CT 105 or 405 for J-frame

[Clyde from Carolina]

I know many of you have already been down this road so I am soliciting opinions. I have a J-frame. I still use it occasionally and I'm sold on the benefits of a CT grip. Which one would you go with?

[Chuck Haggard]

I can't shoot a J with the 105 on it, grips are just too small.

[punkey71]

My wife went from 405s to 305s and finds it much better for recoil management (so do I).

I can still pocket carry it but draws are noticeably slower. Since I might pocket carry it 2 days a year, it is not a concern for us. It usually resides in her purse so the 305s are staying on.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001094IDA

Harold



Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Wendell]

The 405's feel great; the rubber backstrap takes the sting out of +P loads...but it also tends to hang up on fabric.

[SeriousStudent]

I like the 405 grips the best on my 642. It makes practice sessions with the Short Barrel Gold Dots manageable. I carry it a lot as a backup in my left front pocket. I don't really have a problem with it hanging up in my pockets - that's probably just the particular fabric. It rides in a RKBA leather pocket holster. I picked that up after I wore out my Mika Pocket Holster.

In my really, really humble opinion, I would always put a set of CT grips on my J-frame, and put an Apex Tactical trigger kit inside it.

Your mileage may vary, but it seems to work well for me. Good luck with your choice.

[EricP]

I have a set of LG-405s that I pocket carry a lot. They were my first choice for grips that were reasonably sized and took some of the sting out of my +P carry load. Over the course of 4-5 years, the rubber overlay is in bad shape. I have repaired them several times with super glue and silicone caulk. At this point there is rubber missing. I don't say this to disparage Crimson Trace, because the grips have led a hard life. If you do things like lean against work benches, they will wear out.

I may try the LG-105s next time around.

[Chuck Haggard]

Yeah, the rubber backstrap on my 405s is also falling apart.

[David Armstrong]

I've got a 105 on my 642 that has worked well.

[gtmtnbiker98]

405's work well on both my 60 and 640.

[idahojess]

I have a 405 on my J-frame, which came with a LG 305. I like the pad on the back of the 405, but the grip also is slowly falling apart, as others have noted. I currently have electrical tape around mine, because the front strap has come loose at the bottom.
I suppose that could be from just wear in the pocket. I think it's about four years old.

[Gewehr3]

I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the 105s.

[DocGKR]

My favorite is the old 205.

[Chuck Haggard]

My favorite is the old 205.

If they had made that grip in the profile of the 305 I would buy several of them.

[Shellback]

Anyone know of a good/cheap place to pick up a 405? Bud's has them for $235 and I'm wondering if anywhere else has them for slightly more competitive pricing.

[gtmtnbiker98]

Anyone know of a good/cheap place to pick up a 405? Bud's has them for $235 and I'm wondering if anywhere else has them for slightly more competitive pricing.
Contact Cross Creek Guns.

[Shellback]

Contact Cross Creek Guns.

Email sent. Thanks!

[37th Mass]

Anyone know of a good/cheap place to pick up a 405? Bud's has them for $235 and I'm wondering if anywhere else has them for slightly more competitive pricing.

I bought mine from ManVenture Outpost for $217. But, they are out of stock at the moment.

http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Crimson-Trace-LG%252d405-S%26W-J-Round-Butt-Om-FA%2C-Boot-Grip.html

[Shellback]

Contact Cross Creek Guns.

$221 + $8 shipping and they are in stock. Thanks again.


I bought mine from ManVenture Outpost for $217. But, they are out of stock at the moment.

http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Crimson-Trace-LG%252d405-S%26W-J-Round-Butt-Om-FA%2C-Boot-Grip.html
Thanks for the heads up.

[Whiskey_Bravo]

Anyone notice any functional difference between the older 205's with the hard plastic grip and the newer 405's?

[DocGKR]

The 205 is a bit easier to draw from the pocket and a bit less obvious on an ankle...

[Tamara]

My favorite is the old 205.

Word. Love mine. Won't even upgrade to the green if it means giving up the hard plastic.

[Shellback]

Word. Love mine. Won't even upgrade to the green if it means giving up the hard plastic.

What's the difference between the 205 and the 105? They appear to be very similar, although, I did read the newer 105 is slightly wider.

Anyone have issues with the 405's rubber catching on clothing from concealment?

[Tamara]

What's the difference between the 205 and the 105? They appear to be very similar, although, I did read the newer 105 is slightly wider.

They are very similar and the 105s are my choice in the current lineup; the newer grip is very slightly bulkier and has the squooshy/tacky activation area.

[Clyde from Carolina]

Thanks y'all for the experiences and suggestions. I flipped a coin and it looks like I will start with a set of the 105s.:D

[Shellback]

They are very similar and the 105s are my choice in the current lineup; the newer grip is very slightly bulkier and has the squooshy/tacky activation area.

Thanks Tam. I'll probably start with the 105's as well. Being 30% cheaper than the 405's doesn't hurt either. ;)

[Shellback]

Doing quite a bit of research and HeadHunter's are the best comparison photos I could find. Hope it helps.


I have the 105 and the 405.

The 105 is almost too small in size. I had to put an inner tube strip around the switch to reliably depress it. The idea came from another user who had the same problem. Rubber fixes it.

The 405 is a very good all around size FOR MY HANDS. I have a friend whose hands are huge and he has to use the 305, but the Glock grip seems a bit small to him.

How do you know which is best for you? Pictures tell the story.

Here's my grip on a 105.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/LG-105.jpg

Let's put a number on it.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/LG-105opening.jpg
About 3/8 inch open space.

Here's my grip on a 405.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/LG-405.jpg

Let's put a number on it.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/LG-405opening.jpg
Over 3/4 inch open space.

Why is that important?

Here's the base of my left thumb.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/Baseofthumb.jpg
Let's say 1 inch wide.

Now, some of that thumb will squeeze into a smaller opening, but at some point it becomes a square peg/round hole situation, which is the case for me with the 105.

So what if the thumb doesn't go in the opening? Then, instead of the support hand having a frictional lock on the grip and a certain amount of camming action against the finger tips, what you have to lock your support hand in place is whatever friction you can create against the fingernails of the firing hand. That's not much.

[Shellback]

One more sequence regarding fit & sizing.


Now let's talk about trigger reach.

Here's how my trigger finger ends up on the 105
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/105trigger.jpg

Here's how my trigger finger ends up on the 405
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/405trigger.jpg

Here are some index marks to compare the two.
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s91/HeadHunter_album/Snub%20Grips/Fingermark.jpg

What does that mean?
Too much finger on the trigger increases the possibility of pushing the gun to the off side. It can be managed but you have to be aware of the issue.

[Chuck Haggard]

And that is my issue. With the 305s or 405s I can barely run a J frame without getting so much trigger finger onto the trigger.