One Hand Racking

[m0ntels]

Was reading on THR today about learning to rack your slide without the use of your other hand. (If it was discussed on here I couldnt find it again...although I semi remember Tamara talking about some article and racking the slide on a trashcan???) So when I got home, I decided to try it with the Baby Eagle.

On my belt? Not on this one anyway.

On the table, yeah, but only if I line it up perfectly. Even so, what if I need to do it outside somewhere?

So I was looking at it and saw the front of the slide has plenty of meat on it, and here's what I came up with:

I gripped the pistol with my fingers wrapped around the reciever bottom and the slide along the inside of my thumb, middle finger inside trigger guard in front of trigger and last 2 fingers around the outside, barrel up and away from face. My thumb is now nicely positioned over the end of the slide/barrel. I hook my thumb over the edge of the slide (it's enough reach I cant really get stuck on the barrel) and as I squeeze my thumb, it racks the slide and my middle finger puts upward pressure on the trigger guard to keep it froms liding out of my hand and it keeps my finger away from the trigger.

I hope I explained it clear enough. It seems safe to me because it's real easy to control where it is pointed and my fingers are mostly out of the way of barrel and trigger by the point the gun would be able to fire. If you change the middle finger to one of it's neighbors you can adjust the grip for diff barrel lengths. It also doesnt require holster/belt/vest/what have you to do, just the fact you have a couple free fingers.

I'm sure if I ever have the need to do a one handed racking this would get the job done. May not work with everyone's hand size/strength or barrel length and spring rate, but may be worth you checking out. Just an idea...

Randy

[C_Yeager]

Am I understanding right that this method involves having one finger inside the trigger guard and another against the muzzle? :eek: Pictures would help if possible since i may be imagining it wrong.

[SKN]

Use the front sight post or rear sight assembly pressed against your belt buckle, the lip of your holster or mag pouch, or the instep, outstep or bottom edge of the sole of your shoes.

[m0ntels]

C_Yeager,

Yeah, I was afraid this was gonna sound wrong without a pic, I'll see if I can get something together today. The Baby Eagle has a square trigger guard, unlike the CZ, so I think it leaves me alot more room in there and the slide around the muzzle has alot of extra meat on it too. I'm certainly not practicing this w/ live ammo or anything, but if TSHF, I'm sure I'd be alright this way. I can switch between a shooting grip and this one nice and quick and wont have to worry if my belt buckle decided to move to one side or another during the previous course of events. Opposing forces between my thumb and finger make me feel this is a rare occasion that it isnt totally wrong to have my finger inside the guard. If I needed to do this to clear a jam, the chamber would already be empty, it wont fire out of battery, and when it racks, the trigger is pulled back further than normal, giving me even more free room. I'm sure many other autos may not be safe to use this way, but this is the only one I have to play with. Like I said, I'll try and snap some pics today if I get a chance.

Randy

The simple solution is just to have my revo :p

[Jake 98c/11b]

One of the many reasons I hate the Novak style sights and all they have inspired. A no snag rear sight is one thing but the ramped sights are a bad idea as I see it. A near verticle front face on the sight is important for one handed manipulation. Round off the corners so it won't cut the hand, thats fine, just avoid the ramped rear sights. Never let fashion supercede practicality.

[NovaSS]

Used to do it all the time with a 1911

Lay an UNLOADED fire arm on the table in front of you with the muzzle facing right. Lay your right hand on the gun with your 4 finger wrapping over the top of the slide, locating your hand towards the rear of the slide works best. Pick up the fire arm and hold it out in front of you. What you will be doing is using your thumb to reach around under the hammer (were the graip safety is on a 1911.) Your are racking the slide by pulling in with your thumb. It takes a lot of hand strength and practice. Once you rack the slide and release you kind of give the weapon a little flip in the air and catch it in the normal grip.

The things you learn while on watch at 3:00 AM !

P.S. laying the gun on the table is just to give you proper orientaion.

[joerng]

i really have never heard of such elaborate methods of racking one handed. anyone ever heared of "kiss" keep it simple stupid. rack the slide using the front site post or the rear on your shoe or your belt or the corner of a wall. or anything even on the ground. i would not practice a method that forced me to change grips or turn my gun around. but if you must, you can fix the pistol by placing the pistol grip in the back of your knee and kneeling barrel pointing foward. rack the slide, lock the slide and fix most malfunctions. if you need to change mags you can do the same thing only the mag well facing out. that is just my two cents, probablly not worth that. hope i did not offend anyone, i was not trying to call anyone stupid. just something i like. helps me train smart not hard.

[mpi]

i posted a pic on THR showing the one hand rack. BTW that was a very good explanation. i have been doing that one for at least 20 years and my old partner thought i couldn't do it when i showed him. works well and there's nothing to snag on. it works well for clearing a stovepipe one handed as well.
harry

[m0ntels]

Tried the belt buckle thing again with a little more success. If I go up it point at my face which is a no-no or if I try it pointing down, it ends up pointing at something I def dont wanna be shooting off. My method is similar to NovaSS's but backwards. I'm not saying my method is the best or safest, but if I've already had a hand disabled by my attacker, safety has already gone out the window. I made a vid clip of my method. Yes that is my finger in the trigger which I'm sure will make many of you upset at me, but I have a good grip and good control over muzzle direction with it, and you cant see it well but my finger is a good inch or so from the trigger. If you dont like it, dont use it. We all shoot diff guns and we all do it with our own style. I hope I never need to one hand my gun for any reason. Having any method is better than none.

http://www.geocities.com/m0ntels/Rack.avi
3.5mb

Randy

[joerng]

i did not mean to sound like a shmuck before i just think that i am not sure what you are explaining.(hey i an't the sharpest knife) i am really interested in seeing how it is you do it. could you try one more time? thanks joe.

PS:what the heck is THR sorry i am new to the forum. thanks more... joe.

[Shamus]

Ok, so i'm pretty new here myself. So .... I get to ask a couple of stupid questions. Why would one need to rack one handed and if you have to why wouldn't you just grab the slide and push the grip against your leg until the slide moves back enough to allow the round to chamber?

As someone mentioned, I'm of the K.I.S.S. mentality myself.

[m0ntels]

For such rare instances as if your hand is disabled, either in a fight, or before hand such as you are in a cast from a broken hard/wrist/etc. One of them things you will never use but doesnt hurt to know. We were able to get my brother to work my Mossberg 500 when he was in a cast from hand to elbow so he could skeet shoot with us. He did alright. He couldnt flex his hand to grip the pump so we had to work around it.

Elaborate in this instance is left much to opinion I'd say. I can do it on my belt if I really need to, or fumble around trying to hold the grip in the back of my knee or whatever. This is just what at this moment works best for me and my auto IMO. I switch between a shooting grip and this one in an acceptable amount of time, with adequate retention of my weapon, and without moving the muzzle so far away from my target.

And THR = thehighroad.org...another very good site, similar to this one

Randy

[mpi]

all i can say is that it works for me, BTW thanks for the THL definition guy.
harry

[jtkwon]

Let's think about this for a second...

I'm in trouble, I have one hand, and I have to rack the slide...

One would assume that I have to shoot a bad guy, who is probably close (or the pistol wouldn't do). Either (A) I am drawing for the first time (and should have done the slide at home), or (B) I am reloading and for some reason the slide went closed before I could get the magazine in, or (C) I am trying to eject a round that didn't fire for some reason.

No matter how I rack the slide with one hand, the bad guy would have to be incredibly stupid to stand there and let me fumble through it.

If (A), I'm stupid, and deserve to die.
If (B), I must miss a lot, and deserve to die.
If (C), my gun is a POS and I deserve to die.

[Shorts]

good thread. racking the slide with one had is a technique i suggest everybody figure out how to master. i am one-armed due to breaking my neck a few years back in a serious auto accident. i cannot rack slides, well, at least not with two hands. hence the reason i purchased a beretta 86 and a .38 revolver for my CCWs. as for hunting rifles, can you say Ultralight....

the way i rack the slide if i'm casually sitting around is by holding the grip against my hip or the hinge in my knee, and handling the slide with my right hand like normal, (four fingers over the top and thumb on the other side). i only hold it deep enough on the grip so the slide has room to be pulled all the way back. i'm trying to figure out other ways to rack the slide as well. the pictured grip up there is pretty impressive, and as stated, it takes a lot of grip strength.

its amazing how you take two hands for granted.

[jtkwon]

Ah, didn't think of that - if you actually only have one hand, then you definitely need to think about how to do it.
:)

[m0ntels]

>>>No matter how I rack the slide with one hand, the bad guy would have to be incredibly stupid to stand there and let me fumble through it.
If (A), I'm stupid, and deserve to die.
If (B), I must miss a lot, and deserve to die.
If (C), my gun is a POS and I deserve to die.<<<

I would go as far to say all autos suffer from: firing pin fatigue, main spring fatigue, mag spring fatigue, extractor spring fatigue, oil running out of the rails while holstered, and a load of other things that occur from regular use, not abuse. Any one of those things can make a racking neccessary. You arent going to know when any of that is about to take place to the point the weapon wont operate until it happens. And Murphy says it will always happen at the worst time. The only thing stupid is lack of preparation.

Randy

[hummelsander]

Watch the Movie "The Medalion". A Jackie Chan movie. There is a scene that shows a woman racking two at a time. I know it's just a movie, but that's where I saw it first.

[Jeff Gonzales]

We just got finished up doing another one of our Strong Hand Only (http://www.tridentconcepts.com/Proficiency%20Modules.htm) courses. Usually we go through the same routine as far as what works and what doesn't work. The best method we have seen has been using the rear sight to anchor to a fixed object. Our preference is a belt, followed by a pocket, followed by a holster. From there, cant the muzzle away from the body and then push down and away. This has been the most reliable technique to date. The one thing we caution folks on is any technique that grounds them out. If you have to be static to fix the problem then it is a less than optimum technique and one we avoid like the plague. I know it is hard to picture it from the written word, but hopefully you gleam enough.

The bad news is snag free sights suck for this, which is why we worked with a major sight manufactur to produce a very positive sight that grips just about anything.

The history to our program stems from team mates losing an extremity in training accidents and developing a shooting program for them. It laid dormiant for years until my first son was born, then became popular with many EP companies and now that we have been working so much with the integration of shields and K9 officers it has taken off. We have had two officers attend who both lost an extremity in vehicle accidents while on duty. The class is also one of the hardest physically to complete.

Anyhow, we have seen lots of things most that fall short on the success meter so take that for what it is worth.

Later,

[alvrez2]

good show Joerng, the back of the knee is the best method I have used. The one hand grip is good but usually only works strong side, most can't get that one off side. I have trouble using offside onehanded but the knee works both sides. No matter how it is done there will be some sort of grip change assuming the other hand has been injured in the fight. having a weapon with ambidextrous operating mechanism is also a good idea.

[Shorts]

i was also advised to use my belt, pocket and holster to rack the slide. and as mentioned, it only works well with good protruding sights. these slick ones are difficult to catch on edges.

Jeff, I'd love to take one of those one hand classes. i was thinking of contacting the Co. sheriff, state troopers or local PD to see if anything like that was offered. not only would it be fun, but it'd allow me the opportunity to build sure confidence in my situation.

[C_Yeager]

The only problem that i can see with the pitcured method is that it seems that one would have to set the pistol down and change grip in order to do it and then set it down again and pick it up in a firing grip. Seems like a lot of wasted time considering the other methods that have been shown.

[OBIWAN]

When I first saw the subject line I thought this was some kinda Zen training advertisement

Sorta like one hand clapping :D

If a shot is fired in a forest and nobody hears it...is it still a miss?

:eek:

Here is the other thread...for reference

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154132

[Jeff Gonzales]

Shorts,

I doubt they will have anything, we are the only ones who offer a dedicated and organized course for the Strong/Weak hand shooting. I will be in Seattle several times next year and I believe one of those times will include a SHO course. Join our mailing list to stay up to date on our training programs and if we do make it, hope to see you there.

Later,

[ulmer]

Did I miss something here? If I knew in advance I only had one hand (like I really did) I would put a round in the chamber and cock the hammer with my thumb. Preferably a spur hammer for this, but a skeletonized one would do. Racking of course comes into play sometime. Why not place the gun between your knees and rack it with one hand?

[Jeff Gonzales]

U...

The technique you describe is less than optimum compared to other options available. If you are injured or only have on extremity then anything that limits your mobility is less than optimum to us. Your greatest weapon at that point is your ability to move. Being able to fix the gun on the move is secondary.

Can you perform the technique, absolutly. Just remember where you are and what is happening.

Later,

[Shorts]

Did I miss something here? If I knew in advance I only had one hand (like I really did) I would put a round in the chamber and #### the hammer with my thumb. Preferably a spur hammer for this, but a skeletonized one would do. Racking of course comes into play sometime. Why not place the gun between your knees and rack it with one hand?

it is difficult to rack the slide singled-handed, even between your knees. there is a point where if you're holding the grip but apply enough pressure racking the slide backwards, the pistol is going to rotate backwards. believe me, i've tried to hold enough things with my knees as i tried to work them one-handed (again, because i AM one handed). there are tricks to things.

and as already mentioned, holding the gun with your knees and trying tomove just isn't going to work.

[Dennis Rogers]

Seems I remember that the 1911 was redesigned so a person on horseback could rack the slide by simply pushing the front lower part of the slide on the saddle horn. This is only possable with the short guide rod as on the goverment model.

[ulmer]

I haven't tried it but it appears, saying that there is no round in the chamber, that cocking the piece by hammer would much facilitate racking the slide between the knees

[GoSlash27]

Honestly, it does sound like an unsafe parlor trick to me. I can't imagine a way to one-hand rack that's not more dangerous than simply carrying condition one.

[Jeff Gonzales]

Go,

I agree with you, but that still doesn't address the issue of what to do, if you only have one arm. How do you get it to Condition 1?

The technique I described earlier will work, it is in my opinion the optimum choice given the circumstances.

Regarding the technique in the beginning of the thread, after reading just a few lines it seemed to be less optimum than above so I didn't bother to experiement with it.

Later,

[GoSlash27]

I think the idea would be to have it at condition one to begin with *shrug*.
If you don't normally carry cocked 'n' locked, I can see where you would find it a problem. I would say if you get caught in that situation it'd be preferable to evade the threat first (run like hell), because even if you find a way to get it cocked without violating 'the rules', you're still a sitting duck while you're doing it. In this case your first choice would almost certainly not be to get it into battery.
But for the sake of argument, let's say you can't. You absolutely must deal with the situation.
the ND rules still apply: point in a safe direction during the process, nothing in the trigger guard during the process.
In order to accomplish it, you'll need something...another limb, a rigid object, even the ground.
You'll have to go MacGyver at the moment, so practice prolly won't do much.
Using a table/branch/chair: Draw, set it down, pick it up by the slide thumb to the right, place the squeeze safety against the opposite edge of said object. Cock while loading the barrel down. set it down, pick it up.
Any other/quicker way would most likely get you shot :(
Just a guess, since I carry C1 to begin with. I imagine that you can always find a way to do it safely, but would sooner use it as a club than attempt that under fire.
My $0.02.

[Jeff Gonzales]

I think the idea would be to have it at condition one to begin with *shrug*. That is what I said and I think you are missing the point. For those folks who only have one extremity how do they get their weapon into condition one in the first place. We have had to work with these folks to develop a solid and safe system. The condition of their firearm is not the issue here, it is how to get into their preferred condition.

[GoSlash27]

OOOooohhh.... :rolleyes:
I'm such a dumbass sometimes!
Ya know what, I dunno and I should.
I have a friend who has no right hand, and I've never paid attention to how he does it.
I'll get back to you.

[GDB]

I have been following this thread and its companion on The High Road with interest as I am currently typing this one handed due having a cast on my dominent arm. Indeed, prior to these threads being posted I have been experimenting with various one-handed gun manipulations (gun confirmed unloaded or with snap caps). I have the folllowing comments regarding these two threads.

1. To those few that say things like 'I've never injured my hand and see no reason to practice such stuff' -- Consider yourself lucky. At 53 I have had my hands/arms immobalized to some degree 7 times (3 times due to stupid mistakes 4 times to genetics). Regardless of the cause or whether the condition is preexisting or due to an attack, the time to learn how to operate a gun one handed is not during a gun fight. The best time to learn, if you can, is when both arms/hands work. You can practice one handed but still use your other hand if there is a problem (jams, clothing or a body part caught in the slide, etc.). Obviously this is even more critical once you have transitioned to live rounds. At this point you should have already worked out your skills with an empty gun or with snap caps and hopefully you have someone else there. Personally, I will seek professional training for this learning stage.

2. Practice with all the guns you might carry -- I realize the post on THR started as a 1911 thread but both threads have expanded to semi-autos in general. One method I've tried (barrel pointed left & ejection port down) is to grasp the slide with my left hand, place my thumb as close as possible to the back of the grip, brace the grip against my body and rack the slide. This works OK with my longer barreled Sig because my fingers are less likely to block the ejection port. With my shorter Sig this method readily induces jams and double feeds because it is difficult to keep my fingers away from the port. This would be even harder to do under stress. This operation is easier if the trigger is already back but this is another manipulation step. Obviously this would not work at all if the barrel is pointed right and the ejection port is up.

These drills are probably all the more difficult due to the guns involved. For me at least, Sigs are not real left-handed friendly and their recoil springs are notably stiffer than that of my Ruger. [I have not tried any of this yet with the Ruger as it is loaded.]

3. I have been experimenting with 4 major methods

(1) Hold grip & push slide front or front sight on object to rack slide - This requires fairly fine gun placement against an object to work.

(2) Grasp slide & use thumb preasure and body bracing to rack slide - This can work but puts you at most risk of jams & double feeds, grabing body parts with the slide, and covering the barrel with your hand.

(3) Place rear sight on heel and rack slide - Safest and best working method of these three but, as with the first two, cannot be done on the move.

(4) Catch rear sight or ejection port on clothing and rack slide - Allows movement and is compartively safe but assumes your wearing something the gun will snag on.

Nuff said.

GDB

[Jeff Gonzales]

Thanks, I look forward to hearing back. It is a difficult task and I am interested in trying to make it easier or more effecient.

Later,

[Jeff Gonzales]

GDB,

Thanks for the tips. Like you we have found that most of the methods are not very user friendly. Options #3 & #4 work the most reliably and tend to be universally applied on various defense weapons. While they do presume to have access to a fixed point, generally one may be found in the vicinty of the event, either on the body or lying around. Keep up the good work and speedy recovery :)

[Kanilure]

Personally, this sounds like something you DON'T want to try at home, or anywhere for that matter. It sounds like a good way to shoot yourself. I've taken to carrying a revolver with my 1911. The revolver is the backup gun.
This sounds like a much safer alternative to me. My 2 cents, for what its
worth.

[Jeff Gonzales]

K...

The revolver back-up is a great idea. The thread has sort of changed directions a bit and most folks agree that the original technique is a bit scary.

However, the thread has also attracted a lot of attention from folks who don't have the luxury of both extremities. So, the conversations has turned a bit towards helping them solve a problem in a safe and effecient manner.

I think that carrying a back up gun might be difficult for most of them, but hey you never know.

Later,

[Shorts]

Finally someone mentioned revolver. I have a semiauto for fun, but i bought a revolver for carry. although i have ways to work around my disability, it is much more effective and adventageous to carry revolver.

for those that are worried about how dangerous it is to do things in nonconventional ways (like working firearms singled handed), we have no choice but to think out of the box. otherwise we give up doing all the things we love and become shells of who we use to be. safety is an important part of figuring out how to work a semiauto. that's why things are practiced with snap caps and training before you go to live rounds, you do point the gunin safe directions and are aware of your surroundings. there is always a risk when working with firearms. look at the all the twohanded dummies that shoot themselves, their wife or their ceiling when they're cleaning their gun sitting on their couch - they didn't even do the basic gun safety and check to see if it was unloaded.

[Jeff Gonzales]

S.

I am curious what your reasons are, I know you say it is more effective advantegeous, but how?

If you don't mind sharing or if you would want to email me offline. I would be curious.

Like I said, the folks we work with have been more comfortable with the semi-autos so I would like to see another perspective.

Thanks,

[sigmund]

The answer is: Browning Hi-Power. It was the handgun closest at hand when I started reading this thread, so I grabbed it and it is a no-brainer. It's just like a 1911, except no guide rod, so only the barrel sticks out when you rack the slide. You hold it normally pointing straight down, put the front of the slide on the edge of the desk with the barrel hanging off the edge, and push it straight down.

[GoSlash27]

Okay, here's how my one handed buddy does it with his Beretta:
1)clear the chamber (can be done one handed by tucking the thumb under the flange and placing the fingers ahead of the rear sight).
2) Install an empty clip.
Rack the slide by snagging the rear sight on loose clothing. The empty cartridge will force the slide lock to engage.
3) drop the empty
4) install a hot clip
5) disengage the slide lock
6) decock.

He tells me that it's the fastest way to do it safely. And naturally, he carries with one in the hole :D
HTHs
-John

[Shorts]

Jeff, when I say a revolver is more adventageous, I meant for its ease of use right off the bat compared to a semi auto (at least in my case). they are basic; load, point and shoot. in a serious situation, there is less chance of a misfire than with a semiauto. although i will say, i wanted to stay with a semiauto regardless. not to mention i have more experience with a semiauto than with a revolver.

Now if course, you get into the pros and cons of each gun...for instance available shots: semis have 7,8 or 10 rounds, compared to the revolvers, which are typically 5,6 or 7. but revolvers are less apt to jam during round fire. i guess caliber-to-size of gun can be compared as well. really though, there are pros and cons for each gun. it just depends on the situation and preferences.

I think that right out of the box, a revolver is easiest to figure out and be prepped for. now reloading in a quick pinch, that is another thing yet to be figured out....just one of the ongoing things i have to think about and be ready for.

I mentioned a post or so up that i have a revolver for carry (.38 sp). It is small enough for me to conceal on me (5'3" 106 sopping wet), but it still has some bang for the buck. I also have a beretta 86 (.380) fulfilling the semiauto category right now. i want more semiautos to play with (larger calibers of course). but i also have to be fairly realistic :o if the stuff ever hit the fan, i don't want a problem sneaking up on me that we anticipated when i made my list of cons for carrying a semiauto. wouldn't that be a kick in the pants? i would like to be wholey confident carrying either gun and prepared when malfunctions and simple operations come up. and to do that takes gobs of practice.

ok, i hope this reply doesn't start the "which gun is better" post - not my intention, just ponying up my reasonings. maybe that will shed some light.

hmm, let me add, i just read the post above. my beretta is pretty easy to use. the tip up barrel allows me to put on in the chamber, then a full 8 stack in the mag. i'm ready to go in DA for the first shot. at the range, i go through all 9, and the slide stays open on the last shot. i drop the mag, put a new one in and hit the slide release, then fire off 8 shots in SA.

its pretty easy at the range. my biggest enemy is a feed jam. depending on the ammo, it will or it won't. for the rest of my time with that gun, i'm only using the ammo i have a perfect non-jam record with.

[joerng]

i have always said that a revolver was a better choice for a bug because it was more reliable than any auto. but it think that your primary should be an auto just because of capacity.

[BillCA]

Geez Folks

Everyone should know 2 ways to rack a slide single handed.

First step is always cock the hammer! This greatly reduces the effort.


1. Sight Snag - catch the rear sight on the edge of a hard surface with the muzzle pointed down and push the frame downward.

2. Alternate for Novak sights: Hold gun inverted, muzzle pointed down and at about your 4'oclock. Press top of slide very firmly against your thigh, hip or even buttocks and shove the frame down. Unless you have a slick finish on top of your auto or your pants are slick this should work.

3. Put the lower rear corner of the frame against a hard surface (ideally one with an edge - table, chair, tree branch) pointed up at about a 45 deg. angle. Grasp slide forward of eject port and pull rearward.

In a real bad situation, the ground works. Invert gun and press firmly down as you move the frame. Note that grass/turf is not good because it may clog the ejection port or other parts. If you've had one arm disabled in a fight, it's serious enough that you shouldn't worry about scratching up the gun or damaging the sights. Get it working!

[Dave R]

I can confirm that BillCA's option 2 works fine with my P-11. Just use friction from your pants. "Wipe" the slide real hard in a downward direction and it will rack. I was able to successfully chamber a round 10 times for 10 tries the other day. It left a bruise on my thigh, which tells you how hard I was working it. I figure if you need to do this, you're in panic mode, so might as well "wipe" hard enough to get the desired results.

This may not work for polyester pants, but nobody wears them anymore...

[jtkwon]

Ah, and now I can't hold out any longer....

What is the sound of one hand racking?

[Shorts]

the sound? sounds like metal clicking.

i'm doing it right now with snap caps on my belt. maybe its different with a hand on the slide. what difference does the sound make, may i ask.

[jtkwon]

it's a Zen joke (what is the sound of one hand clapping...)

[GoSlash27]

hahaha
Revolvers have no Buddha-nature :D

[m0ntels]

All this talk about safety has worked it's way into here when it was mainly just to stir up ANY idea. BillCA picked up on it best I think:

>>>Everyone should know 2 ways to rack a slide single handed. <<<

It's not safe, and none of these methods really are. You want to rack on a brick wall and have it go off a foot from your face as opposed to in your hand as in my original method? One doesnt seem better or worse than the other to me. I dont want to be shot anywhere.

Other things that worked into this are well I'll never be one handed or why dont you carry a revolver. You've never slipped in the shower or seen someone get hurt at work or be in a car accident? Any of these can leave you at least temporarily with one less arm. As to just carrying a revolver...that's all I'd ever carry as long as I have a choice. But I also own autos, so I'd like to know how to use them in every way possible.

The one last thing is this is on the tactics forum, not the semi forum. I thought this is the place for what-ifs, not safe range practice. I dont mean to sound like an ass, it just seems as if this thread is being taken every which way but the way it was intended, and maybe that was my fault for not being clear enough. I know safety, but not being prepared for any situation you can think of is the biggest risk of all. I seen my guns jam before, and if some emergency comes up.

Randy's What-If: All Randy has left for target practice is his 357HPs and he's having a great day and decides to polish them all off at the range. He has plenty of 9mms left cuz he has a billion to begin with. Driving home with revo now empty, crazy drunk runs a red and smashes Randy's Tbird. Of course crazy drunk is alright and is coming up on the Tbird with tire iron in hand, swinging madly and smashing the already smashed car sayign how he's gonna kill ME for ruining HIS car. Randy's arm was smashed in the accident and he's now out the other side of the car scramblin to load up a mag with crazy drunk in hot pursuit so he cant stop to rack it on his car. Hmmm...I never thought it was neccessary to learn any other ways to rack with one hand. Boy am I kicking myself now as I have a gun I cant figure out how to rack and drunk Bubba is getting ready to split my skull.

Big what-if, but is it impossible? My revo is out of the picture, my arm is out of commission, and I somehow must rack my gun with no foreign objects and no time to grab it on the back of my knee. I'd risk losing my figure tip again (a piece got cut off at work once cuz I tried to hurry) if that was the only way I could think of in a pinch to do it. That's enough rant for now. Basically though, safety was not to be part of this thread, open mindedness was.

Randy

[Jeff Gonzales]

R...

Good points, thanks.

[sm]

Interesting Thread.

I prefer the 1911 style and mine do not have FLGRs. Yes I have / do practice various one handed drills, strong and weak handed.

My thinking is bad stuff happens to good people, has a tendency to do so at the worst possible time. I subscribe to learning how to deal with these situations before they happen. Some call it "what ifs" , some call it "training" . I also subscribe to the One learns from mistakes - a whole lot less expensive and painful if someone else's mistake .

Some areas I "think outside the box" on :

- Something other than the 1911 platform, and Revolvers.

-Persons for whatever reason, that are challenged; be it injury, recovering from surgery , arthritis ,or born with a problem that a normal healthy person never considers.

-For whatever reason one is in a Serious Situation, name of the game is survival. Even so , and doing best can to obey the 4 Rules, that Threat needs immediate attention, so yep that muzzle might sweep oneself, using the other 3 rules keeps you safe.

Now I have helped folks that were challenged, the Tip-Up Beretta in .380 allows one to chamber a round without racking the slide. Allows them to make safe, and double check the firearm is safe, be it cleaning, range use , whatever. First rule : have a gun. Forget the caliber wars and such, have a gun.

I/ we also worked with folks using 1911 with FLGRs, Glocks, Keltec P-11s, revolvers....whatever... they had in one hand drills. Matters not why or what they have what they do, maybe the new CCW student, Have a gun and learn to use to best of abililty. That single mom on a budget just can't up and buy a new one - she can learn the Model 10, the P-11 or the Tip Up .380 she has.

Just some of MY thoughts.

Steve