Off hand carry

[Kaymen]

In all the training I have had and everything I have seen on TV they talk about the importance of practicing with your off hand, both shooting, reloading, and fixing malfunctions incase you are injured during a fight. The emphasis has always been put on in the heat of battle staying in the fight and staying alive. I am all for staying alive; it is always a great option. But, what if you are injured elsewhere? I recently broke a few knuckles on my right (carry hand) I could not close my hand or even make a fist. It would have been extremely painful to even hold a pistol let alone fire one.

It was at that point I learned a very valuable lesson, while I have practiced with my off-hand all my carry options is based on the right hand. What was I supposed to do? My temporary answer was to use the sling they gave me, at first I was not going to use it, I did not want to seem like a wimp or make a mountain out of mole hill. But I had not options left to me; I used the sling with a small revolver in the bend of arm. Since then I have picked up at least one cheap left handed holster and take it with me every time I go to the range and practice.

 

[HK4U]

That is one advantage for a cross draw holster. If your shooting had is out of commission it is easier to get to your gun with you off hand.

 

[David E]

Of course, the best way is to get a holster for your weak hand and practice with it BEFORE you need it !

If you incapacitate your strong side arm/hand, that's one helluva bad time to discover that you don't have what you need.

.

 

[BikerRN]

I carry a second gun, BUG if you will, accessable to my weak hand. Most often it's in my weakside pocket.

I really like the Airweight J-Frames for a BUG.

 

[TexasGun]

My .02c

I practice drawing my strong side weapon in iwb 4 o'clock with weak hand both ways (around my stomach and behind my back). And I practice reloading, racking and firing one handed (strong and weak).

I also carry a Kel-Tec P32 W/ clip draw, front waistband left of buckle. Fits perfectly in my pelvic dip between my hip bone and stomach, never feel it.
I can draw it weak or strong hand.

I do practice all this on a regular basis, and sometimes dry fire practice while on the ground on my back chest ext.. you know all the possibilities if I were to get shot, because you know if you were (incapacitated) you would not be standing.:devil:

 

[EP78]

I carry a second gun, BUG if you will, accessable to my weak hand. Most often it's in my weakside pocket.

I really like the Airweight J-Frames for a BUG.

I keep my Smith Airweight 442 (blued version of the 642 "Centennial") in a lock box in the truck. When I'm going to Wally World, I'm pretty sure my EDC will suffice. When stopping at truck stops on the road, having to get out of the truck in a less than desirable spot, etc..., I stick the snubbie in my off hand front pocket. A cpl reasons: 1- God forbid I ever need to defend myself and can't go to my EDC first, I've got 5 rounds of .38+P to throw hopefully giving me the chance to get to my EDC; 2- It's way easier to hide the snubbies "print" (for me at least) than a small semi-auto. When in LE training, you're trained to carry, access, and effectively use your backup from the inside of the leg your primary is on, meaning you've gotta get it and use it off hand. After a few hundred rounds, it'll be second nature. But I promise ya won't go wrong with a J frame snubbie...