A friendly reminder (weak hand only drills)

[s&w 24]

I just sprained right wrist so I got to do some unplanned practice in weak hand only drills when I got home. This is what I noted

1) can you use draw your primary and secondary carry guns weak hand only?
( I check out o.k. there)
2) do you have a weak side holster for your primary CCW? ( need to order a belt rig but I had a shoulder holster that is o.k.)
3) can you deploy your house gun weak hand only ( not at 100% but I can manage)

 

[Barry in IN]

Good idea. Thanks for the reminder.

I worked in a somewhat dangerous industrial enviroment for 17 years. When I became a stay home Dad three plus years ago, I figured I was in a safe place.
Of course, I smashed my foot in our own garage this past Summer after knocking a concrete paving block onto it from almost waist height. I had never broken a bone before.

Although temporary, that whole situation made me think about the things you posted. What if I lost the use of a hand rather than a foot? Either hand?

I had thought about the possibilities of getting hit in the strong side arm in a gunfight (or that being the start of a fight). But I had not thought about losing the use of a hand/arm beforehand, and alternate carry methods.

It may be too late to practice them if you wait until you need them.

In IPSC or IDPA, when you have a weak-hand or strong-hand-only stage, you are usually allowed to draw or clear malfunctions normally. I understand that it's all in the interest of safety, but it won't help you if you have the use of one hand.

You're right, we need to practice one-hand work more.

I have a Safariland "Universal-Fit" paddle holster for weak side use. I have pocket holsters for the backup guns that work on either side. I practice drawing weak handed from strong side holsters. I keep a spare mag for my primary pistol in my strong side pocket, in case I can't get to my pouch- i.e. in case I can't use my weak hand, I'm laying on that side, etc.

 

[The Rabbi]

Uh, oh. I sense the dread "better prepare for everything" debate looming.

Can you:
1) Reload a revolver weak hand only and do it in under 1.5 seconds?
2) Operate a pump shotgun using just your feet?
3) Make head shots in total darkness merely by vectoring in on sounds?
4) Keep in a sustained firefight against 18 armed and determined bad guys with your throat slit open and blood pouring on both hands? (This would be the famous "Mogadishu" drill)

If you answered "no" then maybe you should practice these life-saving skills or enroll in LFI-XXVII......

But I agree shooting weak hand only is good practice.

 

[pax]

Rabbi ~

Spraining a wrist or breaking a finger isn't a bit unlikely.

If you think it's important enough to carry regularly, it only makes sense to think about how or whether you will carry if you break your right wrist. (Thus, do you have a left-hand rig in your holster box?)

If you can envision the unlikely scenario of getting into a fight in the first place, I bet you can envision the not-at-all unlikely scenario of taking damage during that fight -- or the even-less-unlikely scenario of having a child or undroppable object in your strong hand when the action starts. Making sure you know how to get at your carry weapon with either hand only makes good sense.

Just doesn't seem right to make fun of such a sensible idea.

pax

 

[SapperLeader]

While I do practice shooting weakhanded(not as much as I need to Im sure), and I do carry my bug accessible to my weakside, I dont own any left handed holsters for my primary guns. To be honest its not something Ive ever considered needing, though I have thought about injuring my primary hand during a gunfight. I guess I never thought about injuring my right hand during the normal course of life, and being out of commission for a few days or weeks.

 

[The Rabbi]

Pax,
In 42 years I have never sprained a wrist or broken a finger. The likelihood of any of us getting into a gun fight is actually pretty small. There are people here who have carried for 30+ years and never had it happen. Most gun fights statistically are over within seconds so "taking damage" probably wont make much difference. As I said, I support training in weak hand shooting but living your life predicated on such an extreme scenario is plain silly.

 

[klover]

Just for the heck of it, I've collected holsters and guns to span 360 around my belt. Weak hand has several within reach if all are worn at the same time The fastest way to reload is to have a backup to a backup to a backup......................and it all is easily concealed weighing only 49#

 

[aroshi]

Off-hand and off-side holsters

Actually, all of the holsters I own (minus one) are not only able to be fitted on the off-side, but drawn with either hand. This includes my not often used external holster that I use only at the range. I don't yet have the shoulder holster I want for my primary carry piece, but having tried them before, I can draw with either hand from that, as well.

The one I have that doesn't work both ways, also doesn't allow me an off-hand draw because it's a Fobus paddle holster. It is my quickest and favorite draw / conceal of all my holsters when it works with the clothes I have on, but it's placement and the tightness keeping it secured do not allow a cross-draw.

I do support off-side and crossdraw practice and you can benefit from a lot of little things that will come up.

 

[Barry in IN]

Wow, I didn't expect anyone to be against weak-hand practice. Don't do it yes, never considered it maybe, but against it?

----------
Regarding the odds of losing the use of a hand:

I don't think that to be an extreme scenario at all.
In fact, I expect to START with just one hand rather than it being a case of losing the use of one- although that could well happen also.
Many gunfights start after the victim has been knocked to the ground. The chances of injuring a hand or wrist by catching yourself in the fall are therefore great.
There is also the chance of having an arm pinned behind your back.

As a stay-home Dad, I have another reason to expect to limited to one hand. I have at least one of our children with me most of the time. Even if I stay upright, I'll have one hand/arm busy pushing them out of the way, or being tugged on, or.....

Kids or not, think about how often you have at least one hand tied up. Groceries, car keys, briefcase, lunchbox, cellphone, something- is in our hand(s) more than we might realize.

Rabbi, until this past Summer, I had never broken or sprained anything in my hands either. I had not broken any bones at all until smashing my foot this Summer. I don't know anyone nutty enough to practice driving with the "wrong foot" just in case, but I wished I had done so then!
Just because the odds of something happening might be slim, is no reason not to prepare for it- IF it doesn't require much effort to do so.
It takes little effort to practice one-hand or weak-hand gunhandling and shooting, so I do. If it took much time away from practicing "normally", I might not.

------
Re the odds of being in a gunfight being small:

Of course they are. If the odds were higher, I'd stay inside. Behind armor and sandbags!
Still, the only time I've drawn a gun in 21 years of being licensed to carry was a time when I least expected it- when walking into my own home.
And yes, my hands started out full (groceries), and I ended up using just one hand.

-----
On having holsters for anything and everything:

I'm a holster junkie.
There, I said it. I'd honestly rather have a new holster than a new gun.
So, I guess I may have more than most people.