Struggling with J Frames

[oneounceload]

The dreaded Ergo.

But it WORKS, doesn't it? Makes the grip angle just more comfortable and as a result, more accurate - at least for me

 

[dr. mordo]

OP, what do you think the problem is?

It sounds like it hurts your hand even with mild reloads, so are you anticipating the recoil?

Or is the platform just so small you are having trouble dialing it in?

I personally have a love/hate relationship with my J frames, all of which are airweight.

I love to carry them. I love to shoot them. I shoot them about as well as my larger revolvers.

However, they tear up my shooting hand quickly, especially with the +P I often carry for SD and shoot for practice.

The wood grip that came on my 637 PC was absolute murder on my hand. I replaced it with a Pachmayr Compac, which really helped lessen the damage to my hand. I also started wearing a thin rbberized work glove with the trigger finger cut off. Between the glove and the grip, my hand does much better, I've had sessions where I shot 200 roundds thru my J frame before I tore a blister.

But that's the problem now - my J frames tear a blister in my hand where the lowest joint it is at the base of my thumb. I think the rubber grip is contributing to the blister problem.

The one thing that has seemed to help is a more modern rubber grip that cushions the hand - unfortunately the only two I know about are proprietary. These grips provide a section at the back of the grip that cushions your hand a bit and absorbs some of the sharpest recoil. My Ruger LCR327 came with a grip that made .327 Magnum easier on my hand than .38 SPL +P in my 637. That LCR grip will not fit a S&W, period. Due to this, I'm quite certain I'll end up buying a LCR .38 or .357 at some point. Taurus employs a similar concept in their new grip designs. My Taurus M85UL is is their imitation of my 637, and when I shot them side by side the 85 has noticeably less snap thanks to those new grips. I actually got a set of those new grips off ebay for my 637, but they need a minor modification that I haven't gotten around to yet. Instead I've just been shooting/carrying the M85 while the 637 sits in the safe.

Finally, one last suggestion - get a 2" Model 10!

 

[Chukar60]

I love J frames. I hate J frames!!! Love the size and light carry weight. They are accurate. I cannot shoot the light weight models or the snub versions very well at all. I now have a 3" 60 and the gun is much easier to shoot well.
The short barrels on the snub version is just too dang touchy about form for me and the light weight versions are not stable enough. I know a lot of guys shoot the snubs and light weight models well. I cannot.

 

[Mistered]

Withing an hour of buying my Mod 60-0 I was installing a set of Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips on it - they turned it into a 'new gun' I can shoot into 2" +/- with it at 25 yards.

 

[haywood]

I practice no farther than 30 feet with my J Frames. I just don’t shoot them that well at the indoor Range. Outside I seem to be a lot better. I guess / hope it’s the lighting. Within that 30 feet I get good groups.

 

[RoadVirus]

My breakthrough on J frames happened when I started to put more finger on the trigger. Instead of using the tip , try poking your finger as far as you can through the trigger guard. For me this puts the the second pad on the trigger. Try some dry firing when you read this and see if you don't have more control of the weapon.

 

[kbm6893]

OP, what do you think the problem is?

It sounds like it hurts your hand even with mild reloads, so are you anticipating the recoil?

Or is the platform just so small you are having trouble dialing it in?

I personally have a love/hate relationship with my J frames, all of which are airweight.

I love to carry them. I love to shoot them. I shoot them about as well as my larger revolvers.

However, they tear up my shooting hand quickly, especially with the +P I often carry for SD and shoot for practice.

The wood grip that came on my 637 PC was absolute murder on my hand. I replaced it with a Pachmayr Compac, which really helped lessen the damage to my hand. I also started wearing a thin rbberized work glove with the trigger finger cut off. Between the glove and the grip, my hand does much better, I've had sessions where I shot 200 roundds thru my J frame before I tore a blister.

But that's the problem now - my J frames tear a blister in my hand where the lowest joint it is at the base of my thumb. I think the rubber grip is contributing to the blister problem.

The one thing that has seemed to help is a more modern rubber grip that cushions the hand - unfortunately the only two I know about are proprietary. These grips provide a section at the back of the grip that cushions your hand a bit and absorbs some of the sharpest recoil. My Ruger LCR327 came with a grip that made .327 Magnum easier on my hand than .38 SPL +P in my 637. That LCR grip will not fit a S&W, period. Due to this, I'm quite certain I'll end up buying a LCR .38 or .357 at some point. Taurus employs a similar concept in their new grip designs. My Taurus M85UL is is their imitation of my 637, and when I shot them side by side the 85 has noticeably less snap thanks to those new grips. I actually got a set of those new grips off ebay for my 637, but they need a minor modification that I haven't gotten around to yet. Instead I've just been shooting/carrying the M85 while the 637 sits in the safe.

Finally, one last suggestion - get a 2" Model 10!

I have no idea what my problem is. When I got the gun, it did not have the Tyler t grip and my middle finger got whacked with the recoil every time. The Tyler cured that. There is no pain in firing the gun. The sore trigger finger is probably from the serrated trigger, but it doesn’t blister up anymore. Just a bit red for a few hours.

As for my accuracy, I was shooting at about 10 yards. Aiming at the X on a B27 silhouette target, I was hitting about 8inches left and pretty level. I started aiming at the head for a fresh no holes target area, and I missed the head nearly every time. As for groupings, about an 8 inch spread. Granted, some of those groups were fired pretty fast, as a self defense shooting would be. I’ve tried different finger positions, from nearly the tip to the first joint. No change.

Maybe I’ll try the Pachmayr compacts. How do they compare to the new pachmayr grips? I forget the name.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

Grant Cunningham wrote a book called Book of the Revolver that changed my whole mindset on trigger,trigger finger interface and I must say I threw the whole first pad of the finger concept away and started useing the first or " power" joint of my finger to " stroke" the trigger and have started useing this technique in all my shooting even rifles .That one chapter is more than worth the cost of tne book in my opinion .

 

[Guevera]

I have a couple of J frames, but an not satisfied with my ability to use them well. I switched to this Walther PPK and it is much more accurate in my hands and easier to conceal as well. I know, I know, .380 vs 38 Special, but for me, I can place multiple and accurate shots on the target with the PPK in the time I'd still be fiddling around with the sights on the little revolver. Just my experience.

 

[rockquarry]

Nothing wrong with a Walther .380. I've never been able to see much difference in the "shootability" aspect of a Walther .380 vs. a snubnose J-frame .38 Special, but that's something that may vary from one shooter to another. Neither are beginner's guns.

Shooting the Walther well means far more than the .380 vs. .38 Special debate. I've found the Walther .380s to be jam-free even with cast bullet handloads and the guns are capable of surprisingly good accuracy even at 25 yards.

 

[len917]

Pachmyer Grips on 36-1 3" very accurate at 15 yds. Pachmyer grips on K-model 15-3 4" very accurate at 25 yds. Great balance and feel

 

[Telecaster]

I would try different hand-holds and fingertip positions until you find one that’s consistent and accurate.

Shift your grip around until it works for you, then practice a thousand times. A Laserlyte bore laser that lights up when you dry-fire will let you try it in you home easily.

 

[kaaskop49]

Just some thoughts based on shooting a few J-frames for a while; nothing worthy of argument...

These guns are surprisingly accurate but most unforgiving of poor shooter skill. To master, they require more serious practice time than many shooters want to invest.

The "gunfights occur at short distances" excuse is usually nothing more than a reason not to practice sufficiently to shoot these guns well. Learning to shoot at 25 yards will quickly point out skill shortcomings. Practicing at 15 yards or less will usually produce good groups even with poor ammunition. There is little or no benefit to the shooter in the way of skill enhancement.

J-frame snub-nosed guns are designed for concealment. if at all possible, learn to shoot with the factory grips. You'll likely find none more concealable.

There are exceptions, but grip adapters have more cosmetic appeal than usefulness.

Learn to shoot before adding gadgetry like laser grips. If after having mastered J-frame shooting and the need for such an item persists, try it and see if anything improves.

Practice a lot and do it right and use the smallest target you can see clearly without eyestrain, at 25 yards, of course. Magnum, +P, or standard pressure loads don't matter. Shoot whatever you can consistently hit well with. Good luck-

^^^^what he said. I always qualified easily, but after retiring, I wanted to improve my snub skills. My instructor is a retired FBI supervisory special agent who also was an instructor. He made one suggestion when he found I already could shoot well. Follow through on the trigger. Keep your finger on the trigger after the shot and follow it down to the rest position. That's all I've needed to do. Perhaps some time with an instructor would help? Worked for me.

Stay safe, partner.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I would smooth the serrated trigger face with some emery cloth and try different grips. There are some grip choices that don't cost a lot, like the Pachmayr Diamond Pro mentioned above.