Uhhgg, revolver hurts

[Shorts]

Just got back from shooting, all went well. The Beretta felt good, the Marlin .22lr was right on (25yd and 35yd groupings were excellent), the 22/45 - I've had better days, and the revolver, well that was uncomfortable.

As I'd go through the cylinder after shot 3, I had to adjust my grip back down again so that the webbing between my thumb and pointer didn't get squished. My hand would slip up the grip and this gave me many stingers in the webbing too If I didn't have such small girly hands I'd say that the grip almost feels too small.

Grips, are there any that have sort of a dovetail at the top backstrap to keep the hand from sliding up? I as hoping some rubber grips would help keep those stingers away, as well as keep the pistol set instead of sliding up. No, my hands weren't sweaty doing a workout sweaty, they were just normal out shooting mild moisture.

Any thoughts? It also seemed the tighter I gripped the handle so it would'nt slip, the worse it made the slip. And if I loosened it, well, then the butt stung my palm Oh yeah, this was only the second box of 50 I put through this.

 

[2002gti]

+p's out of my taurus 85 is like shooting a rubber band gun compared to my ruger 2" .357 with full power loads. now those hurt................

 

[Shorts]

um thanks 2002gti, I think that will definitely help my stingers Let's not turn this into a "what load really hurts" thread. What hurts me might not necessarily hurt you. And I'm not shooting your gun or your loads, I'm shooting mine. I shoot 110 +Ps and 150 gr., the recoil is fine. Its the edges that are uncomfortable.

Let me reiterate what I'm looking for. Dose anyone know of rubber grips that have (somewhat of) a dovetail style on the top of the backstrap? My hand slides up.

Pachmayr makes the compact grips, and those are rubber, but basically the same style and factory. Hogue makes rubber grips as well, same thing.

 

[Archie]

Not sure about grips....

However, you might try this:

Grip the revolver as high on the grip as you can. Grasp firmly, somewhere between a proper Texican handshake and choking a liberal senator (your pick). The idea is, you've already moved your hand up to where it would have slipped and it's 'settled'. Also, the recoil comes straight back instead of an upward rotation.

What ammo are you using? At the risk of sounding patronizing (I'm not) start with wadcutters or some other light load. You can develop your hand muscles that way and work up to +p loads as you go.

 

[Shorts]

Archie, I just finished the last box of Winchester 150 gr LRN (target). The next shipment I have arriving is Fiocchi 158 gr FMJ. My PD is Fed Hydrashok 110 +P JHPs.

I was aiming to find some 130s, but I didn't want to order from 2 seperate places...OUT OF STOCK sure gets annoying

I'll try gripping higher up to where my hand would slip up to. I can dry fire like that all day, but unfortunately the snap caps don't similate the recoil. Ah well, I'll keep working on the grip strength.

 

[Sir William]

OK. My suggestion is to go with a bigger and longer grip. Pachmayr makes a larger grip that is a gripper style, larger, has palmswells and finger grooves. They also make a rubber/wood set that I prefer for small framed revolvers. The need is to fill in the area behind the trigger guard. That will keep you from sliding up higher. The pinky needs to be in contact with the grip and supported. Stock grips don't do that. The better question is, should you obtain a larger revolver? A S&W K frame would provide a longer grip in a round butt form, +1 ammunition as it is 6 shot, they are heavier and therefore absorb recoil better. I would give real thought to trading the small framed Taurus for a larger K framed 2" RB S&W M10 38 Special.

 

[BillCA]

You didn't say what kind of grips you have on your Taurus 85 -- wood, plastic, rubber, etc.

To answer your question directly - I don't know of any grips like you describe.

Note however, that the Taurus rubber grips on their Titanium Magnums have a "ribbed" design to cushion recoil in high-powered/lightweight guns. I've tried them on a .32 H&R, .357 Titanium and even their 2" Titanium .41Mag. They work. The grips are larger to fill your hand but the ribs around the grips allow for some flex too. I didn't feel much "creep" even firing the .41Mag with 210gr loads (but then, five of those and your hand can't feel much of anything!)

See if Taurus has a pair that will fit your M85.

 

[Shorts]

BillCA, the grips are the stock rubber(ish) things that came on the gun. I'd like to keep them rubber. I try to stay away frm the wood grips, they're not really my style Although I admit, I have the walnut grips on my Beretta (stockers)

 

[HSMITH]

Shorts , the solution is small wooden 'service' type grips and a Tyler T grip. The Tyler lets your fingers keep the gun in place, not squeezing down on the entire grip which will wreck your shooting.

 

[JohnKSa]

Shorts,

The grip slipping is countered by moving your hand higher on the grip (where it wants to slip during recoil).

Here's a picture of a grip that might help you maintain your low hand position. It's made by Hogue.

I don't want to discourage you, but small revolvers are not the most comfortable guns to shoot. Practice will help, but that's kind of the nature of the beast. After some bad experiences (before we met) my wife absolutely refuses to shoot any revolvers today. My sister who owns a Ladysmith in .38 used to shoot hers with no problem, but since her bout with breast cancer (lots of chemo, some radiation and a double radical mastectomy) she complains that she feels that she can no longer properly control the revolver during recoil. I have shot her revolver, and I'd rather put a hundred rounds through my big .44mag than shoot a few cylinder fulls through her little .38.

Ok, enough negative...

The positive is that you will not notice the recoil at all in a real self-defense situation and the practice (uncomfortable or not) will pay off. And, the +P 110 grn JHPs may actually recoil LESS than the 158 grain practice loads...

My wife has several medical problems which result in low hand strength and exaggerated sensitivity to recoil. My advice to her is to limit the number of rounds she shoots during a given outing (at least through the guns that hurt). If you try to tough it out and shoot a lot at one time with a gun that is uncomfortable, there's a tendency to develop flinching problems.

 

[Doogle]

Another issue that may apply....>

...IF you shot the revolver last. In your post you run through shooting 3 other gunns (2 , at least, being handguns) before mentioning the revolver, and so perhaps you shot that last (?) Anyway, if this is so you may well have been a bit "shot out" and the hands may have been getting weary. I've had this myself on days when I've shot a number of handguns in succession. Try shooting the revolver first next time and see if you note any difference.

As another poster has mentioned, a small revolver mated with powerful loads is going to make handling an issue no matter what, but I do find with my Taurus M689 that holding the grip up high is very helpful in overall control. However, my revolver does appear to have a bit more of a "beavertail" shape to the frame than your model Taurus, which helps in stopping the hand moving any farther upward. So, your idea to get differently shaped grips may well help, (sorry, I don't know of any). The grips on my Taurus pretty well just follow the frame shape.

​

 

[Unkel Gilbey]

One thing we used to do when practicing for a match, where 100's of rounds were sent downrange, was to use rosin to help us maintain our grip on the pistol.

We're talking about the standard rosin bag that you find at sporting goods stores in the baseball or softball section (maybe even in the bowling section?) I'd keep it in a ziplock in my shooting box until needed. When my hands started to get too sweaty that I couldn't maintain a repeatable grip, I'd bounce the bag in my hand a few times, and this helped a lot.

Not saying that it will solve your problem, but if you don't end up finding a decent replacement grip, using rosin will at least allow you to practice without the same amount of slippage that you are currently experiencing.

Good Luck,
Unkel Gilbey

 

[Shorts]

Hey guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I'll see how grips work. I originally got the gun to be my carry, and my Beretta to be my fun range gun. As it turns out, I enjoy my fun range gun and started carrying it before I got my revolver back (it had a trip to Taurus for timing). The 2" compact frame of the revolver makes it extremely easy to conceal, plus it does the job of a pistol in the hand vs no gun at all.

Doogle, my order of guns when I shot had the revolver shooting third, after the .22 rifle and 22/45. I usually leave the Beretta for last when I have this grouping because it feels good and comfy like an old pair of jeans or shoes or whatever he saying is But fatigue could very well have been a factor. I like to warm up with the smaller calibers then move up.

You know, I was thinking about the general forces and movement of the guns (revolver vs semi), since I shoot one handed, the least amount of pistol movement should make for a better shot in general, theoretically. The revolver has the force of the cylinder moving sideways when the trigger is pulled, the pistol has it going straight back. Well, I didn't get too far on that thought, it was just a fleeting idea I had when I was doing chores or something here at the house

 

[JohnKSa]

Shorts,

A light gun and heavy bullets means that recoil not only comes back and up but also twists in the opposite direction of the rifling due to the force required to spin up the bullet. That's probably what you're feeling more than the response to the cylinder rotation.

 

[dav]

I think all the responses here must be from revolver guys.

I don't like revolvers because they slide in my hand every shot. Most people I have discussed this with say I'm out of my mind.

If I gripped the revo any higher than I do, I would have to hold it at my waist, and my palm would be covering the hammer. Hmm, maybe I need a revo with a hammer shroud!

I don't have an answer for you Shorts, I just want you to know you are not the only one suffering from this problem as would appear from the other replies.

It has nothing to do with recoil as far as I can tell. M10 with .38 target loads, or Super Redhawk in .45, they all act the same in my hands.

No auto has ever acted in the same manner.

 

[Evan03]

Shorts

I cant help on the rubber grips, but i do think it would be worth your while to look through houges selection of wood handles. there aare difrent styles and desings and im sure youl fall in love with one of the exsotic woods they offer. these woods grips realy polish up revolver.

just the options in checkering might intrest you,

good luck

Evan

 

[44mag@ucnsb.net]

Shorts,

I think I might be able to help you. Please don't take this as anything bad or personal, but my Ex Wife had the same issue when she shot my Model 85CH Taurus. I searched and searched for grips to fix this. I finally found a set of OLD Pachmyer grips that are intended to fit an Old Model Charter Arms .38, they worked. They are Presentation Grips, very oversize, and they worked well for her. We are divorced, I kept the gun, and I have since removed the grips from this gun. I have a pic below that shows them on the gun. I found that they were solid once tightened down and did not move. There was a small gap between the backside of the gripframe near the top, and the front edge of the grips. This was never an issue and was not cosmetically unappealing to me. I believe these will work to solve your problem as well. In this light, it takes a minute to install these grips for the range and remove them when you are going to conceal carry the Model 85. If you would like to try them out, you are welcome to email me and I will send them to you. I bought them many moons ago out of a bargain bin for like a buck or two and have no need for them presently. Let me know. Good luck.

.44mag

 

[LAK]

A small, light revolver with heavy bullets or other fairly stiff load is already a handful. What you describe is the levering effect of recoil in most revolvers to a greater or lesser degree.

Many people who shoot the old style single action revolvers with heavy loads routinely allow (and prefer) this slippage, increased by the shape of the old SA grip frame, which serves to lessen the blow to the web of the hand, and place the hammer in a lower position for cocking. On the otherhand, modern double-action revolvers with similar heavy chamberings tend to impart a heavier blow to the web and strain on hand and wrist when resisting the recoil impulses.

As you say you shoot one handed, I think a grip with more distinct finger grooves might help - be they rubber or wood. A $2 set of handgrip exercizers from a sporting chain might help considerably too as the increased grip strength and stamina should help all round.

In the meantime, for extended practice you could wear gloves. I have used the thin goatskin "workgloves" available at many hardware stores. If you can find some that don't have heavy seems in the wrong places they can really help if things get uncomfortable.

 

[Hal]

I don't like revolvers because they slide in my hand every shot. Most people I have discussed this with say I'm out of my mind.
If I gripped the revo any higher than I do, I would have to hold it at my waist, and my palm would be covering the hammer. Hmm, maybe I need a revo with a hammer shroud!

I grip a revolver high like that also - to the point where the hammer compresses the flesh on the back of my hand with each trigger pull.
Yes - they slide, and no you aren't out of your mind. I find it controls recoil very well and is a huge factor is accurate shot to shot placement when I shoot strong hand.

The weird part is I prefer the movement. It took me a lot of rounds downrange to get used to the "solid" feel of a semi auto.

Weak hand, I grip the revolver much lower. I don't notice the tendancy for it to "slide" there as much.

 

[Snowdog]

Shorts, are the grips currently on your M85 the smallish factory wood grips?
I apologize if your post specified the grips; the bronchitis I'm stuck with tends to dampen my attention span to that of a 5-year-old.

I ask because I've always found the factory rubber grips on my Taurus M85CH to lend themselves well to controllability and comfort when dealing with +P rounds.

Below are a couple pictures of my M85 wearing Taurus rubber grips (I'm thinking my M85 grips are post-Uncle Mike).
The top of the grip does seem to flare out a bit, helping to tame recoil by allowing the grip to roll upwards while still offering a shiftless grip.
If your M85 doesn't have these grips, I'm sure Taurus can arrange some to be sent to you for a reasonable price.
EDIT: I suppose I should have read the posts from others before posting... seems I should just go back to bed.

Taurus rubber grips

A closer look of that "dove tail" I think you were referring to