J Frame Pain Management

These days, I shoot my J frames about once a month using similar ammo as you. 50 rounds at an outing is about all I can take, and pretty much always has been. Im the same age as you, and have been shootng them on a regular basis since the early 70's.

I used to shoot and carry them more, but since I first picked up a P230 awhile back, and now Glock 26's, they only come out now to stay on top of them, and remind myself why they are sitting in the safe.

I'm 57 years old...

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Sir, I'm a few years older than you are, so just remember we don't recover/heal as quickly as we once did.

Have you considered a set of aftermarket grips. I use standard S&W magna grips with a grip adapter, by BK grips, or a T-grip. Give one of these a try and see if it helps.

I generally shoot only 10 or 15 rounds in a session. I usually take other guns for additional shooting, but limit the J frame usage. I have never shot it enough at any time to make my hand sore, it just ain't pleasant to shoot it that much.

I cannot tell any difference subjectively between standard and +P.
It is highly unlikely you will ever use it at any significant distance anyway. It wasn't meant to be a target gun. It is in my opinion like an a pocket camera, "point and shoot". It isn't referred to a "belly gun" for no reason.

It is however the gun I carry the most. It is just so easy to stick in a pocket. Of course I always use an appropriate holster. To answer your question though, I would wait until my hand felt back to normal before trying it agin.

ten to fifteen rounds

Since its my carry gun, I have it when I go to the range.
About twice a month, I practice my draw and reload with my alloy J frame carry gun.
This uses up my loaded ammo and rotates my carry ammo. I seldom fire more then fifteen rounds.
Make it a habit to keep some of your carry ammo in your range bag and a simple cleaning kit.

I'm about the same age and 50 rounds out of a J frame is a lot of recoil for the hand to absorb. Take enough time off to reduce the soreness and get a shooters glove or bikers glove without the fingers. They have some extra padding in the palm and web area. I shoot a lot of light wadcutters for practice and just a few + p and the gloves make a difference.

Around twenty years ago, when I was only in my fifties, I decided that the pain involved in shooting maximum-power loads in a lightweight handgun outweighed the supposed benefits of "practicing with what you are going to carry". In other words, like many pearls of wisdom from the 'experts' , this was bull-puckey. I load 158gr. RN lead to about 700fps., very mild recoil and serves just fine for practice. For a carry load it's Critical Defense or the equivalent, but pushing the hot stuff through a twelve-ounce gun is not going do anything to make me a better shooter.
IMHO

I went through this with one of my larger frame guns. I found that if I don't have a good full and even contact pressure around the web and fleshy part between the thumb and forefinger that the guns tend to smack that area. It also means that the gun jumps around more in my grip since it does not have enough the sort of support it needs to transfer the recoil energy to my hand over a wide enough range of tissue to allow me to soak it up without some pain.

Some amount of momentary impact pressure and some slight discomfort for an hour or so after a LONG and high round count session is fine. But if you have lasting pain that goes on for even the next day then I'd say you need to find the grips that will provide a happy relationship between you and your gun.

Edarnold said:

Around twenty years ago, when I was only in my fifties, I decided that the pain involved in shooting maximum-power loads in a lightweight handgun outweighed the supposed benefits of "practicing with what you are going to carry". In other words, like many pearls of wisdom from the 'experts' , this was bull-puckey. I load 158gr. RN lead to about 700fps., very mild recoil and serves just fine for practice. For a carry load it's Critical Defense or the equivalent, but pushing the hot stuff through a twelve-ounce gun is not going do anything to make me a better shooter.
IMHO

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Amen you can soak your hand in warm salt water and use some aspercream on that sore spot.

Try a Pachmayr Compac grip. Marginally larger, much more comfortable.

Try shoot hot 158gr .357s out of a VZ-gripped 340. NO fun. Felt like catching a MLB fastball with no mitt.

J-Frame day at the range is about every other time I go, and 25-30 rounds (10-15 of some handload I'm working up and 15 SD-equivalent rounds) is about what I do most times.

Most of my .38SPL handloads are made for other guns.

My hand doesn't bruise from this, but maybe that's because I shoot 5 SD-eq. rounds from my preferred two-hand grip, 5 strong side only, and five weak side only, and some or all of my experimental rounds rest aided. That's with the factory boot grips.

I used to bruise, even with a Hogue overmold, but I stopped shooting +Ps.

The problem, in my humble opinion, is that the .38 Bodyguard is designed to be carried a lot and shot little. It's too light to do otherwise.

I have a stainless framed Model 60 with 1 7/8" barrel, and because of the extra heft I can shoot it all day without any discomfort. (I'm 53.)

I recently switched from a Pachmayr grip, which was a full wrap grip that allowed four fingers to grip, but was hard to conceal, to a Hoague grip that leaves the backstrap and butt of the grip exposed and leaving no room for the pinkie on the grip, but is much easier to conceal.

Even with the Hoague grip, shooting the J frame is not uncomfortable in the least, due in no small part to the weight of the gun.

I would suggest you shoot mostly 158 grain target loads such as WWB, then finish up your training session with a cylinder or two of your carry load.

Beat-tu said:

So I got a new S&W 38 Bodyguard last week. On Monday I shot 50 38 Special rounds (reloads that were pretty much at the top of 38 Special power). Near the end, my hand began to hurt in the area between index finger and thumb. It's been 7 days and still hurts. It's not terrible hurt, just uncomfortable when I squeeze with other hand.

The advise I'm looking for is should I shoot now, wait for the pain to go away and shoot the same, or shoot less or what? Does repetition make your hand tougher, or continue to injure? Should the repetition happen while it still hurts? What program should I take up to become tougher? If it matters, I'm 57 years old...

I can't imagine shooting 5 +P loads now...But she's loaded and on alert...

Thanks in advance
Tom

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You need to stop shooting that carry piece. The thing is designed to hit Dixie plate five times at 10 paces or less. That is easy thing to do and should require little practice. When I owned the LCP I used to shoot the gun one handed alternating hands between magazine changes that way I could get through two to three boxes of 50. It helps to be ambidextrous and being right eye dominant I only had to close right eye when shooting from left hand. When shooting from right hand both eyes could be open which was wonderful.

It's not terrible hurt, just uncomfortable when I squeeze with other hand.

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:banghead: Then stop squeezing it. It won't hurt any more. . . .
Only joking, bear with me please.

I had a similar problem with my S&W 340 PD Ultralight except mine was that trigger guard slammed into my trigger finger on nearly every shot. Painful as it is I found a way to resolve the problem at the range. I went to Lowe's I bought a pair of Mechanix gloves with the high impact protective padding on the fingers. It's working perfectly. I can now get through a full range session without having bruised fingers any more.
You just need to get some extra protection from the revolver beating your hand up.
I'm also in agreement with practicing with what ammo you can shoot comfortably, and loading the pistol for PD when you need it to be. In PD an inch low is probably more than accurate enough.

Regards,
Gearchecker

You need to stop shooting that carry piece. The thing is designed to hit Dixie plate five times at 10 paces or less.

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Ah... No! It can do that at 50 yards and further.

The J-frame revolvers were decended from a similar line made on Smith & Wesson's I frame. They in turn were chambered in either .32 S&W Long or .38 S&W. Going to larger stocks will help, as will using .38 Special 148 grain mid-range wadcutters (that duplicate the .38 S&W's performance). These shouldn't hurt, and if you want to upgrade to something more powerful later you can. I didn't. Long ago I discovered it pays to match a cartridge's recoil to the size and weight of the gun you shoot it in.

"On Monday I shot 50 38 Special rounds"

I'll be 62 next month. The first time I took my Rohrbaugh R9 out in 2007 I shot 101 rounds. Ouch, I surrender. I noticed it the next day, too. Five years later I don't notice it, although I'm not shooting it 100 times a day anymore.

A coworker's wife shot my Rohrbaugh Memorial Day and liked it. She isn't a shooter and he just bought his first gun this year. She came to the range yesterday and asked to shoot the R9. She thinks it's fun. Dern youngsters.

John

Beat-tu,

Old Bear gives good advice. As to the medical side, I would wait until the pain is gone, that's your body's early warning device. I'm guessing you're not describing a skin laceration, but something more like tendonitis, and the common treatment would be an anti-inflammatory of some type like Ibuprofen, Naprosyn, or it's brand name of Alieve, but please check with your Physician first. These can be hard on the stomach and on occasion raise your blood pressure.

LD

P.S. I would also try a nice pair of shooting gloves next time, I use them with my arthritis.

I would like to make a suggestion. Buy bigger grips. Specifically, buy grips that cover the backstrap.

If you practice with the larger grips, you will still get quality trigger time and you can work on holding a good sight picture. Then, before you leave the range, swap out for your carry grips. Put 15-20 rounds through with your carry grips.

Rinse and repeat.

Beat TU

I am 65 next month and I see that my hand strength and healing are MUCH worse than when I was a puppy [ 10 years ago !].

I shoot a S&W 442 [ 14 ounce ] and a S&W 360 [9 ounce/.357 ].

Both have the 'boot grip' and that means open backstrap,I carry +P in both and shoot a mix of fairly hot stuff as well as wadcutters for practice.

I can feel the difference and I feel the need to shoot the +P stuff that I carry.

I usually practice with a shock absorbing glove and then do a few cylinders full without a glove.

If your still suffering pain,I strongly suggest you see a Dr. to make sure nothing is broken/damaged/torn.

I used to shoot .44 magnum with impunity,now I shoot them only to practice for hunting.

Getting old has its perks ! = AND a downside as I didnt know my body would actually AGE.

If it is your primary carry gun I would consider a couple of options.
1. Get some wadcutters to practice with. Even my 340pd is easy to shoot with these loads. If you are lucky enough to have someone handload some light loads for your practice sessions you will find a world of difference with respect to felt recoil, and in a self defense situation, you will never feel any recoil anyway so the transition between heavy and light loads is a moot point.

2. I bought a all steel 640 snubbie to take to the range when I shoot short barrel guns. Once again the weight difference will be non existent in a life and death situation.

I shoot wadcutters in my 442, along with standard loads and +P. It's just a matter of getting used to it. Or maybe it's cumulative nerve damage that lessens the pain.

You're certainly right about the heavier guns. The same ammo in my 649 is much tamer due to the additional 7 ounces or so. The 125 grain .357s will certainly liven things up and impress the kids.

John

in a self defense situation, you will never feel any recoil anyway so the transition between heavy and light loads is a moot point.

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I would like to respectfully point out some flaws in this thought process.

It does not matter what you "feel" when shooting a firearm in a self defense situation.

What DOES matter is your ability to quickly fire accurate follow up shots.

Point of impact will be affected by "light loadings." The shooter's ability to fire quick follow up shots will also be affected.

These things matter.

Sure practice with light loads. But don't fool yourself into thinking you won't notice the difference with hot loads. I agree that the last thing on your mind in a self defense situation will be the pain in your shooting hand. What should be on your mind is putting your shots where you want them to go, and NOW.

You need to stop shooting that carry piece.

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I can't think of any way to have this statement makes sense.

Specifically, buy grips that cover the backstrap.

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This.
Put the gun in your hand in a shooting grip, then see where the movement is in your hand. That's where you need more grip.
For me, that's in the web of my hand, so covered backstraps, preferably with some bulk to them, are what it takes for the gun to be comfortable in my hand.

The problem with changing the grips is, most that are more comfortable to shoot with, defeat the whole purpose of the smaller gun. You might as well just switch to a different type gun.

Ive had J frames come from S&W with ridiculously large rubber grips, that were great to shoot with, but made the gun harder to hide than my full size pistols. My favorite combination for the J frames, are a set of old service stocks with a T grip. Of all the "smaller" grips, I find this combination the most concealable, and comfortable to shoot with.