Some time ago a member wrote about having shoulder surgery and the trouble with changing to weak side fire. Since I had an upcoming rotor cuff surgery I thought that I should spend some time practicing and carrying weak-hand.
I had an old sling that I would put on to immobilize my arm and to use as a sort of quasi holster using my Para-Ord and Glock. It seemed to work fairly well and my weak hand skills were improving.
Since we have plenty of room on the property the wife and I go out at least monthly to practice our ‘couples drill’. I was going out more often to shoot and occasionally she would join me in my practice sessions since this would also affect our positioning when walking or riding in a vehicle.
After a few sessions she asked why I was using my weak hand so much and I told her. She mentioned that I should also practice more mundane skills like opening doors and learning bathroom paperwork. I then replied that was what she was for!
So, anyway, after polishing my paperwork skills and dressing one-handed I went back to the firearms practice.
All went well until after the operation when the sling the Doctor gave me was nothing like the old bandana type of wide tie-up.
There was not enough room for my Para and the Glock wasn’t balanced correctly for where it had to sit. I ended up going with my S&W 642 in the front pocket.
Cargo shorts turned out to be the best option because everything had to be on the weak side; keys, glasses, cell phone, sunglasses and flashlight. I was able to tuck my wallet in the sling so I had easy access to everything else. Since I wasn’t out alone or driving I could do without the keys and most of the time the sunglasses. Reading glasses, flashlight and cell phone, along with firearm, always went along.
There are a lot of things to think about and practice if this configuration occurs to you.
With everything on the weak side my shorts tended to sag dramatically no matter how tight my belt. This is not a condition for fast presentation. If we were in a questionable area, the definition of which has expanded greatly, I would have the flashlight already in my sling hand and my other in my pocket on the grip. Getting in and out of a vehicle involved the two of us being focused on my maneuvering so we made doubly sure to clear the area first. Luckily we live in area that is not infested but it takes only once, plus it gives us practice. I’m only two weeks into recovery and have been out about 4 times and things should improve after I get more mobility in my bad arm.
I hope this gives others some insight into changes that surgery could cause. I would imagine problems with a knee or hip would have their unique problems also.
Sorry for so long a post but I hope it could help others.
I had an old sling that I would put on to immobilize my arm and to use as a sort of quasi holster using my Para-Ord and Glock. It seemed to work fairly well and my weak hand skills were improving.
Since we have plenty of room on the property the wife and I go out at least monthly to practice our ‘couples drill’. I was going out more often to shoot and occasionally she would join me in my practice sessions since this would also affect our positioning when walking or riding in a vehicle.
After a few sessions she asked why I was using my weak hand so much and I told her. She mentioned that I should also practice more mundane skills like opening doors and learning bathroom paperwork. I then replied that was what she was for!
So, anyway, after polishing my paperwork skills and dressing one-handed I went back to the firearms practice.
All went well until after the operation when the sling the Doctor gave me was nothing like the old bandana type of wide tie-up.
There was not enough room for my Para and the Glock wasn’t balanced correctly for where it had to sit. I ended up going with my S&W 642 in the front pocket.
Cargo shorts turned out to be the best option because everything had to be on the weak side; keys, glasses, cell phone, sunglasses and flashlight. I was able to tuck my wallet in the sling so I had easy access to everything else. Since I wasn’t out alone or driving I could do without the keys and most of the time the sunglasses. Reading glasses, flashlight and cell phone, along with firearm, always went along.
There are a lot of things to think about and practice if this configuration occurs to you.
With everything on the weak side my shorts tended to sag dramatically no matter how tight my belt. This is not a condition for fast presentation. If we were in a questionable area, the definition of which has expanded greatly, I would have the flashlight already in my sling hand and my other in my pocket on the grip. Getting in and out of a vehicle involved the two of us being focused on my maneuvering so we made doubly sure to clear the area first. Luckily we live in area that is not infested but it takes only once, plus it gives us practice. I’m only two weeks into recovery and have been out about 4 times and things should improve after I get more mobility in my bad arm.
I hope this gives others some insight into changes that surgery could cause. I would imagine problems with a knee or hip would have their unique problems also.
Sorry for so long a post but I hope it could help others.