Running a Gun with Only One Hand

[Paul Gomez]

LEO shootings are the closest data set we have to private citizen involved shootings. If we look at the FBI Law Enforcement Officers Killed & Assaulted (LEOKA) data for 2010, we can see that the majority of situations where cops were killed took place inside of 21 feet. In fact, 21 of the 55 LEO killed last year were killed within 0-5 feet! Add to that the 53,000+ assaults upon cops, in the same year, in which the majority of assailants [>95%] used hands, fist or feet, edged weapons or 'other dangerous weapons' and only 3.4% utilized firearms. Why the low number of assaults with guns? Because the majority of the assaults with guns resulted in dead cops and those numbers go on a different page.

Why/How does this correlate to the private citizen? Proximity. Most bad guys are good at what they do. Which is get close enough to you so as to maximize the likelihood of success. Last time I checked, no one was standing across the street yelling 'Hey, you! Through me your wallet or I'm gonna come get ya.' Bad guys get close so they can confront and carry off their mission with the least chance of being intercepted.

Having to integrate unarmed skills with your gunhandling to enable you to get to the point where you can utilize the gun is one aspect of training that is largely ignored. The best program addressing this problem is taught by a good friend of mine, Craig Douglas.

Another aspect, with regards to one handed shooting in general, is that even when there is time and space to utilize two hands, within a certain distance, unless the gun is already out of the holster and in two hands, the majority of people will draw and fire one handed. Skip Gochenaur & John Farnam have written about this based upon observations of hundreds of people attending the NTI over the last 20 years. If we look at Hediger's work on animal proxemics in the 1950s and Hall's work on human proxemics in the 1960s, there is a certain sense to it all.

The need to use the gun offhand only is, admittedly, exceedingly rare. However, if you do find yourself in such a situation, the fact that you are a statistical anomaly will not be very comforting.

 

[JohnBiltz]

My feeling is that if you are using one hand it is because the threat is close, very close. If it is that close you are not or should not extend the gun and gun hand. Which sort makes the reason for one handed shooting practice moot. If you are going to practice one hand shooting put the target a yard away and practice point shooting. If you have the time and distance, time and distance is related, to extend and aim you are going to go two handed because again you have the time and distance and training should kick in and its better.

 

[Purgatory]

If you have the time and distance, time and distance is related, to extend and aim you are going to go two handed because again you have the time and distance and training should kick in and its better.

Unless your other hand is injured, crushed or gone.

No smarty-pants intended, here at all.

Just pointing out that the exact scenario that unfolds in which we have to defend our lives with a firearm is not only likely to be completely unexpected, but also very likely to be completely unlike we imagine it to be.

No, it may not be necessary to practice every crazy way of shooting with either hand that you can find the time and money to practice, but I still say taking at least some portion of each range session to practice with each hand could very well prove to be beneficial in the long run, or in your darkest hour when you least expected anything out of the ordinary to happen.

I, myself, practice using my weak eye when I use my weak hand. It's just as possible, if not more, to lose or damage one of your eyes as it is one of your hands.

But, of course, to each his own.

 

[GEM]

I am proud to be one of Paul's statistical anomalies. I once busted my dominant wrist - so one handed carry on the nondominant side fpr quite a bit.

Lately, I crushed a blood vessel in my nondominant hand in a knife class and one handed for about a week and a half.

Now such incidents may be as rare as being hit by lightning. But I've done that too!

A friend was in an airplane class - DC-8 that ran out of gas and came down in the burbs. Front of the plane was killed - he was in the back and made it.

We were in a class together and the instructor said something was as rare as being hit by lightning or in a plane crash. We both cracked up.

 

[hermannr]

Olympic RFP is still one hand only, as well as slow fire pistol. It takes more trigger control to fire one handed. That is why there are specific min and max trigger pull weights in Olympic pistol compitition.

Two handed it is easier to stablize the gun and keep it from shifting as you squeeze a DA trigger.

I am not totally paralized on my left side (as a commenter said he was) but I did have Polio and my left side does not always work the way it should. I can, and do shoot 1 handed, but I also try to shoot two handed. However, I cannot hold the pistol in my off hand..it just does not work.

it is kind of like I did my first jumping jack exercize when I was a senoir in High School, and thought that was an accoplishment, while my cousin still could not (never was able to) get out of his wheel chair. I am sure if I practiced and practiced, I could eventually get that left side to work enwell enough.

Please, never try to make "on-size-fits-all" on anything to do with firearms like the government does...there is no "one-size". Every one is an individual.

 

[DeMilled]

A good point was made about how a bad guy would want to get close and personal with you before announcing his intent to do you harm.

I think a very good defense for the up close and personal attack that a mugger may try on you is to be able to do two things at once: Poke him in the eye with your weak hand thumb, or preferably a knife you keep clipped to your weak hand pocket as you draw your pistol and, if necessary, point shoot in a very rapid manner with one hand.

I practice shooting with one hand a lot, mostly draw and point shoot at fairly close distances. I should include aimed shots as well but I used to say "If I have the time for an aimed shot I'll have the time to use two hands.".

After thinking about it I can see where I may be able to use only one hand, yet still need to aim carefully.

Thanks for bringing this up, Paul.

 

[bubba in ca]

At 0 to 5 feet it doesn't matter what you do: If you want to survive get off the first good shot. How are you going to do a 2-handed shot if you are using one hand to give the BG an eye jab to buy time to belly shoot him?

Think belly shots don't work? Go back and watch the video of the Ruby/Oswald shooting. If you just have a handgun, though, more than one shot will be necessary for reliable stopping power.

Practice 80% point shooting at 10 feet and less with one hand, alternating hands just in case you ever need to shoot with your off hand. Practice 20% at longer distances with 2 hands and using the sights. Most practice over 20 feet is a waste of time. Bad news: almost everything you learned at military and police training is nonsense so get over it.

You are gun fighting, not target shooting. One is survival, the other is a sport.