Hi all. I'm adjusting to my 640 Centennial snubbie for concealed carry, and after a day at the range in which I fire 50ish .38 Specials, I always have hand pain for several days after which I am experiencing now after a visit yesterday.

I think it obvious at this point that padded shooting gloves would be a benefit to me, I'm just not sure what to get. Of course I'd like something economical, but rescuing my hand is of utmost importance.

Yesterday was the first time I fired full load .357s out of that revolver, and they had quite the kick. I had to stop after firing 3 rounds in reasonably close succession as I wanted to finish my box of .38 Specials and literally felt like if I kept firing those .357s, the pain would cause me to have impaired control of my hand. I've fired a box of 50 .38 Specials and a box of 20 low flash/low recoil Buffalo Bore .357s though had the usual hand pain several days following. I'd really like to not have to take 3-4 days hand recovery after each range visit.

Thanks for any ideas.

Try different grips. I have a Mod. 19 snubbie with round grips. Shooting it with the factory stocks is brutal. I tried Pachmyr rubber grips and they were very comfortable, but were a bit sticky when carried in my pocket. I found a pair of rosewood grips from Brownell's which are comfortable to shoot and are not sticky. My wife carries a Ruger SP-101. The factory grips are pretty brutal with full house loads but, we found some Hogue grips which make it bearable.

The above comments are regarding .357 rounds. Using mid-range and target loads for the majority of the practice is lots more comfortable. We end up practice sessions with a few of the full house carry laods.

I don't think that the gloves would be much of a help unless you plan to wear them all of the time. I could never wear them-- I remember a comment my grandfather made long ago when we were shooting his 1911... "anyone who wears gloves to shoot a pistol priobably has lace on his drawers." It was years before I wore gloves for any reason.

Kindest regards,

Bill

If they're that painful, you should stop playing around with .357s otherwise you might end up with a serious hand injury that prevents you from shooting for an extended period of time.

Some folks use golf gloves, cycle gloves, weightlifting gloves. Leather palms are usually adequate, but gel palms are even better if you're into big recoil handguns.

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I'm with the banned ...

PAST recoil control gloves
I think Midway has them

Any snubby with .357 Magnums is going to be more than a handful, in my opinion. With .38 Special +P, which is plenty for me for self-defense, I use Pachmayr Compacs on a 640 pre-.357 model, and even with severe arthritis in my hands they are comfortable to shoot. They cover the backstrap and give a high, secure hold that works very well with the Centennial frame. I don't find the ones I use sticky, and don't recall that they ever were when I put them on the gun over twelve years ago. It's possible newer production is tackier, but I hope not. Mine have been great and I pocket carry the 640 every day.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Look for something with the gel pads

Forget about trying to get by cheap, get the right stuff and protect your joints

Everyone has their limits to endure recoil. The only gun I have been tempted to use a glove with is my 500's. If you have a light weight gun firing magnum loads it can be as punishing or more.

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

I agree with the others that say to try a grip change. As far as I'm concerned you should practice with your concealed carry gun equipped the same as when you carry it. I don't have arthritis but I do have peripheral neuropathy giving me weakness in my hands and wrists. I replaced the grips on my 442 with Pachmayr Compact grips and that works for me. I can shoot with accuracy and conceal carry either in my pocket or on my belt.

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Pachmayr sells a grip called the dDcelerator, slightly large grip with rubber that gives some cushioning. Great way to overcome flinch caused by excessive recoil.

I have a 640, nice gun. I shoot standard pressure 38s in it figuring hitting the target where I want to hit it is preferrable to missing it with an impressively heavy load.

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"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

Shoot target loads - 148 WC at 800 fps or so. Forget about the whiz bang ammo. You're much better off with something you can shoot comfortably than something that hurts you!

Bell (the guy who shot over 1,000 elephant with a 7 x 57 Mauser) discussed the advertising about big elephant guns, remarking that they made a big deal about the big impact they deliver to the animal but never discuss the impact on the shooter!

Grips can help but, unless you plan on wearing your gloves all the time, you're better off shooting something pleasant than something that beats you to death!

Get different grips, what good is it to use a gloves for practice and then for when the time comes not use them. Unless you wear gloves all the time anyways and in that case I'd move to a warmer state lol.

Several years ago I was recovering from carpal tunnel surgery and was lookng for some type of support shooting glove. Found one in the S&W catalog and ordered it. Worked well but as was said earlier, if you're thinking sbout a glove. remeber you have to wear it every time. Fine for range but that's about
it.

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... ed ...

Why not follow the trend of most folks that I know. Use mild practice loads and finish with a few of the serious social rounds. I cast a 112 grain wadcullter bullet that shoots a little low, but is so pleasant to shoot. Some years ago, one of the top gun writers bragged about all the Magnums he shot, until he had his hand and wrist xrayed. Multiple hairline fractures ended his handgun fun,

I broke my right wrist years ago in a MC accident. I am right handed and recoil bothered me for a while afterwards. What I learned (for me) it's the snap of the recoil that bothered me most. Heavy guns with heavy recoil was not bad, lightweight guns and magnum loads cause pain if that makes any sense.
I would rather shoot my 500 than a scandium frame mag with heavy bullets.

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

Well I have a new Crimson Trace grip, the larger-sized one for J-frames. It's made of rubber. Even without tinkering with the full .357 loads, the day after shooting I get hand pain for a few days just by blowing off a box of 50 .38 Specials, such as I have right now.

I'll definitely look at these PAST professional shooting gloves and look up the gels. I appreciate the help a ton.

I can believe firing a lot of magnums would do that. I do use mild practice loads - the .38 Special, and then usually do some low recoil .357s. This time I tried the full load .357. Ouchers!

Were these the grips you were using on your first post? Your grips may be the problem. It depends on angle,material, wgt, caliber. My 500 SW with 4" is "comfortable" with heavy 600-700 gr loads, the 7.5" BFR with same loads will give you a tendonitis with 3 rds. If mild 38's cause pain after 50 rds, try 25 twice a week,if you still are getting pain you should see an orthopedic surgeon to rule out damage to bones ( since I do not know if this pain is normal for you). You may need to look at going to a softer recoiling gun. Good luck. Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

Well I am a new gun owner and this was my 3rd visit to the range. Specifically where it hurts in my hand is where the back of the grip rests, which is the webbing between my thumb and index finger. It's "ground zero" of the recoil absorption, I think. The rest of my hand is fine. I don't feel bone pain; what I feel is like a deep bruise in the tissue in this location.

I would say that as far as the grips goes, the Crimson Trace rubber grip I have on it now is better than the original rubber factory grip. My discomfort is not as intense.

There is no specific .38 Special round I use, I've been using whatever is available and costs the least, so I've used different kinds. I have Remingtons and some other box I bought at the range yesterday I don't recall off the top of my head.

One .357 mag ammo I have used decently is the Buffalo Bore low flash-low recoil. It's much easier on my hand and I have better follow-up ability. One I'm also looking at trying out is one made for snubbies, such as this one. I'm going to look around more, also.

As for the PAST Shooting Gloves goes, I see a lot of bad reviews about them literally falling apart at the seams, which is unfortunate. It sounds like other than that, they work well.

I have a S+W 642 and with arthritis it does wear on me even though I shoot .38's. It's not for everyone ( especially on a S+W forum) but what I decided to do is get the Chiappa Rhino 200 ds (2" barrel .357). I did a lot of research on it and what I found out from others with arthritic wrist's is the muzzle flip that is all but eliminated and thereby easier on the wrist. I just got it out of layaway so I'll have more to say about it later, Rick.
P.S. I love the ct grips on my 642 they do dampen the shock.

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MCRGO member

I have a Ruger .357 LCR which is very brutal to shoot. It is an excellent pocket pistol and I am quite happy with it when used for it`s intended purpose . I never shoot it casually . I will shoot it only enough to keep proficient with it. You will just have to remember what your little Smith was made for and use it accordingly. You will NOT notice the recoil in an emergency situation, and any pain you feel afterward will be a reminder of how lucky you were to have something so fine to protect you.
I routinely shoot my big S&W`s for target and plinking- no recoil issues with them, even in .41 & .44 mag. , but they wont fit in my pocket.

Right, though my concern is training enough to where my hand doesn't move pre-shot in any kind of anticipation of recoil to where it throws off my aim.

The 640 has a very small iron sight, though with the Crimson Trace, I don't have to stand there and aim the little sight. I can literally point and shoot as the laser is activated by a button I press automatically when I grip it so I know exactly what I'm aiming at. My first shot out of it using the laser was a shot to the middle of the face of a zombie target at about 20 feet. I'm very happy with the CT sight. Now all I have to practice on is more wrist work, which I am already improving on.

I still am working on settling on a defensive carry load. There are a couple types of .357 made for snubs that I want to try out.

Your best bet is to get a .22LR and practice, practice, practice.
My fav is a m-63, 2 inch.
The skills and habits you form with it will automatically transfer to the.357.
On a side note I am a huge fan of CT lasers and have 5 or 6 of them.

I use a golf glove; a batters glove would work. I found that part of the recoil pain is caused by the gun slipping in my hand putting all of the recoil on my thumb/finger web and the trigger guard hitting my middle finger. The light glove I use allows good touch with enough increased grip friction to spread the recoil shock. I shoot a 642 but only enough +P to keep aware of the difference. I practice with target loads. The alloy gun has a lot more felt recoil than my all steel J frames.

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Revolver luvin' Mountaineer

Lots of opinions here, and all right. With that said, here's mine.

Even the most experienced shooters I know do not really enjoy shooting .357 from J-Frames. If you are a new shooter, you need to practice, a lot. Get Hogue or Pachmyer grips, and shoot .38 specials. Much less painful than .357's, you will flinch less, and practice more.

The most important aspect of a self defense weapon is your ability to put the bullet where you need it. If you can do that, all else is secondary. If you can't do that, nothing else matters.

Make the weapon system (gun, grips & ammo) user friendly and practice. Repeat as required. You may choose to never shoot .357, which is OK if that's what it takes for you to enjoy shooting.

Good advice.
When I used to shoot competitively I bought a pair of gloves for handball. They were fairly thick leather and had padded palms. I cut the ends of the fingers off at about the second joint which allowed me to load and have better trigger feel.
I disagree with those that say you shouldn't wear gloves for practice. If you don't practice you are never going to hit anything when the chips hit the fan and if you develop a flinch when you practice, it will stay with you.
Also try to find some light wadcutter target loads to practice with. I cast 148gr wadcutters with a few grains of Unique.

When I had carpal tunnel symptoms, I had the same problem. IMHO, you should look into a slightly padded golf glove for your strong hand. Worked for me. Also reduce the number of shots fired to about 30 or 35. You can cut the trigger finger of the glove off if you like. A pair of golf gloves work great during cold weather hunting. ...... Big Cholla

Thanks, guys. With the ammo mess as it's been, I've basically bought nearly any type of .38 Special I can find, and none of what I have are wadcutters, though they are suited for plinking and target shooting and the like.

I'm quite impressed with the Crimson Trace J frame rubber grip I bought. It definitely left my hand less hurting than my sessions with the rubber grip my 640 came with from the factory. It's 99% healed already and it would have taken longer otherwise.

The CT laser grip is going to be what I use to conceal carry with, and I want to practice with the laser, so buying another grip isn't really in the cards for me.

Practice means a lot of firing and for that I need some good gloves. I typically go through at least 1 box of 50 .38 Specials in a session and that means a few days of magnum hand afterward. Usually I fire more than that, just not substantially more, as I move over to .357 low recoils or whatever.

I have had a pair of bicycle gloves in my range bag for a long time. My little Taurus 85 has a good kick to it and it is my carry gun. If I am firing a lot I will put on the gloves it they really help. The old saying "It got to hurt during exercise for it to work" does not cut it. I fire better and feel better with the gloves on....besides the mosquitoes don't bite my hands no more. You don't need shooting gloves, get a pair of bicycle gloves...they have the support in the right place for 1/4 the price.

When at the range shooting off sandbags for load development,
I use some weight lifting gloves. They have padded palms, protect
the thumb-forefinger web area and are fingerless. I also use this
kind of glove to ride my motorcycle in the summer.

Practicing self defense or other stand up shooting I try to go bare
handed as that is what it would be like if TSHTF.

The S&W 500 grips are extra soft in the web area to the point they
do wear out. They are also cheap. Try 'em if you have a big frame revolver.



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Nemo

I use mechanics' gloves from Walmart, about $25.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Head over to HomeDepot and check out their gloves - "Firm Grip" and "Grease Monkey" (fingerless) are $10 a pair. They are not very padded, but I find them very helpful. They do have gloves with more padding for more money, but it's a good place to start IMO.