Good question, I think. What about the possibility of carrying on the strong side at about 3:30-4:00 with the butt forward? Then you could draw in a cross-draw fashion with your weak hand, if necessary.
Weak hand draw from strong side???
I am all but certain this has been covered, in some form but (aplogies if so) - I do often consider the possibility of such.
I carry 3.00 to 3.30 right side and have a good draw but - always wonder, if my strong hand has been compromized - it sure as heck is mega hard to draw from there with weak hand - I mean .... seriously difficult.
I should of course include this in my practice drills and sometimes remember but - worries me some.
So - thoughts, comments, suggestions.? What are options?
I carry 3.00 to 3.30 right side and have a good draw but - always wonder, if my strong hand has been compromized - it sure as heck is mega hard to draw from there with weak hand - I mean .... seriously difficult.
I should of course include this in my practice drills and sometimes remember but - worries me some.
So - thoughts, comments, suggestions.? What are options?
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I practice it from my duty holster, but I have never really tried it from an IWB, which is usually how I CCW. Guess I need to figure out how to get under my shirt to my weapon, but it shouldn't be too hard to do.
From around 10:00-10:30 I find it not only fast to draw from strong side, I find it manageable to draw from weakside. The only problem is you have to be able to articulate your weak side arm to accommadate. But the way I look at it, if my strong arm is pinned and so is my weak arm, well it doesn't really matter how I carry does it? :tongue:
I'm odd in that I practice most of my shooting and drawing with my off hand as a lefty. I like accessibility in a right handed world and the gun in car scenario made me switch to weak side carry. Learning to draw with my right hand was pretty damned easy after the first couple weeks, and I can shoot well enough with my right hand that few people except for close friends at the range realize I'm left handed.
I hate to pull out the 'But I was shooting with my off hand - watch as I blaze away with the proper one'
I hate to pull out the 'But I was shooting with my off hand - watch as I blaze away with the proper one'
My opinion, once your strong hand is disabled it doesn't matter how the weapon is removed from the holster. It may be ugly from the start, but once it's in your hand (no matter how it got there) it is still deadly as ever. That being said, I carry my BUG for a weak handed draw.
I usually carry in the 4 o'clock position and with my Andrews Hybrid Saddle holster I find it not difficult to draw with the off-hand.
After Thunder Ranch I began to practice this from time to time. I have found that by reaching behind my back I can obtain the grip on my weapon to pull it and then engage the target. While not speedy nor graceful, it can be done.
Another method learned while at Thunder Ranch is to reach around the front and pull the weapon and then "roll" it over to obtain a firing grip. That really takes some practice to accomplish and until you master it you can drop your gun from time to time. (not good in a gunfight, just for your information).
After Thunder Ranch I began to practice this from time to time. I have found that by reaching behind my back I can obtain the grip on my weapon to pull it and then engage the target. While not speedy nor graceful, it can be done.
Another method learned while at Thunder Ranch is to reach around the front and pull the weapon and then "roll" it over to obtain a firing grip. That really takes some practice to accomplish and until you master it you can drop your gun from time to time. (not good in a gunfight, just for your information).
Bob - that reach-behind-back ploy is very logical - and I reckon I could make that work if I carried 4 o'clock or more.
I do tho find that too far round for my normal good strong hand draw. I think I must do morer weak hand drills across front and have a padded matt under me - then dropping the (unloaded!) gun will not damage anything. What is so awkward tho I find is the grip needing a 180 somehow - have to work on it.
Kevin - I'd happily carry butt forward if I was planning weak draw but - that would perforce screw up my std strong draw! Hmmm - of course a ''mirror'' piece carried on left would help somewhat!
More I think on this the more I may have to try some experiments - ingenuity might win the day. It is way too easy to expect strong hand to be always useable - when maybe it might have been totally disabled - cut, crush, whatever.
Thx for input guys.
I do tho find that too far round for my normal good strong hand draw. I think I must do morer weak hand drills across front and have a padded matt under me - then dropping the (unloaded!) gun will not damage anything. What is so awkward tho I find is the grip needing a 180 somehow - have to work on it.
Kevin - I'd happily carry butt forward if I was planning weak draw but - that would perforce screw up my std strong draw! Hmmm - of course a ''mirror'' piece carried on left would help somewhat!
More I think on this the more I may have to try some experiments - ingenuity might win the day. It is way too easy to expect strong hand to be always useable - when maybe it might have been totally disabled - cut, crush, whatever.
Thx for input guys.
As acparmed stated reaching around the front works good. I carry at the 3 o'clock position with a forward canted holster.
If you grab the grip and pull the pistol just out of the holster and press the slide against your side you can roll it around for a good grip pretty easily with some practice. I do practice this when doing daily practice draws (about 40 - 50 draws on average) and dry firing.
If you grab the grip and pull the pistol just out of the holster and press the slide against your side you can roll it around for a good grip pretty easily with some practice. I do practice this when doing daily practice draws (about 40 - 50 draws on average) and dry firing.
can you reach your gun ? If so try drawing upside down with the weak hand. Depending on the gun/operator ya may be able to fire it using your pinky finger as well. Not pretty or accurate , but if yer down to weak hand only , it isn't good anyway.
Two more useful thoughts and thanks. I have just tried to part draw and rotate and think this could be a good one to practice. Also even the inverted might be another possible - for emergency short range point shooting.
Now I have some major experimenting and practice to do - see what works best. I think several ideas here will improve on what I was trying.
Now I have some major experimenting and practice to do - see what works best. I think several ideas here will improve on what I was trying.
At the last class I had with Andy Stanford, we practiced "one hand only" draw, fire to slide lock, holster and replace magazine, cycle slide and continue firing. Reaching across the body to draw with the off hand is pretty unusual....to change magazines we holstered the pistol backwards to place the mag-well forward.
It's an interesting exercise to practice with one hand the skills that you've learned using both hands :biggrin:
It's an interesting exercise to practice with one hand the skills that you've learned using both hands :biggrin:
Hey us large people can reach around ourselfs. Guess I need to carry on both sides.
Shoulder Holster Carry
I usually carry close up under my left armpit in a shoulder rig.
That means drawing from the weak side with the left arm.
A very difficult "sleight of hand" maneuver to accomplish without "Crossing Your Own Heart" with your pistol muzzle.
I use an Alessi "pull through" shoulder rig so clearing leather is quite easy with the south paw.
I wish I had a vid camera to show how it's done.
You need to clear the holster & then move the muzzle down, out and away & then curve the wrist down and around. It takes lots of practice & a limber wrist to do it correctly.
Like anything else with practice it gets easy.
I usually carry close up under my left armpit in a shoulder rig.
That means drawing from the weak side with the left arm.
A very difficult "sleight of hand" maneuver to accomplish without "Crossing Your Own Heart" with your pistol muzzle.
I use an Alessi "pull through" shoulder rig so clearing leather is quite easy with the south paw.
I wish I had a vid camera to show how it's done.
You need to clear the holster & then move the muzzle down, out and away & then curve the wrist down and around. It takes lots of practice & a limber wrist to do it correctly.
Like anything else with practice it gets easy.
+1! This is the most efficient mode of off-hand access for me. If you crouch/lean forward (as you probably will with injury to your dominant arm), the same posture that we so try to avoid to keep from printing, more or less sticks the butt into your hand, if you reach across your lower back.acparmed said:I usually carry in the 4 o'clock position and with my Andrews Hybrid Saddle holster I find it not difficult to draw with the off-hand.
After Thunder Ranch I began to practice this from time to time. I have found that by reaching behind my back I can obtain the grip on my weapon to pull it and then engage the target.
I've tried an off hand draw and failed miserably. I have bad shoulders, shorter arms than torso, and a bit of a paunch. A perfect trifecta of evil. I think this type of draw is where cross-draw and up-side-down shoulder holsters come into their own. Even SOB makes this manuever much easier. However, because of my evil trifecta I carry a snub in my offside pocket. Solves that problem quite nicely.
edited to add: Just thought that those who like to go behind the back to draw may wish to play around with a backward cant. This would allow the grips to be more accessible for weak hand. Also when clearing a cover garment you don't have to stop the backward sweeping motion to reverse and catch your gun on the forward movement. It would provide an all over smoother draw stroke. I'm gonna try this out tonight for Sh*ts and Giggles.
edited to add: Just thought that those who like to go behind the back to draw may wish to play around with a backward cant. This would allow the grips to be more accessible for weak hand. Also when clearing a cover garment you don't have to stop the backward sweeping motion to reverse and catch your gun on the forward movement. It would provide an all over smoother draw stroke. I'm gonna try this out tonight for Sh*ts and Giggles.
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