Ohioans For Concealed Carry Discussion Forums

I recently picked up a S&W 340PD. It's a nice little personal defense pistol that I'm becoming accurate for close range if i stick with .38 ammo. My biggest concern is the shock the backstrap gives my old arthritic hands when i use the standard grips. I tried a Hogue nylon one piece grip that is designed for J frames, but it doesn't quite seat right. Does anyone have any suggestions for a grip that does fit?

I have an older version of the Hogue Rubber Grip S&W J Frame Round Butt Rubber Monogrip on my wife's S&W 642 and another on a Taurus 605 (.357).

https://www.amazon.com/Hogue-Rubber-Fra ... B000KOVCFI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah thanks, I'm finding some YOUTube videos and most of them are talking about rubber, not nylon grips.

Rubber does act as a little better "shock absorber", especially if it covers the back side of the grip frame. But, the gun gets bulkier, meaning harder to conceal. Might even preclude pocket carry. A tradeoff.

And as you've alluded to, using .357 magnum in the airweight J-frames makes mastering these guns nearly impossible for most people. With most magnum loads, that report is loud, the muzzle flash disorienting, and you don't gain much velocity because some of the powder heads downrange before it does its intended job.

The Hogue overmolded Rubber grips are pretty comfortable, but the one I had was rather large. Figured if I was going to have a large grip why not one with a laser..
I rather liked the Crimson Trace grips for my revolver. feels better in my hand than the factory grips did, even when shooting the .357 Magnum rounds, plus I get the laser.


If you look at the various grips they have available there's certainly a variety of options in shape and size between them
https://www.crimsontrace.com/01-1150" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.crimsontrace.com/01-1680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.crimsontrace.com/01-1870" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.crimsontrace.com/products/m ... _model=323" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i like the rubber “boot grip” style on the J frame, but I shoot regular 38s and carry +P. The smallest I go for 357 is a Ruger SP101.

That said, I’d recommend taking a look at Pachmayr grips. They have a few options that cover the backstrap with a nice layer of rubber. They aren’t made as well today as the old ones, but they are affordable (so no biggie if you end up not liking one option) And are less bulky than the Hogue options, which I don’t care for.

CT makes a nice grip, but pricey. Get the bigger one. Plus, I’m not sold on lasers, I end up “looking” for the dot in the daytime and this slows me down unless I really focus. I ended up painting the front blade instead.

If you do choose going with a Crimson Trace grip use the extended grip...do not get the compact grip. I had the compact grip on my J frame 340 and could only get 1 1/2 fingers on the actual grip. Hanging on when shooting .357 magnum rounds was not fun.

I found a Hogue rubber grip that completely covers the backstrap. Works great with 38 rounds.

Craig Spegel's. Practice with .38s.