[Mojammn]

I just got a 642 as a gift. I shot 200 rounds yesterday, first time using it. I'm looking for any suggestions y'all might have on, replacing the grips to cushion that recoil. My inner thumb is extremely sore, in fact the last 5 rounds had actually split that area open. (I'm a petite woman.) For such a small one, it sure does pack a punch. But, I love this gun.
Any suggestions out there??

 

[sgb]

I prefer these Hogue G10 Pirahna grips on mine, they give a solid purchase and manage recoil well.

 

[bobandmikako]

The best all-around grips for a J frame to me are the older Uncle Mike's rubber boot grips. They are a hair thicker than the current factory boot grips, have a slightly grippier texture and are really heavy duty. I think they're better for recoil than the new factory rubber grips (which I also like). You can find Uncle Mike's rubber boot grips for sale on gun forums and EBay from time to time.

 

[pogo2]

Wood boot grips

I have a S&W 642 and carry it frequently because it is very lightweight, reliable, and easily concealed. I figure that 5 rounds of .38 hollowpoint should get me out of most situations. I use contoured wood boot grips as shown below on the gun because they fit my hand and don't hang up on clothing or add to the bulk of the gun. I will admit that the gun has a sharp recoil and stings my hand. When I practice with it I only shoot about 20 rounds total, alternating with larger guns to give my hand a rest. I practice point shooting at very close range, just glancing at the minimal sights as I bring the gun up. I figure that is the most likely mode of use.

I think if I ever had to use the gun in defense the slight hand discomfort would be the least of my problems and probably not even noticeable.

 

[forester58]

The stock grips are the best grips you will ever find for the intended purpose of the firearm. Bigger and/or softer grips ruin it for pocket carry. The 200 rounds is your problem. Instead of quantity of practice concentrate on frequent quality of practice and carry the gun as intended or buy a larger belt carry revolver.
2 or 3 cylinders of realistic practice (drawing, firing at speed one handed, etc) once a week will do more for your skill than throwing 4 boxes away downrange.

 

[Haywood]

I put Hogue Tamers and Pachmayr Compacts on mine. I like the Hogue’s best but both work. I just put 200 rounds through the 442 with Pachmayr’s this week. They both still fit my pants pockets. I left stock Uncle Mikes Grips on my 37 in case I really need small. I like the stock grips better for carry but not for shooting a lot. I only shoot my Snub guns these days so I have been keeping the shooting grips on.

 

[viney266]

I find that almost any good concealable grip isn't the best for shooting. That being said, I find these from Handgun grips worked well for me. They give a better grip than stock and are still totally concealable. Yeah, they still suck after 100 rounds. I shoot real pussycat loads for long term practice with my J frames.


https://www.handgungrips.com/all-pr...roducts?f[0]=field_catalog:2128&f[1]=field_catalog:2138&f[2]=field_catalog:2139

View attachment 285708

 

[lee n. field]

---delete, thread necromancy---

 

[Instymp]

I liked eagle secret security grips.
Wood comes out faster for me.

 

[OlCop]

I use Pachmayr Compacs.

 

[Holmes375]

I'm one of those heretics who doesn't believe rubber grips really do all that much to reduce felt recoil. While comfort may not be high on the list in the event of a required counterattack, I do want the ability to place follow up shots accurately.

I like having a covered back strap, suits large hands. Filling the hand a little bit more allows me to gain a good strong gorilla grip on the little 5 shooter.

To get the grips I wanted I started with a set of Altamont Bateleur grips:

I re-shaped them to this:

They are not much larger than the supplied boot grips:

The extra grip over the back strap, especially up at the web of the hand area, makes a huge difference in shooting efficacy for me. The is underscored when shooting one handed and with hot loads. The gun conceals for me just as well as with the factory grips but draws better and shoots better.

The re-shaping process is not hard from a technical standpoint, just takes some time and patience. Happy to answer questions about the task if interested. Both my Js wear these grips and we'd have it no other way

 

[Libertywheel]

Kept my stock grips. I felt that worked well, plus they had the cool wood inlays.