stubby fingers

[freedom arms .45]

don't know if this has ever come up before, but-
why do double action revolvers (other than snubbies up to 38/357), have longer reach from the grip to the trigger than single-action revolvers?

i have a 44 and a 45 colt (rugers) in single action revolvers, which i use for hiking carry in colorado.
i have looked for double actions in these calibers for a few decades, and i can shoot them, but the reach (is that what you would call it?) is too far to be comfortable for my hands/fingers.
although i like single actions, i would prefer double action for this, but don't want to shell out the money when they don't really fit me. if i ever need it in the mountains, i want it to be a comfortable fit.

i do own a colt python, (bought in the 90's), but it is the same, a little too much room in there for it to really comfortable in my hands.
i bought it because, well.... it's a python. if you shoot someone else's, then you won't be happy til you have your own.
i bought grips that expose the back part of the grip to get my trigger finger a little closer to the trigger, but it's still too big to be comfortable.

while i'm on the hand size subject, if anyone knows of gloves that you can buy in size large that has shorter fingers, i would be interested.

 

[entropy]

Because some of the action is in between the top back of the grip and the trigger. Not so in SA's. There are some SA-style DA rimfire revolvers, but but this probably does not translate well to SAA calibers. The cylinder release on most DA revolvers is directly behind the star on the cylinder, and the mechanism takes up room right there.
There's your project; design a large bore DA revolver in the style of the SAA.

 

[freedom arms .45]

thanks for the quick response.

i suspected as much.
i don't know nearly enough about guns to design one. i have a nephew that's a gunsmith. maybe i can get him interested in that.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

while i'm on the hand size subject, if anyone knows of gloves that you can buy in size large that has shorter fingers, i would be interested.

Sent you a PM.

I might be able to get you something.

 

[Rexster]

The Ruger SP101 may well be a best friend for many folks with relatively short fingers, if they prefer revolvers. There may well be other such revolvers; it is simply that I am familiar with the SP101, and folks with small hands wanting to buy mine from me.

In my opinion, there is nothing inherently wrong with choosing single-action revolvers for defensive purposes. I am already feeling age* creeping-up on my ability to pull long-stroke DA triggers, and am already exploring the idea of using my SA sixguns for more serious purposes than just recreational shooting. Actually, in the past, when I wore carpal tunnel splints on both hands, while sleeping, I kept a single-action revolver nearest at hand, in the bedroom. A splint, on the hand, has the effect of shortening one’s fingers. Solution: An SAA-pattern revolver! (I did keep my personally-owned duty shotgun near at hand, too. With a thin Speed Feed fore end, I was able to manipulate the pump gun, unimpeded, with the splints in place.)

Manipulating a single-action sixgun is something that requires a bit of practice, of course, but once learned, can be done amazingly efficiently.

One can cock a DA revolver, to get the trigger farther to the rear, but not all DA revolvers have nicely long hammer spurs. DA Colts seem to have nicer spurs, for cocking, than most S&W and Ruger DA revolvers.

Edited to add: I have long, but narrow hands. My fingers are index and middle fingers are medium-sized. My ring and pinkie fingers are short, and I have short thumbs. So, I feel some of the effects of having small hands, including not being able to get enough finger on the trigger faces of many popular handguns, even though a large grip may “feel right” in the long palms of my hands.

*”Age” meaning, in this case, the combined effects of arthritis, wear and tear, and nerve issues in my back and right arm/hand.

 

[Rexster]

A gunsmith can carefully grind and sculpt a trigger, to make it easier for a shorter finger to reach, to attain a proper position for the DA stroke. This assumes, of course, that the trigger has enough “meat” to work with. (Some S&W triggers are hollowed-out, at the rear surface.) When I believed that I just had to carry a big-bore duty revolver, I carried an S&W Model 58 that had been so modified, for its previous owner.

 

[bannockburn]

freedom arms .45

I have a similar problem with my hands in that my fingers are short and my overall hand size is rather small. I found that the S&W N frame revolvers to be just a little bit too big for me to get a comfortable grip on them as well as having to really stretch to reach the DA trigger.

For me their J, K, and L frame size guns are a much more doable solution to the problem though this does limit you to .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Have you looked at the S&W Model 69 in .44 Magnum? It's built on the L frame so your trigger reach may not be as far, as well as giving you a better grip on the gun.

 

[MrBorland]

why do double action revolvers (other than snubbies up to 38/357), have longer reach from the grip to the trigger than single-action revolvers?

The SA trigger is only holding an already-cocked hammer, so it only has to release the sear, whereas the DA trigger has to also lift the hammer from it's starting position. As a result, the DA trigger starts off further forward - the long arc of movement needed for lifting the hammer. Cock the hammer on a DA/SA revolver, and you'll notice the trigger is much further back.

As far as reach to the DA trigger, you've already tried grips that expose the backstrap, but there are some other things to try. In order of ease and/or obviousness...
1) Don't shoot a large-framed revolver. That'll be tough if you're wanting to shoot a .44/.45. A K-frame S&W would likely be the safest bet, but as mentioned, S&W makes an L-framed .44.

2) Be sure your grip is high. No backstrap should be peeking out from the webbing between your thumb and trigger finger. This is a better grip for control, but gets you closer to the trigger as well.

3) Narrow the trigger - it helps get your finger in closer to the centerline of the trigger. I've used a dremel and a polishing wheel to get mine narrow and smooth.

4) Get a good action job by a gunsmith who knows what they're doing. A good DA action isn't necessarily lighter, but it will be smoother and easier to manipulate. Lightening the action will help more, but be aware that that can lead to reliability issues with some factory ammo if it's been lightened too much.

5) As part of the action job, convert to double action only (DAO) by replacing the stock hammer with a spurless hammer, and lightening the action a bit. At the risk of derailing the thread, a hammerless hammer is lighter and travels faster (assuming the internals are all in spec), which generally enhances reliability. As a result, you can lighten the action a bit without loss of reliability.


Get that grip high:

 

[Pat Riot]

I shoot my DA revolvers in single action about half the time. Not because I can’t shoot DA, I just like to mix things up. For a long time I mostly shot SA revolvers. It became the norm for me.

There is no law, rule, edict, man card requirement that one must shoot revolvers in double action. Unless it’s DA only, then it’s a given.

Also, narrower grips, like Altamont Ropers could help.

 

[sgt127]

I always joke about my dainty little girl hands. Strong. Just small. These pictures perfectly explain it. I’m about 6’. 170 pounds. My buddy is a 5’4” Filipina. (Though, she will point out she’s tall for a Filipina)

We are both holding my Colt Diamondback.

Even I was amazed when I compared the pictures.

I should have been a Proctologist. My patients would have loved me.

Anyway, I have trouble with K frame on up revolvers. The horn, on the top of the grip frame, is not centered in the web of my hand. Rather on my thumb joint, to reach the trigger.

I like single stack autos. I’m good with a Ruger SP101. And, most Single action pistols.

Such is life.

 

[e rex]

I have small hands and put a set of Miculek smooth, no finger grooves on my 686 Smith and sure like them.

 

[Riomouse911]

The Ruger SP 101 and GP 100 have a post that the grips attach to, you may be able to find a grip maker that will make a grip that fits your hand better than stock grips do.

SP 101 .38:


Colts, Smiths, etc. use a frame that limits grip size and placement.

I use the GP 100 compact grip on my GP100 .44 Special, this is a great combo for my mid-sized mitts.

GP100 .44 Spl.:


Good luck finding a solution!

Stay safe.