more]

No they were none of those - more of a crosshatch design and noones logo at all. I am guessing they are Uncle Mikes - dont know if that is good or not - i dont like any Uncle mikes other items though. It is the longer grip design which looks like the Uncle Mikes on their website.

[IronButt]

My wife's 642 J Frame, purchased in Aug or Sep of this year, came with grips like the ones pictured in the center. She made me get her pink Hoague replacement grips though. I think that was to discourage me from carrying it.

The Hoague grips have a better feel, but i understand where you're coming from.

[Wiley-X]

30 years? All of my S&W revolvers came with the clunky "target" grips.

[Rule10b5]

No they were none of those - more of a crosshatch design and noones logo at all. I am guessing they are Uncle Mikes - dont know if that is good or not - i dont like any Uncle mikes other items though. It is the longer grip design which looks like the Uncle Mikes on their website.

Kind of a complicated answer. I'm not even sure I have it right. But I can say this, for certain: S&W revolvers have shipped with a ton of different configurations in the past 5-10 years, and not having the logo isn't going to change the value of their gun. S&W probably can't tell you what grips were supposed to have shipped with a given j-frame in that time period.

As I understand it, the rubber grips on S&W j-frames, until a few years ago, were made by Butler Creek/Uncle Mike's grips, and the j-frames shipped with either the short ones (for airweight .38's) or the longer banana ones (for the steel j-frames, like the 640 etc). These are the two piece grips -- one on either side of the frame, with a screw that secures them together. These sound like the ones you have, too. None of the ones I own have the S&W logo, but I think there are some that were made with them awhile back. There was some kind of a situation where BC & UM decided they weren't going to make them anymore. So S&W started using the Hogue Bantam (the one piece grip that doesn't use a screw to secure them to the frame). But at the time, S&W still had a ton of BC/UM grips. The airweights and steel guns were still shipping with BC/UM. The scandium were shipping with the Hogue Bantam rubber grips, which had S&W logos on them. Then some of the Hogue Bantam rubber grips didn't have the logos -- I've seen both. Now they're shipping some of the j-frames with what they call a "synthetic" grip which has the logo.

Basically, the whole thing is a mess, and nobody's going to care about the logo in terms of valuing a gun. Sure, you want the logo, but at the end of the day it isn't going to hurt you, cashwise, if you don't have them. And even S&W doesn't have it's act together on the issue, so you're not going to go anywhere with getting a free set of the logo grips, because the company doesn't always ship all guns with them, even within the same model set. Honestly, if you really want them, keep calling until you get someone who either just wants to help, or is willing to comp you a free set to shut you up. Or just pay the $20 and order them from S&W.

If it makes you feel any better, I own a 640 that shipped with BC/UM banana grips, with no logo. I own a 640PC that shipped with the same grips. My 340PD shipped with Hogue Bantam grips without the logo. And my 442 shipped with UM/BC boot grips without the logo.

I think ALL of the S&W rubber j-frame grips are crap, and have replaced them all with Pachmayr Compac Professional grips. I've tried all the grips on the market, these simply work best for me. http://www.pachmayr.com/compac-pro-grips.php

[Just1more]

Thanks alot!
That helps me realize alot about Smith & Wesson and all their grips! I saw Hogue ones today but they didnt excite me. Mine have a hole on each side - the new ones from S&W dont - only one side and the rubber feels smoother. I would like to see Pachmyers if you like them so much although I have a J frame so not sure if they are small enough for my hand. Will check to see what i can find out.

By the way, Smith & Wesson have not returned 3 messages - yet.....And husband called another person - same crap and rather rude, although he offered them for $20 ea we pay shipping - i think they are $27 on the website. I truly cannot believe that they are giving us such a hard time over a small $value for them. I hope the quality of their guns is not in any relation to the quality of their staff that we have spoken to so far!!

I just hope they arent as snide if I have a real problem with any of my revolvers.......

[Rule10b5]

The Pachmayr Compac Professional grips are pretty small. They cover the front strap, but not the backstrap. The diameter is markedly smaller than the grips on your gun now, and there are no finger grooves/depressions. They extend beyond the bottom of the grip fram by about a quarter of an inch - enough to let me squeeze my pinky onto the with a proper high firing grip. They're far superior to boot grips in that respect, and the rubber is tackier/stickier than stock. Perfect for pocket carry. If you order them, make sure you order the Professional version - the regular Compac version is huge, and too big for pocket carry (they're great for a belt carried j-frame, though)

[Maquis]

I've had my Model 60 for at least 10 years and never checked to see the make of the rubber grips. It's the single handgun I have that, when I bought it (this one was used) I never once thought of changing the grips because it felt and looked so perfect. So I just went and got a screwdriver and pulled them and they are Uncle Mike's...figures since there wasn't any sort of logo on it...

They fit just perfectly though; I don't care for Hogue's rubbers~ordered one for my Redhawk way back when because I was in love with the nice wood grips I got for my MKII Ruger. Their Redhawk rubber was the oddest shaped thing that I just couldn't really make to fit my hand, ended up with Pachmayrs on it.