Trigger finger reloading or shooting?

[sbwaters]

Don’t laugh. My ring finger occasionally has some resistance opening and closing so, as preventive maintenance to minimize irritation and inflammation, I am going to change technique.

I’m mostly Hornady manual tools, but I would consider other electric trim/deburring/etc. aides that are reasonably affordable. Which ones would be recommended? The manual trimmer handle works in the ball of the hand which I gather can irritate the tendons.

I do have the In-Fab handle instead of the standard ball-shaped one for my Single Stage press, so that won’t irritate the palm. My Mec 600 Jr. has a flat handle, but I wish someone made a more ergonomic handle for that.

I just bought a Hornady dispenser so my finger-driven powder trickling is minimal.

--
The other question is whether anyone has found a tendon irritation problem shooting Skeet, .208 rifles, or 9MM or .45 pistols with the recoil hitting the palm of the hand.

Thank you all in advance for any insights.

 

[Dudedog]

I assume you meant .308.
The Worlds Finest Trimmer made by little Crow Gunworks works really well for me trimming .223 cases. If you need to trim a bunch of .308 cases it might help.
One of the electric case prep centers (machines) might help also.
Maybe something like this
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/628405/frankford-arsenal-platinum-series-case-prep-and-trim-center

You might be able to do an inexpensive reshaping of the grip area of the MEC handle with something like this
https://www.medicalmega.com/medical/3m-healthcare/1584.html?gclid=CJe08_LQls8CFQQJaQodIyMDPQ
(medical tape 4") also comes narrower and wider.

 

[73ch13]

The Lyman trim station works great. I also like the Lyman handheld trimmer, it comes with a drill chuck, so you can hold the drill with your bad hand. There is also a power adapter on eBay for 5 bucks that can turn any of your tools that have the small screw on one side into a power one. I use it for my military crimp removal.

-Safety is no accident, unless you accidentally leave the safety on when you intend to shoot.

 

[hdwhit]

My ring finger occasionally has some resistance opening and closing...

Not a laughing matter. Have you been to a doctor? Has it been determined whether the problem is with the joint(s), the muscle(s) or the nerve(s)?

Avoiding repetitive strain injuries by using a prep machine may be good idea and I'll listen along with you to the suggestions of those with more experience with them, but the problem you described will effect more than just reloading. If its treatable, the sooner you get it treated, the better. And if it's not treatable, it may still be possible to slow deterioration and retain the function you still have.

 

[tcoz]

I don't really have any insights but I also have recently developed a case of trigger finger. For those who aren't familiar with it, the sheath which surrounds the tendon in the finger becomes inflamed and restricts bending or straightening of the finger to the point where it audibly "pops" as it overcomes the friction. It can be painful which mine isn't and you can often feel a lump at the base of the finger in the palm area which I don't.
Treatment consists of rest (sometimes splinting the finger), anti-inflammatory injections in the finger or in refractory cases, surgery.
I've been reloading for years and curiously mine developed after I changed the handle on my Redding T-7 to an In-Fab roller handle even though the handle is very comfortable and doesn't seem to put pressure on any single area of my fingers or palm. One observation I can pass on is that I've been loading pistol continuously for about three months now and the problem only developed about a month ago. Since I don't do any type of case prep with pistol I'm ruling out any of the usual rifle case prep procedures as the cause. The only repetitive movement that I do is working the handle of the press. Shooting also doesn't seem to affect it in any way and actually the only time I give it much thought is first thing in the morning when I get out if bed and can't straighten my finger until it pops.
Since this is the least severe of my myriad of ortho issues and since I'm not experiencing any pain, I don't plan on visiting my orthopod specifically for it but when I see him in a couple of months again for one of my other issues I'll mention it to him.

 

[FROGO207]

I would be finding a pair of heavy leather shooting gloves for handgun use. It can't hurt to spread the recoil out over the entire palm area rather than just where the grip pushes back. I suffer from gout in my hands and this has helped with easing the pain by quite a bit.

 

[sbwaters]

Another THR wellspring of insight. Thanks!

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I do have the In-Fab handle instead of the standard ball-shaped one for my Single Stage press, so that won’t irritate the palm. My Mec 600 Jr. has a flat handle, but I wish someone made a more ergonomic handle for that.

I don't have a Mec 600 jr, but after looking there might be a simple solution. Remove the plastic handle and you have a large, flat surface. Drill and tap for the roller grip handle from your Inline Fab handle. If you like it, order another roller from Inline. If you don't like it, put the plastic handle back on, covering the hole.

 

[rg1]

I developed trigger thumb on my right hand. With a night brace that held my thumb back stretching the ligament and a trip to a doctor specializing in all parts of the hand my trigger thumb quit popping and snapping when flexed. The doctor gave me a shot to reduce inflammation and I can tell you it burned like the dickens. Surgery can fix a trigger finger but only at a last resort. I highly recommend trying to find a brace that holds your finger in a stretched position while sleeping. I use a manual crank trimmer and limit my trimming to a small number of cases at a time. Usually 100 or less. If I feel anything in my older hands I stop for a couple days. Still don't want to invest in a powered trimmer? Old time reloader that don't want to change.