Revolvers and Messed-Up Hands

[Tallball]

I'm having an annoying auto-immune problem right now that affects the skin on my fingers. The skin on my left index finger is so delicate that I can't rack a slide.

I can still shoot a semiauto just fine, but I don't feel comfortable carrying one right now because I can't operate it properly, especially in the case of a misfeed.

So it's back to a revolver for CC until my hands get better. Funny, I'd finally started carrying a semiauto (Kahr PM9) pretty often.

This is the second time for me recently. A couple of years ago I broke a finger and was limited to revolvers for a few months.

IMHO, this is an(other) advantage that revolvers have over semiautos. I can work a revolver WAY better with one hand or 1.5 hands.

Has this ever happened to you? These are the two most recent times for me, but it's happened before. My hands take a beating from some of my extracurriculars.

I already have a few 32 revolvers for when I get older. By the time I can't shoot 32 S&W long anymore, it will hopefully be time for me to move on.

Gratuitous pictures of CC and HD revolvers. This is how the other half lives.

Four38s

• Tallball
• Mar 16, 2023

 

[Mark 40]

My hands have issues as well, so I've gone exclusively to revolvers. Have liquidated all my semi-autos and funded additional revolver purchases that way. Have nothing against semi-auto, it's just that revolvers work better for me.

My grip strength has not been the best since surgeries in the late 90s. As such, when shooting semi-autos malfunctions occurred. Took awhile to master the grip to prevent it. At this point I do not want to worry about that aspect anymore, especially under pressure. My finger strength is great so DA revolver triggers are not an issue. Great that we have so many options.

 

[film495]

my hands are fine, but I recently started moving to just use revolvers for CC anyway. just as personal preference.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I hope your health issue can be resolved favorably and soon!

Does one type of grip shape/material work around your condition better than another?

My friend Bob's arthritis-induced limp-wristing problem is another area where revolvers have the advantage. Another aging friend had to give up shooting entirely due to Parkinsons. He can still fish on a good day though, and his interest in guns is still active.

We don't get very much say over how our bodies decide to malfunction.

FWIW, Plan B for when I'm so old and feeble that I can no longer enjoy shooting is to fall back on my extensive library of gun books. I hope that if/when I've reached the point where I cannot even fondle or read about guns, someone will be around to promptly summon the coroner

 

[Tallball]

@Dave DeLaurant TY for your kind words. It always passes after a few months and doesn't hurt as long as I'm careful. The skin on my forefinger and thumb tears too easily for me to rack a slide. A revolver is NP.

Have plenty of modern firearms, yet keep a revolver and a coach gun loaded for HD. Just now realized that's the same as my great-grandpa 100 years ago. That's funny.

I like the books too, and tinkering with the handguns. Installing new springs or grips or whatever. It's good for us retired folk to have hobbies.

 

[JERRY]

I have an affinity towards 32 caliber revolvers. I've owned 4 of them in my lifetime I currently have 2. I like them needless to say.

 

[luzyfuerza]

I had surgery on my dominant-side shoulder a year ago, and had to switch to a revolver carried in a pocket for a few months. Gave me an opportunity for intensive practice of one-handed drawing and shooting a revolver with my non-dominant hand.

Another observation: I've learned and practiced how to draw, reload, and clear auto-loader malfunctions with only one hand, and to do all of these with only my non-dominant hand. Could be of use if one arm is injured in a fight. You might want to take this opportunity to practice these skills with your autoloader.

Pretty good video that demonstrates and teaches these skills:

How to clear handgun malfunctions with one hand. One hand shooting. Injured shooter.

The following is a portion of our Gun Fighter Class where we discuss how to shoot if you are injured. Open to Law Enforcement and Military, our Gun Fighter ...

youtu.be

 

[Pat Riot]

I am sorry to hear about your affliction @Tallball

I haven’t had issues like that but my wrists are pretty messed up from years of abuse and accidents. I recently bought a Glock 43 thinking it would be a good replacement for my S&W 442. With the factory 6 round mag and flat floor plate this thing kills my right wrist. With a +1 Pearce extension it’s tolerable but still hurts both wrists. I truly believe it’s got to do with the action of the slide.
I do not get the same pain shooting my J frame revolvers.
I may be switching back to my models 442 and 36 for primary carry about town.
I also have a Glock 48. It’s more pleasant to shoot than that 43, but I find that I am leaning towards my model 10 for woods and fishing carry.
My larger Glocks don’t bother me the same as the slim ones do.
That’s okay though. I have some really cool revolvers that can go with me in their stead.

 

[Lo-Profile]

I swapped to taller height sights on most of my semi auto pistols I could find them for. Allows you to use the side of your hand to rack the slide instead of grabbing with the fingers.

 

[stonebuster]

A flare up of rheumatoid arthritis has kept me off the range for a month now. Can't even make a fist some mornings. I've plenty of good carrying revolvers in 2-3 inch S&W K frames and Rugers to get me through. Tired of cleaning and polishing them and may do a range trip tomorrow just long enough to get a couple dirty again. I use gel padded bicycle gloves at the range when my hands are hurting. Good luck to you guys/gals with similar issues.

 

[MikeInOr]

I am firmly in the semi-auto camp.

I have taken quite a few newbs out recently which has impressed on me how much more difficult it is to shoot autos. They have been able to limp wrist my most reliable pistols into feed problems. They also have many problems operating the slide and when they do get the slides back the slides fail to go into battery. They have even been able to misfeed my Beretta 92, 1911's and my Sig.

Of course reveolvers don't have any of these issues. But my 44 and Webley shaved to 45 acp aren't really beginner friendly. The DA trigger on my Webley is so stiff even experienced shooters have problems shooting it DA.

 

[jdc1244]

So it's back to a revolver for CC until my hands get better.

I’d stay with a revolver even after your hands get better.

 

[Tallball]

I’d stay with a revolver even after your hands get better.

It's my preference.

Sometimes a semiauto is a much better fit for my clothing/activities, so I'll carry it, but I won't live long enough for my muscle memory with semiautos to ever catch up to the natural way I handle revolvers.

Glad that I have IWB, OWB, and pocket holsters for my snubs. They're not quite as easy to carry sometimes, but I'll manage.

 

[film495]

one thing I've noticed is any decent pair of gloves and my hand and wrist seem to take less of a beating at the range, so I just try to do that when I think of it.

 

[DustyRusty]

My left-handed buddy bought a pair of rubber gloves and gave me the righty. X2 on reducing the beating. Good grip on the gun and my hand. It helps me.

 

[Riomouse911]

@Tallball, sorry to hear that you are having issues. Nothing is worse than losing the use of your hands, even if it is a temporary condition. I hope you heal up quickly and have no issues that linger.

Back around 2003, I had a right thumb ligament issue that made me switch to a 686+ for several months. The thumb wouldn’t let me press my P228 slide release or decocker down or mag release inward, but I could push the cylinder release on a S&W. (Go figure!). Going to a revolver when faced with a hand issue is a perfect solution to the problem, I am glad to see you have worked to keep shooting while healing up.

Stay safe.

 

[Gork10]

Tallball, wishing you a speedy recovery. I don't feel any less armed when I'm carrying my snubby model 10 then when I'm carrying one of my hi powers. About 20 years ago I took a bad spill in the winter as I was carrying several boxes. All three boxes landed on my shooting hand. Couldn't hardly do anything with my XD. So I traded it for the afor mentioned model 10. Still carry it on occasion when the mood hits. Recovery took about 10 months.

 

[J-Bar]

Sorry to hear of your problem. Immune system issues can be very frustrating.

My mother, my sister, and I all shared deviation of the tips of our trigger fingers. It makes trigger control especially difficult: the tips of some triggers are very pointed and uncomfortable, and it becomes impossible to avoid contact with the gun when my finger is on the trigger. The photo is 13 years old. It's worse now. Genetics is a bitch. Thanks Mom.




Target grips are lousy for concealed carry, but man they are comfortable. My son-in-law found these walnut Fitz grips on Ebay for me:





The only thing I can think of, other than a more comfortable grip, would be to wear a golfer's glove when you are experiencing the problem.

Good luck, my friend.

 

[Tallball]

TY everyone for your kind words. It always gets better after a while. I can shoot semiautos at the range if I rack them strangely, but I'm not going to carry one again until I can rack it properly. Hopefully just another month or two.

FWIW, my previous doctor recommended thick lotion and cotton gloves to wear in my sleep, and during the day as much as I can. My current doctor recommended the same lotion and latex type examination gloves. The cotton works much better for me, in case you ever have a similar skin irritation problem with your hands (such as eczema).

 

[bigpower491]

Years of handling grinders, profilers, and various other diemaking activities have taken their toll on me. So far I'm getting away with shooting lighter calibers. But we'll see where I'm at in 5 yrs.

 

[Rexster]

First of all, a prayer for healing!

Regarding revolvers for messed-up hands, I am very much a believer in revolvers being the best handguns, because most autos are handSguns. Revolvers, too, perform optimally if we have full use of both hands, but a revolver is very much a handgun, at least until the moment of reloading arrives.

Reloading can be postponed if we carry more than one weapon. Most private-citizen armed encounters have ended, by the time the first weapon has been emptied, but I like the idea of hedging my bets. I established the habit of multiple weapons during my LEO-ing career, and it always made sense for the second/spare/back-up weapon to be positioned for lefty access. Retirement has allowed me to be at peace without having at least one service/duty-capable handgun on my person at all times, but the second weapon still makes plenty of sense. It is not difficult to carry more than one J-Snub, and not unrealistic to carry more than one SP101, or more than on K-Snub, or some combination of these.

As I see it, a speed-loader is about as large as a revolver cylinder, so, concealing an entire second revolver is about as much trouble as concealing a speed-loader, and drawing that second revolver will result in a quicker ability to fire than any reload technique.

Some folks with some hand issues might be better-served by single-action triggers, if they are able to manipulate the hammer of a single-action revolver.