Thread: Would you carry a gun you cannot accurately shoot one handed?

When deciding what to carry do you take into consideration ever being in a situation where you only have one good hand to operate you CCW? Do you practice bringing your CCW to bear and firing with just one hand at the range? Do you do this with both your weak and strong hands? Do you choose caliber based on whether you can accurately shoot it one handed?

I personally do take this into consideration. I will not carry any weapon in any condition that requires two hands at any time. This mainly means I will not carry a semi-auto without one in the pipe or a caliber to large for me to control one handed. It also means I practice at the range shooting one handed with both my strong and weak hand. I do not try to shoot jagged holes with my weak hand, but I do want to be able to put them all on a pie plate at 20 yards.

You can rack the slide with one hand you know...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8475ocNvzw

Might be difficult to draw with the week hand but I do practice shooting with both. 1911 cocked and locked, hopfully won't need to rack the slide if i'm down to one hand but i'm sure it can be done. Week hand shots don't look to good at 20 yards but are in the plate.

Originally Posted by spengo

You can rack the slide with one hand you know...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8475ocNvzw

Wow, looks like I need to start practicing something new

You'll never get the slide to budge. That guy supposedly does it with a "stock" gun. But I very much doubt it.

Race guns use weak ammo for increased follow up shots. That means you can use softer recoil springs as well.

For one handed manipulation, you can hook the rear sight on your belt or heel of your boot. Rack the slide that way.

Originally Posted by wakejoe

You'll never get the slide to budge. That guy supposedly does it with a "stock" gun. But I very much doubt it.

Race guns use weak ammo for increased follow up shots. That means you can use softer recoil springs as well.

For one handed manipulation, you can hook the rear sight on your belt or heel of your boot. Rack the slide that way.

I can do it with my stock glock 35. its not difficult. just need to be fast. I wouldn't recommend it to be used for anything besides friendly competition of course. (FTL jamming does and can occur VERY EASILY)

as for one handed shooting. I on a regular basis carry a j-frame or my kahr p9. either of which is i think very easy to shoot with one hand (actually kind of hard to put placement of two hands on these guns with not a whole lot of real estate).

I don't mind the concept of carrying one without a round in the pipe, because you can run the rear sight against a hard object or other one handed drills.

That being said, I wouldn't carry a gun that required to hands to control well enough to shoot accurately. But I can shoot my 1911 just fine one handed.

Being a lefty I tend to be somewhat ambidextrous. Actually shoot pistol, rifle and shotgun RH. Pistol I can shoot either LH or RH.

As a boy I learned to shoot handguns with a one hand hold, because that is the way my father shot in all of his police pistol matches. One hand hold, body perpendicular to the target and off hand in a rear pocket. I thought that was the way everybody shot a handgun. Took me awhile to adapt the the Weaver stance.

I guess I am showing my age.

This is one reason I went with the 9mm for main sidearm, if you cant shoot a 9mm with one hand will I dont know what to say, the 45 acp is not all that bad but its not what I use for main its for back up. I do find that shooting with my weak hand holding the weapon horizontal is just a little better.
oh and hi cap mags 15 round min! for the 9mm 33 or 31 round for the SHTF,, I'll hit it sooner or later

I never carry one in the pipe. I can jack one in a lot faster and confidently than I can take the safety off. I almost never use a safety for anything, I dont trust them.

Originally Posted by littlecars

I never carry one in the pipe. I can jack one in a lot faster and confidently than I can take the safety off.

even one handed?

Originally Posted by littlecars

I never carry one in the pipe. I can jack one in a lot faster and confidently than I can take the safety off. I almost never use a safety for anything, I dont trust them.

Normally I would bash you for not having one in the chamber, but at least you are still carrying a gun.

And yes, you can cock a firearm one-handed....just rack it on your boot, on your belt or a table or something. No need for some fancy-schmancy style that you would need repettitive practice to learn when you should be spending more time shooting bullets down range and practicing retainment/failure drills.

Oh, and yes I would carry a gun that I would not be able to accurately shoot one-handed.

Just some food for thought...

*Most shootings occur within 7 feet and end within one to two shots (this statisctic even includes police shootings!)



Train as you fight...and fight to win. If you have the right mentality, awareness and the tools to do the job you will succeed every time.

Stay safe and stay armed!

my son only has use of one hand and I challenge most anyone to rack faster than he can in an emergency situation. As far as the OP goes, what are you considering "accurate" in regards to a defensive situation? My opinion would be within 21 feet, like the Tueller drill.

Whilst standing... a good one hand slide racking drill is to cant the gun 90 degrees inboard towards your body and racking against the holster..forcing the top of the slide against the holster and pushing forward towards threat.On the range this gives great muzzle control. In a fight it saves some time, chambers a round at the threat while the pistol is in motion towards them.

Originally Posted by Deavis

Whilst standing... a good one hand slide racking drill is to cant the gun 90 degrees inboard towards your body and racking against the holster..forcing the top of the slide against the holster and pushing forward towards threat.On the range this gives great muzzle control. In a fight it saves some time, chambers a round at the threat while the pistol is in motion towards them.

I'm not sure I follow what you're saying - what holster position does this work with? I carry at 4 o' clock, so pushing the slide against the holster the gun is pointed behind me.
A moot point because I carry with a round in the chamber (Glock).

Originally Posted by spengo

You can rack the slide with one hand you know...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8475ocNvzw

I may have just tore my rotator cuff.....

I practice shooting one handed right and left. In reference to the "one in the pipe" comment above, I always carry a chambered round. That extra few seconds can mean life or death. If you are up close and personal, and an attacker is grabbing you, you may not have that second hand free to work your slide. I guarantee, if/when you have to draw, your brain will not be functioning normally, and chambering your gun is one extra thing to not have to calculate. Just my 2 cents...

i only shoot with one hand,, and hold my gat, sideways.

Having been forced to be right handed in Kindergarten, I don't really have a "weak" hand. I usually shoot any new gun with either hand to see how it feels. I tell you either hand with hot 300gr loads in my redhawg gets pretty exciting. So when I have to use the "weak hand" in competions my scores don't change much except for lack of practice.

I always carry in condition one, ready to fire and practice single hand with each hand. Like most I shoot better strong side but expect I can hold my own weak side. If possible still like a two hand grip.