My everyday is a M&P 9c. A couple days ago I injured my right hand and I can not use it hardly at all. I can't rack a slide. Other things like loading it, putting on an iwb holster are very difficult. It does not feel right to not be able to carry. This is a situation where I think that I need to have a revolver as a backup. I could shoot that left handed...not that I could not shoot the 9c left handed but I could not rack a slide one handed. So what are any suggestions from anyone who has had a similar injury and was "1 handed" for awhile?

Wheel gun sounds like the best option. I have only semis for carry and never thought about the "what if" of not having the use of both hands. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Good idea to have rear sights with a 'flat" front for racking on a boot or shoe heel,a belt,or another flat object such as a corner of the wall.
Common in most training,as the potential for a wound in the gun hand is high if bullets start to fly.A square slide on a gun such as a Glock can be racked with pressure on the front corner of the slide,again against a flat object.
Barring that ability,carry a revolver and make sure you have a speedloader that is FAST and maneuverable with one hand. Tough position to be in.
The exercises require training in order to be constant and repeatable without fumbling.
Non dominant hand shooting...also an important part of the training regimen. Prepare for the worst,and pray for the best. Good luck.

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Blessed be the Lord,my Rock

Well said, Stu. One can never count on having both or either hand available when the moment of truth arrives, therefore it is important that we train and practice SHO and WHO manipulations with whatever platform we might have to use at any given time - this should include learning to present the handgun with the support hand from it's normal mode of carry.

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NRA Pistol,PPITH,PPOTH&TASER

I would use a wheel gun until your hand is back in service.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

I like wheelguns anyway, but something to think about- you have 6 rounds in a revolver- easier to use, no doubt- but, you have what? 16? in the 9c, and could shoot it just as- accurately left-handed as the revolver? Probably. So maybe carry the 9c anyway, you end up being 'better armed' anyway.
I don't know the answer, just thinking out loud....I know a holster may be a problem, too. But a revolver small enough fpr pocket carry may only have FIVE rounds.
Edit- you could pick up a Fobus, some other cheap southpaw holster to use til you heal. And...I have to disarm to go into a few places on a regular basis- and I feel totally nakey when I do. Sorry for your situation.

you are absolutely right Chuck1217, a holster is an issue that this situation brings to light. so for future training definitely need to get a lefty holster and practice with that. have not done this at all. only practicing shooting left handed. pretty much back to normal now but it was a great learning experience and i will have a lot to work on.

There are several ways to rack a slide one handed. You can catch the rear edge of the ejection port on your belt or other object. You can rest the front sight on a surface or the front edge of the slide above the barrel and drive the frame forward. You can also catch the rear sight on a belt, holster or your leg. Yes it's easier if the front face of the sight is flat, but you can do it with a Novak with enough pressure on the sight.

You can eject an empty magazine by crooking your index finger to hit the mag release. Holster to insert a fresh mag.

I own as many Semi Autos - maybe even more than wheel guns, but have always carried a revolver for this reason and a few more. My daily carry weapon is a M60-7 and my Woods carry gun is a 3" M65. Both work just fine with either hand and do not require two hands.

Chief38

This is my reason for carrying a revolver. Even if your hand is injured you can still reload a revolver, slowly for sure but you can. You also have to consider if the auto jams, how would you clear it with one hand. The revolver has less ammo but I carry a strip for reloads and practice using one hand to do this also. Just my .02 but it just made good sense to me. Hope your hand heals soon.
Frank.

I'm there now, Grandpa. Had joint replacement surgery on my left hand in January, and I still have difficulty in consistently pulling back a slide or (especially) loading a magazine, even with a loader tool. Since I also need the right hand to be fixed, I'm going to revolvers for the duration. Other than re-learning the whole process one-handed, I don't think there's a better way to keep shooting thru the "down time." Best of luck to you!

Can't believe anyone has not one revolver ???

Especially as I age and arthritis advances, I find myself purchasing more revolvers.

I'm gradually getting rid of guns I can't easily operate due to hand weakness.

I'd advise anyone to have several revolvers on hand for situations like the one in the OP where manipulation ability is limited.

The j-frames are great for pocket carry, and I love a 686+ 3 inch for a CCW.

I've had surgery for trigger finer- probably not related to triggers :-)- on my right hand, anticipate another soon- and the arthritis began some years ago. My left hand, two fingers anyway, now have mild trigger finger. I love my semis, but like some of the other- mature- guys, I may be trading semi's for revolvers soon. Used to have several, but traded most for semi's. Both shoulders are wired together, and in time, they will probably need revolvers too. Blessed are the sick- and the arthritic are included in that.
Maybe I'll give you guys a shot at my SD9 one day.

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No work? No eat. 2 Thes

definitely lesson learned. my hand is healed enough to be able to shoot at the range, but not 100%. my future plan is to obtain a left hand holster for both the 9c and a revolver and train with both. i see no down side to having more options. thanks for all the insight from the "seasoned" shooters with strength issues. truth be told I never would have thought or planned ahead for any such things before now.
joespapa...the only revolver on the place is a 22 varmit killer. certainly a situation that needs to be fixed!
darn it...now I have to shop for a revolver. life is tough!

Maybe a S&W 627 will work for you as it has 8 rounds rather than 6. I think if it cannot be done with 8 rounds of .357 magnum then I'm in over my head already and it does not look good for the good guys. The 627 uses moon clips and I found these easier to reload one handed using my foot to prop the revolver than speed loaders (yes a nice metal speed loader can be had for the S&W 627). Good luck. Whichever way you go be sure to practice the off hand shooting. Beyond 5 yards I really suck at that.

Yes life is tough, and John Wayne added that it is even tougher if you are stupid.

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Hook686

just a thought. why do you need to rack the slide? have someone you trust load it. with one in the pipe. carry it in a left handed holster. if you run out the slide will lock back, use your left handed thumb to actuate the ambi slide release? no need to rack the slide. haha you can even switch the mag release to left hand. :-) just a thought

For me, the risk of a problem is too high for a defensive handgun.

Your suggestion would work for range use, but I wouldn't stake anyone's life on it.

Two reasons that come to mind, why you might need to rack the slide:

First and foremost is to clear a malfunction. Sure, you might have 12 rounds in a M&P9c, but if it jams or fails to fire on the second round and you can't do a clearing drill, you have been reduced to a single shot pistol and you have already fired your single shot.

Second, on some pistols it is difficult to actuate the slide release to chamber a round. If the specific pistol can be verified to be easy to load in this manner, fine...but I wouldn't count on it as my only means of loading the pistol.

If you literally cannot rack the slide, then a semi-auto is not the best option for you. It is well and good to talk about alternative methods, such as catching the slide on a belt, but in the stress of an actual defensive situation, that isn't the time to try to do a difficult maneuver like that. If you practice to the extent that it becomes easy and second nature, that might be one thing...but how many are going to do that? And, then what happens when you are jerked awake in the middle of the night, and your pajamas (or if you sleep commando ) don't have a belt?

I think it is far better to work within our limitations, and arm ourselves with what works best for us in the most likely scenarios...if that is a revolver, so be it. It is very unlikely to ever need more than 5 or 6 rounds anyway, for the average civilian encounter.