This was the first high-powered handgun I had ever owned. I was shooting it once with someone who had the same gun in a 4-inch barrel. My gun shot so much better than his that he had his re-barreled to 6-inch. The grips are desert ironwood, but they have been around for many years and need to be refinished. The metal has been polished and re-blued and the action is crisp and clean.