Saturday, April 6, 2013

Recoil therapy!


I took my new .44 Magnum revolver to the range today - well, actually, to a farm about an hour's drive from home.  Oleg and a number of his friends brought several new firearms, some to set up and zero scopes, others for photographs for use in advertisements and articles, and the rest for training and just plain fun.  I guess there were seven or eight folks there, including Linoge and his wife.  It's always good to see them when they pass through town.

(I wanted to take my new blackpowder revolver as well, but I'm still trying to locate all the accessories I need for it.  There are a lot of them:  blackpowder and/or a modern equivalent propellant, percussion caps, .457" lead balls, a powder flask and measure, over-powder and cylinder-sealing wads, cleaning gear that can handle blackpowder fouling [which is a whole different animal to modern propellants], etc.  Local suppliers don't have everything in stock, so I'll have to order some over the Internet before I can play with it.)

The .44 Magnum cartridge is no slouch when it comes to recoil, and can be very uncomfortable indeed in a lighter gun, or one with a grip that isn't well designed to deal with it.  However, Ruger's Super Blackhawk Hunter revolver weighs well over three pounds, a lot of it out in front of one's hands in the 7½" ribbed barrel.  That absorbs much of the kick.  Furthermore, the old-fashioned 'plow-handle' grip, popularized on blackpowder Colt revolvers during the 19th century, is designed to roll in the hand as the gun fires, absorbing a lot of the recoil in the process.  I use a slightly different grip, so that the gun remains in line with my forearms as it recoils, lifting them with it rather than rolling in my hands;  but even so, properly held, it's not at all difficult to control.  (For a discussion of why this old-fashioned grip shape works so well, scroll down to the section titled 'Grips' in this article.  A comparison between the 'plow-handle' and the later 'Bisley' grip style can be found here, if you're interested;  and if you'd like a modern perspective on the general utility of single-action revolvers from an instructor whose views I respect, see here.)

I had a great time.  I loaded up with six full-power rounds and let fly from 50 yards at a human-head-size rock on the backstop, hitting it every time.  From a gun that's new in my hands, without needing any sight adjustment, that sort of accuracy put a great big smile on my face as I turned back to the others.  I offered them a chance to shoot it, but no-one wanted to take me up on it.  (Perhaps the thunderous BOOM! of magnum rounds and the sight of the gun kicking high in my hands had something to do with that . . . )  I put a few more cylinders-full downrange, getting more comfortable with the gun.  I was wearing shooting gloves, which I habitually use with heavy-recoiling weapons or for extended firing sessions to spare my hands;  but this gun was shooting so well that I ended by taking off my gloves and firing one last cylinder of full-patch ammo with bare hands.  It didn't hurt a bit, to my great satisfaction.  I'll probably put a Pachmayr or Hogue grip on my revolver for long-term use, which will obviate the need for gloves;  but suffice it to say, even before I do that, I'm very, very happy with my new toy!

When I got home, I told Miss D. with a great big grin on my face, "Recoil therapy wins again!"  She needs no reassurance on that score, of course,  having whiled away months of rehabilitation after serious injury by sitting at a shooting bench putting hundreds of holes in targets downrange.  Given her past shoulder injury, she's a bit leery of trying a .44 Magnum handgun, which I can understand;  but I think, if I load it up with much milder .44 Special rounds, she'll probably enjoy it too.  We'll see.

Peter

13 comments:

  1. For what it's worth, I would've jumped at the chance to shoot it.

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  2. The only thing better than recoil therapy is -- more recoil therapy!

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  3. The second gun I bought for myself decades ago was a Ruger Super Blackhawk (the first was a Ruger MK I); the Blackhawk has very long since been sold to accommodate buying different guns. I never seem to own many guns at once, but I've owned a lot of different ones over the years, and I really miss that Blackhawk. Should have kept it. Enjoy the gun, Peter.

    And, if I may suggest, IIRC you already reload, so you've got the means of cfreating cheap(er) ammo for it; look into casting your own bullets. Casting appears somewhat intimidating from the outside, but once you've learned it, it's no big deal, and it adds more depth to your self reliance skill base. Plus, if you've a hankering, it's possible to get custom molds made to your specifications.

    Speaking of bullets, way back when, Speer used to make 240 grain half-jacket semi-wadcutter bullets for 44 caliber guns. They've - very unfortunately - been out of production for quite some time, but if you stumble across any, get them - other than a custom mold I had made, it's the most accurate bullet I ever found for my Blackhawk, and performs superbly on deer-size game.

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  4. @Jennifer - Hopefully, you'll get the chance at Blogorado this year!

    :-)

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  5. Great pistols, and yes the grip IS the key! And my Grandpa taught me the rolled little finger grip...

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  6. Peter
    While I am by no means an expert on all things blackpowder, I have had good luck using Triple Se7en FFFG as a blackpowder replacement. Clean up is much easier than with blackpowder. I use Ballistol (interesting history) mixed 50/50 with water on both my percussion pistols and Sharps replica. I don't know if you have shot a percussion revolver before but don't be surprised if you have to give the caps a little pinch to squeeze them on to the nipples so they do not pop off during recoil. Most people I know use their fingers. I use a pair of needlenose pliers since I sometimes have limited dexterity.

    EdC

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  7. After reading your post, wanted some of these gloves to help tame my M29, which really smacks my lowest thumb joint. Alas, they are discontinued by Uncle Mike's, and seem to be out of stock everywhere. Any recommendations? A search shows a lot of "high-speed/low-drag" operator's gloves, or mechanic's gloves.

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  8. @Anonymous at 4:41 PM: I note that Cabela's Leather Handgun Gloves appear visually identical to my two pairs of Uncle Mike's Shooting Gloves in every respect. I'd be very surprised if Cabela's didn't simply contact the manufacturer when Uncle Mike's stopped selling them, and arrange to have production continue in its own name. For details, see:

    http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Mens-Hunting-Clothing/Mens-Shooting-Clothing/Mens-Shooting-Gloves|/pc/104797080/c/104748480/sc/104563080/i/104001480/Cabelas-Leather-Handgun-Gloves/725699.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2F_%2FN-1102620

    I found them online this morning after a couple of e-mail queries similar to yours. I'm seriously considering ordering a pair for myself, so as to have a spare set.

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  9. "Hopefully, you'll get the chance at Blogorado this year!"

    Um, this may require some research and planning, since our legal situation is now different. Ordinary events at this worthy gathering will now be prohibited by law, and perhaps other arrangements might be more suitable. The abomination takes effect on July 1 IIRC.

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  10. Since the Uncle Mike's gloves I use are no longer available, I've amended the shooting glove link in the article to point to Cabela's shooting gloves, as mentioned in my comment above. As I said there, they appear identical to the ones I'm using, and are probably from the same manufacturer.

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  11. Hey Peter! When I shoot my bp revolvers, I just put a glob of butter flavor Crisco over the balls in the cylinder. It keeps the sparks from chain firing and destroying the gun, as well as keeping the fouling soft for later removal. I think it adds to the accuracy as well!!! (it's at least as accurate as real bear fat.... yes I tested it)

    A quick soak with Dawn dish soap in a sink of HOT water is quick and easy. The really hot water rinse evaporates before there is a rust issue. Be sure to oil it well as blackpowder residue is hygroscopic. I usually just soak and clean the barrel and cylinder, not the frame. That gets the same cleaning as a smokeless revolver.

    I love blowing smoke. It's a hoot.

    Watch your topknot!!!!

    de....STxRynn

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  12. Good to see you as well! Maybe next time we meet up my hand will not be as jacked up and I might be willing to shoot that beast ;).

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