Reducing recoil

D

Doug Ridley

New member
I have fairly severe arthritis in my wrist and am looking for suggestions as to what I can do to my S&W 642 to reduce the recoil as that thing kicks like a young unbroken mule. Or maybe even trade it for something else I can still pocket carry. No semi auto though as I have a hard time racking the slide on most of them. Ideas?
 
Couple of things.
Reduce the bullet weight to the minimum you can find. Probably around 110 grains.
Stay away from +P loads.
Add a rubber grip that covers the backstrap.
Did all the above, and now my wife can handle the piece without any discomfort.
Yes, you lose a bit of "stopping power", but his is easily offset by pulling the trigger again. Range time is also a big help.
Another option would be use 148 gr. target wadcutter loads.
Hope this helps.
 
Doug Ridley said:
I have fairly severe arthritis in my wrist and am looking for suggestions as to what I can do to my S&W 642 to reduce the recoil as that thing kicks like a young unbroken mule. Or maybe even trade it for something else I can still pocket carry. No semi auto though as I have a hard time racking the slide on most of them. Ideas?
Click to expand...
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With a damaged wrist, you're probably not interested in reloading, then.
That's the way to get really comfy practice loads.
Maybe you could find someone to make you some nice, light ones.
Or maybe you could buy a .22 twin to your .38, just for non-punishing practice.
Just an unsolicited thought or two, 'cause I feel your pain.
 
Selection of ammo and grips are your two main lines of attack.

Grips that reduce perceived recoil typically do so via:
1) filling your hand more fully, via palmswell;
2) padding the backstrap;
3) providing a little finger rest;
4) using cushioning material
any of the above, or a combination of the above.

The downside is, such grips tend to be larger, and also more likely to grab shirt fabric, so they are harder to conceal.

Moving up to a 2.5" or 3" K frame would help, by providing more mass (resisting recoil via inertia) and providing you more leverage. A steel J frame or Ruger SP101 would be another good option. Those choices work best with a belt holster of some kind.

A third line of attack would be to find an instructor and see if your form could be improved in some way.
 
For ten years after retiring from law enforcement I ran my own firearms training business. Among my students were a number of older folks who wanted to feel safer in a world full of younger, stronger hoodlums.

For those with arthritis or just weakness in the upper body (hand and arm strength) who insisted on 2", five shot 38 specials (not my first choice) I always recommended shooting and even carrying 148g full wadcutters.

They are mild in recoil and muzzle blast. They are as accurate as any 38 Special ammo to be found. They cut a full caliber hole in both targets and flesh. And finally, they allow comfortable practice and quick follow-up shots, placed accurately.

YMMV,
Dave
 
My input....

Years ago, author/sworn LE officer/tactics trainer: Massad Ayoob; www.massadayoobgroup.com , wrote a great gun press item on weapons/use of force issues for seniors, people with special needs, amputees, etc.
It would good if he wrote an updated version for the 2010s; ;) .
As for the J frame .38spl, Id look into a ported barrel: Mag-Na-Port or the Hybra-Port from GeminiCustoms.com . A CT lasergrip or Lasermax Centerfire laser aimer may aid your training/marksmanship. Crimsontrace.com puts out a free 2013 product DVD.
Id look into a Hogue rubber Tamer grip or maybe a heavy wood/J frame Craig Spegel Boot-Grip. Guy Hogue was a retired LAPD officer & armorer who started making revolver & pistol grips. His sons now run the huge business.
You could also use low recoil low muzzle flash .38spl rounds or try different frangible loads(MagSafe, Glaser Safety Slug, PowRball, etc).
Buffalo Bore may have a copper or low flash/low recoil .38spl load that might help.
If those steps do not really help, Id look at a Ruger LCR .22WMR revolver with a red dot laser aimer. It's smaller than a .38 spl or .357magnum but it's better than nothing.
Clyde
www.Mag-Na-Port.com www.geminicustoms.com www.natchezss.com www.buffalobore.com www.sgsales.com www.shopcorbon.com www.ruger.com www.americanpistol.com www.brownells.com www.crimsontrace.com
 
Good ideas. I will have to stay with the ammo I have for a while a I have about
400 Winchester 130 grain bullets I need to shoot up first. But I may try to find one box of something with a little less recoil. I will be going to the range Wednesday and intend to try a soft brace on my wrist. Other than that I may have to just tough it out. I do have a Colt Det. Spl. which is heavier and absorbs recoil better and I will shoot that some but it is a little heavy to pocket carry and I think I should try to practice with what I am going to carry so I do need to use the 642 some. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
I would suggest getting a S&W Shield in 9mm. It's very easy to rack the slide, a lot less recoil and a better choice of defensive rounds and yes I have arthritis, so I am very aware of the problem.
 
Is upgrading to a steel frame a viable solution? As a Life Member of SNM-Sons of Neanderthal Man-I always recommend steel frames for their superior recoil absorbing qualities.
 
Don't forget about the .32 family of revolvers!

The .32 H&R Magnum should approximate the power of .38 special or 9mm in a revolver but with a tad less recoil. Because it is a smaller cartridge, you get to carry 6 in a J-Frame. (For some reason, currently manufactured Charter Arms snubbies in .32 H&R Magnum only hold 5 :confused: .) If you need to lower the recoil further, any gun chambered in .32 H&R Magnum will also shoot the older .32 S&W Long. This round is a pussycat and MagTech currently makes it in a semi-jacketed hollow-point.

On that same token, if you need a little more punch you could always look into a .327 Federal Magnum. This will get you up past the .38 and 9mm power level and just into the lower spectrum of the .357, again with a tad less recoil and higher cylinder capacity. Of course, any revolver chambered in .327 will also shoot the lighter .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W Long so you can change it up.

I would take any of these over something in the .22 family. The bullet weights are considerably higher. Except for maybe comparing .22 magnum with the old .32 S&W Longs, the energy advantage is always with the .32s. The .32s are also centerfire. That means more reliable firing with less trigger pull.
 
I was thinking the same thing as Cosmodragoon as I was reading through this post. I have an SP101 in 327 and love that little guy. Although bigger than your 642, so pocket carry may be tough. With full power 327s, they are a bit stout, but with 32H&Rs, the recoil is pretty mild while still packing plenty of power. I let my 9 year old son(who is a little runt) shoot the gun with some moderately loaded 327s and he loves it.

I also loaded up some 32 S&W longs, and they are like shooting a 22. Almost no recoil.

The only problem is that finding the 327 guns is getting tough.

As others have mentioned, if you want to stick with your gun, other ammo choices will bring recoil way down. The full wadcutter suggestion is excellent.
 
I recommend against hand raps or any other add on to help with recoil. J Frames are for SD and you won't normally walk around with padding on your hand/arms to absorb recoil.

Fix the problem in a way it doesn't interfere with the carrying or using the gun for self defense.

Hornady just came out with low recoil Critical Defense ammo. It was designed for recoil shy ladies (don't let that bother you). Its a 90 grn bullet and watching the test in gelatin, it had excellent expanding and penetration qualities.

The only problem I saw with it was the pink tip. But in your gun, only you know what color the bullet is.

I teach a woman's firearm class and many of the ladies show up with J-frames. I furnish the ammo so as I can provide light loads so I can teach the ladies to shoot instead of flinch.

I carry LSWCs in my 642, they aren't hot by a long shot, I don't believe one needs to have +P hyper velocity ammo for self defense. If the bullet will penetrate 6 inches, it will get to the vitals.

No bullet, regardless of velocity will guarantee a stop. Don't believe it watch some hunting shows on TV. You'll see deer and other animals run off after being shot in the vitals with a heavy rifle, which hits a lot harder then any pistol/revolver round. There is no Guaranteed DRT bullets.

Better off shooting something you can handle. If you load load light. For carry try the 90 Gr Hornady Critical defense ammo.

As I said I carry LSWCs w/a velocity of about 750 FPS, or less. I've put down horses with this bullet out of my 642. It works because I can shoot it. I'm recoil shy, but I dislike flinching less then I dislike recoil.
 
Originally posted by SIGSHR
Is upgrading to a steel frame a viable solution? As a Life Member of SNM-Sons of Neanderthal Man-I always recommend steel frames for their superior recoil absorbing qualities.
Click to expand...

That was my thought as well. A 640 would seem like a natural replacement as it is the most similar steel-frame counterpart to the 642.
 
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