Mackay, is that a piece of leather on the back frame?
Yep.
It makes long shooting sessions considerably more comfortable. I have many thousands of rounds through that J Frame, practicing, training, etc, including a fair bit of practice at the 50 yard line. The bad guys don't change their actions based on the guns you choose to wear, so being extremely proficient with whatever I was carrying at work was always extremely important to me.
I shot a lot of heavy loads though that gun and more than a few times, especially in the cold weather when my hands were dry, my skin would tear from the exposed backstrap due to my high grip and heavy loads.
I experimented with various things over the years, including pieces of EVA foam (which works even better, but is just slightly bulkier). The hockey tape gives it an extra grippy texture.
The gun may not be "pretty" but it has always been a working gun, and served me well for a very long time. A little rough around the edges now, but it certainly earned those marks. It is still a trusted companion. This last weekend I was on the road doing some tings and it was my BUG of choice, riding in my off-side front pocket as always.
