Beautiful piece Tx...obviously well tended to through the years. Rod
Rod
I once had a 15 and a 19 but had to sell them to help pay through a divorce. I always shot the 19 better. I don't know why other than the 19 has the right weight and feel for me. I was able to get a 14 last year and recently found a nickel plated 19 so I'm happy again. Like before, I shoot the 19 better.
I did it again...got another 15-3 from a life-long collector. This one has a 17K serial number which dates it to 1977. My other 15-3 is from closer to the end of the 15-3 production and seems to have a -4 cylinder with a gas ring. This one has has no gas ring on the cylinder, so I guess I'll find out if it really is susceptible to fouling.
It has a few handling marks, including a chip on the left stock, and came with no box, but it seems to have not been fired since it left the factory.
Once again this forum needs a “LIKE” button, TXTad. You got a real sweetheart there and those combat grips are “the icing on the cake!” Congratulations.
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
Thank you Froggie!
Sadly, no factory S&W grip works all that well for me. I love the classic looks, but not the function. I have switched the other 15-3 that started this thread to VZ grips after the Hogues started to separate at the glue line. VZ grips fit me very well, as do the Hogues. I think I have a set of lamo-camo Hogues somewhere that may go on this newer (to me) 15-3.
I thought those factory issued smooth combat grips with finger grooves were the cat’s meow, and from the prices they’re bringing, apparently others do as well. Ultimately though, I discovered the Thai grips (via eBay) that look pretty similar but also cover the back strap.
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
The caveat is that I've never had a gun with the S&W finger grooved combat grips, and with the prices as they are now, I probably never will. For my hands, I like the grips that do not cover the backstrap. There used to be a Pachmayr that didn't, but I think they no longer make that particular model. I was hoping to get a set for a model 1970s 10 that I have to keep the period look.
Pure D hillbilly laziness in general. I do not worry about cleaning a Model 67 as much as I do the Model 15. A little dab of Bluemagic metal polish cream now and then is all I need for the 67, but I worry about the 15. Both shoot quite accurately with my cast boolits, and like most Smiths, over the years the triggers have honed themselves down to very nice trigger pulls.
Britons shall never be slaves.
Midway has a full selection of Pachmayr grips listed in stock. The professional model has the open backstrap, have them on my M15.
Excellent! Thank you for that info. I'll try them out.
I saw that there was the professional model, but literally nobody has decent photos, or descriptions, of Pachmayr grips on their websites any more. I feel like there used be a standalone Pachmayr website that used to describe all the details of the grips, including the open backstrap where applicable, but now that the grips are just an afterthought on the Lyman site, there's not details and no decent photos.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |