Thin Wrists

[carpediem]

Hi all,

I have really thin wrists. 5.5" around at the thinnest point. I find that it bothers me when I'm shooting more than one or two dozen rounds of many handgun calibers. (.38, 9mm, .45ACP). Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

 

[thexrayboy]

Try using the devices sold at excercise/sporting good stores to strengthen your grip. I have relatively small bone structure also. However I grew up on a ranch and milked a lot of cows. As a result I have a very good grip ( when by tendinitis doesn't interfere) and have no trouble hanging on too any caliber or size handgun. It's as much an issue of hand strength as it is size of bone structure. You can easily strengthen your grip enough to handle any firearm. The force your hand deals with from recoil is insignificant when compared to the amount of energy needed to perfom other activities such as doing pull ups etc.

 

[Hardware]

weight lifting gloves are very useful for reinforcing the hand/wrist. I have carpal tunnel in both wrists and Harbinger weight lifting gloves are always in my shooting bag when headed out to the range.

 

[carpediem]

Hardware - thanks for the tip

xray - Pullups and such don't seem to be a problem. It's more the sudden, snapping motions.

 

[Dave R]

I have thin wrists, but I can tolerate recoil pretty well. Have shot 50 rounds of .45acp straight, several times. But I have strong hands, too. I play bass in a dance band. Its good for the hands and wrists.

Hmmmm, maybe you should take up the bass...

 

[pax]

Keep your wrists straight when shooting. It'll help.

pax

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I doubt thin wrists are your problem. My wrists are girlie-thin (sorry pax). They also measure 5.5" (I just checked).

I don't have any problem shooting big calibers, and lots of 'em. I don't think the size of your wrists and the strength are related.

And pax is correct, keep 'em straight.

 

[VARifleman]

Make sure that when the pistol is in your hand, wrist strait and your arms are simply relaxed at your sides the pistol is pointed strait at the ground and not off to the side. If it's off to the side the gun will twist the wrist during recoil and cause pain AND bad shots.

 

[sm]

Get a wooden dowel about just a tad shy than the width of shoulders.
Tie a cord onto it that when you are in shooting stance the cord almost touches the floor.

Roll this up, roll this down.
Then tie a weight ( old sock with a can of soup). Roll up, Roll down.

Keep doing this to build up stamina, and strength in fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, ...etc.

Do 10 repetitions each night, work up to more. Add weight as you go along( add another can of soup)

LOTs of folks do this, and not just for handguns, rifles and shotguns too.

We have been doing this forever...

 

[SeanSw]

I have skinny wrists for a man and weigh 135 fully clothed. My dominant hand is exactly 5.5" at it's narrowest point in front of the wrist. My hands are about average in size except for the swollen knuckles.

I am a cook and excercise my hands, wrists, and forearms 40-50 hours a week. They hurt something fierce but there are many people with bigger hands and thicker wrists that don't have my grip strength or stamina.

My hands and wrists do hurt often (arthritis is coming quickly despite my young age) but only the really powerful magnum calibers are painful to shoot. Are you confusing your weak wrist with muscle fatigue in your hand or trigger finger? A weekly regiment of dry firing will give you greater stamina and the suggested excercise is a good way to develop wrist strength.

What guns are you shooting?

*edit* I can't do more than a single pullup, but I can hang there for a really long time....

 

[The-Fly]

I have pretty small hands and wrists. While the high powered stuff (44 mag and above) are not fun for me, I can handle 38spl and 9mm all day long. Can do about 100-150 45acp, or about 25-35 nuclear powered 357 magnum, though after that my hands are getting a bit sore.

 

[carpediem]

Hmm. Thanks all for the replies.

I'll try the specific exercises over Christmas break and make sure my wrists are straight when shooting.

Maybe it's something else, in addition to thin wrists, I also have joints that are always cracking (college-age btw). Can't ever sneak up on anyone I'll ask my doctor about it next time I see him.