handgun for 1 armed man

[rbernie]

I'm leaning towrd a springfield ro because I can stick it in the waistband of my shorts while moving around on my crutch.

Please don’t ever carry a loaded gun on your body if it’s not in a holster. That is an accident - with potentially very bad consequences - just waiting to happen.

 

[JR24]

Id say the Beretta or another high cap semi auto thats proven reliable.

I feel you'd be more likely to run out of ammo than clear a malf with defensive ammo and a good gun.

Not that either is terribly likely.

Plus you can clear a stoppage or reload a semi with one good hand and a foot/belt/armpit. Less easy to reload a revolver one handed.

 

[BSA1]

As I have had surgery on both rotator cuffs over the years the answer is very simple...

Revolvers.

Since you say you have revolvers with the s meaning more than one I would load them all and have one stashed in each room of the house.

I would suggest you start another thread about which revolver for what room of the house. For example consider the bathroom. Stainless steel or nickel plating for resistance to the humidity. Ammunition should have the bullet and primer sealed. A little fingernail polish will work. Caliber and cartridge would be the biggest concern. Since the throne room is known to have natural gas in it when occupied a round that has a large muzzle flash outside the barrel could have <amen> how shall I say it ...explosive results.

The kitchen would also require some careful thought. Will the microwave oven cause the plastic on polymer frame pistols to melt? How far away from the microwave should it be to prevent damage?

Since you have a lot of time on your hands at the moment you can do some field...er, home study on the subject.

 

[Armored farmer]

I reckon a good ol' big bore DA revolver could be operated with one hand pretty easily.

 

[GEM]

I've been in this situation with a broken dominant hand wrist. My solution was to carry my Glock 19 on my nondominant side in an OWB. I learned out to rack and manipulate the gun one handed, esp. with a stiff kydex holster as a ledge. It is pain but doable. I shoot one handed and with the non dominant hand every once in a while to keep the skill set. I also had a loaded revolver for HD near the Glock.

Using a stiff holster is crucial in manipulating the gun. You can also learn to reload a revolver one handed with a good holster.

NO gun stuffed in your waist band!

 

[Varminterror]

Been there - had both labrums (labra?) repaired at different times, broken arms, hands, wrists at multiple occasions as well... Spent a goodly bit of the last decade with temporary "one armed status".

A revolver is a pain in the butt to reload one handed, compared to a semiauto. Proper rear sights, kydex holster, and a bit of practice, it all comes together in a heartbeat. Rear sight on the lip of your holster to run the slide, lip of the mag baseplate on the lip of the holster to pull stuck mags... Drop mag, reholster, retrieve mag, reload, draw, rack with the rear sight on the holster...

Only way to reload the revolver one handed is by laying it down. If you're counting on only the rounds in the initial load, then either one is just as functional, and a pistol will hold more rounds.

 

[milemaker13]

Id say stick with your 92. 15 (or33) should have you covered.

 

[Armored farmer]

Been there - had both labrums (labra?) repaired at different times, broken arms, hands, wrists at multiple occasions as well... Spent a goodly bit of the last decade with temporary "one armed status".

A revolver is a pain in the butt to reload one handed, compared to a semiauto. Proper rear sights, kydex holster, and a bit of practice, it all comes together in a heartbeat. Rear sight on the lip of your holster to run the slide, lip of the mag baseplate on the lip of the holster to pull stuck mags... Drop mag, reholster, retrieve mag, reload, draw, rack with the rear sight on the holster...

Only way to reload the revolver one handed is by laying it down. If you're counting on only the rounds in the initial load, then either one is just as functional, and a pistol will hold more rounds.

Loading magazines.?
My dads cousin lost an arm to polio. He stuck the revolver under his bad arm and loaded his cylinder nearly as quick as anyone.
He preferred revolvers over autos.

 

[MedWheeler]

With one hand only, I'm a better shot with a revolver. My three-inch Taurus 85 would probably come into play.

As an aside, my Tokarev TTC is incredibly easy to rack with one hand, especially if the hammer is already cocked. That huge rear sight will do it even on my jeans pocket edge.

 

[Varminterror]

Loading magazines.?

When I was down to one hand, I loaded Glock mags sitting, had the mag loader under the lip of a table, lift my heel, pushing down the mag loader, feed the rounds in with my one good hand.

For plinking, sure, loading mags wasn’t handy. For defensive reloads, a revolver shooter with one arm is dead, a one armed shooter with a bottom feeder isn’t.

 

[nettlle]

Someone that has lived with one arm for decades can do some pretty amazing things. My late one armed father -in -law could put his boots on and tie the laces with one hand quicker than I could with two hands. Using a revolver he could keep up with us shooting autos.

 

[Al-jim19]

I would probably go with a medium to full size revolver if I had one arm. If you think about it a reload one handed (or 1.5 handed) on a revolver may be easier than a semi.

With one hand we also have to acknowledge that whatever we choose will not be ideal.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I would have two pistols on me and just do a Chicago reload I was in a similar situation once and it sucked so now i make a point to shoot with my week hand at each range trip rifle and pistol

 

[FL-NC]

A revolver that you can fire accurately 1 handed- and handle the recoil. You will be unable to execute a reload or clear a malfunction with any efficiency.

 

[Kaybee]

Just kind of brainstorming here, I was in a motorcycle wreck last Saturday. I'm left with 1 mostly functional wing for a while. Luckily it's my dominant hand. So my question is......which hand gun would you prefer in this situation. I have revolvers and auto's, theres been a beretta on the nightstand for over a year, before that it was 1911's.

I can't rack a slide but can keep something chambered. I'm probably overthinking it .............but i have ALOT of free time lately.
I'm leaning towrd a springfield ro because I can stick it in the waistband of my shorts while moving around on my crutch.

Sorry about your accident, hope you recover soon.

Here is my 2 cents:

Try searching online for "pistol rack assist" there are a couple devices out there to help you safely rack a pistol one handed against a table or wall.

I'd recommend a 9mm because of the low recoil, and one with the largest magazine that you have since reloading is not going to be fast for you.

 

[someguy2800]

All I have to say is for me a revolver would be the worst choice. I cannot shoot a revolver or double action gun of any kind worth a crap one handed unless I manually cock it single action, and it would be very difficult to reload. I shoot a 1911 very very well with one hand. The action pistol league I shoot forces us to shoot stages one handed, though we get to reload with two hands due to safety concerns. I would not be severely handicapped without my left hand with my 1911. They are also easy to cycle and reload one handed, especially with extended base pad magazines.

 

[Random 8]

I'm going to buck the trend here and recommend a medium sized .357 revolver...with .38spl WC or SWC target loads. Not fast or flashy, but accurate, easy to control, and that flat chunk of dead soft lead will do some damage, even at only 800fps. Most importantly, it will be very easy to control with your one good wing. I think in most real gunfights, at least the personal defense kind, a reload or suppressive fire is seldom a consideration. The damage is done with the first few rounds. A .44 or .45 with "cowboy loads" would have similar effect, but be larger and bulkier.

 

[oldrevolverguy]

Mind set is everything. Train, fight, win! This is a benefit of some wonderful training I have embraced over the years.

For me I had surgery on my right (dominate) arm that left me one handed for months (forgive the pun). Although I had extensive training with my Glocks, I reverted to revolvers. They are easy, if not a bit slow to manipulate for administrative matters and not subject to limp wristing, which was an issue for me weak handed. I carried an S&W 642 in my left front pocket for CHL. An S&W 64 was my bedside gun. Speer Gold Dot 135 Grain JHP loaded in both. I practiced both dry and live fire. I knew I had to make every shot count. If I got into a fight, I intended to finish it.

I never had a shaky moment the three months I was one handed. It had less to do with my weapon choice, than my mind set.

Train, fight, win!

YMMV

 

[readyeddy]

Reloading quickly is problematic with either type of gun. The difference would be in handling malfunctions like clearing jams or misfires. With the revolver, just pull the trigger again.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Loading magazines.?
My dads cousin lost an arm to polio. He stuck the revolver under his bad arm and loaded his cylinder nearly as quick as anyone.
He preferred revolvers over autos.

Good way to get burned if you shot a couple times, I would think...

But it's amazing what people can do with initiative.

 

[Sistema1927]

If I was limited to one hand I would carry my Kimber K6S with 3" barrel. While difficult, I have proven to myself that I can reload with one hand, and using a revolver eliminates the possibility of a limp wrist malfunction.

 

[chicharrones]

Good way to get burned if you shot a couple times, I would think...

But it's amazing what people can do with initiative.

Time for a special range shirt with a leather underarm patch.

 

[[email protected]]

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago. A motorcycle wreck temporary left me with only one mostly useable arm and a wheel chair. Like you I found that I couldn't cycle the slide on a semi-auto, so I gave my 642 Smith some much needed attention for several months. I'd say try what you have first before buying anything.

 

[JeffG]

Stick with your ol' trusty. Steel sights will make it easier, but autos are totally functional one-handed. Heal fast.

 

[Jim NE]

Also sorry to hear about the motorcycle accident. The op has enough guns to probably figure out what will or won't work for him, but I'd think a revolver would be the best choice, at least for loading and reloading.

Get well soon. Hope you don't have to sell any guns to buy another bike.