For at least 40 years all of my handgun training has been the same way, with a two-handed hold. Occasionally I’d read an article which said we should train with our off hand in the event our strong hand was injured, but I blithely ignored them. My reasoning was that the chances I’d ever actually have to use a handgun in a defensive situation was very small and if that ever happened I’d use a two-handed hold for accuracy. The CHL trainings I’ve had have always emphasized that a civilian defending himself is responsible for every bullet which leaves the muzzle of his gun; therefore, it was obvious to me I’d have to use the most accurate hold possible.
Well, this year I turned 82. More to the point, in April I had right shoulder replacement surgery. Afterwards it was impossible to raise my right arm to eye level, and I realized that I was really defenseless. I couldn’t shoulder a long gun, and all I had was my left hand with which I could barely hit a target at all.
It wasn’t until June when I could begin to consider practicing again. But rather than going to a range, I’ve used my Strikeman system in my own hallway. My favorite handgun, an all-steel double stack Remington 9mm 1911 was too heavy for me to lift even with both hands. My lightest handgun was a Taurus Slim 9mm, so I began with that. It wasn’t until July that I could add a double-stack 9mm pocket gun, an SCCY CPX-2, and only last week was I even able to try the Remington.
My operation opened my eyes to the fact that I need to train differently. Now, my first set is ten shots at about eight feet, fired with the gun held tight against my right side in what’s been called the retention position. The idea is that if an assailant is that close to you, he could grab your weapon and even turn it on you if you extend your arms. So, you keep your gun at your right side and point shoot.
All of the rest of my practice is at eleven yards. The second set is right hand only and I have to admit the results have been from abysmal to, well, maybe acceptable for defense. The third set is left hand only, and those remain too inaccurate for defense as of today. The fourth set is two-handed and while I’m not as good as I was before my right arm began going out on me a year ago, I’m still accurate enough to defend myself.
A few days ago I finally tried out this sequence with the almost three pound Remington. The weight unloaded is 2.5 pounds; to keep the weight and balance as close as possible to a loaded gun, I have 9mm rounds with shells and bullets but no powder or primers. This gives me about an eight ounce magazine. It currently is nearly impossible to aim and shoot with either my right and left hands alone, but I keep trying for ten shots each. I hope to continue doing this regularly; it’s a good addition to my physical therapy exercises.
Don’t wait like I did. If you are serious about protecting yourself, practice the retention hold along with both individual hands instead of relying on the two-handed hold alone. Hopefully none of us will ever have to put any of this to a real test, but it might just save one of our lives some day.