Remembering my recently deceased friend John Taffin I was reminded how over the years, he shot the hell out of super-powerful handguns like the .500 Linebaugh and hot-loaded .44 Magnum, and wound up with injured hands and wrists. In his writing, he warned the rest of us about it, and set an example by publicly admitting he was shooting lighter loads these days.
In his age group and mine (read: “Old Guys”) that’s a common syndrome. A lot of my colleagues have gone from .357 Magnum and .38 Special +P in their lightweight pocket revolvers to the humble, mild 148 grain .38 Special mid-range wadcutter target load. It still punches a full diameter wound track, and doesn’t tear up arthritic hands. Before John, I saw other aging gun experts – Walt Rauch and Pat Rogers, who are sadly no longer with us either – power down from .45s to 9mm for similar reasons.
The same is true of long guns. My elephant rifles have been consigned to the safe for some time, and in a shotgun I tend toward the 20 gauge. When the opthalmologist told me I had a tear beginning in one retina, he said it was time for me to stop rapid-firing 12 gauge shotguns with full power loads. I took his advice.
I wrote about the advantages of the 20 gauge shotgun for various sporting and defense purposes a while ago, in Backwoods Home magazine, here: https://www.backwoodshome.com/consider-the-20-gauge-shotgun/ .
Sorry to hear that Walt Rauch has passed. I moved largely to the 9 back in the 1980s. I shot it faster and more accurately than a .45 and they hold more rounds. What’s not to love? Not being a masochist, I have to confess I’ve never understood the desire for featherweight defensive guns.
I have history myself with short barreled 12 gauges. Quite some time ago the head of training of a major LE agency near DC advised that the sound of an AR bolt running home has the same deterrent affect as a pump gun chambering a round. And, there’s a slew of advantages beside the lesser (near nonexistent) recoil.
The 20 gauge bore is pretty darn close to that of the infantry weapons used in the Civil War. A 20 gauge semi loaded with slugs is a formidable defensive tool. SFAIK, #3 buckshot is the only widely available choice. I don’t have any experience with it, but at 15-20 yards should work OK.
If you were on AmBack/EoTac Forum, we lost Walt and Frank around 10-12 years ago IIRC, back while the forum was still in full swing before the change of ownership and pivot to basically an ads site killed it.
Miss the old haunt and you guys from the old days, wish there was one central place where I could keep you all updated on the 1911 build some of you guys helped me plan twenty years ago that’s finally into construction and actually almost done.
After a successful conversion of a K-frame S&W to 9mm, I plan to do the same with my 640, chambered in 357. More power than a 38, less blast and recoil than a 357. Conversion requires moon clips, which are the fastest reload anyway. TK custom does the job for about $300. Easier than trying to find a super rare 940.
Bonnie has embraced the 9mm AR, largely due to the lower blast compared to 5.56. Many years ago, in a discussion we had regarding home defense long guns, she asked “Why doesn’t everyone use an AR?”. I reminded her of your analysis of the Miami/FBI shootout, in which the rifle-armed bad guy effectively neutralized his partner with the concussive blast of the Ruger 556 inside the car. Absent a suppressor, high power rifles are truly stunning indoors.
I don’t remember iff it was LFO 1 or 2 but you said the only one that can tell the difference between 12 and 20 ga wounds is the coroner. I took that to heart.
Thanks for the warning. I am still a youngster looking at 60 soon. But I am feeling it a bit with my big buys. Having more fun with the lighter loads and I am notorious for the big stuff. Had a look of fun recently at the range with my 22mag m&p. Still put 100 rounds down range from my 45-70. May have to back that off some for my health and wallet.
I concur with the softer loads. Yesterday I was shooting factory 9mm and my reloads. Using my 1911 Range officer, Ruger RXM. I prefer my reloads for felt recoil. 45 rounds of factory 9mm and my 72 year old wrists were saying enough. I’ve even downloaded my 40 S&W rounds for my 2011 to soften the recoil. To bad I can’t carry my ccw with my reloads
Thanks for the warning. I am still a youngster looking at 60 soon. But I am feeling it a bit with my big boys. Having more fun with the lighter loads and I am notorious for the big stuff. Had a lot of fun recently at the range with my 22mag m&p. Still put 100 rounds down range from my 45-70. May have to back that off some for my health and wallet.
Light weight defensive guns are just that. You can carry them easily all day, and you rarely fire them with full power loads.
Full power loads should be fired occasionally to maintain familiarity with their levels of recoil, but firing them frequently puts undue strain on the body. Save them for the appropriate situation, whether sport or practice, or defense.
On advice from Mas in his great Stressfire2 book, I had a Remington 1100 20 gauge with a youth stock. I loved that shotgun! Unfortunately, I sold it during a dry spell. I miss it for my own use and for training new shooters.
Sorry for the typos! Old eyes and an IPhone screen are a bad combination LOL!
Just speaking from a hunting perspective. I grew up thinking if you didn’t hunt with a 12 gauge then you weren’t a real hunter. At 36 years old I bought my first 20. 12 years later that’s still all I hunt small game and turkey with and that’s all I shoot clays with. I have found that switching from 6 shot in the 12 to 5 shot in the 20 produces the same effect. And if anyone thinks they need 3 1/2 in shells in a 12 to hunt turkeys with then go for it but there’s nothing you have to have that much lead for to kill. Including a home protection weapon. I’ll stick with my 20 for the rest of my life.
After multiple elbow surgeries, arthritis, and being older, I switched to mainly 9mm over 45acp. Less wear and tear. Cheaper ammo is also a bonus!
Two years ago , at 87 I switched from .45 for semi-auto to 9mm. and fired a possible. I switched from .38 to .357 for revolver and two shots were out of the X ring. this “old guy” can no longer handle the .45 to the best of his ability. Thanks Mas for the shooting encouragement for us oldsters.
I hadn’t had a tough time with .38 until recently, so maybe some lighter rounds would help. I switched from 12 gauge to 12 gauge with shorties and then 20 gauge a few years ago. Luckily I found some great deals on 20-gauge guns right before COVID, otherwise it might have been a costly switch.
I haven’t fired a 30-06 in a while, but I’m sure that will knock me around good too.
With handguns, one thing I like to do is to use epoxy paste on the backstrap to mold a custom fit to the shape of my hand. (I use some tape as a base so I can remove it. Sometimes I put a layer of contact cement over the tape so the epoxy paste will stock to it.) I alternate hands when gripping the gun with the still-soft paste; it’s not quite as good a fit that way, but I want to be able to shoot with either hand).
That avoids concentrating the force onto one “hot spot” of my palm. I first did this when I was 38, because even at that age shooting 158g +P in an air-weight revolver hurt.
Before I came up with that solution, I also got good results by taping along the back strap a strip of Sorbithane (TM) visoelastic polymer. It’s a soft rubber that has the consistency of raw steak.
Either change may be all you need to keep shooting full-power loads.
If you can find it, the Federal 20g load with #2 buck and FliteControl wad throws tight patterns with low recoil.
Come to think of it, Francis Sell influenced my first new shotgun (maybe new gun) purchase. A Fox B 20 gauge double with double triggers & 3 inch chambers. Still have it.
Good to know about the Federal Buck load.
I’ve done that for quite a while now. If I got a .40 somehow, I traded it ASAP. I actually retired because our département MADE us switch to a .40 or .45 in bigger Glocks, so I just left. a 115 bullet is a LOT less than a 230 or hot 180!!!!
I take all this experience to heart, but have to admit that at 76 I still love and carry my PC Shield 45 with four inch barrel. But, when the time comes, I have the compact nines and .380s ready. Still hunting with the chest rigged M&P 10 mm and range with it weekly. No control problems yet TG!.
At 72 I’m still enjoying large caliber guns but I’ve never been one to carry them daily. Does the compact 9 mm save you over a full size 45/40/10? On the compact 9 the slide can be even more difficult to manipulate. And the 20 over a 12 gauge? Why not just shoot lighter loads in the 12? I do love my snub 357 with 38s but mostly because the muzzle blast is painful even with hearing protection. Of course, we all need a good excuse to buy new guns so carry on.
You will maybe recall me shooting your MAG-40 with a Glock 22 gen 3, loading 9mm into 17 mags. I recall you were interested to find I swapped the barrel only, not the recoil spring. And no failures all week.
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