The SP-101 is (in my opinion) one of the best concealed carry revolvers ever made. It’s pretty much perfect just the way it is. The three most common modifications to the 101 are the addition of front night sight, changing the springs and probably the MOST common is changing the grips. There are 4 common types of SP101 grips The stock, the Hogue, the Pachmyr and the Badger or Eagle (secret service) boot grip. There are a few others but they are not as common. For example the Uncle Mikes boot grips and the Crimson Trace laser grips. My aim here is to give a run down of the pro’s and cons of the grips I own. I will also rate the grips in 4 categories.
Concealability - How well do the grips conceal? Are they “grabby”?
Comfort - How do the grips feel in hand while firing full house .357 loads
Control - How much control do the grips afford the user while firing the 101
Aesthetics - How do the grips look?
I will use a simple 1-10 rating scale with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best.
First up lets start with the Original
The stock SP-101 grips are good grips without a doubt. As far as I am concerned they set the baseline for all the others. You could buy a 101 and never change the grips and I don’t think you would be missing much. They have the nice added bonus of being able to change out the side panels for various looks and feels (well, looks more then feel). There are quite a few people out there on the Internet making custom grip inserts.
![]()
Concealability - 7 -
Comfort - 8-
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 7 -
Hogue Mono Grip
Hogue Monogrip Grips Ruger SP101 Rubber Black - MidwayUSA
If I was going to open carry a 101 I would probably choose the mono grip. It affords the best control and comfort of any of the grips. They are however EXTREMELY “grabby” meaning that clothing has a tendeny to stick to them. I do not recommend these for a concealed carry SP-101 as not only will your shirt stick to them the added length can make printing a issue. If control and comfort are your primary concerns the Mono Grip might be the way to go.
![]()
Concealability - 6 -
Comfort - 10-
Control - 10 -
Aesthetics - 6 -
Pachmayr Compac Grip
Pachmayr Compac Grips Ruger SP101 Rubber Black - MidwayUSA
I apologize, I do not have a picture of my 101 wearing these as I gave them to a friend a few months ago. I did however test them out. These are good grips. All categories are good. They are less grabby then the Hogues but also a tab bit less comfy and not quite as easy to control as they are made of of a less spongy material. Personally I think they are a bit ugly. On a side note some people (not myself) have reported that they have issues with the way they fit. Maybe a bad batch made it out of the the factory. They are a bit more concealable then the stock 101 grips because they are slightly more rounded. Other then that I don’t consider them to really excel in anything.
![]()
Concealability - 8 -
Comfort - 8 -
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 6 -
Badger Boot Grip / Eagle Secret Service Grip
Ruger Pistol Grips
Ruger SP101 Secret Service Grips - Eagle Grips Inc.
I grouped these together as they are the same basic design. First let me say these are the prettiest grips I have even seen! I know I know... Looks don’t matter on a defensive gun... That may be true but it doesn’t change the fact they are pretty! They are also highly concealable. The steeper grip angle + the slick material + the very rounded design make these the most concealable grip out there. On the downside the same material slickness that contributes to their great concealibility also detracts from controllability because with very dry hands the gun is a bit more difficult to grip. On the other hand though these grips gain a point in controlablity because the steeper grip angle automatically places your hand very high on the grip and close to the bore axis of the gun. Anyone that shoots revolvers will generally tell you this is good as it funnels the recoil back instead of up (muzzle flip). Also, hard wood is not very comfortable for extended range sessions with .357 however it’s fine for .38’s. Keep in mind that if you purchase these grips you need to let them know to shave them down for speed loaders or else they won’t work.
![]()
Concealability - 10 -
Comfort - 6-
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 10 -
Uncle Mikes Boot Grip
<No longer Produced>
It sucks these aren’t made anymore because they are pretty nice grips! The smaller form factor makes them conceal well. The material they are made out of makes them comfortable to shoot and offers good control. If you can find a set of these used they are worth picking up. They are nothing special to look at but aren’t unpleasing to the eye either. All in all I would say they are the 2nd best grip for the SP101. If something ever happens to my Badger's I will put these on as a replacement.
![]()
Concealability - 8 -
Comfort - 8 -
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 8 -
I have not tried either of the crimson trace laser grip available for the SP101 so I can not comment on them other then saying I am not a huge fan of lasers. While I am by no means a expert on 101 grips or the 101 I would by happy to try to answer any questions anyone has about the subject.
Concealability - How well do the grips conceal? Are they “grabby”?
Comfort - How do the grips feel in hand while firing full house .357 loads
Control - How much control do the grips afford the user while firing the 101
Aesthetics - How do the grips look?
I will use a simple 1-10 rating scale with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best.
First up lets start with the Original
The stock SP-101 grips are good grips without a doubt. As far as I am concerned they set the baseline for all the others. You could buy a 101 and never change the grips and I don’t think you would be missing much. They have the nice added bonus of being able to change out the side panels for various looks and feels (well, looks more then feel). There are quite a few people out there on the Internet making custom grip inserts.
Concealability - 7 -
Comfort - 8-
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 7 -
Hogue Mono Grip
Hogue Monogrip Grips Ruger SP101 Rubber Black - MidwayUSA
If I was going to open carry a 101 I would probably choose the mono grip. It affords the best control and comfort of any of the grips. They are however EXTREMELY “grabby” meaning that clothing has a tendeny to stick to them. I do not recommend these for a concealed carry SP-101 as not only will your shirt stick to them the added length can make printing a issue. If control and comfort are your primary concerns the Mono Grip might be the way to go.
Concealability - 6 -
Comfort - 10-
Control - 10 -
Aesthetics - 6 -
Pachmayr Compac Grip
Pachmayr Compac Grips Ruger SP101 Rubber Black - MidwayUSA
I apologize, I do not have a picture of my 101 wearing these as I gave them to a friend a few months ago. I did however test them out. These are good grips. All categories are good. They are less grabby then the Hogues but also a tab bit less comfy and not quite as easy to control as they are made of of a less spongy material. Personally I think they are a bit ugly. On a side note some people (not myself) have reported that they have issues with the way they fit. Maybe a bad batch made it out of the the factory. They are a bit more concealable then the stock 101 grips because they are slightly more rounded. Other then that I don’t consider them to really excel in anything.
Concealability - 8 -
Comfort - 8 -
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 6 -
Badger Boot Grip / Eagle Secret Service Grip
Ruger Pistol Grips
Ruger SP101 Secret Service Grips - Eagle Grips Inc.
I grouped these together as they are the same basic design. First let me say these are the prettiest grips I have even seen! I know I know... Looks don’t matter on a defensive gun... That may be true but it doesn’t change the fact they are pretty! They are also highly concealable. The steeper grip angle + the slick material + the very rounded design make these the most concealable grip out there. On the downside the same material slickness that contributes to their great concealibility also detracts from controllability because with very dry hands the gun is a bit more difficult to grip. On the other hand though these grips gain a point in controlablity because the steeper grip angle automatically places your hand very high on the grip and close to the bore axis of the gun. Anyone that shoots revolvers will generally tell you this is good as it funnels the recoil back instead of up (muzzle flip). Also, hard wood is not very comfortable for extended range sessions with .357 however it’s fine for .38’s. Keep in mind that if you purchase these grips you need to let them know to shave them down for speed loaders or else they won’t work.
Concealability - 10 -
Comfort - 6-
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 10 -
Uncle Mikes Boot Grip
<No longer Produced>
It sucks these aren’t made anymore because they are pretty nice grips! The smaller form factor makes them conceal well. The material they are made out of makes them comfortable to shoot and offers good control. If you can find a set of these used they are worth picking up. They are nothing special to look at but aren’t unpleasing to the eye either. All in all I would say they are the 2nd best grip for the SP101. If something ever happens to my Badger's I will put these on as a replacement.
Concealability - 8 -
Comfort - 8 -
Control - 8 -
Aesthetics - 8 -
I have not tried either of the crimson trace laser grip available for the SP101 so I can not comment on them other then saying I am not a huge fan of lasers. While I am by no means a expert on 101 grips or the 101 I would by happy to try to answer any questions anyone has about the subject.
