I went out this afternoon with a Model 19-3 and a hundred or so rounds of a fairly mild load consisting of Unique (probably 6.5 grains or so. I'll have to go back and look) and 158 grain lead swc bullets. I fired 12 rounds at the steel targets and had to quit. It was just too uncomfortable.

I have been shooting .45ACP hardball in a Kimber Pro Carry for a few weeks, usually 75-100 rounds per week in three or four afternoons. My hand gets tired, but nothing like the discomfort shooting the Model 19.

I have had a lot of pain in my hands, especially my right hand, over the last 5-10 years. I had Carpal-Tunnel surgery on both hands, and have had trigger-finger surgery on the index (trigger) finger and fourth finger of the right hand. I had a cortisone shot in the first knuckle of the index finger a couple of years ago after it swelled up and became very painful.

I'm taking 1800mg of ibuprofen per day, and it seems to help some. I took Celebrex for a month, but it is very expensive, and didn't really seem to be much better than the ibuprofen. I'm going to go back to the orthopedic guy and see if he will give me a couple of shots.

I guess I'll have to stick to the .45ACPs and .38 special loads in my handguns, and shoot the .357 stuff in the carbines. Those loads are pussycats in my Marlin and Rossi Trappers.

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Georgia On My Mind

Hey Red, different grips? Hogue maybe?

Have Hogue Mono Grips on my 19 and it helps a lot.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

I have the big rubber Pachs grips on my 686. They won't win a beauty contest but they sure feel good, especially with heavy loads.

I shoot a lot of low end .357 and .38 loads in .357 brass when I just want to shoot and not 'blow their heads clean off". The extra heft of the L frame makes this super easy on the hands.

Maybe you could move to an 'L' or even an 'N' frame to reduce recoil.

Sooner or later there comes a time in every mans life, that we no longer are able to, or enjoy shooting .357 Magnum ammo in a K frame. My life change came about a year or so ago. And I'm still depressed about it.

"Getting old is a bitch, but it beats the other option." Bill Fields

You might try a pair of Past shooting gloves. I think they have some lead powder inside? that absorbs recoil.

I keep tellin' people recoil is accumulative, but everbody just scoffs at me. I spent 13 years on the throttle end of a .41 magnum and shootin' it every week on my days off. I know what you are talking about.

.357s in a K-frame ain't meant to be comfortable. Never was.
I have 3 Model 19s and pack one for serious, but not for fun and frolic. I'll admit magnums ain't fun anymore.

.38s and .22s will kill paper and beer cans just as good as any magnum.

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Eccentric old coot

Red, have you ever been tested for gout?
Your symptoms sound similar to what I have.
My gout can be debilitating, and last for 5-6 months per attack.
Gout can affect much more than just the toe or finger joints. It can actually affect the tissue also.
The pain can actually feel like muscle strain or even a sprain.
My gout will attack toes, feet, knees, elbows, fingers, and wrists.
Sometimes all at once, on both sides of my body.
A simple blood test, preferably while you are in pain and swollen, will confirm or negate a gout diagnosis.

We all know that shooting magnums make us feel young and virile...you might want to try replacing hot loads with a young mistress and a convertible Porsche.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Sounds like it's time to move up to the N-frame. What a shame. I sure don't shoot my 29s with 20gr. of 2400 anymore. Old Arthur will let me know about it.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Pretty soon all that Ibuprofen will eat a hole in your stomach and that pain will take your mind off your aching hands. I agree that rubber stocks and shooting gloves may help.

I got a baseball size hard rubber ball when I started physical therapy back in January. Squeezing the ball strengthened my hand and wrist and improved the circulation in my fingers; as keeping my arm in a sling so many weeks made the arm go numb. Not too difficult to master...you just squeeze/release about 50 times several times a day or night. If you want to give it a try, I will ask my physical therapists for a ball Thursday and get it in the mail to you. Send me your address again.

Lastly, you should buy a Glock. The polymer frame soaks up recoil.

4.5 gr of Unique in 38 sp brass is easier on the joints.Ive come full circle and picked up a few "vintage" 22s over the last year or so.I'd forgotten how much fun they are.

When I was a novice shooter I used to get a real kick over shooting HOT HOT loads and making lots of noise. Yes, I'll still pop off a few Magnums once in a while, however I much prefer shooting accurately, more quietly and with less recoil now that I have turned 60. I also like easier clean-up, and more case longevity along with better powder yield and less wear to my older and collectible firearms.

I shot my friends 500 S&W Magnum and could not help wondering why one would purchase such a gun - other than for Hunting. WAY TOO LOUD, ammo is expensive, and after 20 rounds the novelty wears off mighty fast.

Made me think of George Jones and "The one I loved back then". Larry

6.5gr of Unique is actually a very heavy load. The listed maximum is 6.0gr. See
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide

I can sure relate. I don't have trouble (yet) with 357s, but the little P3AT mouser does me in after 2 mags. And after 20 rounds in any of my 8mm mausers, you can stick a fork in me.

I think I'll be bonding more and more with my .22s in the years ahead.

See if you can find some W231/HP38 and use 4 ~ 4.5g under that bullet.

In fact, as I recall 3.5g Bullseye under a WC is quite pleasant.

Might want to try 4g BE under that 160g bullet.

Better yet, find nice 4" 24/624 and shoot that. N frame and a 44Spl are a magic combo.

If I had a Model 19 ( with a 4 inch barrel in blue) that was hurting MY hands, why I'd probably ship it off to some deserving guy in a neighboring state like Alabama for instance. Let me know if you need help in choosing such a person!

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War Eagle!!!

I too have gout...although I haven't had an episode for years now. It first presented itself in my right ankle, when I was on a business trip. My ankle got so swollen and painful I couldn't walk, so off to the ER I went...I thought maybe I had sprained it somehow. Instead, I was diagnosed with gout. Since that time, I've had numerous attacks, always in my ankles...usually just one at a time, but once I had it in both. I took medication for it for years, but discontinued it on my doctor's advice, and I haven't had any problems since.

As you said, gout can occur anywhere in the body, even the spine. It is excruciatingly painful, at least it is to me. I can only imagine how it must hurt in the hand!

If you make it a practice to shoot a .357 Mag. without hearing protection you'll forget all about the pain in your hand.

I love my K22 Combat Masterpiece!

And you think ammo is expensive?!

Pachmyers and as others said, Wow that is lot of Ibuprofen!

6.5 grains is over the 6.0 gr max per Alliant. No it's not super hot but you can still shoot milder 357 Mag loads.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Gone are the days I would load a bunch of '44's & go up to the cabin in the Sierras & burn 'em up in a weekend. Now I load a box or 2 of mild '38's & enjoy shooting maybe half of them. Age, Carpal tunnel surgery, and a Stent in the old Aorta has made a believer out of me. Sometimes I get the old S&W 22-32 Target out & put a few rounds thru it for old times sake. Sure is fun.

Move up to an N frame or even to a 357 Redhawk and tame the recoil through weight.

I tell folks that 357 Maximum is my limit. I don't like shooting the 41's the 44's or any bigger. They beat my hands up to much.

This is the price you pay like Iggy says for years of shooting. My bane was my 10mm that I shot 10s of thousands and my 40's that I also shot 10's of thousands of rounds. Go out and dump 700 to 1000 rounds in a day and it is cumulative.

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SWCA 1646

Put that 19 away, and just shoot that 15!

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Recycled Bricklayer

Then the pain would be somewhere else...

Let me guess- the wallet!

I was always told to buy the best 22 rimfire rifle or pistol you can afford. The reason being is that it should be the first gun you shoot and it will be the last gun you shoot. I have to agree with that statement. I think that is just a lot of common sense.
I find myself looking at and buying 22 rifles more now than I ever did in the past.

I handled a Glop once and broke out in hives. Had a severe case of the Delicious Tremblins, too.
I lost that Model 15. I made a mistake and let my daughter shoot it one day. She took it home with her. I need to find another one. It quickly turned into my favorite DA revolver when we traded.

Lots of good advice and information here, and I appreciate it. I am due for a trip to my Ortho guy. He is a hunter and a shooter, so he sympathizes with me. I'm going to tell him I appreciate the sympathy, but I need some relief, too.

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Georgia On My Mind

Biker gloves of good quality with "GEL" inserts might help, but backing off on the Unique would be a good idea.

The only .357's that I shoot now are in a 7" 686 and a 8 3/8" 27-2. When I had a 19, I rarely shot any thing in it but wad cutters.

I have also switched to 125 gr in the .357.

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Corripe Cervisiam

"I was always told to buy the best 22 rimfire rifle or pistol you can afford. The reason being is that it should be the first gun you shoot and it will be the last gun you shoot."

...So that's why I bought that Ruger Lite .22 a few weeks ago! in addition, It's the Mr. Magoo variant, drilled and tapped for an optic as well.

I can see it now--mounted pistol courses for the mobility scooter crowd, followed by an awards dinner at the Golden Corral.

Guess I'm lucky, the .357s and .41s don't bother me yet.....the .44 was feeling a bit thumpy last session though....might be switching to lighter loads in that one...

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Even older, even crankier....

I use some shooting gloves when shooting heavier calibers starts to be uncomfortable. If you haven't tried the glove you may want to give'em a try..........what I use is actually bicycle riding gloves that have padding in the palm area. Works for me.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><