A friend compares carrying a gun to wearing ladies’ underwear. It’s comforting, and as good as it looks, it’s not something you’d want to have to explain to a random person on the street. It’s a secret you keep to yourself, but one that could save your life one day (*).
It’s vital to have one that fits the hand just right. Under stress, the weapon needs a sure grip, and one in which the sights line up naturally. The quality of grips is a rarely-mentioned factor in this.
As much as I love Smith & Wesson revolvers, their stock grips have always left something to be desired. The classic Magna grips were far too thin, leaving an empty area in which the weak hand tends to creep up and get lodged behind the trigger guard. That can get uncomfortable fast if you’re shooting Mangum loads.
(One alternative is to use Tyler T grips with them, and though I thought they were ugly in the past, I’m coming around lately.)
The other standard grips were the walnut Target grips. These were a bit on the large side and tend to move about too much in the hand for my taste. Though the newer Pachmayr and Hogues are a better fit, rubber tends to trap moisture underneath, and they catch on clothing quite often. That, and they’re just not very attractive.
Over the years, there have been a number of ingenious folks who’ve come up with more ergonomic wood stocks. Roper and Herrett are two revered names in this area, and over the last couple of decades, Kim Ahrends has been making a reputation for himself.
Every set I’ve owned has been a perfect fit, with no gaps or misaligned seams. They fill the hand better than the old Magna grips, but are slimmer in profile than the Target grips. The shape is comfortable, and the thumbrest is carved in just the right spot so the gun rides high in the hand. They leave the backstrap exposed, so they don’t mitigate recoil much, but recovery is quick given the ergonomics. They’re available with or without finger grooves.
In terms of aesthetics…well, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. He works in a variety of woods and finishes, and he’ll make grips from a blank if you send it to him (I’m seriously considering some made from this). The grain is flawlessly bookmatched.
A beautiful wheelgun demands nice accouterments, but they also have to be practical. Ahrends stocks fill both roles perfectly.
Given his popularity, turnaround times can be a few weeks. I’ve dealt with two online retailers who stock his goods, D&J Gun Repair and Mizzou Mule Guns. D&J is a more modern operation, with an online shopping cart and such, while Mizzou Mule expects you to call and talk like a human being. Dennis is a really nice guy, but set aside a few minutes; he’s a great conversationalist. Both operations ship very quickly.
I take a certain amount of pride in my guns, and although few people outside of work will ever see them, it’s nice to know they look swanky. Just like lace panties.
(*) The story involves a plane crash in Thailand and a frilly corset. The less said about the whole situation, the better. In fact, forget I mentioned it at all.