Advice on carry revolver with arthritic hands

reluctant 43

reluctant 43

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Dilema -- have a Ruger LCP (.38 special or .38 special +p) with a good IWB holster which I use for defensive carry. It conceals great and is a perfect carry weight for old f___ like me, but I cannot practice with it sufficiently because more than 20 rounds just kills the thumb joint in my shooting hand (pretty bad arthritis)- particularly with +p ammo. If I need the gun in a real situation I know I will not care about a hurting hand, and I am happy with the knock down of a .38, but after a few rounds it was obvious that in order to hit anything reliably I will need to practice, and I just can't seem to manage sessions long enough to make progress on my accuracy with the gun. Does anybody have a suggestion for a better gun or caliber for me - I'm willing to compromise on gun weight or caliber if I can still have reasonable knock down capability? I prefer a revolver - DA only seems a safe way to go. My only other prejudice is I don't think a .22 is a good option for defensive carry Any ideas will be appreciated...
 
Is the problem from recoil or from pulling the hammer back/trigger?

If from manipulating the gun, take it to one of the three highly recommended gunsmiths for a trigger job, it'll make a world of difference.

If it is from recoil, there are low-recoil defensive rounds out there. For practice, you might have to handload some low-recoil rounds or find a commercial reloader who will make them up for you.
 
I was under the impression that the LCR was designed to have a very smooth and crisp trigger pull, better than most revolvers.

But yes, I would also throw my hat into the "reload your own rounds" ring. That way you can go easy on the powder charge and achieve low-recoil practice rounds.
 
Dry fire ten minutes a day in your home. After a week, go to the range and see if your shooting hasn't improved. Dry firiing (done correctly) is great practice. When you then live fire, you should find yourself improving with less use of live ammo.

A second option would be to buy a duplicate gun in a smaller calliber to train with. Two J frame revolvers, one in .22 and one in 38+ both handle and feel the same. Shoot the crap out of the .22, and finish up your range time with the .38.

For best results, combine both of these. At 60, I have some of the same problems sometimes. If you want to try a pair of matching revolvers, J or K frames in .22 and .38/357, come down to Mansfield to my club and I'll let you try both.
 
reluctant 43 said:
Dilema -- have a Ruger LCP (.38 special or .38 special +p) with a good IWB holster which I use for defensive carry. It conceals great and is a perfect carry weight for old f___ like me, but I cannot practice with it sufficiently because more than 20 rounds just kills the thumb joint in my shooting hand (pretty bad arthritis)- particularly with +p ammo. If I need the gun in a real situation I know I will not care about a hurting hand, and I am happy with the knock down of a .38, but after a few rounds it was obvious that in order to hit anything reliably I will need to practice, and I just can't seem to manage sessions long enough to make progress on my accuracy with the gun. Does anybody have a suggestion for a better gun or caliber for me - I'm willing to compromise on gun weight or caliber if I can still have reasonable knock down capability? I prefer a revolver - DA only seems a safe way to go. My only other prejudice is I don't think a .22 is a good option for defensive carry Any ideas will be appreciated...
Click to expand...

IMHO, and someone with developing arthritis, I offer the following advice, and you may have two options...

You have stated that the carry weight is perect, etc., so that would indicate to me that the gun fits you well and you are comfortable with it.

Option one...Stick with the .38 and use standard loads. Practice each time until you can't handle the firearm, and call it a day. Do that as often as you can. In a "real situation" I doubt that you would need to fire more than 20 rounds, and even so, your adrenaline will negate the painful feeling in your hands as you defend yourself. Better to be accurate with your defensive load than to get good with a different load, and then miss your mark when the real deal happens.

Option two...Have you tried shooting with the other hand? Depending upon your eye-dominance, you may not be as accurate at distance, but at the typical 7-yard defensive situation, you don't need to be dead-on bullseye with each shot. If it is more comfortable for you to shoot with the other hand, practice with it and hone it rather than the weaker hand. If you can perform better with the other hand, try some +p if that is what you really wish for a defensive load, to see if it is not so bad as the first hand.

My 4 half-cents.
 
+2 on getting a 22 revo to do some of your practice with. You can practice the draw - first shot hits etc - these won't be different with a larger caliber - assuming you are not anticipating....
Ideally you should get 2 revolvers that are as close as possible- I love the J frames.
 
Thanks everyone, very helpful. By the way, it is the recoil not the trigger. The trigger is very nice on the LCR - just as advertised. I agree I need to practice with my actual defensive load and I like the gun for everything but it's recoil, so I guess I will take the dry fire advice followed by a range exercise using my +p for as long as I can stand it. I do practice with a two handed grip and with each hand individually, but both hands are messed up. I'm not looking for 1 inch groups, but I would like to be able to hit the paper every time at 7 yards and that isn't always the case now - particularly after 20 rounds - I am pretty sure I am flinching in anticipation of the pain. In the real deal I know I will not be thinking about how much it hurts to pull the trigger - I just want to be able to practice enough to be sure I can end any situation I am in quickly. Thanks again for the input.
 
OK, since it's the trigger and basically a belly gun anyway, I suggest trying Crimson Trace grips on it. Assuming they have them for that model, like they do for the S&W 642, they do a nice job of absorbing the recoil as well as substitute for what passes as "sights".

Otherwise look for a Hogue grip to fit that gun that gives you better cushioning than the stock grips.
 
LenS said:
OK, since it's the trigger and basically a belly gun anyway, I suggest trying Crimson Trace grips on it. Assuming they have them for that model, like they do for the S&W 642, they do a nice job of absorbing the recoil as well as substitute for what passes as "sights".

Otherwise look for a Hogue grip to fit that gun that gives you better cushioning than the stock grips.
Click to expand...


Grips that cover and cushion the backstrap can make a world of difference. Crimson Trace and Hogue are great choices. Padded shooting gloves can be a big help as well.

Bill
 

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