If you could only use 1 arm....

[1More]

...What would you use for a small carry gun and what would you use for a duty / home defense gun?

I've got a continuously degrading shoulder on my weak hand side and have surgery in my near future. As a result, I'm looking at being restricted to using one arm only, at least for 5 to 10 weeks, and realized I need to start considering what I will do if I am restricted to one arm for pistol fighting (I already have to swim 'one arm only' due to range of motion problems). The challenge here is to look at it not as a training drill or a strong/weak hand only match stage, but as a constant fact of life.
I'm looking at this from a manual of arms perspective and a shoot ability perspective. Manual of arms...meaning being able to work without the gun upping the odds of an ND drawing and reholstering...with only one arm. Shootability...basically looking for a gun that offers the least amount of static to the user when it isn't locked down in a two handed grip (and hopefully something good for more than ENT/ 'get off me' distance. For sake of discussion, I'm referring to compact/duty size guns as one category (G19/P07+ size) and small carry guns as the other (365XL / LCR size guns). I've done a search, and while good, most of what I found centered around instruction for a guy who lost part of his arm below the elbow. I'm good on the basics of one arm manipulation of a semi automatic pistol, and am starting to work through the considerations for a revolver. I've got my own thoughts on this subject, but am interested in what the collective forum's experience has to offer.

As far as the surgery; I am still hoping my surgeon can go with a stemless replacement. I'll find out this week. I am not looking forward to this if a reverse replacement creeps back into the picture.

...it all started when I was 19 and a fellow jumper entered me into an arm wrestling match with a C-130; 34 years later and I'm starting to feel it

[Noah]

First thing I would look for would be the ability to more safely reholster the gun with less use of the other hand to perfectly clear the holster. Glock with an SCD, a good thumb safety, or TDA/LEM. Reloading would be harder so even for carry I'd probably lean towards as much capacity as I could have.

For the house, a heavy full size gun, TDA or manual safety, with a WML. I don't EDC a WML but if I only had one arm available I probably would.

What guns do you have available to you now?

[JTQ]

The Gen 5 Glock's with the ambi-slide stop is probably pretty ambidextrous, I'd just make sure you can consistently get them to cycle when one handed shooting.

[BillSWPA]

Is your strong hand your right hand or your left hand?

[1More]

Is your strong hand your right hand or your left hand?

Right hand, right eye dominant; so that works out in my favor.

[Duelist]

Several years ago, my brother broke both of the forearm bones in his dominant arm while skiing. He was in a cast from hand to over the elbow.

This prompted some thought about how to function in the world with only one hand. I got curious about how to run a pistol that way, talked to some folks who had experience with it, and then experimented. I put a sock on the hand I was pretending didn’t work (just to remind me), and went to work. I worked both hands individually, various kinds of pistols, and dummy cartridges. I then went to the range and experimented live fire.

For safe manipulation, DA revolvers>any semi-auto, IMHO. The concerns about increased risk of ND are legit, and it is easier to manage with a DA revolver once you work out the mechanics of it - use dummy cartridges until it is clear that you can take care of business. Loading/unloading a DA revolver one handed is simple, though loading one handed can be slow. For carry, I would run at least two of them, and in the house, I would have many. I would plan for no emergency reloads, just drop it and grab another one.

If I went with a semi-auto, I would pick a DAO or Glock - something that if you drop it, it’s a safe as it can be with internal safeties automatically engaged, no hammer to drop or manipulate, no lever to manipulate, it’s just safe.

Safely cycling the slide on a semi-auto in any kind of hurry with only one arm/hand, especially if there is any stress involved, seems a very poor plan, so I would throw out reloading a semi-auto under any circumstances other than administratively. Grabbing a second gun seems a better plan than reloading, but it can be worked around with gear and a flat rear sight to hook on something. Magazine holders that grip the magazine by the base, in position to have the pistol mag well slammed down over it should be able to work, but I’d rather drop an empty and grab another loaded gun than reload under stress.

If you choose a semi-auto, you will need to prove that it will run one handed - that it doesn’t need or care about added recoil resistance from a second hand. This is another thing you won’t have to worry about with a DA revolver.

Another thing: Even administratively, loading a swing-out cylinder one handed is easy compared to loading a pistol magazine one-handed.

If I am ever in this situation (I would hate it, since I play guitar), I would probably put semi-autos away mostly, and carry and shoot DA revolvers.

The reason why: The only advantage of the semi-auto would be more time due to higher capacity before needing to worry about trying to reload or switching to a different pistol. The DA revolver’s advantages in safe administrative handling would trump the capacity advantage of the semi-auto for me, since I spend a lot more time at the range and carrying pistols than actually having gunfights.

SA revolvers would go from mostly fun range toys with some hunting, hiking, and horseback riding utility to exclusively range toys b/c I have found no good, not completely awkward way to load/unload one with only one hand, and running a horse and pistol with one hand at the same time would be stupid for this guy who occasionally rides other peoples’ horses recreationally. If I had my own horse and rode more regularly, I might feel differently, but with only one hand, I’m going to be working the horse while on the back of one, not worrying about safe manipulations of any gun, where with two hands I will carry an SA revolver while riding.

[BillSWPA]

Right hand, right eye dominant; so that works out in my favor.

Yes, that does work in your favor. With that in mind, I would stick with what you are already comfortable with.

If you do not already have a rear sight with a vertical forward face that can potentially be pushed against something to retract the slide, this would be helpful.

I also suggest as high a magazine capacity as the size limitations of concealed carry in your circumstances allow. Reloading with one hand is going to be significantly slower than reloading with 2 hands regardless fo what you choose, so a revolver or other low capacity gun is unlikely to be a good choice.

Regarding loading magazines, I saw this device at the NRA Annual Meeting:

https://spdmags.com/

I have no personal experience with it, but perhaps it could help?

[1More]

First thing I would look for would be the ability to more safely reholster the gun with less use of the other hand to perfectly clear the holster. Glock with an SCD, a good thumb safety, or TDA/LEM. Reloading would be harder so even for carry I'd probably lean towards as much capacity as I could have.

For the house, a heavy full size gun, TDA or manual safety, with a WML. I don't EDC a WML but if I only had one arm available I probably would.

What guns do you have available to you now?

Thanks for asking - I'm holding off on getting into my own details right now while I listen to other's input. In part, what I'm looking for is if anyone has encountered a setup that was significantly better as a one handed shooter over others (assuming equal skill and proficiency). That said, from a manipulation standpoint, your suggestions are on par with my own thoughts and it sounds like you've seen the inside of my gun safe. My current home gun wears a WML and lives in a Philster floodlight so it has a place to go if the weapon doesn't need to be immediately in hand(There are one handed techniques for transitioning from a handheld to a weapon mounted light and back).

[BK14]

I went down for shoulder surgery a few years ago. I don’t normally carry something smaller than a 19, but on occasion I’ll carry a 19 with a 26 frame if I need. I wouldn’t personally be looking for a smaller gun for this. Smaller guns not only carry less ammo, requiring more potential for a mag change, but they also tend to have less reliability with weak grips, and have smaller control pieces (mag release, slide stop).

If you already have a 19, or P07, I’d just keep rocking that for everything, and toss a weapon light on it with extended mag for home defense. I’ll echo that a hammer, thumb safety, of SCD would be a huge bonus since you don’t have the support hand to clear your garment. I found that appendix was ideal, and I could lift my shirt to my injured arms hand (in a sling) to get the shirt clear for reholstering.

For ammo management, carrying spare ammo in the right front pocket, or a mag pouch on the hip of whatever arm is working is a good option. If you’re using a pre-gen 5 Glock, you might want to consider the the vickers slide stop, or extended Glock part to aid in one handed clearing.

If you don’t run an optic, I’d suggest that as well. The optic body makes one handed slide manipulation easier.

[Noah]

Thanks for asking - I'm holding off on getting into my own details right now while I listen to other's input. In part, what I'm looking for is if anyone has encountered a setup that was significantly better as a one handed shooter over others (assuming equal skill and proficiency). That said, from a manipulation standpoint, your suggestions are on par with my own thoughts and it sounds like you've seen the inside of my gun safe. My current home gun wears a WML and lives in a Philster floodlight so it has a place to go if the weapon doesn't need to be immediately in hand(There are one handed techniques for transitioning from a handheld to a weapon mounted light and back).

If I suddenly injured an arm, my house and probably carry would be my PX4 full, but I'd slap a 20 round mag and WML on it. For smaller carry, maybe put a TLR7Sub on my PX4CC.

Long story short, I'd make do with what I have because what I have kinda fits the criteria already.

In a vacuum, not considering what I already have, I'd probably opt for LEM or manual safety over TDA. I love TDA but I'm still a little slow for an accurate first shot one handed. Two handed, not a problem, but one handed DA shooting is hard enough to me if I lost use of an arm and could pick, I'd go LEM or manual safety SAO. If I wanted something smaller than an HK P30 or the new 92XI, I don't like Sig, but a 365XL/Macro with a safety or a Shield Plus with the extended safety, or an 80X.

Glock with an SCD is also always good.