High precision range and straggling measurements of 96.5 keV224Ra α-disintegration recoil particles in various gaseous media are described. Special emphasis is placed on the development of a uniform and non-degrading recoil source in order to insure accurate range determination and to prevent broadening of the straggling results by the source. Excellent symmetry for the range distribution curves for all, even the heavy gases, was obtained. The performance of the measurements in gases, where successive collisions can be considered as uncorrelated, enabled a detailed comparison with theoretical treatments of the nuclear stopping mechanism, dominating in this energy region. The results obtained were compared with the Lindhard theory and show good agreement, especially for the medium mass gases.