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I took her to shoot the .38 snubbies for the first time yesterday. I carry the Colt DS and keep the M36 in the nightstand at home. It's become "her" gun.

Loaded with Speer Gold Dot's (got a great deal on them, thus used them for practice loads), the checkered, rosewood, boot grips tore the skin in two places inside her right thumb. (And she was using a tight, two-handed grip.)

Like a trooper, she dabbed the blood with a Kleenex, put on a pair of thin gloves and kept on torching 'em off.

She shot it fine for a first time shooter, but I felt bad that the grips bit her. I sold them last night and installed the Smith, factory rubber boot grips.

I'm also looking at the Hogue 61000's.

She shrugged it off and is ready to go back to the range, but I'll have a better grip for her hands next time.

The Hogues

Impressive lady. Congratulate her.

Most of us get an owwie and want to go home.

What a trooper she is!

I've cut my hands many a time on 38 snubbies. I never had a problem with the grips, but the knobby cylinder release never failed to draw blood. Given the location of the cuts, are you totally positive that the grips are fully to blame? That's one of the reasons I finally got rid of it. I knew one bite and my wife would lose all interest in shooting, but then again, that's all the excuse I needed to buy a new gun . Congrats on having a tough one!!!

Yes, we determined it was the sharp edge at the top of the grip checkering.

I also ordered a couple of boxes of Buffalo Bore, low pressure, 158gr loads.

Next trip to the range will be more fun with better grips and lower pressure loads.

I've got a set of smooth Hogue wood grips on a snubbie. NO bite there. What about sanding the checkering down a tad on the problem area? (I know you sold them, but in case the rubber grips don't work out either...)

doc540 wrote:I took her to shoot the .38 snubbies for the first time yesterday. I carry the Colt DS and keep the M36 in the nightstand at home. It's become "her" gun.

Loaded with Speer Gold Dot's (got a great deal on them, thus used them for practice loads), the checkered, rosewood, boot grips tore the skin in two places inside her right thumb. (And she was using a tight, two-handed grip.)

Like a trooper, she dabbed the blood with a Kleenex, put on a pair of thin gloves and kept on torching 'em off.

She shot it fine for a first time shooter, but I felt bad that the grips bit her. I sold them last night and installed the Smith, factory rubber boot grips.

I'm also looking at the Hogue 61000's.

She shrugged it off and is ready to go back to the range, but I'll have a better grip for her hands next time.

The Hogues

Overall, those are pretty good, but I've always heard you want to avoid metal backstraps on a revolver, especially the upper area where the web between thumb and forefinger meet. It may or may not be an issue with .38 rounds, but I wished the .44Mag I shot a few months ago had the rubber backstrap. Owie.

I hear you. We've got to make sure the guns we put in the hands of new shooters won't give them a reason not to enjoy the experience.
I bought my wife a SS Springfield 1911 and it didn't take her long to tell me where all the sharp edges were that NEEDED to be removed.

Lucky for me, I'm handy with the dremel tool.

Wow, she really is a Trooper!


I hope you rewarded her with a night out to dinner. (you did, didn't you)?

I have some Uncle Mike's 59007 grips that work well for me.

flintknapper wrote:Wow, she really is a Trooper!


I hope you rewarded her with a night out to dinner. (you did, didn't you)?

I rewarded her with more than just dinner.

re: exposed frame strap
One of the trade off's I'm having to deal with is the fact that I may have to carry the M36 if the DS is ever out of service.

So, I have to go with boot-style grips, and very few of the rubber, boot grips cover the back of the strap.

These Hogue Monogrips are very comfortable but not as concealable as a boot-style grip.


Notice how they protrude in a SmartCarry, the method of carry that I have to use.


The boot-style grips work much better in the SmartCarry.

Installed a new set of Houge Bantams this evening. We'll she how these work for her along with standard pressure wadcutters.





Her grip (and yes, she was aware of her trigger discipline)

My wife shot my scoped mini 30 for the first time and before I could tell her make sure it's in your shoulder tight and get proper eye relief she pulled the trigger and got a case of scope eye,she tried to act like it didn't happen at first but even tho it didn't cut her it left a welt.Next round she fired she didn't repeat the mistake