doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com bruising of second finger on grip hand?

The distance from the stock's thumb hole (the spot where the stock rises from the hand to the comb) to the triggers/triggerguard may be causing him the problem. If this distance is too short, his hand will be cramped and the triggerguard will bang into his finger.

Lengthing the overall LOP will not help this. The only solution is a new stock with a longer thumb hole/ triggerguard/trigger relationship.

OWD

OWD,
I think I get the picture. Also, a fatter thumb/palm pad would force the hand further forward, exacerbating the problem. I'll check for that as well.

LOP has nothing, ZIP, zero, nada, to do with the problem. It's solved by where you place your trigger hand and how tightly you grip the gun. Important things are to place your trigger hand as far back as you can that will let you pull the front trigger with just the tip of your finger(and keep it there). One good suggestion is to place your hand with all four fingers around the grip, the index finger against the back of the trigger guard. Keeping the hand where it is, then move the index finger up to touch the front trigger. The suggestion to pull the butt tighter to your shoulder is also a good idea. The gun will not move back as far during recoil. Forget the common but incorrect suggestion about needing a longer LOP.
P.S. I still sometimes get careless and get my middle finger bumped, in spite of knowing all this.
Merry Christmas

Wow, this seems pretty controversial. I had the problem with an SKB sporting gun, which has a pretty tight grip. I used one of the Galazan gizmos and it did not hurt as much. I was using the gun for skeet. I then purchased a Krieghoff which has a lot less thighter turn on the pistol grip. THe problem went away. Last year I stated using gloves for shooting skeet due to sweaty hands. I have been shooting a little sporting this year and got the SKB out and started using it for that and do not notice it at all. I suspect that there are different reasons and different answers according to the individual.

I shoot a straight grip and double triggers on my hunting guns and never remember getting hit in the bird finger. I have never concsiously gripped the gun in any particular way. WHen walking in on a dog on point I still keep my index finger behind the guard until I mount the gun, as was mentioned above.

to surmise.......I really have no clue!

Mr. Leggs explanation is quite accurate from my experience. There is one other dimension that also comes into play and affects how tightly the shooter may be able to grip the gun while placing the pad of the index finger on the trigger. That is the diameter of the wrist on an English Straight Hand stock. A very slim wristed stock will be harder to control than a thicker one, especially if the shooter's hand is at least medium to large in size. A thicker wrist diameter or one with more of a diamond shape fits most hands better. Combine a slim wristed stock with a L.O.P that's even just a little bit short and the result may be a bruised middle finger.

Lots of potential causes. Here is an easy solution,take a neoprene fishing glove cut the finger or fingers off, cut the fingers to about 3/4 " pcs or the size you require.Slip the cut piece over the area that you want to protect.Works great, inexpensive,and many pieces. If your trigger finger is getting hit by the back of the front trigger when you fire the second barrel,put a bandaid or two over the area, and wear shooting gloves. If you have both problems you may have to cut a small slit in the glove just above the neoprene area to allow the glove to fit.I'm very familiar with the problem, started shooting driven birds with a Charler Lancaster 1913 o/u, s/g, 16, small trigger guard, close triggers, and light weight! . takes a while for the knot on your finger to go down.

I used to have this problem with a Merkel, and I wore a glove for a little while. When I had the stock lengthened with a pad, the problem went away and never returned. Fit matters, and I bet your's is not quite optimal.

Brent

Destry: This little book in the rough is the Holy Grail that completes my pre-WWI Shooting Flying library. Surely you recall me lamenting my stupid move in NYC Oct '05 when I took a book-buying side trip from Julia's gun auction in NH and had a copy in my hand at the not unreasonable price of $2,500; I passed on it for the time being to conserve cash for Jim Parker's Parkers. When I got home I called the dealer, James Cummins, and got the double bad news: "The book was bought yesterday by an institution." (Double in the sense that what I preceived as the last surviving copy went into the black hole of curatorship, never to be offered for sale again.) This copy merely needs to be recased. I am very pleased. EDM

Chuck,

I bought a Savage/Fox double for CAS, and my middle finger took a beating from the trigger guard, becoming too bruised and painful to take the punishment. I first tried the foam rubber padding around my finger, and the band aid, to no avail. :-(

I then installed a lace up leather (with rubber insert) buttstock recoil pad, and the increased LOP moved my middle finger back far enough (or the trigger guard far enough forward) that I no longer had the problem. :-)

So, for me, increasing the LOP solved my problem. It was a cheap solution also, costing me $30.00.

Happy trails,

HHH

There are probably several things that can cause this, I recall a friend that had a Winchester model 24 that gave him a bloody 2nd finger every time he used it. The combination of its tight pistol grip stock and the abrupt crurve of the rear of the trigger guard were the culprits. converting it to an english grip ended the finger problem. Of course he still had to carry a screwdriver to get the empty shells out.

Jim