Good Revolver for a Bad Wrist

[Republicrat]

I'm looking to get a revolver for self-defense and target shooting. I currently only own rifles and a 12 gua shotgun. The only handguns I've fired were a few years back included a 9mm semiauto and a small .22 pistol.

My right wrist has developed a repetitive stress injury over the last few years because of my previous work as a jeweler and my current work which puts me on a computer all day long.

I need recommendations for a good revolver that isn't going to destroy my wrist if I take it out shooting for practice and such.

I'm sure I'll get all sorts of recommendations for big caliber stuff for stopping power, but the reality is if I go to the range and smack my wrist around too much I won't be shooting anything.

I was thinking about a 357 with 38spl ammo, hopefully it won't hurt too bad. Any suggestions?

[rha600]

I was thinking just a .38 or maybe even a .32. also this might be a little dumb but what about a semi auto? Don't they typically have slightly less recoil?

[fisherman66]

You are spot on with the .357 shooting 38 specials.

I'd get a reasonably heavy gun to soak up some of that percieved recoil. A Ruger Black Hawk .357 would be about ideal if you want a heavy Single action - which the plow shaped handle rolls the gun under recoil (good thing), or a GP100 or S&W 686? would cover double action (which is better as a self defense gun.)

[Tom2]

Maybe you should consider a .22 rev for range practice and see how it feels. Otherwise I would go with a standard weight .38 instead of a real heavy magnum with a long barrel. That weight might add to the stress of holding it up there for long periods. Maybe a heavy barrel K frame 3 or 4 incher, which is heavy enough to soak up recoil, but not as heavy as some magnums like the L frame or N frame. And try target loads first, or at least standard non +P for practice. You could use the hotter stuff for serious work but why add to the stress on your wrist for practice? And also get some aftermarket rubber grips that will help you hold on, and soak up recoil too, especially if they wrap around the backstrap. I have a model 64 K frame heavy barrel .38 that I put Uncle Mikes rubber grips on. I love those grips and put that brand on all my Smiths. Not as large as comparable Pachmayrs and they cover the backstrap, unlike Hogues.

[jclaude]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Get your wrist fixed! Then buy and shoot anything you want to.

I had both of mine done last year, and the improvement is amazing.

[rnovi]

softball .38 special loads out of my GP100 have recoil that is negligable on any level. I find the .38's to be much, much softer than my wife's 9mm XD auto.

However, I would say that the most important thing for you to do is to test fire as many handguns as you can. Some revolvers just aren't as kind as others when it comes to recoil. An S&W with the exposed backstrap may well transmit more felt recoil into your hand than a Ruger GP100 with a fully rubber handle.

However, there may be more to simple ergonomics than meets the eye. A Revolver's handle is completely different ergonomically than an auto. An auto may actually fit your hand a lot better simply from the angle of the grip.

I'd say, go hang out at a gun range and see what you can see. Talk to people. Heck, if you lived in SoCal I'd meet you at a range with a half dozen handguns of various kinds for you to try out.

[adwjc]

Check out the 32 H&R Magnum.

You'll find this chambering offered by S&W, Taurus & Ruger.

On paper, the standard loads deliver the same results as 38 Special at standard velocity.

Recoil is significantly less than the 38.

[gb_in_ga]

I've found that medium frame .38 Spl or .357 Mag revolvers (I'd reccomend sticking with those 3" barrel or longer) have recoil that is just about as mild as a .22lr when you shoot lightly loaded .38 Spl 148 gr wadcutters. I mean, even my wife who has arthritis has no problem with these in her 4" S&W Model 15 or in my 4" S&W Model 686. You should have about the same results with any similar medium frame revolver.

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I also have recurring wrist problems. Mine comes from lifting weights.

Lately I've had to wrap my wrists with sports tape. The idea is to nearly splint them. Plus I use shooting gloves.

Fact is, if your wrist is injured, any recoil is going to hurt.

That said, you can't go wrong with a .22.

Centerfire autos will probably inflame your injury.

Big revolvers with reduced loads are probably best, as has already been pointed out.

[dallasconundrum]

.38s out of my 4 inch 686s 620s and GP-100 are very mild and pleasant, shot a bunch off today out of the GP-100. But, as I think it has already stated, these heavier revolvers might cause a problem just because of holding their weight extended out at arm's length.

If you are just plinking around, a little .22 may well be the way to go. Cheap too!

[Pipster]

The trouble with a heavier gun like the GP100 is that the weight of the gun will tame the recoil a bit, but the weight of the gun itself is not going to help your wrists any. I'd suggest a lighter .38 S&W K frame with a 4" barrel. You can probably shoot 148gr HBWC on top of 3.5gr of Hodgdon HP38 all day long. As fo self defence, you're likley only going to fire 1-3 rounds, so what does it matter if they're hot .38+P+. You're hardly going to notice it, what "with all the excitement and everything"

Peter

[TX_RGR]

+1 on getting healthy! I like the .38s for training on the .357 idea. You could even splint your wrist when you shoot. It might actually improve accuracy somewhat. FWIW, a .44 special has a surprisingly mild recoil, esp. if you use cowboy loads, which are also cheaper than full house versions, of course. Since you mentioned defense along with range use, this one came to mind.

TX

[BillCA]

Republicrat,

You're wrist is subject to injury, but how well can you hold a fairly heavy revolver? While I have some moderate wrist problems, I can still hold either a big N-Frame or 1911 without causing wrist problems. I hope you can too.

If you can heft a heavyweight revolver, my suggestions are:

S&W Model 625 - .45 ACP
It's a big gun but even the 230gr hardball and +P ammo feels amazingly light when fired. Most rounds produce about the same recoil as a .38 wadcutter or a hair more, but very comfy to shoot.

S&W Model 27/28 (used)
The big N-Frame .357's are the most fun to shoot with mid-range .38 specials or wadcutters. You hardly know they've gone bang. Even with 125gr +P ammo, the weight soaks up the recoil well.

Getting lighter:

S&W Model 586/686/620 L-Frame series
These .357's are pretty tame when firing match wadcutters or typical range fodder (e.g. 130gr FMJ .38 special). Not quite as mild as the N-Frames.

A good K-Frame .38 shouldn't be too tough on you either, though it's the lightest of the .38/.357 caliber guns. Finding a model 13/65 or 19/66 .357 offers a hair more weight, but even a heavy barreled model 10 should suffice if you practice with range ammo.

Yes, you can actually go to a lightweight:

If a snubby is more to your liking, check out the S&W Model 431 & 432 snubby six-shooters in .32 H&R Magnum. While these are "Airweight" revolvers the .32 H&R doesn't produce much recoil. And you can shoot the .32 S&W Long if you want even less recoil. In actual experience, there's not much difference in the recoil between the two.

[leopard1]

Carpal tunnel exercises for your wrists at http://www.scheib.net/work/carpal/ might help as well.

Light-weight .22 Magnum revolvers from Taurus (Ultralite 941) and Smith and Wesson (351PD) might be viable alternatives. They don't weigh much and have negligible recoil.

[Petre]

I think you have a double edge sword here Republicrat

On the one hand , the weight of a good sized revolver might get rough on your wrist. On the other ... any larger caliber round or +p in a lighter firearm could be just as , if not more damaging. As an example ... Firing .38+p through a lightweight snubby will not be good for you.

IMO ... I'd go with the largest/heaviest .357 you can comfortably hold .... and fire only .38 rounds through it. This will give you all the things you need.

Decent firepower and recoil management. You may want to look into a ported .357 too which will further help to reduce the felt recoil.

[FirstFreedom]

Can you learn to shoot left-handed? Have you checked into making a worker's comp claim with a local atty in order to have surgery for the RMS? But yeah, a .38 spl out of a large framed, 6" .357 mag is gonna be a pussycat.

[gb_in_ga]

You can probably shoot 148gr HBWC on top of 3.5gr of Hodgdon HP38 all day long.

Slightly OT, well maybe not. FWIW, I'm using 148 gr DEWC with 2.5 gr of HP-38 for my wife. Powder Puff stuff, and still decently accurate.

[Mikeyboy]

A larger frame .38 or a .357 shooting .38 is good.

A .32 H&R Magnum or a .32 S&W Long is better but ammo is expensive and hard to come by.

A .22L or .22 magnum may be your best bet, lowest recoil.

[Dogjaw]

A 6" S&W 686 (or used 586) L frame with 38's for target will fit the bill. Winchester white box 38's have very little recoil out of it. Hot .357 loads have little muzzle flip, but recoil is a very subjective issue. They're also quite accurate. You might want to try a few out before buying if possible. The heavier revolvers would be better for recoil. Try a wrist brace for added support in extended shooting, and possibly a soft grip to help with recoil.

[cje1980]

+1 on the medium to large frame revolver. When shooting standard 38 loads out of my S&W 686, I could swear I'm shooting a 22LR pistol. I really like the Fed AE and WWB 130gr. FMJ. These loads seriously feel like a toy cap gun out of such a heavy revolver. I can drill six of them right in the middle of the target in probably less than 2 seconds. Muzzle flip is nearly non-existant.

[Republicrat]

Well, after talking to my local gun shop I decided on a Taurus Tracker .357mag in stainless steel. It has some heft to it, a comfortable grip, and the price was right. I'll get out to the range in the next few days and see how I handle it. I'll use .38spl ammo and if I feel good about I'll send some .357 through there too.

[Bama]

Mt wrist is ok, but my elbows are pretty bad. I've found that a good D/A won't hurt my elbow like a S/A does. I sold my SBH to get a SRH. Even the 480 doesn't hurt me now.