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How many of you routinely train shooting weak handed and or one handed? What if you are wounded and one of your arms is disabled can you effectively use your handgun single handed?

I try to shoot a magazine or two both right hand only and left hand only each time I'm out at the range. Also, when I'm designing the courses for our IDPA matches I'll throw in a one hand or weak hand stage. The shooters cuss me but, I tell them it's for their own good.

I shoot strong and off hand unsupported at once weekly. Generally, I shoot at 12 and 20 yards. It's fun!

MoJo wrote:How many of you routinely train shooting weak handed and or one handed? What if you are wounded and one of your arms is disabled can you effectively use your handgun single handed?

I try to shoot a magazine or two both right hand only and left hand only each time I'm out at the range. Also, when I'm designing the courses for our IDPA matches I'll throw in a one hand or weak hand stage. The shooters cuss me but, I tell them it's for their own good.

I shoot both unsupported strong and weak hand at every range session for exactly the reasons you bring up, as well as the possibility that my other hand may be engaged in holding onto something, pushing something away, or sweeping a family member or innocent person out of the line of fire.

I used to find weak hand shooting difficult and uncomfortable until about 15 years ago I developed a serious tendon condition in my strong hand that required surgery. It took 18 months before I had full use back. Since I had to use my support hand for almost everything, I became "semi ambidextrous". Since then I have no trouble using it to shoot accurately, or to do almost everything I can do with my strong hand except for very complex fine motor skills like writing.

I suspect one could achieve the same result without the surgery by forcing oneself to use the support hand as if it were the strong hand for as many tasks as possible.

Now for the next important question in this line of thought. How many of you can draw your weapon from its holster with just your weak hand? For that matter, can you draw one handed at all?

The odds of your getting hit before you draw are very good. If you practice shooting one handed because of this possibility, you really need to practice drawing too. And reloading, but most of us really don't need to worry that much about reloading.

I usually shoot one magazine both strong and weak one-handed. Never tried to draw weak handed, something to work on.

I shoot one handed every time I go to the range. I actually prefer it to two handed, as I can see the sights better, but I shoot both ways.

To be honest, I haven't tried shooting weak handed yet. I suppose I should start.

When my father started teaching my brother and I to shoot a handgun it was all one handed. He also made us learn to shoot with ether hand. I own left handed holsters for a couple of my handguns these were purchased after I had Carpal Tunnel surgery on my right hand and couldn't shoot with it for several months. At times I carry both of my M&P 40 pistols one in a pancake right hand holster and the other in a right hand Hume JIT on the left side. I can access the left gun with ether hand - - - cross draw with the right hand and "cavalry draw" with the left hand. My snubby is carried in a pocket holster in my left front pants pocket. I like the idea of having a gun available to both hands.

Now for the next important question in this line of thought. How many of you can draw your weapon from its holster with just your weak hand? For that matter, can you draw one handed at all?

Yes to all the above.

srothstein wrote:Now for the next important question in this line of thought. How many of you can draw your weapon from its holster with just your weak hand? For that matter, can you draw one handed at all?

The odds of your getting hit before you draw are very good. If you practice shooting one handed because of this possibility, you really need to practice drawing too. And reloading, but most of us really don't need to worry that much about reloading.

An excellent question and something few people have explored for themselves.

Quite a few folks will find that they can NOT access their weapon at all (weak hand) using their present mode of carry. Others can do so (with difficulty) and some have no problem.

It would be interesting to start a poll and see who can....(and who can't) get to their weapon in under 3 seconds from both standing and seated positions (under normal concealed clothing).

I'm guessing it would be an eye opener.

To answer the original question: Yes, I practice regularly shooting weak hand, but I keep the round count fairly low (8-10 shots).

For whatever reason, this scenario never dawned on me but I'll have to give it a try for sure.

I never thought about shooting off-handed until I smashed my favorite trigger finger in a car door. That was a couple of years ago. Then I realized how important it was.

I can shoot fairly well with either hand now. But a one handed reload? Not in my bag of tricks. I have seen it done. Someone posted a video on here awhile back that was awesome. Gotta see if I can study that.

srothstein wrote:Now for the next important question in this line of thought. How many of you can draw your weapon from its holster with just your weak hand? For that matter, can you draw one handed at all?

The odds of your getting hit before you draw are very good. If you practice shooting one handed because of this possibility, you really need to practice drawing too. And reloading, but most of us really don't need to worry that much about reloading.

I set up a stage at one of my Personal Protection matches where this was the object of the drill. I had 2 ROs verify NO AMMO in the firearm and is was placed in the holster ready to "dry-fire". On the beep, the shooter had to draw the firearm with their weak hand, then dry-fire it while pointed at a target. You should have seen the humorous contortions some of the shooters went through to get their firearm out of the holster. People tried to draw with their weak hand reaching around their back side, some drew it out backwards and reversed it holding it between their legs. Retention type holsters were the most difficult. The dancing and prancing around was hilarious to watch. The winner, by the way, was an inexperienced female shooter, her first time shooting any match. She just reached around in front, gripped the firearm with her weak hand properly, drew it and dry fired it in just over one second.

Anyone trying this please set it up without any ammo until you are experienced with doing it. The chances of pointing the muzzle in an unsafe direction and/or dropping the firearm is very high. Anyone thinking of doing this in a match, make double sure that the firearm is unloaded and don't do it while standing on concrete or a hard surface in case they drop it.

I practice one handed including offhand every time I go to range. Shooting one handed is significantly more difficult, particularly for snappy calibers like 40sw. That was one of the reasons I switched to 9mm. I just could not control 40sw one handed (particularly offhand). From what I have read a very significant number of SD (including police) shooting happen one handed even when the person could have used two hands so it is important to practice.

Ziran wrote:I practice one handed including offhand every time I go to range. Shooting one handed is significantly more difficult, particularly for snappy calibers like 40sw. That was one of the reasons I switched to 9mm. I just could not control 40sw one handed (particularly offhand). From what I have read a very significant number of SD (including police) shooting happen one handed even when the person could have used two hands so it is important to practice.

I used to have trouble with the .40 S&W shooting with a 2 handed grip — even though I had been shooting .45 ACP and .44 Magnum for years — because I thought it was snappy. But the last time I went to the range, it occurred to me that it had been a while since .40 gave me any trouble, and the last few times I've been shooting, I've been able to shoot my .40 cal pistol (USP Compact) one handed without any trouble. And like I commented earlier, I actually get a better sight picture with a one handed grip because two handed puts the sights just inside of where they are blurry for my aging eyes, even with corrective glasses on.

But I guess it's time now to start with the weak hand drills.

Oh, great! Never touched a handgun before last November, managed to qualify for CHL with a subcompact .45 in December, managed to put all the holes in a paper plate at 15yd in January -- and I'm now supposed to do it with my left hand??? This just keeps getting harder and harder....

Good topic. Been going to start working on it, just haven't gotten around to it....