How would this change affect the shooting experience?

[Pond James Pond]

I have a .38Spl snub. It has a smallish grip, making it easier to conceal.

However, the grip itself is only moderately comfortable and 158gr loads, whilst no .44, are felt in the palm. The fact that the grips are wooden don't help matters.

The other day I was thinking (simply because I had a renewed urge to make something) if changing the shape of the grip would make it more comfortable and possibly easier to conceal.

I wondered if I could make the grip slimmer but "longer", front to back.

If the existing grips are an inch squared and sit symmetrically on the grip frame, how might my shooting experience change if I made new grips that were about .75" wide, stayed the same distance from the trigger guard (so the front edge wouldn't move closer to the guard), but the rear edge were pushed back by about .25"?

I went from the original, Hogue grips on my Ruger RH, with the exposed backstrap and opted for "slimmer but longer" Butler Creek grips and they have been a great addition to the .44, and I wonder if the same would work for my snub.

I don't know much about the science of grip design and how the shape changes the shooter's feel of the gun so it may be that this shape would make shooting harder.
I don't know, but I hope some of you do.

 

[JawjaBoy]

I have seen grips made like you describe made from both wood and rubber. The original grips were the same size as the grip frame, but the new grips actually covered up the metal on the backstrap. How well it would work on your gun will most likely be determined by the size of the grip frame and the size of your hand.

I have a S&W 37 and the grip frame is very small. I have given thought to doing exactly what you suggest as it is not the most comfortable gun to shoot. The thickness of the grips is not a problem, but I would like them to be a bit larger, both front to back and top to bottom. I may try to carve out a pair that cover the back and bottom of the grip frame and see how they feel.

 

[buck460XVR]

IMHO, handgun grips are made for three different purposes.

1.) Comfort. Generally the largest and generally made of rubber for high recoiling firearms.

2.) Conceal-ability. Generally the smallest and generally the most painful to shoot with.

3.) Aesthetics. Can be wood, Ivory, MOP, generally not rubber. May or may not be all that pleasing to shoot depending on how they fit the hand.

In the last section, I made mention of how the grips fit the hand. This is important for shooting comfort regardless of what material the grip is made of and also may affect accuracy. Hands, like handgun grips have vast differences in shape and size. This is why what works great for one person, don't work worth a damn for someone else. Sometimes it's the gun or grip angle, and not just the grip itself. I never liked the way Ruger S.A.s fit my hand nor did I like the way they recoil in my hand. Same goes for Glocks in general.

Is there a science to handgun grips? I dunno. Most of those that advertise comfort claim the use of some advanced technology with the synthetic material they are made from. The grips on my X-Frames and 629s are supposedly made from a duo-density material and cover the backstrap. Whether it's the compound or the extra material on the palm of my hand that helps, I dunno, but they do work. They both are more pleasant to shoot at the range than my J-Frame CWC snubbie, and I have tried many different grips on it. Shooting it is like riding a hard-tail motorcycle. You always know you're in for a rough ride.

 

[oldcabin]

I second the long slim grip.

I personally have large hands and long fingers. Not necessarily muscle strong or chunky, I'm just 6'5" so for me the wider grips or for that matter wider guns didn't seems to help as much as the grip length. 2 or 3 fingers didn't matter, the longer distance from trigger guard to the rear of the grip made the firearm feel more secured.( I'm sure someone will correct me with the right word for this measured distance. ) Strangely the long, thin grip seems to produce a more accurate result. Most aftermarket products seem to pitch big all around like sleeves and wraps or just thick rubber grips.

 

[jimbob86]

One problem I found with rubber grips is that a shirt or jacket will climb them .... not an issue with a range gun, but a serious problem for a CCW piece.