(The speed loaders are for my convenience at the range; I don't carry them as "combat reloads".)
These magna grips did not work very well for me on the steel frame Model 60-9 when used with .357 magnum and the +P+ .38 Special loads. They were okay for short sessions but too harsh for me to attempt a full pseudo Illinois-qualification session. I tried to purchase a grip adapter online but both of the available sources were not very consumer friendly. I decided to give the magna grips one last try on a different revolver using standard pressure .38 loads. In summary, when used on the air-weight Model 638 revolver pictured above, the magna grips still turned out to be NOT agreeable in my hands. They are marginally okay for use on the heavier steel frame snubbies provided that I don't go into firing wholesale amounts of +P+ or .357 magnum loads but there just ain't much sense in me owning a mag snubbie if I ain't gonna fire hot loads (the aforementioned +P and magnum revolvers are all now are adorned with Uncle Mike's boot grips; great for carry and very acceptable for shooting but I just don't have enough of them to go around).
In any case, I have fired this same range-drill with this same revolver using Crimson Trace 350-laser-grips (the laser-light being on or off made no difference in my accuracy) and with Uncle Mike's Boot Grips; both of the aforementioned grip styles were very agreeable to my hands when used with this revolver and my scores back then were better than what I achieved during this session. These magna grips are just too hard for me to hold on to when used with this air-weight and they do nothing to attenuate the shock generated by even the mildest non+P .38 Special self defense loads. YEEOUCH!
I gotta say that these magna grips do LOOK very "Hollywood chic" on any J-frame but I don't have any confidence in my hands ever making them work well with this air-weight revolver. I can handle magna grips on a steel Chiefs Special J-frame .38 but not on this air-weight J-frame. I guess that's all good to know.
A pseudo State of Illinois Concealed Carry qualification exercise
10-rounds at 15-feet (5-yards; 4.52-meters)
10-rounds at 21-feet (7-yards; 6.40-meters)
10-rounds at 30-feet (10-yards; 9.14-meters)
The 93% that I scored on this exercise (sad to say, 2-rounds landed outside of the numbers) DID exceed the minimum Illinois qualifying score of 70% (21 of 30 rounds in the numbers) BUT my score came in below my personal comfort zone.
In summary, this airweight revolver with these grips (aka stocks) is not a good fit (for me).
Your mileage may vary.
How fast was I shooting? As fast as I could repeatedly sight the target and squeeze the trigger which really isn't all that fast. I've seen other snub-gunners shoot much faster and more accurately than I do although I don't recall ever seeing one use a magna gripped snub.
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Let me be clear that I AM NOT in favor of the government setting shooting standards that must be met in order for citizens to open-carry or concealed-carry firearms. I AM in favor of each of us doing our best to learn how to safely store, carry, and shoot our firearms to the best of our ability. 'nuff said.
If I can ever succeed in purchasing a J-frame grip adapter I'll try another qual drill with the magna grips on this snub. Until then, the aforementioned Crimson Trace grips will adorn this handgun. I actually like the feel of these grips very much but I'm just not into using laser sights and I remember reading (back when concealed carry first became legal in Illinois) that Chicago (and possibly all of Cook County) prohibited laser sights.
I regret not buying more Uncle Mike's Boot Grips when I had the chance; I never dreamed that they would quit making them.
Where legal, the above is a light-and-easy summertime carry.
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😎
"My advice to you is to get yourself a gun and learn how to use it.”
Support YOUR local shooting range! You may live to be glad that you did.
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JZ
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