Gear Spotlight: Top Revolver Accessories

Are you a wheelgunner? While upgrades and accessories are not quite as readily available as parts and gear for modular semi-automatic handguns, there are plenty of ways to make a revolver your own. Grips, sights and accessories can all enhance performance or add a touch of cosmetic pizazz. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Eagle Grips: S&W J-Frame Round Butt Rosewood Secret Service Grips

If you’re going to carry a classic snubbie there’s nothing wrong with making yours aspire to its suave and debonair reputation, is there?

To elevate your pocket revolver a few notches on the cool scale, check out the Secret Service grips from Eagle. These Rosewood panels are smooth and silk and look exceptionally classy.

But it’s not just an appearance upgrade. Those smooth grip surfaces feel great in the hand while facilitating better concealment. Smooth wood allows fabric to fall and position naturally around the grip. Rubber or plastic grips can catch and bind, at least a little. The end result is less printing when you pocket carry.

The Secret Service grips are also flush with the base of the revolver frame, minimizing overall bulk.
MSRP: $89.95

EagleGrips.com

Williams Adjustable Sights: Ruger Single Six

Who needs a Ruger Single Six? Why, everyone! In fact, if I ever run for President, my campaign slogan will be, “A Ruger Single Six in every home, and better yet, two!”

While the factory sights are just peachy on their own, you might consider an upgrade, especially if you’ve got aging eyes or a desire to have sights effortlessly leap into view. The Williams Adjustable sights fit the new model Single Six revolvers and mount easily with screws: no dovetails or sight pushers required.

The aluminum front sight housing supports a fiber optic tube and partially protects the light rod with three supports. The rear sight uses a “U-shaped” fiber tube to provide flanking dots around the aluminum assembly’s notch. The rear is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation, so you tweak the point of impact to your preferred rimfire ammo.
MSRP: $64.95

WilliamsGunsight.com

Crimson Trace LG-105 and LG-350 Lasergrips

While legions of new gun owners choose a snubbie J-Frame-type revolver for personal defense, it’s arguably one of the more difficult handguns to shoot proficiently. The short sight radius, heavy trigger pull, and light overall weight make disciplined trigger control a must. While a laser sighting option won’t fix this problem on its own, it does make the classic snubbie easier to shoot well.

If you want to keep the profile of your snubbie as small as possible, check out the LG-105 Lasergrips. They don’t extend past the bottom of the revolver butt and add minimal width to the package. If you want to add some grip surface area, the LG-350 is the way to go as it provides a little extra grip height and room for another finger. Those larger grips are also available with either red or green lasers.

Lasergrips also make a great training aid for dry fire practice. See if you can operate the 10- or 12-lb. trigger without moving the dot.

MSRP: $234.99 (LG-105), $329.99 (LG-350) and $409.99 (LG-350 Green)

CrimsonTrace.com

Simply Rugged Pocket Protector Holster

Snubbie revolvers are great for pocket carry. The rounded profile and small size make them feasible for coat, cargo and even pants pocket carry.

Whatever you do, don’t rely on the heavy double-action trigger to provide adequate protection against negligent discharges on its own. Regardless of pocket type, always, always, always use a proper pocket holster when carrying this way. A good holster protects the trigger, prevents other pocket gear or clothing from getting caught up on the trigger area, and helps to break up the outline of your gun, preventing obvious “printing” through the clothing.

The Simply Rugged Pocket Protector is a sturdy leather rig checking all these boxes — and more. The wide base keeps your snubbie oriented properly for a consistent and snag-free draw. The heavy leather prevents trigger movement caused by external pressure through the clothing layer.

And there’s a bonus feature. A small slot in the front below the grip area allows you to carry a speed strip for a relatively quick reload. It’s always a good idea to dedicate a pocket to your carry gun only, so attaching your extra ammo to the holster in said pocket saves the other side for keys and daily gear.
MSRP: $25

SimplyRugged.com

XS Big Dot Front Sight

Snubbies are generally considered close range guns given their short sight radius, but this doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement over the often-rudimentary factory sights. Many (most?) compact revolvers ship with standard iron sights with no colors, fiber optics, or Tritium inserts.

The XS Big Dot brings a front sight that “demands your attention” according to the company. At 0.188″ wide it leaps into view. A large white ring surrounds a center Tritium insert bringing low-light functionality.

XS Sights offers two different models of snubbie front sight upgrades for different revolver configurations. If yours has a pinned front sight, you can opt for a relatively easy-to-install Big Dot front sight replacement. You’ll still need to use a drill press to drill the retaining pin hole in the sight body, but it’s a DIY job with some patience and the right tools. Even if your snubbie has a fixed front sight milled from the frame, you can add the “fixed” model Big Dot. You will need to have someone mill most of the existing front sight off to provide a new mounting base for the Big Dot.
MSRP: $71

XSSights.com

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