Altamont Grips for a S&W Model 60-15 (3” jframe)

[Fezzik]

I have been perusing the selection of grips offered by Altamont (Smith & Wesson J Frame (Small) Round Butt Revolver Grips | Altamont Company)for the aforementioned revolver. At the moment the gun wears the factory rubber grips but I prefer wood. The “Altai” and he “Combat” models are what I am currently leaning towards as they seem to be concealable yet offer a full grip. According to the customer service representative at S&W, Altamont makes the grips for the model 60 pro which I have always liked.
Anyhow, what are your preferences in revolver grips. Smooth? Checkered? What would you put on a 3” jframe?

 

[HEX]

I too am very much someone with a love for nice wood grips on S&Ws.

Somewhere around 2005 or so I got to talking to Jim Badger on the phone and it pretty much set me on a path to having Badger customs on all of my revolvers. Funny thing about that, I later found out that other customers had a similar experience. I'm not sure if it's still the case now, but around that time he liked to deal very directly with customers and if you called the company to talk about anything grip related, minor personalized custom modifications, or whatever really, you could easily find yourself chatting with him about anything and everything.
Even if that weren't the case though, even the stock Badger grips tend to be on the beefy side which works very well for me. That said, they are all very smooth and with sweaty hands they do get quite slippery. All the extra surface area and very deep cut/defined fingergrooves in his designs comes in handy. Very nice for target shooting for me, but I wouldn't use them on something I was going to carry.

Anything with wood grips, be it revolver or semi, that I'd consider using for anything but range target shooting, definitely has to have some texture to it.

Actually, even though I love the look and feel of wood, the only revolver I ever carry (2.5" K-frame) has a set of some kind of Pachmayr rubber grips that they don't seem to sell anymore. I can't remember what they were called, but I haven't seen them around for sale in many years. They're softer rubber than what you see from Pachmayr these days, and they have no finger grooves. The rubber is harder on the sides, but they have a thick layer of very soft rubber padding in the palm-swell that really does feel like it soaks up some recoil from hefty magnum loads.
It's just a matter of practicality over aesthetic preference.

Anyway, I wasn't especially familiar with the Altamont selection. I think it's been nearly ten years since I bought a new revolver or thought to change the grips I already had on one. I only own one J-frame now (Mod 36) and it's kind of more of a collectors piece than a shooter. I've owned others in the past, but J-frames were never my favorites and tended to get sold first when I needed to sell a gun (generally to buy a gun).
Looking at the Altamont site now that you pointed it out though..

.. I think I'm honestly a little bit in love with these two sets. I think by the looks of them they're machine made/cut, but for the comparatively very reasonable price of $60 and $70, I'd be perfectly happy that. Really nice stuff.

 

[Fezzik]

Hex, thanks for the thoughtful post. Now that you mention the Badger grips, I may have to consider those as well.


I was initially considering the two that you posted but backed off because of the possibility of interference with case ejection. I had that problem with a simalar set hat I had on it for a while and that was with 38s! The representative from Altamont told me that they will not block case ejection but there will be less clearance. I do like that they cover the backstrap (one of my original requirements) but I can go either way.

 

[wizrd]

Altamont does make nice stuff - and you can get them with the S & W emblem.

 

[Deplorable Me]

I too am very much someone with a love for nice wood grips on S&Ws.

Somewhere around 2005 or so I got to talking to Jim Badger on the phone and it pretty much set me on a path to having Badger customs on all of my revolvers. Funny thing about that, I later found out that other customers had a similar experience. I'm not sure if it's still the case now, but around that time he liked to deal very directly with customers and if you called the company to talk about anything grip related, minor personalized custom modifications, or whatever really, you could easily find yourself chatting with him about anything and everything.
Even if that weren't the case though, even the stock Badger grips tend to be on the beefy side which works very well for me. That said, they are all very smooth and with sweaty hands they do get quite slippery. All the extra surface area and very deep cut/defined fingergrooves in his designs comes in handy. Very nice for target shooting for me, but I wouldn't use them on something I was going to carry.

Anything with wood grips, be it revolver or semi, that I'd consider using for anything but range target shooting, definitely has to have some texture to it.

Actually, even though I love the look and feel of wood, the only revolver I ever carry (2.5" K-frame) has a set of some kind of Pachmayr rubber grips that they don't seem to sell anymore. I can't remember what they were called, but I haven't seen them around for sale in many years. They're softer rubber than what you see from Pachmayr these days, and they have no finger grooves. The rubber is harder on the sides, but they have a thick layer of very soft rubber padding in the palm-swell that really does feel like it soaks up some recoil from hefty magnum loads.
It's just a matter of practicality over aesthetic preference.

Anyway, I wasn't especially familiar with the Altamont selection. I think it's been nearly ten years since I bought a new revolver or thought to change the grips I already had on one. I only own one J-frame now (Mod 36) and it's kind of more of a collectors piece than a shooter. I've owned others in the past, but J-frames were never my favorites and tended to get sold first when I needed to sell a gun (generally to buy a gun).
Looking at the Altamont site now that you pointed it out though..

.. I think I'm honestly a little bit in love with these two sets. I think by the looks of them they're machine made/cut, but for the comparatively very reasonable price of $60 and $70, I'd be perfectly happy that. Really nice stuff.

Nice looking grips, I like the coarse texture.

 

[Fezzik]

Altamont does make nice stuff - and you can get them with the S & W emblem. View attachment 22201

Those look nice! Model 19, correct?

 

[rpf427]

Just keep in mind that a lot of people carry J frames IWB, so aggressive textures and checkering can be rough against skin.....

 

[Fezzik]

Thanks to all for the helpful replies. As I ponder the grip options, I have been using a spare set of Hogue Bantam grips (link below) that I had intended to use on a 642. The rubber grips certainly feel secure and soak up recoil, however, they tend to stick to clothing. Of course, we are always trading one convenience for another.

On a related note I purchased two holsters that I highly recommend. One is the the IWB from Lobo (linked below). It places the belt clip off of the cylinder for less bulk. The other,from Ritchie Gun Leather, is the the IPB (in between the pants and belt). They don't list it on their website so I had to call and ask for it. It offers the concealment of an IWB and comfort of a OWB.

S&W J Frame Round Butt Rubber Bantam Style grip Black
Offset Belt Clip – Welcome to Lobo Gun Leather

 

[S&W Fan]

Altamont does make nice stuff - and you can get them with the S & W emblem. View attachment 22201

IIRC Altamont is the company that makes wood grips for S&W.
Fit and finish has been an issue on and off lately on some of the new S&W revolvers but over all Altamont make a very nice grip.
To the OP, you may also want to look into grips made by Ahrends.
They make customs quality grips at reasonable prices. I have a few sets on my S&W revolvers and I couldn’t be more pleased.

 

[S&W Fan]

For the 3” model 60 the Bantam grip is an excellent choice.
Hogue also makes the Bantam grip in un-checkered wood. ( nice)
The boot grip is also another good choice and then there are these on flea bay that you don’t see very often anymore but are also a good J frame grip.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Eagle-Secret...160904?hash=item3d5468d2c8:g:jKMAAOSwiHpaRaTL