Question about the difference between grips for a S&W 686?

Question

I'm looking into getting a new wooden grip for my S&W 686. I was just wondering how the wooden grips compare to the factory rubber grip?

Answer 1

originally, when the 686 first came out in the 1980's, it came with factory wood grips.  sometime in the early 1990's, smith and wesson stopped making their own wood grips to shave production costs. this also went hand-in-hand with a huge movement at the time, where customers would rather have pachmayr or houge grips anyhow. needless to say, the rubber grips feel more comfortable for many shooters, and are still available at very reasonable costs. ebay has dozens of pairs available and are really inexpensive.

the issue, is that rubber grips are not as good for hard core s&w collectors who want original wood grips on their antique guns. nice matching sets of wood grips can run anywhere from $50.00 - $300.00 or more depending on the style, era (frame size K/L/N, with diamond, without, square butt, round butt, target, combat, etc.).

for the K/L/N frames, i personally like S&W original, monogramed, oversized, target, checked wood grips the best. they just feel better in my hand. it will be a real challenge finding nice original S&W grips in most gunshops, since they have not made them in a while, but you can still find them. most gun shops have a box of old grips that they will let you pick through, and every once and a while, i find a nice pair. best bet is ebay though, but expect to pay, because the nice grips get tons of bids. another option is aftermarket wood grips...they are a bit cheaper than the older S&W factory grips. tons of companies make grips that will fit S&W guns, you just have to search for the wood you like.        

Answer 2

Wood are pretty, if you get them and you carry your gun, get checkered grips.  I carry mine in the field (backpacking, camping, etc) and I like the rubber, they are durable and not slippery when wet.