Hogue Grips

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was replacing the wood grips on my new S & W 686-5+.  It arrived Tuesday, and I installed it (them?) Wednesday night.

They're super easy to install.  There was a single screw holding the wood grips on, so that was easy to take off.  Installing the Hogues is a matter of snapping a guide onto the grip frame and using that to slot the one-piece grips onto the frame.  In my case, it was a smooth operation; I didn't have to wiggle or fudge the grips. I'm impressed at how snug the fit is.  Once that was done, it was a simple matter of using the supplied screw to lock the grips to the guide -- again, there was no hunting or fishing.  It all just went together.

Monika likes the feel of the grips.  I don't think they look as nice as the wood grips, but the rubber is much more comfortable and fits my hand better, and the proportions of the revolver are better now  -- the handle length and barrel length are closer, which is an aesthetic many people prefer.  It's why I got an XR9-L instead of an XR9-S.  Well, I never said I was in this game for any practical purpose.  It's all about aesthetics.

I haven't shot with the new grips yet, but I can't imagine that they'll be anything but more comfortable than the wood grips, and the 686 was already darned comfortable to shoot even with those.

Happy happy, joy joy.