Sore Trigger Finger

[pax]

I fired ~500 rounds this weekend of .38 special out of an S&W 686 (big L-frame) revolver. All rounds were fired in double-action mode, and the pull was long and the trigger was quite heavy. It wasn't at all stiff or jerky, just heavy, so even though it was a lot of work to pull the trigger the gun was still lotsa fun to shoot.

I was literally unable to pull the trigger by the end of the day Saturday. I had rolled the trigger halfway back, and then was shocked to suddenly discover that I literally did not have the strength to complete the pull. After I relaxed my finger and shook the tension out my hand, I tried it again and it worked. No problem with the next pull, but two pulls after that my hand quit entirely for the rest of the day. Fortunately we were nearly done shooting at that point, so I faked it and got by okay.

Saturday night I noticed my trigger finger was a bit swollen, so I smeared Aspercreme on it and took ibuprofen before I went to bed. Looked okay Sunday morning, and despite being sore I managed to fire most of Sunday's rounds without undue difficulty. I did bow out of a few shooting exercises in late afternoon, and at the very end of the day I had the same "my hand just quit" sensation that I'd had on Saturday, but I got through the day all right.

Today, my trigger finger is partially swollen and quite sore around the middle knuckle. I've been keeping Aspercreme on it and am taking ibuprofen for the inflammation.

The questions I have for my fellow THR members:

Have you ever shot so much (or such a heavy trigger) that this happened to you?

How long should I expect it to take healing up?

Do you have a favorite magic ointment or miracle cure for overworked trigger fingers?

pax

(edited to fix a stupid typo ...)

 

[R.H. Lee]

500 rds is a lot in one session. I have never had "trigger finger" problems, but my left thumb gets real sore after a session with the MKII Ruger, holding the button down on the mag while loading it.

Maybe you got a splinter in it?

 

[pax]

Riley ~

No, no splinter or other external trauma.

Just a dang sore & swollen finger. It's also a bit sore into my forearm on the muscle side, but I figure that is just from the unaccustomed weight of the big gun.

pax

 

[Correia]

Wow. That sucks. I have never had that happen.

500 rounds isn't that much for one day. But the only time I've had trigger finger problems is in extreme cold weather long long long matches.

pax, do you have any problems with arthritis? Does that run in your family? Not a pleasant thing to bring up, but it is a possibility.

 

[Steve in PA]

That'll teach ya

I thought the 686 was based on the L-frame?

 

[R.H. Lee]

pax-

Ice it.

 

[41mag]

Thats's interesting.

I wonder if it's possible to get a permanent "tennis elbow" like injury in your trigger finger?

I hope not.

 

[pax]

Steve ~ it was a typo, a stupid one. (Did I mention my finger is sore? That's my story and I'm sticking to it...)

Correia ~ no arthritis in the family to speak of, at least not before age 70 or thereabouts. I'm too young for that kind of thing! (36 is young ... even though I wouldn't have said so when I was in high school.)

pax

 

[Preacherman]

A couple of factors to think about:

1. How well did the grip fit you? If it was an old-style grip on a square-butt frame, this can give problems to many people with small- to medium-size hands. A better-shaped grip, or a round-butt configuration, or a combination of the two, can give an easier trigger-pull.

2. Had the revolver had a trigger job? If not, there can be "stacking" moments during the trigger pull that go relatively un-noticed during the short term, but that can add a lot of stress to a highly repetitive motion such as a trigger-stroke over a weekend's shooting.

3. Is the pain centered in the finger, or in the tendon on the back of the hand leading to the finger? This can suggest different problems, with different possible solutions.

 

[Jim K]

That is the normal result of DA practice, and it has happened to me. I recommend shorter practice sessions, and also have a good gunsmith do a trigger job on that gun to reduce the weight of the DA pull. Some folks like a wide target trigger to spread out the pressure on the finger, but I have found they get in the way of good trigger control.

P.S. You know you are getting good in DA when you can rotate the cylinder by pulling the trigger without engaging the hammer. Also when you can keep your shots in a man size target at 100 yards, DA, standing, two hand hold.

Jim

 

[RevDisk]

Burned my trigger finger pretty badly on an AK47. I had been firing it for a while on full auto, put about 15, 20 mags through it in less than 10 minutes. Just practicing my bursts.

Well, the trigger assembly began to really heat up, and that heated up the trigger. Had a nice burn mark on my finger for a while. Plus I wore off a good amount of skin on the middle of my index finger by racking the slide so many times.

I learned a lesson. If one is using FA weapons, switch weapons every once in a while to allow them to cool down.

 

[Steve in PA]

Ok Pax, we'll accept your sore finger as the reason

My first handgun was a 6" 686 stainless. Sadly, I don't have that gun any more, but it was super.

I will be getting another one, this time in 4"

 

[1911Ron]

Carpel trigger finger??

 

[sm]

Preacherman and Jim Keenan make good points.

pax I have to ask, did you use a different stance than you normally do with your CCW? Have you done anything different prior to shooting?

Here is why I ask. Some years ago I noticed a problem with my left ( weak hand). The stamina was not there, shooting hurt, numbness set in, and yes my trigger finger became swollen .

A few days later I was holding something in my left, hand. I could SEE I was holding it , I could not FEEL it. Still swollen and I dropped it. I had also woke up that morning with a pain around my forearm and my elbow hurt , like someone had shoved an ice pick in it.

I go to my Doc, who is a shooter. I am sent to a Physical Therapist, a member of our club...so two shooters are Dx this.

I had a pinched nerve, around the scalpula. I said it didn't hurt there...my elbow hurt, my weak hand had no feeling and was swollen. I got the anatomy lesson, replete with charts and stuff...the pinched nerve caused all my problems.

The PT traced my pinched nerve to a new work bench that was not ergonomic. I was not supported on the weak side. I did PT and fixed the work bench and the pain went away, swelling went away, and shooting returned to where I was before. Now that I "learnt something" , I know what to be aware of.

Not uncommon for folks my PT said, Repetive Motion in workplace.

I was "fussed at" to use a straw because that motion of drinking a soda and tipping the soda can back is not good for the neck and I still do the excercises I was taught to relieve neck, upper shoulder stress and fatigue.

Just a thought.

 

[Atticus]

I'm sitting here right now with the same condition. I've been dry firing a new 642 for weeks now and both of my index fingers are swollen.
You may be flirting with a little arthritis. Rest, anti-inflamatories, and Arthricare cream, or something similar, should help.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Correia ~ no arthritis in the family to speak of, at least not before age 70 or thereabouts. I'm too young for that kind of thing! (36 is young ... even though I wouldn't have said so when I was in high school.)

You're certainly not too young to contract arthritis. I hope to God that's not it, but my wife has suffered from the worst kind, RA, for 24 years now. She contracted it when she was 27. I won't even tell you what she's went through in that time, but it's nothing to take lightly. Have it checked out. Hopefully, it's something simple.

 

[JohnKSa]

TREAT IT! And let it heal. Don't let the inflammation linger and don't aggravate it any more than you absolutely have to until it's better. Don't immobilize it, you can move it as much as you like, but try to avoid doing things that hurt.

37 is not too young to have arthritis or other similar conditions, and it's not impossible to have arthritis even if your family doesn't.

 

[Matt G]

Serrated, yes?

May I suggest a sanding drum on a Dremel? Serrations are fine on target triggers, but not on double-action working gun triggers.

 

[Preacherman]

Good point, Matt! Pax, if you have an action job done on the gun, ask them at the same time to give you a narrow, smooth, rounded trigger - MUCH better for DA work! S&W do make them, and you can swap out the serrated and/or wide triggers for the narrow variety - no need to actually grind down one you've already got.

BTW, I discussed this with a gunsmith up at Clark Custom Guns (who do all my DA trigger jobs) a few years ago. He made a point that certainly made me understand strain on trigger fingers and tendons much better. Assume, if you will, a standard, fairly "rough" factory DA trigger pull of 12 pounds (by no means as heavy as they can be!). Assume, further, that you're going to fire 250 rounds through that revolver, all DA, in a shooting session. This means that your trigger finger has to exert a 12 pound pull 250 times, for a total cumulative "workload" of 3,000 pounds - that's ONE AND A HALF TONS!!! - during that shooting session. The "roughness" of a standard factory trigger adds friction to the equation, too. In comparison, a smoothed-out, lighter DA trigger pull - the Clark Service Action Job typically brings it down to the 7-8 pound range - means that the same amount of shooting will exert a stress of only 1,750 - 2,000 pounds - a saving in "workload" of half a ton, never mind the reduced friction produced by the action job.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

 

[Majic]

As you called the M686 a "big L-frame" revolver, what do you usually shoot and how much/often do you shoot that?

 

[entropy]

37 is definitely not too young to get arthritis; I have had it in the knuckle joint of my right index finger since I was 21, as a result of shooting very hot .357's and .44's. (also a double 16 ga. that I thought was 'macho' to fire both bbls. at once. The trigger guard would always rap me hard! ) I now have it in my left hand due to a work accident, and the knees are starting to get it, too. To aggrivate it, I have had gout since 35. My wife has had arthritis since she was 25, and it's fast approaching her mom's for severity.
sm, I am having the same symptoms; I had suspected a pinched nerve. I suppose I should get to the doctor's.

 

[TonyB]

I have severe arthritis and this happens to me quite a bit.I have all my revolver triggers smoothed out(on the outside that is).....my trigger finger has limited range of motion..not that it stops me from shooting!.Right now as I look at my trigger finger it is swollen at the 2nd joint,and I have IDPA tonight....but hey..no pain ,no gain
Like others said,get the trigger worked on...
for what it's worth,my Glock 17 never affects my trigger finger,just my revolvers...
BTW..I am 36 and have had arthritis sence 1986.......it does suck

 

[mainmech48]

Yeah, 500 rds per session IS a lot. So is 2300+ in five days. I wore blisters on my trigger finger and lost some skin to slide rub at Chapman Academy a couple of years ago.

Had to tough it out with bandaids and moleskin to finish the course. I'd never gone through so much full-power ball in a handgun in such a short period before (or since).

FWIW, I've ground the serrations off and recontoured the triggers of every non-collector DA revolver that I own to avoid the friction. An action slick-up by a pro and/or a new set of springs will help even more.

Other than that, only regular exercise to build your grip/hand strength can do the rest, IMO.

 

[pax]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, everyone.

Majic -- I ordinarily shoot a Glock 26, and send at least 100 rounds a week downrange (often more). Trigger pull on the G26 is stock, and I've never noticed any problems before even on 1000-round+ weekends.

Preacher -- There's no stacking or grittiness in the 686 trigger at all. It's a very smooth but heavy trigger (probably ~12 lbs, but I have not weighed it).

Matt -- No, not serrated. No problems with abraded skin or pinching or any other external trauma like that. Whatever's going on is probably related to the heavy trigger pull.

TonyB -- Good for you for continuing on anyway. I confess my motto has always been, "No pain, no pain."

pax

 

[Majic]

I ordinarily shoot a Glock 26, and send at least 100 rounds a week downrange (often more). Trigger pull on the G26 is stock, and I've never noticed any problems before even on 1000-round+ weekends.

I think there's the answer. There's a big difference in a DA revolver trigger and a stock G26. Add the extra round count to that difference and you have fatigue setting in. I would give it time to heal, cut back on the number of rounds fired, and your hand will strengthen willl more usage of the revolver. You just have exerted a lot more energy than your hand is used to being subjected too.