Harkrader
Member
As a Cowboy Action shooter who shoots Gunfighter, and an IDPA competitor, I figgered it would just come natchrul iffn I had to one day actually rely on my “weak hand” to use my firearm.
Heh.
So it was a tad bit o’ a SUprize to discover I had somewhat neglected a few of the things I shudda knowed.
First, the disability. I am exercising my 5th Amendment Right not to reveal the details of how this happened. Will just note that the extensor tendon on my right-hand ring finger avulsed. That’s what the doc said. Translation: the tendon that pulls the finger straight tore loose from the bone just behind the finger nail. The whole hand swelled up like a rubber glove at a balloon party. No, thanks for askin’, didn’t hurt a bit.
I was, however, and I am NOT making this up, on a ship in the middle of the Drake Passage. Look up “Drake Passage crossings” on youtube and you’ll get some idea of how this happened, proving for my skeptical friends out there that I was, in fact, not clumsy. Really.
I had to wait over a week before I was home-sweet-home and could see a local hand doc. I was most relieved she did not laugh uproariously at my tale. That did NOT, however, deter her from shoving a stainless steel sharpened pin through the end of my finger and through the first knuckle, angled and cross-wise. After she drilled a hole for it. Pic attached. Yes, I got to watch, no it didn’t hurt. Didn’t hurt thanks to the marvel of modern anesthesia. Which wears off after a time. But I had an ample supply of marguerita fixin’s at home which, combined with those lovely white pills the doc gave me (advice: Just ignore the instructions not to combine them with alcohol. I am unrepentant.) proved adequate to endure the indignity. Got me through the next coupla days.
After which I learned, what with an attentive indicator to teach me, that I bash the living #%$* outta my finger tips on a disturbingly frequent basis. That sent me to Walgreens for a bag full of finger splints. The first one I tried had an aluminum tab running under the finger back almost to my palm, and a clamp around the front. Clumsy, but I figured I just HAD to stop bashing the fingertip because my wife was beginning to call the neighbors to explain that she was not hitting me with a hammer every couple hours, and that they didn’t have to call 9-1-1 – anymore – because I was, in fact, OK. -ish.
With said splint in place I hied me hence to the club to practice shooting. I knew because I was, after all, an accomplished shooter (I kept telling myself) that I could undoubtedly shoot two-handed and strong-side (I’m right-handed), just letting the splinted finger stick out unbent.
Well, lemme tell ya, figgerin’ out THAT compromise took a while! Eventually, though, I worked out a confingeration (ya like that? “confingeration?”) which I thought I could manage by gripping first with my still-swollen right hand, finger extended, then snapping my support hand up with fingers w-i-d-e-l-y spaced to fit around the splint, and gracelessly meshing them around the handle of my S&W M&P357 or Sig 229/357Sig.
OK, first problem was “presenting” the firearm, which means, to those of us who have been shooting since well back into the past century CE, drawing and pointing. Remember what I said about bashing the living $#^&% out of my fingertips? It has a deleterious effect on grasping and drawing the gun, not to mention a two-finger grip that was reminiscent of the 2-10 split in bowling.
Without going into details, let us note that I congratulate myself on doing the drills with unloaded guns. And having a nice soft mat on the ground.
Well, after a bit I concluded that strong-side carry might not be the best option. So, switch to weak-hand, my left side. No problem, right? I have actually practiced doing this.
Wrong. First off I discovered I had NO dedicated left-side holsters other than for a Colt 1860 Army, which I had already decided would not be my best choice even though I had likely fired it with my left hand more than any other gun. Then, Flash Of Genius: I have a double shoulder rig made by Andy Arratoonian! Made to carry two Sig 229s (see next paragraph for my cautionary note about Sigs). Welll, just getting it strapped on proved a problem whilst one hand is hors de combat (remember that bashing thing), and it requires TWO – heavy- guns to keep me balanced and not listing to starboard. Left hand draws from right holster. But you probably got that. Back to the holster box.
I discovered that a couple of my nylon beltslide holsters could be reversed for use on the left. They were bought in the last century CE for a succession of SA/DA Sigs, but I have in my, ahem, advancing age, discovered I am safer with the M&P. No further comment on this will be forthcoming.
It took some fiddling with the thumb strap to get a fit that worked, but I was slightly happy with the final result. I could easily grasp and draw with my left hand, which was not unexpected. What I hadn’t thought out very well was that my right hand would naturally, and without any conscious thought on my part, snap to the support position. That is, firmly wrapped around my left hand, which it did with some difficulty due to still being swollen.
Now, do you remember the part where I said I was bashing the living #%*&@ out of that finger? Well, that hand did NOT take into account the distressed nature of one lowly finger. It tried with all its might and the extensive training drilled into it, to firmly, well, SUPPORT the left hand. Bending the splint. Pic attached. That was also when I noticed that while the stainless steel pin inside that finger would not bend under such pressure (the doc, knowing I was a shooter, used an extra-heavy gage pin), the finger itself would do its PAINFUL BEST TO DO SO. Good training seeks to overcome any obstacle.
Back to the bag of splints from Walgreens. I selected one that wrapped top and bottom of the fingertip and extended back only over the first knuckle. See pic. Ought ta’ help. And it did. It didn’t bend. But the finger, remembering its extensive training, continued to try, and the rear edge of the splint dug a Panama Canal-sized grove under the second knuckle. While annoying, that did allow me to renew my acquaintance with margueritas and those lovely white pills. The worst side effect was that I couldn’t practice shooting while under the influence. Not that I could even FIND a gun while experiencing such bliss.
You might also notice, if you closely examine the pic, that the pin IS bent just a bit. Yes, it hurt!
OK, on to looking for another solution. Number three son has a job in which he can arrest me. He’s a cop. But, some days he repays all the stress and drama of raising him (we keep reminding him - Frequently) by making very helpful suggestions. Here is his: “Well, Dad, why don’t you just shoot one-hand?” Now, SEE? Wasn’t that a fine return on all the stress and drama of raising him? I made sure not to let him know. I need to keep an edge on him now that he can out-shoot me.
“Well, sure,” I answered. “I just hadn’t got around to that. Yet.” He nodded with a knowing smirk on his face. Ya feed a kid, clothe him, send him to school and beat him regularly and SEE how he turns out?
While my right hand is clearly dominant, my left hand does many things better, such as opening tight caps and lids, turning door knobs and . . . well, I know there are some others, they just aren’t coming to me right now. Mag changes is something it does well. Operating the slide stop is not. Its trigger finger does NOT like triple duty. There was also a coordination issue between the left hand operating the mag release and the right hand attempting to change the mags. I shall not address this further. I’ll just have to be happy with a standard-cap mag. Or, I can carry a 386NG with a 642 or Colt Detective Special as backup. That’s 12 - 13 rounds. See below for ammo choices.
Yeah, I know. The M&P has a reversible mag release. Just try that with one hand (and not telling your police officer son, who is evilly waiting for ANY opportunity to snicker at you). Go ahead. I’ll wait.
So, how’d that go? B’sides, worked better for ME on the left.
I did try carrying the 642 in my right front trouser pocked, per usual. I’ll just mention, once more, the issue with bashing that recalcitrant finger.
Then, remember how diminutive the grip is on the 642. With right trigger finger alongside the frame, the middle finger locks under the trigger guard and the ring finger is SUPPOSED to hold that bottom indent of the grip. Welll, when splinted, it won’t. Can’t. The pinky finger goes straight to its practiced place under the grip frame and WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES move up into the spot normally occupied by the ring finger because that finger is BLOCKING IT COMPLETELY! $%&@+. Pulled out the Hornady .38 Special +P, inserted plain ole .38 Special Hornady 90 gr FTX® Critical Defense® LITE stuff. It’s OK in the DS, too. Buying that stuff also supports the fight against breast cancer. A double benefit! The “flex tip” is pink, and there’s a pink ribbon around the box. Us sensitive new-age guys just have to suck it up and chomp on a cigar when buying it.
Sooo, at long last I had the configuration that worked. The M&P in a repurposed Uncle Mike’s Belt Slide outside the pants but under the belt on the left side, secured with thumb strap; 386NG on the right in a Done Hume JIT Slide No. 2, or Colt DS in a no-name; the 642 snuggling in a De Santis Gunhide 02 in an outside right cargo pocket that is held by hook-and-eye closures I could easily push through. Splinted finger could remain, unbashed, wholly outside the pocket.
Herewith, then, some recommendations to prepare for that unforeseen day when your strong hand needs a vacation. I refer to my right hand as dominant. Those of you who are sinistral can just reverse things.
1. Get an electric toothbrush. You can operate it with equal efficiency with either hand. Or, learn to brush with your left hand. Just close the bathroom door to avoid laughter from your significant other as you dribble toothpaste on your shirt or bare, manly chest.
2. Practice shaving with your left hand, and GET AN ELECTRIC RAZOR. I’m a blade guy, but tired of appearing as though I had attempted a self-sacrifice. Or, start practicing NOW with a blade and, again, the bathroom door closed. And locked. Keep the Styptic close.
3. Zippers. $#&*@+. If you can’t operate them with just two fingers on your weak hand, start practicing. And don’t wear button-down collars. Do wear clip-on ties.
4. Hand shakes. In a word: don’t. Just hold up your damaged hand, which you wrapped in dramatic-looking bandages, and make up a stirring–but-short story about how it happened.
5. Deal cards, toss dice, chop salad fixin’s, pet the dog, write, use your computer keyboard, fasten your belt, button your shirt, tie your shoes, brush your teeth, shave etc., with only your left hand. I also found that squeezing a gel therapy ball as much as I could, helped improve my grip strength. They come in several levels of resistance.
6. OH, and, almost forgot, practice drawing and shooting. A lot. It helps.
Heh.
So it was a tad bit o’ a SUprize to discover I had somewhat neglected a few of the things I shudda knowed.
First, the disability. I am exercising my 5th Amendment Right not to reveal the details of how this happened. Will just note that the extensor tendon on my right-hand ring finger avulsed. That’s what the doc said. Translation: the tendon that pulls the finger straight tore loose from the bone just behind the finger nail. The whole hand swelled up like a rubber glove at a balloon party. No, thanks for askin’, didn’t hurt a bit.
I was, however, and I am NOT making this up, on a ship in the middle of the Drake Passage. Look up “Drake Passage crossings” on youtube and you’ll get some idea of how this happened, proving for my skeptical friends out there that I was, in fact, not clumsy. Really.
I had to wait over a week before I was home-sweet-home and could see a local hand doc. I was most relieved she did not laugh uproariously at my tale. That did NOT, however, deter her from shoving a stainless steel sharpened pin through the end of my finger and through the first knuckle, angled and cross-wise. After she drilled a hole for it. Pic attached. Yes, I got to watch, no it didn’t hurt. Didn’t hurt thanks to the marvel of modern anesthesia. Which wears off after a time. But I had an ample supply of marguerita fixin’s at home which, combined with those lovely white pills the doc gave me (advice: Just ignore the instructions not to combine them with alcohol. I am unrepentant.) proved adequate to endure the indignity. Got me through the next coupla days.
After which I learned, what with an attentive indicator to teach me, that I bash the living #%$* outta my finger tips on a disturbingly frequent basis. That sent me to Walgreens for a bag full of finger splints. The first one I tried had an aluminum tab running under the finger back almost to my palm, and a clamp around the front. Clumsy, but I figured I just HAD to stop bashing the fingertip because my wife was beginning to call the neighbors to explain that she was not hitting me with a hammer every couple hours, and that they didn’t have to call 9-1-1 – anymore – because I was, in fact, OK. -ish.
With said splint in place I hied me hence to the club to practice shooting. I knew because I was, after all, an accomplished shooter (I kept telling myself) that I could undoubtedly shoot two-handed and strong-side (I’m right-handed), just letting the splinted finger stick out unbent.
Well, lemme tell ya, figgerin’ out THAT compromise took a while! Eventually, though, I worked out a confingeration (ya like that? “confingeration?”) which I thought I could manage by gripping first with my still-swollen right hand, finger extended, then snapping my support hand up with fingers w-i-d-e-l-y spaced to fit around the splint, and gracelessly meshing them around the handle of my S&W M&P357 or Sig 229/357Sig.
OK, first problem was “presenting” the firearm, which means, to those of us who have been shooting since well back into the past century CE, drawing and pointing. Remember what I said about bashing the living $#^&% out of my fingertips? It has a deleterious effect on grasping and drawing the gun, not to mention a two-finger grip that was reminiscent of the 2-10 split in bowling.
Without going into details, let us note that I congratulate myself on doing the drills with unloaded guns. And having a nice soft mat on the ground.
Well, after a bit I concluded that strong-side carry might not be the best option. So, switch to weak-hand, my left side. No problem, right? I have actually practiced doing this.
Wrong. First off I discovered I had NO dedicated left-side holsters other than for a Colt 1860 Army, which I had already decided would not be my best choice even though I had likely fired it with my left hand more than any other gun. Then, Flash Of Genius: I have a double shoulder rig made by Andy Arratoonian! Made to carry two Sig 229s (see next paragraph for my cautionary note about Sigs). Welll, just getting it strapped on proved a problem whilst one hand is hors de combat (remember that bashing thing), and it requires TWO – heavy- guns to keep me balanced and not listing to starboard. Left hand draws from right holster. But you probably got that. Back to the holster box.
I discovered that a couple of my nylon beltslide holsters could be reversed for use on the left. They were bought in the last century CE for a succession of SA/DA Sigs, but I have in my, ahem, advancing age, discovered I am safer with the M&P. No further comment on this will be forthcoming.
It took some fiddling with the thumb strap to get a fit that worked, but I was slightly happy with the final result. I could easily grasp and draw with my left hand, which was not unexpected. What I hadn’t thought out very well was that my right hand would naturally, and without any conscious thought on my part, snap to the support position. That is, firmly wrapped around my left hand, which it did with some difficulty due to still being swollen.
Now, do you remember the part where I said I was bashing the living #%*&@ out of that finger? Well, that hand did NOT take into account the distressed nature of one lowly finger. It tried with all its might and the extensive training drilled into it, to firmly, well, SUPPORT the left hand. Bending the splint. Pic attached. That was also when I noticed that while the stainless steel pin inside that finger would not bend under such pressure (the doc, knowing I was a shooter, used an extra-heavy gage pin), the finger itself would do its PAINFUL BEST TO DO SO. Good training seeks to overcome any obstacle.
Back to the bag of splints from Walgreens. I selected one that wrapped top and bottom of the fingertip and extended back only over the first knuckle. See pic. Ought ta’ help. And it did. It didn’t bend. But the finger, remembering its extensive training, continued to try, and the rear edge of the splint dug a Panama Canal-sized grove under the second knuckle. While annoying, that did allow me to renew my acquaintance with margueritas and those lovely white pills. The worst side effect was that I couldn’t practice shooting while under the influence. Not that I could even FIND a gun while experiencing such bliss.
You might also notice, if you closely examine the pic, that the pin IS bent just a bit. Yes, it hurt!
OK, on to looking for another solution. Number three son has a job in which he can arrest me. He’s a cop. But, some days he repays all the stress and drama of raising him (we keep reminding him - Frequently) by making very helpful suggestions. Here is his: “Well, Dad, why don’t you just shoot one-hand?” Now, SEE? Wasn’t that a fine return on all the stress and drama of raising him? I made sure not to let him know. I need to keep an edge on him now that he can out-shoot me.
“Well, sure,” I answered. “I just hadn’t got around to that. Yet.” He nodded with a knowing smirk on his face. Ya feed a kid, clothe him, send him to school and beat him regularly and SEE how he turns out?
While my right hand is clearly dominant, my left hand does many things better, such as opening tight caps and lids, turning door knobs and . . . well, I know there are some others, they just aren’t coming to me right now. Mag changes is something it does well. Operating the slide stop is not. Its trigger finger does NOT like triple duty. There was also a coordination issue between the left hand operating the mag release and the right hand attempting to change the mags. I shall not address this further. I’ll just have to be happy with a standard-cap mag. Or, I can carry a 386NG with a 642 or Colt Detective Special as backup. That’s 12 - 13 rounds. See below for ammo choices.
Yeah, I know. The M&P has a reversible mag release. Just try that with one hand (and not telling your police officer son, who is evilly waiting for ANY opportunity to snicker at you). Go ahead. I’ll wait.
So, how’d that go? B’sides, worked better for ME on the left.
I did try carrying the 642 in my right front trouser pocked, per usual. I’ll just mention, once more, the issue with bashing that recalcitrant finger.
Then, remember how diminutive the grip is on the 642. With right trigger finger alongside the frame, the middle finger locks under the trigger guard and the ring finger is SUPPOSED to hold that bottom indent of the grip. Welll, when splinted, it won’t. Can’t. The pinky finger goes straight to its practiced place under the grip frame and WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES move up into the spot normally occupied by the ring finger because that finger is BLOCKING IT COMPLETELY! $%&@+. Pulled out the Hornady .38 Special +P, inserted plain ole .38 Special Hornady 90 gr FTX® Critical Defense® LITE stuff. It’s OK in the DS, too. Buying that stuff also supports the fight against breast cancer. A double benefit! The “flex tip” is pink, and there’s a pink ribbon around the box. Us sensitive new-age guys just have to suck it up and chomp on a cigar when buying it.
Sooo, at long last I had the configuration that worked. The M&P in a repurposed Uncle Mike’s Belt Slide outside the pants but under the belt on the left side, secured with thumb strap; 386NG on the right in a Done Hume JIT Slide No. 2, or Colt DS in a no-name; the 642 snuggling in a De Santis Gunhide 02 in an outside right cargo pocket that is held by hook-and-eye closures I could easily push through. Splinted finger could remain, unbashed, wholly outside the pocket.
Herewith, then, some recommendations to prepare for that unforeseen day when your strong hand needs a vacation. I refer to my right hand as dominant. Those of you who are sinistral can just reverse things.
1. Get an electric toothbrush. You can operate it with equal efficiency with either hand. Or, learn to brush with your left hand. Just close the bathroom door to avoid laughter from your significant other as you dribble toothpaste on your shirt or bare, manly chest.
2. Practice shaving with your left hand, and GET AN ELECTRIC RAZOR. I’m a blade guy, but tired of appearing as though I had attempted a self-sacrifice. Or, start practicing NOW with a blade and, again, the bathroom door closed. And locked. Keep the Styptic close.
3. Zippers. $#&*@+. If you can’t operate them with just two fingers on your weak hand, start practicing. And don’t wear button-down collars. Do wear clip-on ties.
4. Hand shakes. In a word: don’t. Just hold up your damaged hand, which you wrapped in dramatic-looking bandages, and make up a stirring–but-short story about how it happened.
5. Deal cards, toss dice, chop salad fixin’s, pet the dog, write, use your computer keyboard, fasten your belt, button your shirt, tie your shoes, brush your teeth, shave etc., with only your left hand. I also found that squeezing a gel therapy ball as much as I could, helped improve my grip strength. They come in several levels of resistance.
6. OH, and, almost forgot, practice drawing and shooting. A lot. It helps.
