Saturday, December 07, 2013

Go Slow: Eye opener ahead!

I've frequently heard the recommendation that if one wants to feel like a new shooter all over again, practice weak-handed. Since I sometimes shoot as much as a third of my ammo WHO, and being naturally left-handed to start with, running the gun southpaw doesn't feel exceptionally strange.

As a matter of fact, since I switched to the M&P from the 1911, I don't know as I've ever used my left thumb to trip the slide release, since I just naturally use my trigger finger when shooting left handed.

But, man, holstering left-handed is hard. Was it this hard right-handed at first? I can't remember. Dang. The Summer Comfort has a little more cant than I've been using for the last couple years, and it's slightly more snug than kydex, but that doesn't account for all of it; most of it is it's just a very unfamiliar task for my left paw.

If people try to rush this, no wonder folks get themselves shot.


ETA: I just also ordered a blue gun to supplement the Umarex M&P. I can't believe I hadn't done that yet. But if I'm going to be doing a crazy lot of left-handed draw-and-holster practice, the inert blue gun will be helpful. There goes a big chunk of my fun show money for January. Anybody want to buy a magazine article?

(See? It's all this ancillary gear that made me so reluctant to change handguns for so long. If it was just "Swap out the gun in my 'carry rotation'," that'd be one thing, but it's the gun, the spare gun, the other spare gun, the IWB holster, the gamer holster, the LH holster, the .22 trainer, the blue gun, the thirty-eleven magazines. I already had all that stuff for the 1911.)

8 comments:

Jim Rawles said...


Senorita Montoya:
Sometimes it is easy to forget that you are left-handed! See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6dgtBU6Gs

KM said...

Since I would probably end up putting an eye out brushing my teeth lefty, off hand practice for me is really a chore.
I do it because I have to not because I like it. My lefty practice is actually more 'technically' correct since I am L eye dominant.

Reholstering 'fast' is something I never saw a need for...

Drang said...

Every time I start to contemplate changing platforms, someone co,mes along and gives me more excuses not to...

Jeff said...

Amen!

I'd love to switch to the M&P but whenever I get the serious itch I start counting up my P228 mags/holsters/spare parts/etc and get depressed.

Maybe in 10 years when its not too hard/expensive to by 3 dozen spare mags...

Fred said...

I need a blue gun for school this winter... they make one with a "light" whish would be perfect too, I just don't want to pay for it. If Blue Guns reads this, I'd gladly review one!

RandyGC said...

Similar reasonig as to why I didn't change my amateur radio callsign when I settled in a new call district. Hats, badges, shirts, license plates... I can't afford to get a new callsign!

Chris said...

While I'm not a particularly good shot overall (and with my eyesight going, it ain't gonna get any better), I do try to shoot WHO every time I manage to get to the range. For me, it's my left hand. Interestingly, I have always dealt cards left-handed, and can handle a spatula almost as well lefty. Not much else, though. It might have something to do with my eyes: right eye nearsighted, left eye farsighted.

lelnet said...

Fighting against hand dominance is trivially easy, compared to fighting against well-practiced habits.