44 knuckle buster

[357tex]

A 44 super black hawk came home with me today.It sure does bust the knuckle on my 2nd finger.What kind of grips do you think would stop that.I have big hands big fingers.

[Lloyd Smale]

those square backed dragoon grip frames beat me mercilessly. Ive had my middle nuckle operated on twice for bone spurs caused by them. I refuse to use them anymore and just buy the round trigger guard guns. Rubber grips might help but there so ugly that i wont abide them.

[danski26]

They bust my knuckle too. Never could find a grip that would stop it for me. Brownells has the round grip frames have you thought of that?

[Uncle R.]

My SBH usta did that to me too. OUCH! I actually had blood running down my arm from a split second finger in a sillywet match once... Very dramatic but it hurt like HE77!
I finally put on a set of Pachmayr signature (rubber) grips - I admit they're not pretty but they work VERY well for me at taking the "bite" out of the SBH. There's a filler section behind that dratted square-back guard that keeps your second finger BELOW it. No more knuckle wacking!
Strangely, I recommended those grips to a buddy and he HATES 'em - they hurt his hand something awful. Go figure....
:roll:
Uncle R.

[Charley]

those square backed dragoon grip frames beat me mercilessly. Ive had my middle nuckle operated on twice for bone spurs caused by them. I refuse to use them anymore and just buy the round trigger guard guns. Rubber grips might help but there so ugly that i wont abide them.

Yep, the Dragoon style guard looks cool, but no fun to shoot with hands like mine. I took a file and stone to the edges, dehorned it. Helped a bunch, without changing the look.

[wiljen]

Old Army grip frames make a nice replacement for that nuckle busting monstrosity too.

[targetshootr]

Rubber Pachmayrs like they use on FAs might cure it. Before I got rid of mine I finally wrapped orange tape around the square guard but I always neglected to see it, just like orange cones on the road I keep running over.

[smilie=1:

[nvbirdman]

I wrap a band-aid around my finger so the pad is where the trigger guard would hit. And no, I don't call it my super maxi pad.

[EDK]

Welcome to one of the longest running discussions on RUGER SINGLE ACTION REVOLVERS. There isn't much middle ground on this topic, so .....

I like the DRAGOON and BISLEY grip frames. I use EAGLE GRIPS GUNFIGHTER model, checkered buffalo horn, on both. If I have the small round back trigger guard on a SUPER BLACK HAWK or ORIGINAL VAQUERO 44, I also get the GUN-FIGHTERS. My guns are almost all 5.5 barrel length, 44 caliber.

Look around and do some talking at the range. See what others are doing. Custom grips would be my first avenue and if that doesn't work, think about changing the grip frame.

Remember JUST 'CAUSE IT SAYS MAGNUM DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LOAD IT HOT! Try 44 SPECIAL equivalent or COWBOY loads. If you reload, 44s are great; if you don't, I'd get a 357!

:castmine:

[Shuz]

I've used Hogue Rubber grips for years on all bbl length Ruger .44's that I own. Not the prettiest in the world, but they take away the "sting" for me. If you try a set, make sure you get the right ones as they make them for the round trigger guard 44's also.

[357tex]

EDK
I have 3 357's.This super black hawk is killing me with some of my old reloads.I used to have an old 3 screw it got sold 15 years ago for lack of money. That gun did not hurt me,I guess my fingers got fatter or my grip is now different.I got a set of Pachmayr's comming, will try them.

[Maven]

All, Is it the design of the frame (dragoon/squareback), hand size, heavy loads or a combination of all three that makes the SBH's painful to shoot? E.g., I have a SBH (factory grips) and small hands, but haven't tried more than 12gr. of Blue Dot with Lyman's & RCBS' Keith CB's (plain based) and Lee's TL (~1,200fps). The recoil is felt in the heel of my hand rather than the knuckle of my middle finger. Btw, that is as heavy a load that I'd want for paper punching: Not exactly painful, but not far from being so either.

[BruceB]

My very first .44 magnum was a Ruger 7.5" flat-top, with the rounded-rear-corner trigger guard. I wasn't a handloader, and the only ammo commonly available in Canada was 240-grain jacketed softpoints (carbine loads).

It was merciless to my second finger. The Super Blackhawk came along shortly thereafter, and there is more space between steel and finger....which gives it a nice run to pick up some speed before slamming my second finger!

Generally these days I put the walnut on the SBH for "show", but by George there's NO way it's going to the range without the Pachys installed. Night and day difference, even if it does look like Heidi Klum in a burqa.

[targetshootr]

Heidi Klum in a burqa. Hmm. She'd still look good I bet.

[lar45]

I like the Houge Mono-Grip. It fills in that spot nicely and is great for heavy recoil.
Another option is a finger recoil pad from Brownells. It's a padded leather streachy ring to fit your finger. I really like it when shooting the 470 double.

[Bret4207]

Huh. I never had an issue with my SBH and heavy loads. I have a medium big, short fingered (hence I'm not Django Reinhardt or Chet Atkins on the guitar) and pretty meaty hand. I did get the "Heidi in a Burka" Pachmeyers later and they were even nicer recoil-wise.

[Lloyd Smale]

I know the rubber grips might work better especially with that design but i can no more tolerate condom grips on my guns then i can condom bullets in them.

[Bass Ackward]

Well, it seems like we are ahead of evolution again.

Here we have a finger that serves little purpose other than a communication device that causes us pain and forces us to make choices and spend money.

I say amputate the finger. Then you can run what ever grips you want. :grin: It would be a great conversation piece in the bar. Think of the lies you can tell on that one.

You guys must just love J frames. :grin:

[S.R.Custom]

All, Is it the design of the frame (dragoon/squareback), hand size, heavy loads or a combination of all three that makes the SBH's painful to shoot?

It's all in the hand strength... or lack thereof.

Shooting my SBH was an exercise in painful blood-letting until I started weight training. Part of the regimen for building forearms is clenching exercises with the hand, which not incidentally builds tremendous strength in the hands themselves. You know you have sufficient hand strength when the standard issue plow handle grips no longer cause discomfort with full power loads.

And don't be surprised when accrracy improves as well... :-D

[Four Fingers of Death]

Strangely enough I just had a phone call from a gunsmith/dealer friend who lives in a town down south where I used to work a few years ago I have kept in touch with him and have have had him do some work for me and I have bought a few pistols off him. He has had an early 44Mag SBH with a 10 or 10 1/2" Bbl in his safe for a few years. The owner is no longer licensed and had not been in touch. He said he knew Iwas keen on 44Mags (amongst other things :D ) so he gave me a call. He described it as virtually NIB and I placed a small offer on it. he said that he should be able to get it for less. I'm not real keen on the bigger barrel, but will play with it for awhile before I lop it to 7.5" who knows, I might like the long tube. It's funny I looked at this thread, wandered off and had dinner, returned to the computer, started to read the thread again and my cell phone rang, how weird is that?

[Four Fingers of Death]

PS, I hope it's a flat top :)

[9.3X62AL]

My hands get along well with Ruger Bisley grips, but NOT with the plow-handle BH or SBH--and the Dragoon trigger guard just adds to the discomfort. While they look ugly, I do like the Hogue neoprenes on the BH x 41.

Heidi would still look good, Bruce.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Normally I dislike those 'non-traditional' grips on a SA, I won't be using this in cowboy shooting, so I might try the Pachmyrs or similar.

What's legal for silouette as far as grips go these days?