Broken Wrists from Heavy Recoil: Actual Reports?

[Professor Gun]

First of all, so you know where I am coming from, I am a physical therapist and a professor in a university physical therapy program, my specialty area is orthopedics.

I would be skeptical of someone fracturing a bone in the wrist from a heavy recoiling handgun but I guess in some extreme case it could happen.

I personally experienced a wrist sprain shooting some very heavy factory loads in a Ruger .454 Casull. There is a small disc of cartilage on the little finger side of the wrist that I injured, so I would say that is more likely than a fracture.

I have read Mr. Tappan's description of his wrist problems and I believe what he says. I would suspect that over the years he had repeated wrist sprains with heavy recoil and ended up with significant osteoarthritis in his wrists.

I have wondered if this could be prevented by strengthening the wrist flexor and extensor muscles so they would stabilize the wrist better, but I am just guessing at that.

 

[oldgold]

Kinda know of one instance that resulted in a broken wrist from a .44 Ruger.
My father-in -law bought one of the first flat tops and his brother came out to shoot it. About the time he was ready to shoot they noticed a ground hog out in the field. Uncle sat down and put his arms through the bottom rung of the fence resting his forearms on the fence. Recoiled into the next higher rung of the fence and broke his right forearm. Wife saw it happen.

 

[VirgilCaine]

The worst damage I've ever gotten was from touching off two 3" mag slugs at the same time from my lightweight double barreled 12ga w/ 8" barrels. All that happened was, with one hand on the pistol grip and one hand pushing DOWN on the barrels, the very tip of the barrels hit me in the forehead lightly. I fired from the hip, for what it's worth.

Figured as much.

How does that grip work with shot?

 

[Red Dragon]

Ask Nightcrawler about his "boomstick". A one shot, one bruise shotgun, and I was dumb enough to fire it with one hand, arm fully outreached and my wrist was sore for about 2 weeks afterward.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Shot a Contender in 45-70 once and only once. I did manage to hang on to it but the action opened and the empty case flew by my head. I still don't know why that happened and I was not about to try and reproduce it. Very unsettling!

I was dumb enough to go through almost all 20 of the factory Remington 300 gr loads in my Contender. It is definitely the most punishing handgun I've ever fired, and I don't like it a bit. It hasn't been fired since I found out that the 4 port Magnaport job I had done to it later didn't make it the pussycat I thought it would. Simply made it louder and more like an M-80 going off in your hand instead of a grenade. My hand goes numb after just a few rounds, seriously.

My brother has informed me he has a .45-70 derringer. I can't wait to hear how he likes it. I warned him as I felt it was my duty, him being family and all.

 

[gunmn74]

My uncle was firing his .308 Contender out the window if his truck and the
recoil sent both wrists into the upper frame of the window breaking one and
spraning the other pretty badly. I guess that was his punishment for fireing
from inside the truck.

 

[jaholder1971]

I believe if you check with some of the Gunsite and Thunder Ranch staff they will tell you stories of folks breaking thumbs or wrists while shooting J frame smiths .357's and full-power ammunition.

 

[tinygnat219]

.22LR practice seems more and more appealing to me.

 

[Avenger29]

.22LR practice seems more and more appealing to me.

Plus it's cheaper and quieter...

 

[Avenger]

A gentleman who used to live down the road from me managed to crack whatever bone it is that forms the brow area. January 1st, he's drunk off his butt, and when he goes outside to crank off a few rounds into the air, he slipped and fell on the ice, landing flat on his back. Since he was down there, he figured he would be SAFER firing if he couldn't fall over, then realized he couldn't see the sights at arms length....The hammer of his old revolver punched a HOLE in his brow when he fired with the gun about 4 inches away from his face. I had a hard time not laughing in his face when he was telling me about it.

 

[PTK]

VirgilCaine

Recoil is still such that with field loads and target loads alike, a two hand hold is needed as described. The difference is that recoil is much softer, though still far too much to fire single-handed.

Yes, I've tried one-handing it ONCE. I will never do so again, even with a minishell.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Even at my older age I can fire the heavy shooters because I am a carpenter and have a good grip. Some have had some serious injury. I remember a video that was pretty awsome. Gun left the hand of the shooter and went backwards very fast and far.
The better grips that allow some movement upward and still holding on is important. Some that direct it straight back is wrong IMHO... Elmer Keith mentioned getting hit in the head LOL

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9lzri8dn7p0

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

The worst damage I've ever done to myself was when I was working on accuracy with my Mosin Nagant and ran through about 120 rounds of 7.62x54R in about two or three hours. My shoulder was pretty sore at the end of my range session, but my the end of the day and definately the next day I had a nice sized shoulder bruise and soreness when lifting my arm up.

That said, I did shoot 5 rounds out of a very light .454 Casull custom revolver that I borrowed from a guy that I'd met at the range. It was absolutely the most uncomfortable thing I have ever shot - the pistol did not "roll in the hand" as some are wont to say, but rather, this thing would merely bore its way into your hand and make it ache. I don't understand why this man would have someone design a lightened frame from a .454, but I guess some people need to extend outside things to make up for other shortcomings.


That said, does anyone understand the need for some people to continually make smaller and smaller pistols and rifles that shoot bigger and bigger cartridges? I know there is the novelty factor involved for some, but I just can't imagine pining for a pistol that shoots a mini artillery shell like .600.


PS - Anyone notice in that video that the guy shooting the .600NE pistol that he actually has a SCOPE on it? Something tells me that he won't be winning any bullseye competitions with that set-up...

 

[SAWBONES]

A medical opinion is that this is largely myth.
You can get tendon and ligament sprains-strains from repeated proper shooting of heavy calibers or perhaps from just a few shots with an improper, weak grip, but I've never heard of an actual broken wrist (that is, fractures of carpal bones, radius or ulna) from shooting repeating handguns.
I suppose it's barely possible with rifle calibers in single-shot handguns, but I've never heard of it even there, barring diseases which weaken bone, such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

 

[TargetTerror]

I'm getting into big boomer cannons, so this thread is definitely of interest to me. How do recoil-reducing gloves like the PAST affect repetitive shooting injuries? I have a a 44 Blackhawk that I load up really hot. It hurts barehanded, but I can shoot it all day with the PAST glove on.

But, I don't really know how to interpret this. I'd think that no pain = totally fine, but my arm/wrist does still have to deal with a 44 magnum going off in my hand.

 

[GRB]

I have shot regular 2 3/4 inch slugs in amounts where I have received a bruised and swollen shoulder (not all that many rounds either, but the shotgun sliped out of the pocket once or thrice and that is all it took). This has hapened many times while practicing combat firing.

I have also had quite sore wrists after a day on which I fired at least 100 12 gauge rounds, and on another when I fired probably over 200. My shoulder was damned sore and bruised on those days too.

I also have had my shoulder swell up bit at least a few times, but no bruises, again from firing many rounds through a 12 gauge. I am fairly certain this is the reason my right shoulder sometimes cracks when I move it, and why I often have pain in my right shoulder when I sleep on it.

I usually do not get bruises when shooting a 12 gauge, but it happens sometimes, and over the years I believe all that banging on the shoulder has added up. I'll have to have a doctor examine me before I retire to see if my job owes me for that wear and tear.

As for breaking a bone due to recoil, my guess is it would be possible; this especially if someone had osteoporosis, or another preexisting bone condition.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[GRB]

I have shot regular 2 3/4 inch slugs in amounts where I have received a bruised and swollen shoulder (not all that many rounds either, but the shotgun sliped out of the pocket once or thrice and that is all it took). This has hapened many times while practicing combat firing.

I have also had quite sore wrists after a day on which I fired at least 100 12 gauge rounds, and on another when I fired probably over 200. My shoulder was damned sore and bruised on those days too.

I also have had my shoulder swell up bit at least a few times, again from firing many rounds through a 12 gauge. I am fairly certain this is the reason my right shoulder sometimes cracks when I move it, and why I often have pain in my right shoulder when I sleep on it.

I usually do ot get bruises when shooting a 12 gauge, but it happens sometimes, and over the years I believe all that banging on the shoulder has added up. I'll have to have a doctor examine me before I retire to see if my job owes me for that wear and tear.

As for breaking a bone due to recoil, my guess is it would be possible; this especially if someone had osteoporosis, or another preexisting bone condition. My question though, would be: Can you develop carpal tunnel syndrome from shooting heavy recoil firearms?

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[RNB65]

I've had my wrist hurt for a week after shooting a dozen or so rounds thru my buddy's S&W 460 magnum. Nothing broken, just some soft tissue strain.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

I've never hurt myself shooting big bore handguns, I've certainly bruised the heck out of my shoulder shooting a Naggant. I couldnt even cut my grass for the next few days.


There was, however, a report I read here on THR of a little boy who died from injuries he recieved firing his Dads .454 revolver. It seems the gun flew back over the top of his head, and the front site blade pierced deep enough to actually damage his brain.

 

[35Rem]

I believe if you check with some of the Gunsite and Thunder Ranch staff they will tell you stories of folks breaking thumbs or wrists while shooting J frame smiths .357's and full-power ammunition.

I remember Clint Smith writing an article on pocket revolvers. He said he had a student break their wrist shooting full power 357's in the S&W 12 oz Unobtanium J-Frame. He recommended 38+P's.

 

[Quigley]

45/70 TC Recoil

If you get the chance shoot a 15" TC Encore in 45/70 loaded with 57 grains H322 and topped off with a 300 grain projectile you might want to pass on it! Even shooting in the standing position letting the recoil rock you it shakes you to the core! If I had fillings in my teeth I think they would have fallen out.
I loaded 10 of these 2050 FPS rounds and popped them off one afternoon to salvage the brass, I'd been better off I think to throw them away or pull the bullets.
The 45/70 loaded at 52 grains and a 250 grain bullet is no worse than the 460 Smith with Leverlution rounds. I can take no more than 1900 FPS personally!