When you are building your custom revolver, you have a choice to make: wood or rubber grips. There is no doubt that a true custom revolver is set off beautifully by a set of wood grips properly fit to the gun. It can add that sense of great style that sets apart a gun from others of its type. Rubber on the other hand is functional and desirable for its durability and cost.
The two flies in the ointment are recoil and whether or not you can grab the grips if your life depended on it. In some calibers the recoil is a total non-factor. A wood grip will look great and perform just as well. As you begin to move up in the caliber world, the wood grips work for some people and not for others. I am terribly recoil sensitive. Wood grips don’t work on heavy hitters for me. But truth be told I absolutely love them. Most of my revolvers tend to go that way. The only guns that keep rubber grips are small J-Frames that are carry pieces.
Before you buy consider your options. The difference can mean a pleasant gun or a beautiful gun or sometimes both.