In Search of the Perfect Snubby Grip - Part II

I've been experimenting with grips once again, and thought it wise to give Stephen A. Camp's suggestion of Precision Gun Specialties' Hideout Grips a try. I ordered up a set of the polymer grips from Midway, and anxiously awaited delivery.

When the package arrived, I tore into it knowing up-front from reading the Hi Powers and Handguns article, that the grips would have to be modified to work with Speedloaders. I usually carry Speedstrips, so I left them "stock" for the time being, and installed them posthaste.



The Hideouts won't win any beauty awards, but I really like the texture and feel of these grips. They fill the hand nicely, offering a firm grip without being either slick or sticky. Since they're black, they do a better job of hiding the butt of the little J-frame when "in pocket" then the stags I removed - a nice touch to be sure.

After giving these grips the good old college try for a few weeks I have to say that (in my humble opinion) they are exceptional pocket revolver grips - bettering any others that I've tried by a healthy margin. They also absorb felt recoil well for a hard-surface grip.

Since any CCW revolver grip absolutely must be able to accept reloads via Speedloader, I broke out the Dremel and a square of 220 grit and went to work. Less than 10-minutes later the left-side grip had been whittled down to an acceptable size. A great thumb rest is an added benefit of the modification. Actually, I realized after using the Dremel, that sandpaper would have sufficed - the polymer is soft enough to modify quite easily.



My 642-1, equipped with Precision Gun Specialties' Hideout grips weighs in at a svelte 14.5 oz. - a weight savings of 1/2 oz. over the standard grips.

Precision Gun Specialties

Midway USA

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Auction Holster Review Part I

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I appreciate custom leather holsters by the big names in the industry as much as the next guy or gal, but the wait (although well worth it) can be months if not years. What if you needed a holster NOW? Recently I found myself in just such a position, but instead of going the pre-owned or temporary route, I decided to try out a new leather holster from a maker that I’d never heard of, found on ebay - and then put it to the test by using it in my everyday carry routine.

I chose a holster made to fit Smith & Wesson’s Model 642, but any J-frame sized revolver with a 2” or less length barrel will fit. The holster tested fit the vintage Charter Arms Undercover I had on hand to a tee.

Caldwell Gun Leather Ozark Carry OWB Holster

When I opened the package my first impression of this holster was that it would probably last forever. In fact, it’s most likely the stoutest holster that I’ve ever laid eyes on. Maker, Shannon Caldwell, is a veteran law enforcement officer of eighteen years with SWAT training, and designs and builds all of his leather goods to perform under high-stress combat conditions. Shannon has nine-years of leather experience and thousands of holsters under his belt (pun intended). Eight of those years were spent making Wilson Combat leather for Rafter S.



Caldwell’s Ozark Carry is a pancake style, hand molded, unlined holster structured from dyed 8-9oz. back / 6-7oz. front cowhide, made for a 1.5" belt. Shannon personally selects each piece of leather for the individual requirement of the piece being made. The outer layer is imprinted and dyed 2-4oz. cowhide imprinted to resemble elephant hide. The artificial elephant hide is then laminated to the holster. Shannon states that artificial elephant hide is not as strong as the real thing, but it is a lot less expensive and wears well. I like the look and the price.



Shannon uses a lockstitch machine with nylon thread and double stitches each holster at all stress points. Edges are hand-rubbed and the holster is sealed with a clear coat finish to protect the holster and your clothes. Caldwell leather is a one-man shop, but Shannon admits that family members do help out from time to time with edge finishing and such.



I’ve worn the Ozark Carry for over two-months now with excellent results. The artificial elephant does show a few very minor scratches from banging on things here on our little ranch, but that’s to be expected from a working holster. Weapon retention is superb and the weapon’s draw is smooth every time. Reholstering is a no-brainer which is of great importance in real world situations whether you’re a CCW holder or an LEO.



I like this little holster from Caldwell Gun Leather and see it staying in my carry routine for a long time. In fact, I like it so much that I’m going to order an IWB holster from Shannon for my Browning Hi-Power soon. YMMV

Caldwell Gun Leather

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In Search of the Perfect Snubby Grip - Part I

Snubby Grips

Unlike most firearm enthusiests my age, I spent the majority of my adult life sans a revolver. In fact, for most of my adult life I was happy as a one-gun, 1911A1 toting guy. The only revolver that I owned was a SA Ruger Blackhawk 3-screw and that wasn't purchased until I had reached the ripe age of 44-and change. Heck, I didn't realize that I needed a snubby!

When I “discovered” snubbies I began a search for as much information that I could gather. In the old days that meant searching back issues of gun rags and books at the local library, but with the advent of the Internet there’s a plethora of facts, figures, real-life stories and individual opinions from which to initially inform one’s self at the touch of a keyboard. The snubby search led me to the discovery of the excellent Snubnose Files, Steven A. Camp’s Hi-Powers and Handguns and finally to The High Road and the incomparable 642 Club. After all this info-gathering I decided on the purchase of a 642 as my first snubnose revolver, a decision I have yet to regret.

S&W 642-1 wearing stock Uncle Mike’s grips in Robert Mika’s superb round-cut pocket holster.

For me the rubber grips that come standard on Smith & Wesson’s line of lightweight wondersnubbies are adequate, but do not allow me a firm enough grip purchase from a pocket holster (the perfect carrying mode for the lightweight revolvers.) When first searching for a 642/442 to purchase I also checked out models equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips. Not enthralled with the laser philosophy or the fit of the grips to my hand I ruled these out too.

I found almost immediately during my search that I liked the visual impact and stylish simplicity of S&W's classic-style grips, but would I be able to shoot them adequately? I ordered a set of black polymers from Sidney Ryan via his auction based website to find out. Sidney’s grips fit with minimal modification right out of the bag. They felt good in the hand, allowed a full grip from either a Mika or Desantis Nemesis pocket holster and looked great in contrast to the matte finish of the 642-1. Unfortunately I quickly discovered during my first 100-round range session that this style of grip did not allow me to sufficiently tame +P rounds in the little snubby - I consistently shot well to the left of aim as the grip frame and grip twisted in my hand while I tried to maintain a good grip during the trigger pull and recoil.


The 642 with Sidney Ryan's black polymer grips and Diane’s leather pouch for the Bianchi Speed Strip.

Tyler T-Grips
I still really liked the ease of concealment and lack of snag-ability during the draw the polymer grips afforded, so I decided to make an additional upgrade to see if I could get them to work for me. A call to Tyler Mfg. netted a shipment of two T-Grips, one in brushed aluminum and one flat black anodized. Mounting the T-Grips is as simple as loosening the grip-screw and sliding the brass tabs under the grip panels.


642-1 poses with classic size-1 T-Grips & HKS speed loader with Speer 135gr GDHP+P‘s.

For my hand size and medium-high gripping style the installation of the T-Grip resulted in an instant and comfortable transformation. At the range the tendency of the snubby to shift position and pull left was replaced by a much more acceptable grip position.

642-1 shares space with the classic mid-seventies Charter Arms Undercover in .38 Special.

For me, the combination of Sidney Ryan's polymer grips and the Tyler T-Grip resulted in an almost perfect grip combination for rapid return to target while still maintaining the narrow profile and slick draw-ability from pocket carry that got me headed in this direction to begin with.

Mika Pocket Holsters
Tyler T-Grip
Hi Powers & Handguns Blog

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