Thursday, July 15, 2010

Contingencies.

The other evening, Bobbi was attempting to learn to pedal her "skatebike" out on the sidewalk in front of the house. She was getting the hang of it, managing as much as ten or fifteen yards down the sidewalk before having to step off, and asked me if I'd like to try. "Why not?" I thought.

Sure enough, I got maybe three feet before falling on my butt. Well, not directly on my butt; I caught myself with my right hand. Later that evening, when moving the Zed Drei so Bobbi could do some work in the garage, there was a painful twinge in that shoulder while yanking up on the parking brake. Uh oh.

By the next morning, the upward roll of the shoulder involved in pulling up a pair of jeans caused stabbing pains to knife through the deltoid muscle. Guess what motion is involved in drawing a pistol from a strong side belt holster? Yup.

I went to dig through my box of holsters in the attic, but it seems that not only had I sold the one or two left-handed 1911 holsters I had, but also any OWB ones suitable for cross-draw. Ditto S&W revolver holsters, all except for one pancake rig from Simply Rugged that was sized to fit a J-frame Smith and could be worn crossdraw. (Note To Self: Acquire left-handed IWB for 1911.)

One benefit of wearing my pistol IWB at about the 4 o'clock position on my belt and having arms like an orang-utan is that I can, by leaning forward slightly, reach around behind myself and draw with my weak hand. For the next day or so, I got a fair amount of practice at it, too.

If you CCW every day, what happens if you wind up with your dominant arm in a cast? What's your fallback plan?

31 comments:

  1. It's a problem with the weak hand too. I cut a tendon in my weak hand in January and had to rethink how I carried, because how do you clear a jam or charge a 1911 when your weak hand is effectively a club? Got pretty good at reloading the Model 60 from a speedloader one handed, though.

    Hope your shoulder gets to feeling better real soon.

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  2. It's largely better now; it was only really bad for a day.

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  3. I normally carry a S&W 649 (less often a Kahr PM9), so I'd just swap pocket contents.

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  4. Tape the gun to your hand under the cast?

    Reloads would be kinda hard. A good MD could probably leave a hole to drop a mag out. Might have to put LONG bumpers on the mag, though.

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  5. The skatebike, btw, looks like it is made of fall and pain. I can see how it can be mastered, I can also see how it would be possible to deveop a resistance to typhus. I'm trying to think of a good reason for either one, and lacking something that shows me the giant magical fun that can be acheived on a skatebike, I'm not seeing it. Keep your bones intact!!

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  6. Yeah, I've decided that my initial impulse to give the skatebike a miss was the correct one.

    I have a perfectly serviceable grown-up bike, thankyewverymuch.

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  7. Glad the strain is taking care of itself. Sore deltoids can be rough. But for the question:

    A buddy had the doc put an extended cast on with enough room to actually carry a Charter in his hand when he opened his business at four in the Ayem. But reloading? Five shots and he was done.

    Fortunately, I have plenty of LH Bianchi 27's and some LH Executives are on my list for Michael to build if I do decide to change from N frames to semiautos.

    Stranger

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  8. I just think it's awesome you have a box of holsters sitting around.

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  9. Dig the nylon, IWB holster out of storage; ask one of my brothers to switch the clip around on it so that it'll work on my left-hand side ('cause, y'know, I can't work that metal clip with only one good arm); complain that the holster requires a concealment garment that makes me look fat.

    Well, that's basically what I did when my right arm was in a sling for a few days. There was bonus taunting from Kid Sis and lots of whining from...um...*mumbles* somebody with quite a bit of pain medication in her system.

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  10. @Aaron... the box of holsters isn't really a source of pride for most of us so much as a box full of wallet fail.

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  11. Bianchi "Cyclone" is made for both strongside and crossdraw. Been very handy for wheelguns.
    Bianchi's "quality" control has been more than a bit spotty recently but the original designs are certainly good.

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  12. Serious food for thought. I'm running on one CCW and an OWB to tote it in.

    I've been so used to my knees being the problem that I never gave this situation any thought.

    Now? I'd better come up with a Plan B. Sorry you got hurt; glad you're feeling better.



    tweaker

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  13. As a lefty I've got a IWB FIST Kydex holster you can have.

    Let me know where to send it.

    Gerry

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  14. Dusk to dawn err...crotch gun:

    http://youtu.be/jts0xxg7P8I

    Best,

    McVee

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  15. You don't need a plan B.

    Anti-gun self protection authorities agree that a successful strategy includes making your assailant believe that you are extra vulnerable- tell him you are pregnant, throw up, etc.

    The cast televises that directly, so predators will leave you alone out of their pity and sense of fair play!

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  16. Well I've got everyone beat as I carry left handed (weaker hand) every day. 5.11s have that tactical extra pocket on the left side that helps break up the print of a Kel-Tec, and I get to keep my knife in the pocket where it is most useful. That said, if I hurt my gun arm, I would just have to put Mr. knife in the back pocket of my 5.11s, and my little roscoe in the front. Problem solved!!

    My advice is to buy some 5.11s, quick! Theeeeeey're tactical. . .!

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  17. "The skatebike, btw, looks like it is made of fall and pain. I can see how it can be mastered, I can also see how it would be possible to deveop a resistance to typhus. "
    -Og

    "made of fall and pain" ... Beauty.

    Looks to me like that skatebike contraption has all the problems of both a skateboard and a bike, and none of the advantages of either.....

    Bike: Fast, efficient, does not come to a sudden halt when a pebble is encountered on pavement, or if the pavement ends. Is bulky and cannot be tucked under an arm when you go into a bookstore. Crashing is a serious matter- you are unable to hop off and land on your feet.

    Skateboard: Portable. Fun. Sturdy. Crashes are not as big a deal as with a bike. Uphill is not possible, Downhill is foolish.

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  18. I'd pull one of those $12
    GunMate ambidextrous, nylon, thumb-break OWBs* out of my holster drawer and flip it around to wrong-sided carry.


    ----
    *The ones that "serious operators" scoff at, but which I have always felt work just fine.

    wv: disses -- I couldn't have made that up.

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  19. Tam, I've just completed a design on a new IWB 1911 holster. I'm going to be making a lefty for one of my local regulars. Why don't I make two and send one your direction? 5-inch barrel? Colt safety? Send me an email.

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  20. Learn to shoot with either hand.

    It has always seemed the obvious thing for me to do since I am cross dominate anyway. My kids, who are not cross dominate think my making them learn to shoot left handed is stupid.

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  21. David,
    just tell them they should want to be cool like Lara Croft, except with only one gun!

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  22. "What's your fallback plan?"

    Take off and nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

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  23. Same old straight-drop IWB on left side. Cavalry draw.

    Or rig up my machine gun shoe string into a 3-loop holster for Improved Mexican carry.

    wv: blecspit - What Tam now does at the sight of a skatebike

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  24. Had a similar thing happen to me, I sprained my dominant right wrist so badly that I couldn't even rack a slide due to the pain. To chamber a round I had to put the front site on the edge of a hard surface and push down hard with my left hand. Spent four months shooting plate matches and cowboy weak hand only (and sadly enough, beating people who were shooting with their strong hand or two handed). With the warmer weather I had already started carrying the Kahr PM9, I simply put it in the left hand rear pocket. It was an interesting couple of months shooting everything weak hand. I also picked up a left hand holster for the H&K P7M8 I also carry.

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  26. "...reach around behind myself and draw with my weak hand"

    A useful fall-back technique, unless you have already fallen to the ground for some reason!

    wv: backing...that's spooky

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  27. Will,

    Yup, this technique has its weaknesses. :o

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