Question for geezers re limp wristing

[pfgrone]

I'm 70. It seems that I am having more fail to feeds with my semi-autos (Guardian 380 & Bersa 380 - but not with my Kahr PM9 9mm) than I used to have. Have any of you other geezers had a problem with a weaking grip or limp-wristing as you aged?

I'm starting to wonder if I should stay with wheelguns like my pocket carry S&W 642.
Paul

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I had tendon surgery on my left hand about ten years ago, leaving it at about 80% strength. So I had a lot of weak-hand limp wrist failures until my trainer gave me this tip:

Cock the gun slightly towards your body (think gangsta grip, but not nearly as pronounced). This tightens up the muscles in the wrist and gives you a stronger grip.

HTH, let us know...

 

[pfgrone]

Larry, thanks for the suggestion but I must really be old because I don't have the faintest idea what a "gangsta grip" must look like.
Paul

 

[Greybeard]

Methinks the gandsta grip involves tilting the pistola somewhat horizontally.

I'm about 17 years behind you and, thankfully, still have pretty solid wrist strength. But the eyes have gone south. Crimson Trace overmoulded grips on 5-holer are the greatest little asset I've found for keeping bullets where they need to go - quickly.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Paul,
Just cant your pistol slightly towards your body (whichever hand you use), you can feel the muscles tighten. Try it without a gun, you can feel the muscles firm up.

It works, maybe not for Bullseye, but for defensive uses, it works,

 

[Standing Wolf]

It works, maybe not for Bullseye, but for defensive uses, it works,

Actually, it helps in bullseye shooting, too. I find myself canting my match pistols about 5° counter-clockwise.

 

[TimboKhan]

haha... geezers. I am going to go out and start misspending my youth at a faster rate after reading this thread! Seriously though, my dad is approaching 70, and he is having some of the same problems (compounded by 45 years of swinging a hammer), and he is doing the canting thing as well, with some success. Alternatively, he has simply started to weed out the guns that he can't really shoot anymore, a policy I fully support because most of those guns have been coming to me! Sadly, my old man can still outshoot me pretty much at will, so I can't give him too hard a time. Just for fun the other day we were out at the range shooting, and he totally humbled me by outshooting me with his left hand......

 

[grampster]

There is the Gangsta Grip...and then there is the Grampster Grip.

Sit down rapidly, hold firearm with both hands, clasp between both knees.

It won't matter if you can hit anything, the BG will be doubled over with laughter and the threat will go away.

PS: Oh, you should wear bright colored clothing, a silk neck scarf, and cock your head and flap your eylids a bit too. If yer gonna be a limpwrist, you should dress the part. heh.

 

[Walt Rauch]

Much of the so called "limp writing" is in reality the shooter pulling his hand back -slightly -from the grip just as the gun fires. This is done to minimize the pain associated with the gun's recoil. Most semi autos will cycle when held but with two fingers. They won't of course, if you pull your hand back as the gun fires.

Try this, load a dummy round in the mag and when the shooters fires, pay very close attention to the movement of his shooting hand.

An alternative is to have the oldster wear a glove. This might not work if he or she has already been conditioned to anticipate recoil.

 

[pfgrone]

Just has a brilliant idea for a new forum: "Geezers With Guns".
Paul

 

[Walt Rauch]

Who more needs them?(guns that is.)

I'm interested in what accommodations, if any, have occurred or been made by my contemporaries for self defense training and tools. (I qualify as an Oldster")

For examples I've found that I'm now even more visually aware due to deteriorated hearing. I also think more highly of 9mm in 1911s as I can shoot more and more often than is the case with .45ACP and 10mm.

 

[Kurush]

If the grip suggestions don't work, that still doesn't mean you need to give up on autos. It sounds like you're only having trouble with blowback 380s which are notorious for being sensitive to grip strength. If you're not having trouble with your PM9 then other recoil-operated autos should be OK too.

 

[facedown]

You might want to try wearing a wrist brace

It can also help prevent injury if you choose to shoot some heavy stuff.

From a semi-geezer.

 

[pfgrone]

I'm interested in what accommodations, if any, have occurred or been made by my contemporaries for self defense training and tools.

I've switched from my physically stronger hand to my weaker hand for handguns (I'm pretty ambidextrious) because of an old injury that now has somewhat painful arthritis that has set in. That's probably why I'm limp wristing. I use a rubber ball for strengthening exercises.
Paul

 

[gezzer]

Revolvers are forgiving

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Gezzer,

True, not many "failures to feed" with a revolver. But with age, weak grip, arthritis, the long double-action pull on a revolver might be a challenge.

It's worth a try, anyway.

Regards.

 

[06]

Getting into the "geezer" range at 61 and have already dropped from a 1911 to a Warthog. Next step will be a 380 Sig in DA. Already have a 22 mag American Arms that fits perfectly in the side pocket of my Carhart jeans. Just in case my right hand is busy.

 

[Walt Rauch]

Re the 380 and recoil. In blow back, lightweight autos, .380 recoil will feel more painful than is the 9mm in a compact auto.

I had not thought of a wrist brace.

 

[KINGMAX]

Go to a double-barrelled coach gun in 20 guage

Go to a 20 guage coach gun. I promoise, you will still get the respect from your peers.