Shooting After Nerve Injury

[Dog Guy]

Thank you all for the opportunity to participate in this excellent forum. I’ve learned much by lurking. Apologies for the long post which follows, but I wanted to paint an accurate picture.

I severed 95% of the median nerve in my right wrist in a freak accident a year ago. This has left me with almost complete numbness in my strong (right) hand trigger finger, and substantial numbness in the middle finger and thumb on the aspects closest to the trigger finger. There is some numbness in the web between index finger and thumb. My trigger finger has about 95% motion in extension and flexion. I can easily grip and swing a hammer (crush grip), but it’s hard to pick up a heavy book (pinch grip.) I can move lumber, but fumble with small objects like pens and utensils. I’m also right eye dominant.

I’m looking for some guidance as to moving forward with pistol shooting. I cannot safely manipulate my Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock 19 with a – connector NY1 setup. I can grip the gun well enough, but I can’t feel myself making contact with the trigger. I can shoot accurately slow fire but I’d be unsafe in a defensive situation. I can manipulate the slide with my left hand quite well, but gripping the gun left handed and working the slide right handed gets goofy (overhand adequate, slingshot ain’t happening.)

When I dug out my ancient Ruger Service 6, I felt very good about manipulating the long DA trigger pull in dry fire. There seems to be enough sensory input with the gross motor activity that my brain fills in for the lack of sensation.

I’m tempted to spend some serious time working the wheel gun to see if I can continue to shoot right handed. If it works out, I could transition to something along the lines of a Sig P250C. This effort would come at the cost of time and funds that would otherwise be spent working on developing competence left handed.

For those of you who may have similar injuries or have trained people with similar deficits: Is the DA approach worth trying? Would you consider this approach fundamentally unsafe? Would I be better off dedicating myself to developing skill left handed and never look back? What am I overlooking? My pistol use is as a private citizen for use in personal defense, not professionally or competitively.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[BehindBlueI's]

Sounds like the revolver is working for you. Any reason to not stick with that?

[Warren Wilson]

That is a challenge. What is it about the revolver trigger that makes it more comfortable for you than the striker pistol? Can you feel the pressure because of the greater resistance?

[Dog Guy]

Capacity and carry options favor another pistol platform vs revolver. Revolver isn't out of the question though. I'd have to buy a new weapon, as the old Ruger has wear and tear issues that a good gunsmith was unable to resolve.

[Dog Guy]

I think the significantly longer trigger stroke and greater resistance probably combine to create enough feedback. There's a little bit of deep sensation if I press on the finger hard enough, but I think the longer motion is more of a factor. With the Glock, I often end up breaking the shot before I know that my finger has found the trigger. With the DA, it requires much more input before the break.

ETA: there may also be a visual factor as I see the hammer move on the revolver. I need to try dry fire in dark/low light and see if this changes anything.

[nycnoob]

It sounds to me like you can shoot a G19 left handed fine.
If there is some trouble with the overhand slide release
then there are plenty of single hand manipulations you can
do. (eg: off the belt, off the holster, between your knees)

[BehindBlueI's]

Capacity and carry options favor another pistol platform vs revolver. Revolver isn't out of the question though. I'd have to buy a new weapon, as the old Ruger has wear and tear issues that a good gunsmith was unable to resolve.

I don't know what "carry options" means, but I'd trade capacity for safety and the ability to use either hand. For self defense with no specific threat, capacity just isn't real high on my list. Safety is always real high on my list. I'd also trade capacity for my ability to use my dominant hand.

I lost all sensation in my left hand trigger finger, enough that I burned myself taking something out of the oven and didn't realize it until I set it down and saw the blistering on my finger. I've regained enough now that it just feels like I'm wearing a heavy glove. I am quite familiar with not being able to feel the trigger. I carried a GP100 or a Sig P220. I've got my grip strength back enough now that I feel comfortable with a larger grip and carry a P226 now. I also release the slide with the slide release, not with the slide. Can you manipulate the slide well enough to do a press check without muzzling your hand at any point?

[Odin Bravo One]

Maybe try a Google search for Scott Reitz via ITTS. I know in his ITTS newsletter he addressed some of the issues he faced and how he overcame then after spinal surgery. Perhaps Nyeti can chime in, he was that way a little more often than I was, and more recently. It was several years ago, but he struggled with it for some time, and even resorted to using his social finger for a spell when first coming back to shooting/working. I believe it would be worth the effort to dig on the Internet a bit.

[LSP972]

I'd trade capacity for safety and the ability to use either hand. For self defense with no specific threat, capacity just isn't real high on my list. Safety is always real high on my list. I'd also trade capacity for my ability to use my dominant hand.



Bingo. OP, I lost all use of my right hand for about six weeks one time, via being an idiot and using my fist on a drunk's head when I had a perfectly good bludgeon (StreamLight SL-20) in my left hand. The bad thing was, I still had to put on a uniform and come to work light duty on the desk at the troop… "riding the pine", as it used to be called. I actually did quite a bit of left-hand-only shooting, and the revolvers were much "safer" than the modified S&W M-39 I wanted to carry. More difficult to reload, sure… but I carried two that were accessible to my left hand, and minimized my public exposure while wearing that blue and gold target shroud.

BB1's advice is what I would do were I in your position. You can learn how to get by with your non-dominant hand, but that's all it is… getting by.

.

[Dog Guy]

BBI, I can accomplish a press check with either hand. It's easier when gripping the pistol in my right for now but I'm confident I can learn it better left handed with repetition. And yeah, finding a burn blister on my finger (twice) or finding blood drops without ever feeling the cut is special. I'm better about knowing where the numb finger is but it's still weird. The safety aspect is my primary consideration as well. The potential for an ND is top of my list for things to resolve. If a hardware change and a ton of practice can get me there, than great. If not, than I go lefty. Nycnoob, I'm not horrible shooting left handed but not nearly as good as right handed. The reduced accuracy is a safety hazard as well. With either solution, it'll be my job to get the reps done to get better. Sean M, thanks for the lead. I'll follow up.

[nycnoob]

"Dog Guy" start a thread in the "Romper Room" to tell us about your dogs!

[Dog Guy]

I'll get in on one of those discussions some day when it's in my lane. My experience is 30 or so years with SAR dogs, not LE.

[FNFAN]

For those of you who may have similar injuries or have trained people with similar deficits: Is the DA approach worth trying? Would you consider this approach fundamentally unsafe? Would I be better off dedicating myself to developing skill left handed and never look back? What am I overlooking? My pistol use is as a private citizen for use in personal defense, not professionally or competitively.

I have a similar issue after having cut into the base of my left trigger finger with a ceramic mug deeply enough that you could see the tendons working. I still have -some- feeling in the pad of the finger -enough to shoot the offhand portion of our agency quals 100% and it didn't affect gripping, but for match work I need extensive left hand dryfire. Strangely, most of the nerve sensation from the finger pad is now along the outer edge of the finger.

If I were you I'd get a quality revolver and never look back!

[Kevin B.]

Maybe try a Google search for Scott Reitz via ITTS. I know in his ITTS newsletter he addressed some of the issues he faced and how he overcame then after spinal surgery.

I recall Scotty using a Robar-ized G21 for a time after his surgery.

[Odin Bravo One]

As do I. When he was using his bird for trigger work.

[Josh Runkle]

Met a wounded vet last week who had 4/10 fingers. He was carrying the same thing I was AIWB, and running standards that were pretty impressive. I can't give advice on how to work around your situation, but there are certainly people out there that figure it out.

Positive Mental Attitude is the first and most important step. Everything else is just practice. While I don't know the answer, there is a way, you will be able to do it.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Welcome to the forum.

It sounds like a DAO pistol is your preferred solution, if it works out for you. I would certainly check out the P250c. The Beretta 92D pistols might be another viable alternative. While I tend to agree with my cohorts about sacrificing capacity for ability, 1) why not have your cake and eat it, if you can; and 2) I'm curious about how your injury affects your ability to reload a wheelgun. If that ability is severely compromised, that makes an auto option more desirable.

There are several good revolvers that can fit the bill, if that is how you need to proceed.



Capacity and carry options favor another pistol platform vs revolver. Revolver isn't out of the question though. I'd have to buy a new weapon, as the old Ruger has wear and tear issues that a good gunsmith was unable to resolve.

As for the Service-Six, have you tried sending it to Ruger? While they have no expressed warranty, Ruger has been known to offer replacements for products that are unfixable. In the worst case, you'd be were you are right now.

[Dog Guy]

I haven't tried reloads on the revolver yet so I'll put some time in and see how it goes. Thanks.

[StraitR]

Dog Guy, I'm sorry to hear about your injury. PM inbound.