recoil on knuckle

[gundownunder]

Hey y'all
I'm in the market for a revolver and don't know which to get.
My experience in the past has been mostly with the single six .22LR but I'm now thinking about a 357.
I had a look at a s&w 586 that the dealer at my gun club was selling but if I hold it too low on the grip the trigger guard gives me a nasty belt on the knuckle even with lite 110 gr factory loads, but if I hold it correctly with my hand higher up the grip it puts a lot of strain on my wrist because it forces me to twist my hand downward excessively to get aligned on the target. I do find the single six comfortable to hold but if I buy a Black-hawk will I still have the problem of the trigger guard rapping me on the knuckle or does the different shape of the single action gun stop that.
Advice from folks who have shot both would be much appreciated.

cheers
Bob

[MePlat]

Quite simple.  Go get a box of band aids and wrap your knucle.  cheap and effective and nothing to worry about.

[thxmrgarand]

I think Mr. Meplat is being facetious.  Over the decades I have shot many guns that just didn't fit me very well, and if they were mine they were traded.  If someone was trying to sell one to me then I passed on it.  I can even remember being a little happy that a 20 GA Winchester Model 21 I just had to have (until I shot it) belted the heck out of me.  I wasn't about to be belted (so to speak) by the spouse over an $8,500 purchase of a gun that also belted me.  I am still looking for a good Model 21 but own a few very reasonable substitutes.  Not every gun can fit every person.  And my J-Frame didn't fit well until it had over-sized rubber grips. 

[MePlat]

Mr MePlat wasn't being facetious and I wasn't joking either.  I have a roll of the soft kind of water proof tape in my truck just for that purpose.
A Ruger Blackhawk belts my finger and also a FA but that doesn't keep me from owning them either. 
Much to do about a simple problem. 
Out hunting no problem to not use the tape as how many shots does one take hunting.  Practice is another thing though.  Even JD Jones mentioned using band aids carefully  placed  when firing a FA 454 in one of his handgun hunting columns back several years ago.
Good enough for him its good enough for me.

[rockbilly]

I used band aids for years on the meaty part of the hand between the trigger finger and thumb.  Back when I was shooting competitive, I shot the .45 for both the .45 competition, and the center fire. The stippling on the gun was so rough that it was like sandpaper, and would break my hand open and cause it to start bleeding.   As the gun was "Property of the U.S. Government," I could not alter it, or remove the stippling, so the band aid was the answer to my problem

[Skunk]

Or, how about a good pair of shooting gloves - the ones made of leather that have padded knuckles?

Skunk

[Lloyd Smale]

personaly i dont like shooting gloves they interfere to much with the consistancy of my grip. I have used and allways carry a selection of bandaids though.

[corbanzo]

I use duct tape for this reason to make some slip so it doesnt rip up my hand.  Only a bit where it rubs though, don't wanna lose the gun completely.   

I used band aids for years on the meaty part of the hand between the trigger finger and thumb.  Back when I was shooting competitive, I shot the .45 for both the .45 competition, and the center fire. The stippling on the gun was so rough that it was like sandpaper, and would break my hand open and cause it to start bleeding.   As the gun was "Property of the U.S. Government," I could not alter it, or remove the stippling, so the band aid was the answer to my problem

[Mikey]

gundownunder:  Sounds like a simple grip change would solve your problems. thxmrgarand provides a great clue - none of his j-frames fit his hand well until he put on different grips.  I don't know what the 586's wear for grips these days but I'm not the only guy who has had to change the grips on his S&W (very large aftermarket demand for the S&W grips) after dustin' a knuckle once or twice, or finding oneself with the famous 'Smith and Wesson thumb'.

If you like the gun you should buy it.  You will easily spend a couple of hundred dollars I'm sure, so you kay wish to factor in the few extra $ for a set of grips that fit your hand well.  JMTCW.  Mikey.

[Dusty Miller]

Several of my guns smack my knuckle and so I've resorted to using Molefoam.  Its made to stop blisters from forming on one's feet when hiking but its nice and thick and a strip of it in the right place, held there with a bandaid or piece of first aid tape, is just the cat's meow.

[Jerry Lester]

I've shot a few S&W's that smacked my knuckle pretty good, but I haven't had much trouble at all with a Ruger SA revolver even in the hard kicking calibers. A 44 Blackhawk loaded up stout with 240g-300g bullets will just occasionaly get me if I get too relaxed with my grip, but I've never had a 357 Blackhawk with any load do it.

I've loaded my 357 Blackhawk with some "very" stout loads, and I can still shoot it (even one handed) with never the least bit of knuckle smacking.

[Lloyd Smale]

I got to go with jerry on this. Ive yet to actually see any 357 load recoil enough to hurt other then in a titainium snubby. Biggest thing to look at is finding grips that fit your hand.

[poncaguy]

I have 2 Ruger GP100 357's, 4" and a 6, and a 8" Dan Wesson 357. They never give me any trouble. Also a 45 Colt Blackhawk SA revolver which is no problem either.

[crabo]

I was hunting rabbits, prairie dogs, and such with a friend. He just got a new Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44.  He developed a blister and then wrapped his hand with tape.  He didn't think that the gun rolled enough in his hand, so he added some baby powder to his tape job.  I was sitting in the bed of the truck on a big gas tank with a 22.250.  The deal was, I would take the long shots, and as he was driving, he got the short shots.  To make a long story short, he reached up and took the gun off the dash, cocking it as he picked it up, slipped with the powder and touch off a full bore 44 through the windshield. 

To say it rattled his brain, would be an understatement.  Tape, good idea, baby powder, bad idea.  Cocking the gun and having the finger on the trigger before having it pointed in the right direction, even worse.

Craig

[Dusty Miller]

Shooting from a moving vehicle, priceless!!

[crabo]

We had stopped.  At least he did that right......

[poncaguy]

When we were in high school (1957-1959) we use to hunt the hedgerows for rabbits when it snowed or at nite with a spotligjht, we would have 1 guy on each front fender and 2 in bed of pickup and one by each door............shoot 20-30 cottontails at a time. Cleaned and ate them all. Luck was with us, brains weren't, never shot anyone or cows or horses. Of course, it was slightly against the law! Hardly and hedge rows now, they plant wheat to the center of the dirt roads anymore..............

[paul105]

I think I might have stumbled on an easy cure for the dreaded busted middle knuckle syndrome caused by shooting single action revolvers.  This also works for those that get the web of their shooting hand jammed into the sharp edges above the grip, below the hammer,  at the back of the frame. 

A couple of days ago,  I was getting ready to test some 315gr loads that chrono 1,100 fps from my 4 1/4" FA M97.  There have been times when my hands are so dry, that even regular (250's at 850/900fps) .45 Colt loads hammer my middle knuckle.  I had some Bowstring Wax (basically a beeswax mix of some sort) in the truck.  I rubbed some on both hands, and started shooting -- no knuckle busting, and no jamming the web of my hand into the back of the frame.

I decided to investigate further, so I took the .454 out to the range this morning.  It was loaded with 340 gr TC cast (The old JD Jones bullet) at a chronoed 1,200 fps.  The loads were very controllable, and again, no knuckle battering or web jamming.  I actually loosened my grip up substantially, and shot a couple of rounds -- no grip slippage at all (knuckle & web unscathed), even though muzzle flip was much more pronounced.

The grips on the M97 are smooth black Micarta.  The M83 grips are smooth wood.

This stuff is great, it's not messy or sticky.  The stuff I used is pictured below, but I'm sure any beeswax bowstring formula would work just as well.   You might want to give it a try.





Paul

[kennisondan]

P-105... the bow sting wax : did it increase or decrease friction; was it tacky or slippery...or did it just " moisten your hands and make them younger lookin' "
enquiring minds...
dk

[Lloyd Smale]

hell paul at least your not using ky jell!!!

I think I might have stumbled on an easy cure for the dreaded busted middle knuckle syndrome caused by shooting single action revolvers.  This also works for those that get the web of their shooting hand jammed into the sharp edges above the grip, below the hammer,  at the back of the frame. 

A couple of days ago,  I was getting ready to test some 315gr loads that chrono 1,100 fps from my 4 1/4" FA M97.  There have been times when my hands are so dry, that even regular (250's at 850/900fps) .45 Colt loads hammer my middle knuckle.  I had some Bowstring Wax (basically a beeswax mix of some sort) in the truck.  I rubbed some on both hands, and started shooting -- no knuckle busting, and no jamming the web of my hand into the back of the frame.

I decided to investigate further, so I took the .454 out to the range this morning.  It was loaded with 340 gr TC cast (The old JD Jones bullet) at a chronoed 1,200 fps.  The loads were very controllable, and again, no knuckle battering or web jamming.  I actually loosened my grip up substantially, and shot a couple of rounds -- no grip slippage at all (knuckle & web unscathed), even though muzzle flip was much more pronounced.

The grips on the M97 are smooth black Micarta.  The M83 grips are smooth wood.

This stuff is great, it's not messy or sticky.  The stuff I used is pictured below, but I'm sure any beeswax bowstring formula would work just as well.   You might want to give it a try.





Paul

[btmidwest]

Lloyd,    At least the knife hasn't affected your humor.  Has any one tried a rosin bag to help with grip?   Bill

[paul105]

hell paul at least your not using ky jell!!!

Lloyd,

Only in bear country

[paul105]

P-105... the bow sting wax : did it increase or decrease friction; was it tacky or slippery...or did it just " moisten your hands and make them younger lookin' "
enquiring minds...
dk

Didn't seem to increase friction -- I've used Pachmayr's on the .454 and they'll abrade your hand.  It's a little tacky, not slippery.  Definitely makes your hand younger .

Paul 

[S.B.]

If the Ruger SA is hitting your middle finger, try wrapping your little finger under the grip frame? Works for me.

[RicMic]

I found that when using the two handed hold where the weak hand wraps around the shooting hand, use the index finger of the weak hand to pull the middle finger down tight/further around on the grip of the shooting hand.  Now my middle knuckle only gets knocked on doors, when of course there's no doorbell - well, I'm kinda off topic again.

[SHOOTALL]

the black hawk does not hit my knuckle , the super black hawk does . the rem. xp-100 did , most hard kicking double actions seem to do so sooner or later , i guess i relax my grip or something ! a tyler t grip worked wonders as it lowers your grip much as oversized or target grips fill the space behind the trriger bow !
if you like a gun and want to shoot some but not invest in new grips ot t-grip try a piece of foam insulation tape on back of the trigger bow ( its how i made it thru IMHSA matches , with out it i ended up with a bruise on my finger and hand ) the band-aid worked also !
I find there are basically two schools of thought , either go custom and be fitted or learn to shoot it the way it comes . Both work it boils down to cost and what can you live with !

[S.B.]

Actually, I feel less presentable recoil with a "high on the horn" grip hold with double action pistols? Nothing helps me much when the middle finger gets sore? Hurts!!! I just grin and try to bear it?

[SHOOTALL]

the Tyler t grip repositions your finger out of the way ,

[S.B.]

Does the Tyler grip adapter do anything that factory target grip doen't for you? I've used both, the Tyler grip adapter with magna grips and the factory target grips and can't see much difference. Maybe different sized hands feel the pain differently? Because of too many 90lb. jackhammers and carple tunnel my hands swell and shrink alot. Depends on what the job at hand is. I seem to change grips on my S&W pistols quite often, to get a proper fit.

[skamaniac]

I'm a novice to hand gunning.  I bought a New Model Super Blackhawk and was shooting some hot reloads a friend loaded for me and banged my knuckle up pretty good.  I bought it to hunt with and am not worried about getting banged up while hunting but i want to get a lot of practice in to be as efficient as i can.  I was wondering if anyone has tried the Hogue or Pachmayer grips.  Would they do anything to help with knuckle busting?  Also, i do have large hands (and big feet ).