Early Models of Smith & Wesson Pistols Have Some Great Grips
A close competitor of Smith & Wesson's famous Model 13 is the W/S handguns from W.R. Case & Sons. This manufacturer provides handgun accessories such as pistol grips, holsters and even pistol cases. The most popular of all their products is the J Frame model. It was originally designed mainly for cops and as a back up weapon for police during special operations. https://bestreviews.tips/j-frame-hunting-shooting-gun-grips_362641/ Now, it has come to be a good choice for self-defense and for carrying concealed.
Smith & Wesson introduced the first version of the Model 13 in 1903. This was the company's first product to incorporate a hammer action instead of a cocked trigger. A year later, they came out with the first model with a cocking trigger. Ever since, several changes have been made to this gun including the use of a grip adapter. The early model guns had early grip adapters that held the gun tightly to the belt; later models were designed to have these replaced by ergonomic grooves that curved around the butt of the gun.
The original grip was made of leather, which transferred well to pistols but proved uncomfortable to hold when shooting. To solve this problem W&W developed a plastic substitute that allowed for a comfortable grip. Early models had an open rubber grip but later models switched to a closed grip rubberized rubber for better recoil absorption.
One of the earlier grip designs for the Model 13 was the "hogue boot grip" which was adopted by Smith & Wesson in the early 80's. This rubberized grip allowed users to place their fingers behind the gun and still have an almost neutral feel because of the raised rubber fingerpad. The hogue boot grip also facilitated more tactile feedback from the trigger and was appreciated for its intuitive feel.
During the late 70's another major manufacturer of revolvers, Smith & Wesson did not produce any revolvers with grips other than those of the Model 13. Early models of Smith & Wesson had a metal frame and a hammerless release that allowed users to place their fingers behind the gun and still have a hammer without taking it out of its holster. Later models added a grip adapter that could be attached to the frame. In addition to the metal frame, early Smith & Wesson revolvers featured a thumb strip which wrapped under the index finger of the user. This thumb strip facilitated easier accuracy while the gun was in use.
The thumb strip on a Smith & Wesson Model 27 featured two grooves; one in the front and one in the back. While the groves provided a good facility for the user to place his fingers for support, these grooves also prevented the user from accidentally striking the butt of the gun against his leg. For ease of operation of the rear grip, Smith & Wesson added a butt cradle which fit behind the gun when the rear grip was placed in the holster. Early models of Smith & Wesson revolvers featured the older style curved buttocks which featured straight or slightly curved portions at the front and a sloping section at the rear. Later models of the Model 27 featured a shorter protruding magazine which facilitated better feeding of ammunition.
The most popular type of Smith & Wesson Model 27 grip is the "rectangular checkered grips". This type of grip is a combination of a rectangular block and a series of evenly spaced checkered shapes. The rectangular block has raised bumps along the bottom surface to facilitate gripping the gun in an improved way. There are also a few models of the Model 27 that feature the front and rear sights of a gun mounted in an upright position. An interesting feature that some models of the Model 27 possess is the presence of a rubberized grip adapter.
A notable feature that a few early guns from Smith & Wesson contain is the addition of a front cocking port. This accessory is provided with certain models of the Model 27 to enable it to function more smoothly when compared to the earlier Model 17 handguns that feature a fixed front cocking device. In addition, early Smith & Wesson revolvers featured rubber grips which are colored to match the color of the gun. These grips have become infamous for their distinctive shade of brown depending on how the gun has been treated with regards to whether it was new or old. Over time, different colors of rubber grips became available for use with Smith & Wesson revolvers.