The US firearms industry still does brisk business selling revolvers. Gun companies like Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Colt and Ruger, etc, continue launching new SKUs and moving revolvers across gun counters and into shooters’ hands-even in 2024. If this weren’t the case, companies like LOK Grips or its competitors wouldn’t offer the selection of revolver grips they do.
The most prominent feature of any revolver is a centrally located cylinder that holds ammunition spins on a horizontal axis across the gun’s frame. Using the power of springs, mechanical levers and human strength, the linkage parts inside the revolver work to meticulously turn and align the individual charge holes (loaded with live cartridges) precisely in front of the revolver’s breech and forcing cone.
Once the charge hole is lined up with the breech, a revolver’s action will also temporarily lock the cylinder in that position for safety. This temporary locking also ensures that the bullet can travel down the bore perfectly after the hammer ignites the propellant charge. Regardless of whether a revolver is double or single-action, this firing sequence fundamentally works the same way and with a similar relationship between the frame, cylinder, charge holes, barrel and axis.
Ultimately, the radial nature of the revolver’s cylinder dictates every aspect about its core design, namely the size of its frame and how the rest of its parts sit in relation to that cylinder, especially its barrel. The traditional approach has been to build revolvers whose barrels sit at the top of the frame, with a so-called “high bore axis.” Other than Emilio Ghisoni’s eccentric bottom-firing Italian revolvers, virtually every revolver has a barrel that sits up high.
On the other side of the frame, this core revolver layout also dictates the position of the grip relative to the frame. Most revolver frames are forged with a sinus between the frontstrap and the rear of the trigger guard. This very distinctive but archaic formation is a legacy from the time of single-action only revolvers; the shape found its way into the guns of old to grant the firing hand easier access to the hammer-in order to thumb-cock it with more ease.
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As revolver actions evolved into the modern double-action patterns at the turn of the century, circa 1900, the sinus on the revolver’s frame stayed put. It has been part and parcel of revolver frames ever since. The problem with these sinusoidal voids is that they aren’t really ideal for building a cutting-edge (single or double-handed) firing grip on a double-action revolver.
Likewise, the thin shape and profile of most vintage double-action revolver stocks wasn’t of much help either. Their small size and surface area in conjunction with the sinus leaves much to be desired in terms of useful grippable surface area. Advanced revolver shooters of the day were cognizant of this, and the existence of Tyler T-Grips (dating back to the early 1930s) were amongst some of the earliest implementations to solve these problems.
Tyler T-Grip Adapters are these old-school crescent shaped aluminum wedges that clip on underneath the grip panels directly onto the frame with the sole purpose of removing the void of the revolver sinus and adding more surface area to the frontstrap so shooters have more of a gripping zone. Sinuses or not, thinner stocks or not, the revolver’s naturally occurring shape and grip location means that a shooter can’t simply grip it like a semi-auto pistol.
Besides the matter of protecting the support-hand’s fingers from the blast of the cylinder gap, the trigger-finger itself needs to sit in such a way that it can easily overcome the heavier double-action trigger pull without becoming strained or fatigued. More importantly, the double-action trigger must travel all the way to the rear in order for the hammer to fall.
Grip Upgrades for Taurus Revolvers
This year, I’ve spent some time shooting different Taurus revolvers, from the 692 Executive Grade to the optics-capable Taurus 327 TORO (which I’m currently reviewing) and the Heritage Roscoe. LOK Grips offers two different styles of Veloces for Taurus revolvers, a 3-finger groove version for smaller framed guns like the Taurus 856 , 327 TORO, Model 85, etc and a full-size, full-length Veloce grip for all larger framed Taurus revolvers; this includes the Hunter, Judge and Tracker families .
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LOK Veloce grips for Taurus wheelguns are made from G10 and feature a moderately grippy texture that’s suitable for carrying on either side of the waistband without posing an irritation risk to the carrier’s skin or clothes. Customers also have a few different color choices when ordering these from LOK. The grips themselves are profiled with gentle convex swells in order to maximize surface area for the firing hand. Both sets also do an excellent job in filling the revolver’s sinusoidal void which makes guns more comfortable to grip and shoot.
Compared to the standard Taurus rubber boot grips included with most small frame revolvers, these Veloce grips can change the feel and handling of the gun.
In my original review of the 692 Executive Grade revolver, I voiced my displeasure at the fan-shaped wooden grips it includes. While these wooden grips look nice, they’re not conducive to performance shooting because they have a tendency to slip in the hand during recoil. The blue-black grip on my 692 Executive Grade has a gentle taper and a small flare at the very bottom.
LOK Grips Veloce for Taurus Revolvers
Smith & Wesson Grips
Founded in 1852 by partners Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson, S&W continues to produce high quality firearms as they have for over 150 years. Their classic guns include the .38 special and the .357, which have been adopted by many police departments as the de facto standard. S&W medallions are now available in S&W grips.
To order a Smith & Wesson grip, you will need to know whether your gun is a J, K/L, or N frame AND whether it has a round or square butt. Smith & Wesson guns fall into three main frame categories:
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- J Frame: .38 Special and 9 mm. This is the smallest frame.
- K/L/X Frame: .38 Special and .357 Magnum. This is the medium frame revolver. K & L Frames are interchangeable when it comes to grips.
- N Frame: .41 and .44 Magnum. This is the large frame revolver.
Within those three categories, your frame may be either square or round. Note: You will notice that some models may have been made in both a square and a round butt. If this is the case, then you will need to visually decide if your frame is round or square.
If your Smith & Wesson model is a round butt, but you prefer the square look, consider one of our conversion grips!
Smith & Wesson J-Frame Round Butt Grips
Here is a table summarizing the Smith & Wesson frame types and compatible calibers:
| Frame Type | Calibers | Description |
|---|---|---|
| J Frame | .38 Special, 9mm | Smallest frame |
| K/L/X Frame | .38 Special, .357 Magnum | Medium frame (K & L interchangeable) |
| N Frame | .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum | Large frame |