hard material, naturally you won’t get that advantage.
What you will get, regardless of the material choice, is a change in trigger reach. That extra material increases trigger reach, sometimes very noticeably, so that the gun better fits larger hands. If you have large hands or long fingers, a grip with a closed back can make the gun more comfortable and efficient to shoot.
Difference between open and closed backstraps. Notice difference in width (thickness) of grips, which also affects trigger reach.
Open backs are the opposite: the grip panels end flush with the frame, exposing the back-strap. This allows the hand to sit further forward in relation to the trigger, decreasing trigger reach. Shooters with smaller hands and/or shorter fingers will find grips with open backs much easier to manage, particularly if the grip panels are relatively thin.
The downside is that there is no recoil absorption regardless of the grip material, because there is nothing between the hand and the hard metal of the revolver’s frame. As someone famously said, there is no such thing as a free lunch; to get that shorter trigger reach, you’ll have to live with a little more pain.
This can make for a ‘catch-22’ with some shooters. I was recently contacted by a fellow who is the possessor of both small hands and a large gun – in this case, a S&W N-frame in ultra-lightweight Scandium. The recoil of his chosen gun was a serious issue, but the large frame size meant that grips with covered backstraps made the gun too big to shoot in double action. He was hoping that there was a grip which would both tame the recoil and allow him to achieve a proper hold. Sadly, I had to inform him to the contrary. In his case, the best choice of action might have been to get grips that fit his hand properly and have the gun ported to reduce the recoil. (I’ll talk more about porting in another chapter.)
Grip shape
Grip shape can play a big part in how well the gun fits the hands. By judiciously choosing a grip shape, it’s possible to get some improvement in hand fit. By shape, I mean two things. First, the profile of the grip – the shape it takes when looking at it from the side or back – determines how well it fits the natural shape of the hand and has a large bearing on how well the shooter can control and recover from the gun’s recoil. Second, the grip’s cross-section has a big effect on trigger reach and on the perceived comfort of the gun when the recoil impulse hits the hand.
Difference in cross-section: squared versus oval.
In years past the normal profile for revolver grips resembled bell bottom jeans, that is, the grips increased their diameter toward the bottom of the grip. These were said to have ‘flared butts’ or ‘Coke bottle’ shapes. These grips were wider at the bottom than the top, both from the side and the back, which is exactly the opposite of how our hands are shaped! If you take a lump of firm clay and squeeze it in your hand, you’ll probably find that the shape tapers smaller toward the bottom.
An ideal grip, then, should be larger in circumference at the top and smaller at the bottom. The difference doesn’t need to be huge, but it should at the very least not get bigger where the pinky finger contacts.
The cross section of the grip is something that very few people ever consider. In fact, I’ve seen scant mention of this over the years, but it’s one area where the revolver has a huge advantage in hand fit and comfort.
Imagine that you have a grip with the cross section of a brick. Even with radiused edges it still wouldn’t be very comfortable, and it would lead to large areas of lessened contact as the flesh of your hand tried to conform itself to the corners. To make it more comfortable you’d likely start carving it into a much more rounded contour to better mimic the shape of your hands when they’re grasping something. That’s why we consider cross section.
Shooters with larger hands might prefer a grip with a fatter cross section; that is, a grip where the sides had a definite convex contour, making the shape distinctly elliptical. This tends to fill the palm more completely, giving a solid contact with the grip all around its surface.
Those with smaller hands have trouble with that type of shape, because it increases the overall circumference of the grip. Flattening the sides to make the cross section more like a Cassinian oval makes for a smaller circumference, which better fits shorter fingers. The smaller circumference makes it easier to reach the trigger because the trigger finger has a straighter path to its destination.
Note difference in shape, thickness, and depth. Grips are both Pachmayr, both for S&W K-frame, but have radically different fit characteristics.
Grips causing speedloader binding can be fixed through careful grinding using rotary tool. (Take grips off gun before trying this!)
The cross section doesn’t have to be symmetrical, and for smaller hands benefits from some asymmetry. If the front edge of the grip is tapered so that the cross section looks more like an egg (an oval with only one axis of symmetry), the grip circumference is reduced still more. Why not go all the way and taper the back edge too? This is where we have to take in the recoil effects of grip shape.
If the back of the grip were tapered as well, to a smaller radius, it would force the recoil impulse into a smaller area. Since the recoil force is a constant, reducing the area into which it’s channeled results in higher force per square inch. Plainly said, a grip with a narrow back-strap hurts more than one that is wider.
It’s possible for skilled gripmaker to taper the back for wider palm contact, thus spreading out the recoil force, while tapering the front to accommodate the particular hand size. I’ve had such grips made for myself over the years, and they work marvelously.
When suitable grips can’t be found commercially, custom makers can usually produce something suitable. Besides my own particular needs I’ve had grips made for clients with fit issues; most custom grip makers can probably accommodate such requests.
One very important point: whether you’ve got factory or custom grips, if you’re using speed-loaders it’s important that you check for grip clearance. Many grips have left-hand panels that are insufficiently relieved near the top, which causes speedloaders to bind when inserting rounds into the cylinder. You can rectify this situation with careful use of a Dremel-type sanding drum, carefully grinding away grip material and checking for clearance as you go.
(Just one thing: remove the grips before using the Dremel. Aside from the very real possibility of accidentally grinding into your gun’s finish, dust from the process will sneak into the action. Taking the grips off eliminates both problems.)
Trigger width plays a part
Another oft-ignored aspect of gun/hand fit is the trigger itself. I’ve found that the width of the trigger is a big determinant of proper fit. It’s useful to remember that trigger reach is properly measured to the centerline of the trigger, for that is where force must be applied to avoid pushing the gun sideways. The closer to centerline the force can be applied, the easier it will be to shoot with precision. If the point at which the finger is applying force is off center, the gun will naturally want to move in the opposite direction.
It’s more difficult for the slightly short finger to reach the center of the trigger face. This results in force being applied to one side of the trigger, which tends to steer the gun. We’ll talk more about this in the chapter on trigger control, but understand that a trigger which forces your finger off of centerline is going to be more difficult to shoot well, and a wide trigger with short fingers does just that.
Wide ‘target’ triggers were once very popular on revolvers. Smith & Wesson made a wide target trigger standard on many of their guns, and the narrower Colt triggers could have a trigger ‘shoe’ attached