Cutting my palm

[JFlowers]

I have noticed, since I switched from a Model 28 with speedloaders to a 625 with moonclips, that I am cutting circular holes in my left palm. Usually I don't notice them until after the match, but its pretty obvious that the ejector rod is cutting me.

Other than wearing a glove or finding the sharp edge and rounding it off, what can I do? Is this a symptom of bad technique, maybe?

[Delta Mike]

I cut my palm too. I figure I'm not going to worry about it unless I start seeing blood on the BACK of my hand too! Then its time to be a little more gentle with the ejector rod.

[dajarrel]

I've seen some revolver shooters take a golf glove and cut the fingers out of it. It puts a little padding on your palm but leaves your fingers free to do... whatever fingers do

dj

[Carmoney]

The end of the extractor rod tends to be very sharp, it can function like an "apple corer" on the soft flesh of your palm. Just run a file straight across the end of the rod to flatten off that sharp edge a little, and it should stop being a problem.

[revoman]

Why are people slapping the extractor so hard. A push with the thumb as you open the cylinder and out comes the rounds/moonclip. If you are having problems with the rounds coming out hard or being so sticky that you have to slap the extractor, polish your cylinder or ream it to proper size. I notice a lot of people that slap the extractor and to me it is totally unnessary.

[Carmoney]

Many shooters don't use their thumbs to push the rod, particularly those who keep the gun in the strong hand during the reload. I use the palm of my hand to catch the extractor rod on the way back, although I wouldn't call it a slap.

[revoman]

I reload with the revolver in my strong hand and when I push the cylinder open with my weak hand using my pointer and middle finger it puts my thumb in perfect position to operate the extractor. I guess it all a matter of technique for each individual. A good friend of mine uses the palm method and after the match he has a nice little hole in his hand. The reason he tells me why he does this is to make sure the moonclip clears and does not hang up.

[CJDOUBLETAP]

I reload with the revolver in my strong hand and when I push the cylinder open with my weak hand using my pointer and middle finger it puts my thumb in perfect position to operate the extractor. I guess it all a matter of technique for each individual. A good friend of mine uses the palm method and after the match he has a nice little hole in his hand. The reason he tells me why he does this is to make sure the moonclip clears and does not hang up.

Thats how I do it too.

Don't listen to Mike, he has no idea what he's talking about... Just kidding.

[Matt Griffin]

I gently push the ejector with my right index finger, I haven't had a clip jam in thousands of rounds. If I pre-clip and check every clip for a loose fit before shooting, they seem to eject easily 100%. In particular I put 400+ through the gun without cleaning and it never bound up on ejection or insertion.

H.

[cas]

I'm a member of the bloody palm club.

As a weak hand loader I use my palm. On a 4-5 stage match it isn't so bad. 7-8-9 stages I get torn up pretty good. Climate matters as well, seems to happen more in the hot sweaty months.

Edited July 27, 2009 by cas

[oldfrank]

I'm a member of the bloody palm club.

As a weak hand loader I use my palm. On a 4-5 stage match it isn't so bad. 7-8-9 stages I get torn up pretty good. Climate matters as well, seems to happen more in the hot sweaty months.

I am a member of the bruised and bloody palm club. When I am trying to go fast I get real aggressive with punching the ejector rod with my left palm (I want those empties GONE) and I pay for it later.

After the match I start to realize how much my hand hurts and notice the blood and bruise.

[71Commander]

If that's the only scars you have then you ain't shooting the Revo enough. I have callouses on my fingers, cuts on my thumb and all kinds of assorted scrapes and what not on my hands.

[20nickels]

I like to shoot revolver because it abuses me. It gives me sick pleasure.

[Bubber]

If the empties are not stuck in the cylinder what causes the bloody palm is the continuing force on the ejector rod when it bottoms out. Strike the ejector rod with enough force to cause them to fly out but take no stroke longer than necessary. But on occassions I to have the mark of the brothers of the palm....No Cliff not that mark!!!!

[Bwana Six-Gun]

I have been shooting Revolver exclusively for the last seven years and have yet to get a bloody palm, since I load with my weak hand, and it only takes a little push to get my empties out with my index finger on my left hand. I have several revolvers including those with Titanium cylinders, which are supposed to stick, but I have never had a problem. Check your cylinder and see if it needs reaming to meet specs. If in doubt, send it to Carmoney, he will set it up right.

[Toolguy]

There is no reason for your gun to hurt you. Get the end of the ejector rod flat and radius the trigger. If you take off all the sharp edges, it can't hurt you anymore.

Besides, it's easy to do.

[cas]

I've "dulled mine down" but it still tears me up. Now I've got neat little circular scars in my palm.

Don't even mention ripped up thumbs. My own highly modified guns don't hurt me, but if I shoot any other S&W in the world, rimfires excluded, I'm bleeding all over it by the second cylnder.

Edited July 28, 2009 by cas

[snertley]

There is no reason for your gun to hurt you. Get the end of the ejector rod flat and radius the trigger. If you take off all the sharp edges, it can't hurt you anymore.

Besides, it's easy to do.

Yes it can, with enough force you could drive a dull fence post into your chest. Just depends on how hard you are hitting it.

[Toolguy]

There is no reason for your gun to hurt you. Get the end of the ejector rod flat and radius the trigger. If you take off all the sharp edges, it can't hurt you anymore.

Besides, it's easy to do.

Yes it can, with enough force you could drive a dull fence post into your chest. Just depends on how hard you are hitting it.

I sit corrected. Maybe it's an issue of technique.

[LPatterson]

Reading this thread required that I check my technique because I have never had a bloody palm but I did shoot Area 1 with the President of the club. I am using the meaty part of the hand between the fingers and the palm. I think I learned that a hundred years ago, OK only 40 shooting .357's with xx grains of 2400 and gas check bullets. A few 100 of those and your ears would ring for days.

[71Commander]

My right thumb is tore up. RAW. I shot a steel challenge match using a 342PD (10.5 oz), J frame snubbie as a 2nd gun.

[Rather-B-Huntin]

Last two ICORE matches, two cuts on the tip of my left middle finger. I keep the gun in my strong hand to reload.

[Aglifter]

My revolver no longer locks up on the ejector rod - Randy Lee did a wonderful job on tuning it, and now it locks up on the crane - aside from filing it, is there anything else to do? Has anyone tried plugging the end w. some kind of rubber?

[open17]

I've seen guys take a couple of wraps with adhesive tape around the left hand

to keep the ejector rod from cutting the palm.

I'm a palm whacker too (that sounds a bit dirty). Gun in strong hand, hit the

long Hogue release with my right thumb/flip the cylinder out with my trigger

finger/whack the ejector with my left palm on it's way to a new moonclip.

Good thing the 625 is stainless--no danger of rust from the blood.

[zpartan]

I remedy this problem by wearing a gel-padded glove(gym or biking glove, which doesn't include fingers, to keep my tactile acuity). Works well for me.