One of the most important facets of the revolver is its grip shape and the way that grip melds with the shooter’s hand. During the golden age of the revolver, there were many adept craftsmen who knew exactly how to carve and contour revolver stocks to make grips ergonomically efficient and work with the shooting styles of their time. While those days might be gone, several companies still offer aftermarket revolver grip options that fit the industry’s wide selection of wheel guns.
LOK Grips Carry Veloce Stocks (MSRP: $89.95)
LOK Grips has an extensive catalog of aftermarket grips which caters to a wide selection of firearms. For smaller framed carry revolvers including Smith & Wesson J-frames, the Rossi RP-63, Taurus 856 pattern revolvers and the Kimber KS6, LOK Grip offers the two-piece Carry Veloce stocks. Depending on make and model, these stocks can either accommodate two or three fingers of the shooting hand. Alternatively, they can be had in a full palm swell profile, but this option isn’t available for some carry revolver models. Carry Veloce stocks are manufactured from G10 material in a range of colors. The surface of the grip is convex to help fill the hand and textured with a pattern that isn’t too raspy so as to not rip cover garments.
VZ Grips J-Frame High Horn Grips (MSRP $79)
Most readers of Shooting Illustrated probably recall when Lipseys and Smith & Wesson launched the Ultimate Carry J-frame. The goal was to bring to market a superlative variant of Smith & Wesson’s classic J-frame with improved sights, stocks and even a .32-caliber option. VZ Grips collaborated with Smith & Wesson and Lipsey’s to design the signature stocks included on the Ultimate Carry revolvers, called the VZ Grips S&W J-frame High Horn Grips. High Horn J-frame grips are specifically compatible with “Centennial-style” hammerless J-frame revolvers. The design is remarkable due to how the rear portion of this G10 grip set covers the upper backstrap area of the revolver, allowing for comfortable purchase of the revolver. The extra spacing of these grips also improves the trigger reach of the firing hand for most adult-sized hands.
Hogue Hardwood Revolver Grips (MSRP: Starts At $79.95)
Even though Hogue Grips is probably best known for its Hogue Overmold rubber boot grips, Hogue also offers various hardwood revolver stock sets made from different hardwoods including cocobolo, goncalo alves, kingwood, lamo camo, pau ferro, rosewood, rosewood laminate and walnut. Stock options include pairs with or without checkering and with or without finger grooves. Hogue makes these grips to fit the most popular revolver brands on the market including carry revolvers from Colt, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Taurus.
Pachmayr Gripper Professional (MSRP: $49.98)
The Pachmayr Gripper Professional grips are a variation of Pachmayr’s original Gripper rubber combat grip, now classics from the revolver age. Gripper Professional grips are slightly smaller than the original Grippers and leave an exposed backstrap which reduces the total distance to the trigger for those with smaller hands. Like the original Pachmayr Grippers, the Gripper Professionals are made from a specially formulated recoil absorbing rubber compound and feature moderate diamond-style checkering.
Altamont Grips Wooden Stocks (MSRP: $76 and up)
Like many of the other companies listed in this Round-Up, the Altamont Company offers various hardwood aftermarket revolver grips, many with stylized accents and decorative scrollwork that can be used to dress up any revolver and make it pop in the style of a barbecue gun. The Altamont Company also covers all major brands like Colt, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Taurus.
Due to all the different makes, models and styles of revolvers, it’s best to check a manufacturer’s website to ensure that their stocks and grips fit your specific revolver. This Round-Up is only a survey of some of the available options.
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