[Drakejake]

I fired .38 special and .357 mag through two short-barrelled revolvers yesterday. No problem with the .38. But the .357 really punished the upper knuckle on my middle finger. This knuckle touches the back of the trigger guard during firing. The strong recoil of the .357 causes the guard to impact the knuckle. Is this a common problem? Is there a solution short of wearing gloves, taping the knuckle, or taping the back of the trigger guard?

Thanks,

Drakejake

[Majic]

Sounds like you have service stocks on your revolver. Try a set that fills in the gap between the grip frame and triggerguard or add a Tyler-T grip adapter to your service stocks.
Either way that recoil can be ferious in the small .357mag revovlers. The super light weight models are a real handful. A glove or padding that knuckle will help some.

[Jim March]

Yup! Grip adjustment/swap time.

Different hand shapes need different grips. This is a classic case.

[ACP230]

I had to stick a couple of target pasters on my middle finger when I shot an IDPA match with my Colt Cobra.
The problem didn't show up until I shot 15 or 20 rounds.

My 12 year-old shot the Cobra Monday and it was roughing up the web of his hand.

I'm thinking rubber grips might help, but they seem in short supply for the Cobra.

[Majic]

ACP230,
Pachmyer used to make a nice compact rubber grip for the D-framed Colt. It has a notch cut in the bottom for the pinkey finger. I had a set on a Dick Special years ago.
http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/789925

[magsnubby]

Try a pair of Hogue or Pachmyer grips. They're both great grips. The right grips makes an "ouch" into a "not to bad".

[ACP230]

The Midway grips listed are for "post '71" Cobras.
Mine was evidently made earlier than that.
I tried a pair of rubber grips from CDNN, but they don't fit.

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

When the Colt pistols were invented Fitz was the aftermarket pistol grip company from 1919 long before WW2. Undercover officers were having a difficult time qualifying for the level of shooting pay they desired with the short standard grips and continuous practice made for very sore knuckles.

The Fitz Gunfighter grips protected the knuckle and I have a few pairs in my archives of CherryWood and Walnut Wood while they last. Over the years Colt had several length frames for the same named pistols of Cobra, Diamondback, Agent and Police Positive among others.

What I have left in my archives are the long frame version and the short version will fit in my longer frame with some wood putty. Colt shortened the grip frame during WW2 to save metal. Some fellows recently wanting to shoot the short frame accurately used putty to fill in the gap at the end of the frame. I am not in business and can sell my remaining grips as low as I please.

Pictures available