Am I just a revolver recoil wuss?

[papajohn428]

If you truly have a hankering for a big bore, I think your only real option is a 44...........Special!  The 45 Colt is another possibility, two older chamberings with MILLIONS of devoted shooters who love them.  I share your problem with small hands, only smaller grips feel right, but with occasional bouts (flare-ups) of rheumatoid arthritis, I can't afford to punish my hands for very long, or I pay for it for days afterwards.  My solution was to get a Ruger Redhawk (Which you can usually find a good deal on, used) and shoot 44 Specials out of it, or load light stuff in 44 mag brass.  My son weighs barely 90 pounds, but once he got strong enough to hold it steady, he got pretty good with it, and says the recoil is "About like a 38".  A heavy gun, and a mild load will let you shoot any bullet weight, I like the lead 240's, but also shoot a hotter 180 load when I want a little flatter trajectory at longer ranges.  I will shoot 44 Mags on occasion, but not more than a box at a time, pain is a good teacher of what NOT to do too much.  

Lots of good advice here, basically all the same concepts........heavy gun, good grips, mild loads.  Another benefit to shooting the big bores?  They reduce eye strain.........them big-@$$ holes in the target are a lot easier to see!  

Papajohn

[Siskiyou]

When I talk about good recoil absorbing grips I have the Pachmayer Gripper Grips in mind.  They are of the rap around style.  That way the back of the rubber grips absorbs some recoil.  I know the SP101 comes with Rugers cushion grips but check out the others.  I prefer the Grippers Grips. http://www.lymanproducts.com/pachmayr/revolver.htm

A two handed shooting style allows for a good aim and spreads the recoil out.

Loads very, and the wieght of firearms very.  A .357 load in a 36 oz weapon will develope between 4 and 6 pounds or recoil.  A .44 mag will develope about 12 pounds of recoil.  papajohn428 Ruger Redhawk is a large .44 mag and eats the recoil.

I like the .44 mag but it taught me a painfull lesson.  A friend and I were out shooting steel chickens and he wanted me to shot his M29 S&W with custom grips.  What he did not tell was the custom gripes had been made from green wood and did not fit tight.  I had very nasty blood blister after one shot.

Suggest you find some litature on properly gripping a handgun.  I had fired handguns for years and thought I knew it all.  Then I had a couple of first rate instructors at the academy.  They knew how to shoot and instruct.  In their spare time the competed in matchs around the country.

But shooting a large bore handgun may not be in the cards for you.  I would recommend going to an indoor range that rents different handguns and trying out the large calibers using mild or med range loads.  You might have to do a little travelling to find such a range.  But it could save a lot of money in the long run.  It could also give you the oppertunity to try a number of handguns with different grip styles.  The range people will help you out because they will be looking for a sale.  You might talk to the folks at your local gun shop and find out what your options might be.

Ammunition management might be a better alternative for you.  I have seen some people enter law enforcement who did not have a firearms background and had a hard time dealing with recoil.  It was far better to have them being experts at firing +P38 Special or +P+ ammuniton in their duty weapon then full house .357 loads.  Better to have them hit the bad guy then have them flinch and miss.

[Bug]

Since you aren't likely to ever wear it out with heavy loads, let me make a suggestion no one else has. See if you can find a Taurus M-44, or similar model. I have a stainless 4" that i really like. It has/comes with a ported/compensated barrel, that really works. I've shot loads from .44 spl levels, up to smackin' level loads with 300gr bullets. With heavy loads I can't really call it pleasant, but with modest to midrange loads it is a pussycat. And, it comes stock with soft, easy-to-hold rubber grips. You should be able to pick up a new Taurus for the price of a used Smith or Ruger, even cheaper if you can find a pre-owned one, like I did. I think it will likely be the last handgun I'd sell, if it came to hard times. Well, that one or my Commander! Tough choice... Hope I dont ever have to make it!