Revolver recoil right in thumb joint bone.

[1KPerDay]

Right about here?

View attachment 846952
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No. Further in. The innermost thumb joint where it meets the hand.

 

[Hookeye]

I dislike the grips that cover the backstrap.
240gr factory loads w the wood target grips on my 629 was OK.
Switched to Hogue rubber though, and they would rub the skin pink.
Eh, toughened the hide soon enough.

Have run the Hogues on every Smith K and N frame since.
Even put them on my Python.

I have thin hands, so get a good wrap, not small either.
Can shoot a DE .44 OK (feels too big but stays put).

Had a buddy shoot one of my 629's w Hogues, and he got the knuckle bonk.
Not sure how but he said that 4" ate him up.

 

[sgt127]

No. Further in. The innermost thumb joint where it meets the hand.

Sorry. That was a crappy drawing. I changed it. Yes. Lower in the thumb joint. Grip the gun normally and see if it’s offset in your hand.

Also, the gun torques when you fire it driving that corner right in there. Like a splitting maul.

I love revolvers. But, for the amount of horsepower I can get and control, autos win. Particularly single stacks. I can shoot my P239 in 357 SIG all day long. 50 rounds of 125 gr .357 in a Smith 19, I’m done shooting for a week.

That slide eats a tremendous amount of the recoil. And, the recoil impulse is radically different.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Just curious, what kind of pain do you get? Do you have pain after shooting? Swelling etc. I have pain in my off hand joint. Have found out it is arthritis. Pain is the way the body tell you to stop what you are doing. Continue and it may get worse. Might want to give up revolvers are shoot light loads. It might not be just the recoil, but also the continuous "Gripping" of the gun or a combination of the two. One reason, I do not reload as much. Too much pinching of finger and thumb going on with that hand. Sometime I wear a brace to stop both the thumb and finger from pinching together.
Take Ibrephrophen or another anti-inflamatory after shooting. Be sure to ice after each session. Keeping up the same thing that is giving it pain is going to erode the joint more and more.
I wish you luck.

 

[stonebuster]

I've got Rheumatoid Arthritis effecting both hands especially the same thumb joint(basal joint?) of my right hand like you. I've decided on rubber for my grips for my revolvers choosing function over looks. I also don't shoot 357s anymore. I've experimented with different grips to manage recoil. For my GP100s the Letts style rubber w/wood inserts work great and look good(IMO). The two M10 service revolvers have old Uncle Mike's rubber grips that feel great and look good. I've tried the Pachmayr Diamond Pro and Hogue monogrip on my SP101 2.25" 357 and they absorb recoil very well. I found a padded bicycle glove to use at the range that is light and padded in the right places. The shape of the grip makes a big difference for me. The squared off top on some wood grips punish that joint vs rounded in the area that joint contacts.

 

[mcb]

OP I had similar bruising to the inner knuckle of my strong hand with a S&W revolver. When I switch from my S&W 610 to a 625 for my USPSA revolver the new (to me) 625 came with a set of the JM wood grips. I had been running Hogue round-butt monogrips on the 610. I was excited to try Jerry's grip but after a few practice sessions and two matches I threw that grip in the "bad" grip box and put a Hogue monogrip on my 625 too. That grip was too slippery for me and more important painful to use and bruised the inner knuckle on my thumb. I have never had a knuckle issue with my Monogrips.

I am not saying you need monogrips but you need to find, make or modify a grip to make you hands comfortable. A bad grip will make a moderate recoiling revolver painful and a good proper fitting grip will mitigate even stout recoil. I personally like rubber grips for that reason but in addition to the material you need a size and shape that fits your hand. Don't be afraid to grab a file, rasp or belt sander and carve up a grip to make it fit your hand. And ugly comfortable grip is better than a pretty painful grip.

 

[Typetwelve]

Sorry. First picture was wrong. Yes, lower in the web of the thumb. Right on the joint.

View attachment 846961 I have gotten to the point that most DA revolvers, above .38 Special, hurt.

I finally figured out what’s going on. I have dainty little hands. Exceptionally strong, just small.

N Frames and even K Frames, the horn of the gun is not centered in the web of my hand. If I Center it, I can’t reach the trigger very well. Any grip that adds more cushioning helps with the recoil but, I need to turn the gun further in my hand thus directing even more recoil into that thumb joint.

I discovered this by dragging out an old SP101. Though smaller and lighter than an N or K frame, I can center the gun in my hand. The recoil is still there, just not that sharp “damn, that feels like I hit my thumb with a hammer” pain.

Pondering sacrificing an old K frame and thinning and rounding the whole backstrap, from the horn to the bottom and, see if it works.

That's the same place I get it.

I may be wrong, but I really think that's the geometry of S&W revolvers, they seem to come straight back at you and really hit the inner thumb meat hard. I had some wooden hogue grips on my .357 627 and it did the same thing, I swapped to some rubber grips and problem gone.

I had a Ruger Super Redhawk in 44 a few years back, and it would rise more when you shot it vs coming back at you. Perhaps is the way its built, I really don't know.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

That's about enough everybody just man up and take the pain.

 

[1KPerDay]

Sorry. That was a crappy drawing. I changed it. Yes. Lower in the thumb joint. Grip the gun normally and see if it’s offset in your hand.

Also, the gun torques when you fire it driving that corner right in there. Like a splitting maul.

I love revolvers. But, for the amount of horsepower I can get and control, autos win. Particularly single stacks. I can shoot my P239 in 357 SIG all day long. 50 rounds of 125 gr .357 in a Smith 19, I’m done shooting for a week.

That slide eats a tremendous amount of the recoil. And, the recoil impulse is radically different.

Yep, exactly

 

[1KPerDay]

Just curious, what kind of pain do you get? Do you have pain after shooting? Swelling etc. I have pain in my off hand joint. Have found out it is arthritis. Pain is the way the body tell you to stop what you are doing. Continue and it may get worse. Might want to give up revolvers are shoot light loads. It might not be just the recoil, but also the continuous "Gripping" of the gun or a combination of the two. One reason, I do not reload as much. Too much pinching of finger and thumb going on with that hand. Sometime I wear a brace to stop both the thumb and finger from pinching together.
Take Ibrephrophen or another anti-inflamatory after shooting. Be sure to ice after each session. Keeping up the same thing that is giving it pain is going to erode the joint more and more.
I wish you luck.

No, in my case the pain doesn't linger and I don't think it's inflammation. It's just force/impact to that bone.

Aside: remember how strange those original GP100 grips looked and how many people mocked them when they first came out? Now everyone wants them

 

[1KPerDay]

And ugly comfortable grip is better than a pretty painful grip.

Yeah, I'm starting to get there. I've been justifying the pretty, painful ones for a long time.

I admit that form does matter to me. I enjoy aesthetics of machines like guns and airplanes and cars and motorcycles. But in actual use the fun wears off quick if it doesn't work right.

 

[gotboostvr]

I really like these Arhends. Tactical Finger Groovers in Zebrawood.

They feel great to me, even with full tilt boogie 240gr handloads.

I've got a set of their excellent combat grips on a 625, and they do very well with the lower recoil 200gr SWC's @~850 fps. Not very tempted to try them on my 629 though.

These grips on my 686-0 are extremely comfortable as well, from Russwood. They look to be from the same time period as the gun itself.

Very hand filling. Buffalo bore 180gr is pleasant with these grips. I think they look great as well.

 

[1KPerDay]

I assume the Ahrends I have are shaped similarly in the area that hurts me... but maybe the finger grooves make a difference. Mine are the retro target stocks.

 

[gotboostvr]

I assume the Ahrends I have are shaped similarly in the area that hurts me... but maybe the finger grooves make a difference. Mine are the retro target stocks.

If I'm not mistaken, all the Arhends can be had with or without finger grooves and all have variation in thickness/shaping between the different styles. Not just different general appearance.

I do know that Herret's still custom make some grips tailored to YOUR hand if you send them a tracing per their website. Short of making them yourself they might be your best bet to get something comfy without going through 15 different sets of sometimes expensive grips.

 

[Steve C]

Do I need to get grips that cover the back strap? Do I need to shoot left handed? Shooting right eye is not an option.

Other than the M340 all your revolvers are heavier steel fame guns where your standard pressure 4.2gr w231 158gr load should provide modest recoil. You may have more luck simply changing your grip a bit to avoid the pain you are getting in your lower thumb joint. Try setting your grip so the barrel aligns in the center of the thumb and finger "V" of your hand and in line with your arm. This should align the grips back strap with the meaty part between the thumb and your finger so recoil will bear directly back along the axis of your arm and not into the joint of the thumb and hand. See the example below.

 

[dubious]

This trick reduces pain in that exact spot for me... Lower your grip as far as possible while still being able to operate the trigger. Let the gun recoil up on its own rather than straight back into your hand. I learned this shooting snubbies but it helps anytime you feel the pain. Otherwise hogues help if they fit your hand.

 

[1KPerDay]

Well at first blush the pachmayr decelerators (they say "gripper" on the bottom of the grip) feel 100% better. I started by shooting a couple cylinders full of full power .357/ 158s with the Ahrends grips and by shot 9 I was saying "Ow, Ow" with every shot. I tried weaver and it was a little better but it's so awkward for me. I tried gripping the gun low, tried getting it in line with my arm, still OW.

Installed the pachys, and I can see why people complain about the quality. You can basically tighten the screw all the way through the threads and there's nothing on the right side to prevent it. I will try to find some washers but I may just put loc tite on and tighten it flush and hope it doesn't move around. There's also molding flash all along the back but you can't feel it when shooting.

However the experience of shooting hot loads is MUCH improved. I shot probably 5 cylinders of .357s SA and DA and experienced zero pain. A bunch of .38s also and of course they felt like marshmallows after the .357. I can't believe they used to issue the .357 to police. It's a thumper and loud as hell and with huge muzzle flash. Props to any who learned to shoot it well but I wager most shot qualifications and then didn't shoot them a lot. Especially in K or L or smaller framed Colts.

So, initial success. Makes me want to get the same grips for all. I could use a bit more palm swell so maybe I'll go with the diamond pros for the K frame.