Hogue vs Pachmayr SP101

S

SonOfScubaDiver

New member
So....the first thing I did when I bought my SP101 was to get the Hogue grips for it. Those factory grips on the 101 aren't very comfortable. I like the Hogue grips well enough, but after watching some videos of Pachmayr's Diamond Pro grips, I ordered a set today. They appear to be a bit thicker at the top of the backstrap, and I'm hoping that makes it easier to shoot 357. If you've tried both brands with an SP101, what's your opinion of which set you think is better? Thanks.
 
I'm a Hogue fan but it boils down to personal preference. I recently replaced a set of pachmayr with a set of Hogue, they just fit my hands better

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I have never liked Pachiderm grips from the first time I met them. It was 38 years ago and a friend wanted me to try his new Blackhawk in .44 Mag. That rubber was on my hands when I handed the gun back after the first shot. Looked like someone peeled out in a car on the palm of my hand.

Do they have other material besides rubber?
 
I like the looks of the new g10 pachys.

I always end up going back to the stock grips. They just work for me. I don’t shoot.357 through the gun much anymore. Have bigger more comfy guns for that.
 
I thought about trying some wood grips for it, but I didn't think they would help much with shooting 357.

And yeah, I'd like to just get a bigger gun to shoot 357. I've been looking at the 686, but now that I know it's about the same size as a GP100 I might go that route. I wish I had more money than guns on mah wish list!
 
Not your Ruger, but...After reading a post here on TFL about the Pachmayr's Diamond Pro grips on a Taurus Judge PD Poly I bought a set. They were a great improvement in feel and fit in my hand. Just made the gun feel right. My biggest complaint about the SP 101 is it just does not feel right to me. If those Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips do the same for a SP 101 that they rid for my PD Poly it could encourage me to get one of those Ruger snubbies.
 
Likewise I stick with the factory grips for a balance between what works best for me and concealability.
I did purchase a set of the Pachmayr Diamond Pro, and do own a set of the Hogue that came on my 3" .327 version.

I've never cared for the Hogue grips much because they suck when it comes to concealing as they're so much longer.
The rubber compound also is rather clingy on clothing in my experience.
They do seem to fit my actual grip fairly well, but are a little thin through the palm for my liking.

The Pachmayr Diamonds are dandy little grips for feel and definitely fill my palm well.
The rubber compound is not terribly clingy on clothing either like the Hogues.
They are not a great deal larger than the factory grips, but enough larger that I prefer the factory grips when worn in a Kangaroo under a button up collared shirt like I do.

It is a balancing act and I always go back to the factory grips... well at least Altamont's version of them which are the same, simply textured.
 
I have had my SP101 since the early 2000s and, in the last year, arthritis has proved to make the 2.25 inch SP101 a tad painful.

I went with the Pachmayr and it works just fine.
 
For some reason I have trouble with S&W round butt gun grips. What I've learned is what works for one person will not always work for another.

On a model 66 the factory Uncle Mikes Boot grips hurt my hand shooting .38 Spl. It always tore up my hand between the thumb and index finger. I tried a set of Hogues and they worked fine.

A model 29 MG was the same way, original rubber grips hurt. Hogue was better but still hurt. I went to S&W presentation grips and it cured the problem.

I have a dislike for rubber grips because of the problems on the above 2 guns. However, when I purchased a 625 MG the standard grips were fine, and they were the same grips as the 29 MG. Why? Doesn't make sense but you have to find something comfortable.
 
Grips are totally subjective. What works for one any be horrible for someone else. Personally, I feel wood is for storing in your safe and losing money on when you sell the gun and rubber is for working guns. Rubber is also cheap enough so you can try different options and still not go broke. The vast majority of my non lasered snubbies wear Hogues.
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I like everything about the Hogues except they put too much filler behind the trigger guard. The gun sit too far up in my hand making the muzzle flip worse for me.
 
The Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip arrived today. I installed it, and immediately liked it better than the Hogue grip. It fits my hand better and has more cushion at the top of the backstrap, which is where my hand has been hurting when I shoot 357. I probly won't be able to make a trip to the range until Saturday, but my initial impression is that I'm going to like this grip quite a bit.
 
I've been practicing some dry firing with snap caps, and I'm liking this grip more and more. It really does fit my hand much better than the Hogue grip. The sights line up much more naturally when I point it than they did with the Hogue grip too. I can't wait to get this to the range on Saturday and see what the difference is when I actually shoot it.
 
So, I went to the range today and shot my SP101 with the Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip. For the first time since buying the 101, I actually enjoyed shooting 357. Yay! I almost couldn't believe the difference. No discomfort or pain whatsoever. I know Hogue has a good reputation, but the Pachmayr grips are much better, in my opinion.
 
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