Hi:
The recoil of my Charter Arms 3" barrel Revolver (old model) leaves a open wound on my right index (trigger) finger's right side. This revolver has rubber combat style grips. I ordered a set of over size Pachmayr grips to attempt to cure this issue.

Suggestions ?

Thanks,
Jimmy

Can you post a photo of your injured finger or the current stocks? Usually it is the knuckle of the middle finger that takes a beating with a heavy recoiling revolver.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Mine does the same thing when I shoot Elmer's bullet and 7.5 grains of Unique!

How about a pair of gloves?

Charter Arms ???

I bought a 1 7/8, 629. With factory Mag. ammo the inside of my front knuckle of my right thumb gets torn up! I went to Silver Tip Hollow Point 44 Special ammo and it was like bunny farts for recoil, so I loaded up 240gr. Keith tip 44 Special+p loads and have power I can stand to use!

Years ago Remington used to load a mid-range 44 mag, I can't find anything close to that. All I can find is either Cowboy loads or Kill a Tank loads.

I has a Rossi 44 Special for years, different bullet weights canged the recoil noticeably!

Ivan

As I've aged, and my joints have swelled a bit, I get the same "slamming" on my trigger finger with any small relatively light weight revolver with virtually any centerfire cartridge. I have begun using only the first pad of my finger on the trigger; it really helps because it keeps my joint out of the trigger guard.

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John

I had a Charter .44 Special 2 1/2" Bulldog back in late '78. Carried it on the job in an upside-down shoulder holster (corporate finance, often had a lot of cash in my briefcase and car). No kidding. Shot very well with a cast 240G semi-wadcutter, and (I think) 6.5 grains of Unique.

With factory "birds-head" stocks it always bit my hand every time I fired, until I held it cup-and-saucer, and let it fly in my hands. Not a good technique, but at least it didn't cut me.

Sold it after I left that job. Wish I had it today.

Simple solution is the Charter Arms pathfinder.

Hey, that works!

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C & L

Have you tried this style Pachmayr grip? Works best for me.

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C & L

Actually, using only the first pad of your finger on the trigger is correct finger placement on trigger.

Model 52

Only if shooting single action, otherwise first joint for double action.

Or .17 HM2, 9 rounds of potent 17 grain FTX!

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Certified Curmudgeon

You have many options to cut recoil if you are a handloader.

Give the Pachmayrs a try, they might work. I have the exact same gun, and I bought it used with Pachmayrs on it. It hasn't cut me up or anything, so maybe they will do the trick. The plan has merit at least.

The edge of your trigger guard may have a burr, or just be sharp enough. It might need rounding/blending/whatever you call it. Obviously, it's smacking your trigger finger during recoil. While Charters are great, they didn't spend a great deal of time on rounding things off. Most of the edges are pretty square and sharp.

Also, make sure you are positively following through on the trigger pull. Keep pulling the trigger after you think it's gone off. Physically keep squeezing the trigger all the way back through the recoil cycle. That way your finger becomes part of the gun and moves with the gun, rather than be dangling out there in mid-air as the gun moves around and the trigger guard smacks it.

Try a golf glove of the proper fit. They help with grip. Not for recoil, but I use them for trapshooting

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I experienced a roughed up trigger finger only one time shooting for some reason. It was same ammo as I usually shoot which is fairly light reloads so I didn't understand the problem. Perhaps it was a really hot day and my hands were sweating more than usual cause it.

When I first got the Charter Arms Bulldog 44 I bought a set of Pachmayrs and they did help a bit on felt recoil. I removed them shortly because of such poor fit to frame. They didn't fit the gun tight leaving gaps at frame and center of butt where they came together. Reading the back of the label they came in it says Pachmayr will not refund if they don't fit the gun tightly. I bought them from Cheaper than dirt and they refunded me purchase price but not freight and they let me keep the grips. They sit on a shelf not on my gun. My Bulldog came with rubber grips instead of wood/plastic which was fine with me. No doubt the rubber grips enable much less felt recoil.

The Bulldog 44 recoil in my opinion isn't as bad as a 357 magnum. I can shoot 200 rounds of 44 spl but I will not shoot 200 rounds of 357 magnum at one shooting.

My Bulldog 44 is my main everyday carry.

The Bulldog with the factory walnut grips is definitely not a plinker.
During my first trip to the range with my first Bulldog (in 1991), I bought a set of Pachmayr Compacs and installed them before walking back into the range. They made a huge difference.
The factory grips are great for their intended purpose, but not for extended range sessions.

BTW, I was starting to think I was the only Bulldog fan around here.
Glad to see I'm not.
My go to HD revolver is a 3" Bulldog with Pachmayr Compacs and Gold Dot.
That said, my go to HD weapon period is my Mossberg 590.
9 rds of 00 vs any quantity of pistol ammo isn't even a choice.

That Bulldog goes a lot of places with me. Anywhere it doesn't go that I actually am allowed to carry a gun, either my SR9, or my Chief's Special or my 2.5" Bulldog Pug go. Sometimes both.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

Obviously, a lot of us miss having a good Bulldog. Pathfinder? My roommate then had one - weighed more than the Bulldog - nice shooter - basically same size cylinder, a lot more metal.

I use 6.4 grains Unique and a 215 or sometimes the usual 240 and recoil is just fine with my early 1990s traditional style Bulldog .44 with the small factory grips. I’ll try 7.5 sometime since that’s my alternative load in .44 Special. But with bigger guns like my 24-3s.

Take a roll of white medical tape with you to the range. Before shooting do a couple of wraps around the area of the finger in question. Problem solved.

I used a band aid...but yes, this works for me as well. Both of my Charter revolvers (44 spcl, 9mm) smack the snot out of the bottom side of my trigger finger. I tried everything thing I could think of to get it to stop, and never could. A well placed band aid works perfectly.

My Ruger GP100 smacks my trigger finger with full power loads.
The edge of the trigger guard is the culprit.
IIRC, there's a rough/sharp corner that I need to smooth.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

I strongly doubt I'll ever shed my Charter revolvers, so I need to figure this out. I've never had a gun smack my trigger finger so badly. I've had small, harder kicking revolvers before, but they haven't done that to me. I'm guessing it's possibly a simple issue of geometry, the grip, the grip angle, the distance from the palm to the trigger face, the curvature of the trigger.

Something is off...not 100% sure what it is. All I know if that it is smacking my right on the bottom of my trigger finger, consistently. I tried moving my finger to different positions, it would smack me on the underside of it every time.

I had one of the first Bulldogs by Charter Arms, I carried it in one of those upside down shoulder holsters while I worked at night. I never enjoyed shooting it, I figured it out and a round that worked well and let it be at that.
I don't keep firearms that are uncomfortable to shoot for very long, if I can't figure out what it takes to make it more comfortable I get rid of it.
I had a 629 Mountain Revolver, with full on loads it was a bear to shoot, the rubber stocks made my hands black after a few cylinders full. I sent it off the Magnaport for a quadra port job, it helped a little but made it unreasonably loud at the under cover part of the range, actually had spent rounds raining down from the overhead beams. I asked John Culina if he could make a pair of square butt target stocks to fit on a round butt frame, he saved the day and turned it into a revolver that was comfortable to shoot, I still have the stocks on a Model 24-3 Lew Horton.

Hi:
Installed a over size pair of Pachmayr Grips on my .44spl 3" Bulldog.
With 240gr LSWC and 7.0gr Unique I still have my trigger finger battered after a couple rounds. Considering a lighter bullet OR sell the revolver.

I shoot 200 grainers out of mine.

Do you think the trigger is cutting your finger? Is it sharp?

I have a S&W M30 that I had to sand the grooved trigger some because after 50 rounds I'd have a blister.

That is still a stout load. Years ago I shot one of these with the same bullet style and weight, with 7.5 gr Unique and the stock wood grips. The fact I still remember it is notable to me

If you can back off on the powder charge it may be more controllable to you or not, but worth a try.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Lots of shooters love the Bull Dog ( more than just a few on this forum); nearly a "cult" following. But the little blaster lets you know when you touch one off. I happen to like CA for the blue collar cost and stout construction, so I reluctantly sold my Bull Dog a few years back and bought an excellent ca. 1970 CA Undercover in .38 sp. . Good luck

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John

It is not the trigger, but the trigger guard that is battering my index finger

My Charter's don't cut me per se, they're more "whacking" the underside of it. After 50 or so rounds out of my Pitbull, it will give me a nice spotted hickey on the bottom of my finger, leave it plenty sore the next day. With my Bulldog, it takes far fewer rounds than 50 to get me there.

Interesting thought...I wonder if the trigger guard is smaller. Just comparing a side by side between a Bulldog and a S&W 637, it doesn't seem all that much smaller. I need to get my hands on a J-Frame so I can pull some measurements.

I don't blame you. I wouldn't give up a good Charter Bulldog.
I've sold two of the ones I've owned and regretted selling the bull barrel one because I haven't been able to replace it.
I won't be making that mistake with the ones I currently have.

Is it as nice as my Smiths? Nope.
Would I sell my Chief's Special to buy a Bulldog? Nope. My Chief is a 1971-72 model. They don't make them like that anymore.
Does it serve a purpose my Smiths don't serve? You bet.
.44 punch with .38 snub weight.

Luckily, the majority of .44 Bulldogs I've seen on the used market have been fired VERY little.
Must have something to do with the pounding a 21 ounce revolver launching a 240 grain bullet delivers to your hand.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

Isn't that only 1/2 grain lighter than the Keith or Skeeter Skelton or Bart Skelton load?
I bet that would rip a hole in something.
I have seen that listed as a mild load in an N frame Smith.
However, we are talking about a 21 ounce Charter.

I have no doubt that it's a good load, but the old Remington 246 grain LRN factory loads were plenty lively for plinking, and the Federal .44 version of the FBI load was "fun" as well.

I would shoot much lighter loads for practice and shoot just enough of that power level to be sure where it will hit.

I used to buy the .433" diameter Speer lead round balls and load them over a light charge of powder, for some mouse-fart plinking loads for the Charter.
I seated them with the ball about 3/4 of the way down into the case.
I doubt the soft lead ball would expand the case enough to be an issue, and they're only 2 thousandths of an inch bigger than the nominal .431" diameter anyway.
They should swage down to bore diameter with no problem.
I never had any issues with them. They were loaded "gallery load" light, anyway.

They weigh right at 122 grains, so are about half the weight of a 240 grain .44 bullet.

I used to load 2 of them in a .44 mag case, to about 850 fps for use in my .44 mag revolvers.
It was fun for "I bet you $10.00 I can shoot the target twice, so fast that it looks like I only fired once" kinds of bets.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?