Originally Posted by Wheels

I need to shoot with 1 had because I am a paraplegic and can't hold my hands out in front of me. I have a very high injury (chest down) level of paralysis so I want a gun I can control.

What are some of the best ways to limit recoil?

There are a couple of ways to limit recoil. As a bullseye shooter we can only shoot with one hand. We use light power reloads with lower weight bullets. You didnt say what caliber you shoot. Caliber is directly related to recoil. As is the weight of the bullet. Smaller caliber = les recoil. Lighter bullet = lighter recoil. Heavier gun = lighter recoil. I hope this helps. Good shooting.

Depeding on what type of gun you have, you might also be able to put in a heavier recoil spring than the factory one. I put one in my XD40, and to me, it made the snappy .40 seem more like a 9mm in terms of recoil.

Hey Wheels we need to know a little more about your gun make, model, and barrel length to help you out. Post that info, and I am sure some of the better reloaders can help you. Good Luck.

I am looking at getting a 9mm. I shot a glock 26 and 19 tonight. I noticed the 19 seem to have less recoil than the 26. My current gun is a broken 32 cal beretta that is going back to the hell it came from.

The Glock 34 has the least recoil of all the Glock 9mms I've shot. It's the target/competition model. You might see if you could try that one. It's still light enough for one-handed shooting, even if you aren't terribly strong.

A 1911 in 9mm kicks like a mouse with a heavy steel frame, and is still very easy to shoot with an alloy frame. Ditto the Browning P35 and CZ75.

There you go Wheels. I agree with Mike 100%. Some of the guns he had in the list I have not shot, but his good judgement of them is enough for me. See if you can try some of them out, and pick the one you like best. After that it is try, and get some good training, and practice. Good luck.

If racking the slide is a problem, you might want to look into a getting a revolver.

But I guess you've already considered that.

WM

My favorite one hand gun is my trusty Walther P99. I recommend you look into them. I consider the P99 a Glock on steroids...
My favorite 9mm load for self defense and easy shooting is the Winchester RA9T. It's the SXT 147 grain bullet... One handed double taps are easily handled with this round...

There you go, another Country heard from... Shoot as many different guns and bullets as you can before you commit... Have fun choosing!

I will try glock 34 later this week. Thank you all for the advice. I am having a great time testing guns. I picked up a xd 9mm and I fell in love. I can reach the release button very easy. (sorry its the button that you press to drop the box from the bottom of the gun and you put bullets in it.) Now I feel like a dork for not knowing the name...

Anyway I fell in love with the xd 9mm 4 in barrel. I can get it for about 500 from academy. If I can find one cheaper from a pawn shop then I may get that one. But I feel I should just stick to new guns till I get more experience.

Originally Posted by Wheels

I can reach the release button very easy. (sorry its the button that you press to drop the box from the bottom of the gun and you put bullets in it.) Now I feel like a dork for not knowing the name...

Anyway I fell in love with the xd 9mm 4 in barrel. I can get it for about 500 from academy. If I can find one cheaper from a pawn shop then I may get that one. But I feel I should just stick to new guns till I get more experience.

Magazine release and magazine. Everyone, generally speaking, is pretty cool and laid back on this forum, but a lot of other sites you will get flamed pretty hard if you call it a "box". To be safe, avoid the word "clip" as well.

The XD is a great gun. I like mine a lot and don't hesitate recommending it.

Originally Posted by Wheels

I will try glock 34 later this week. Thank you all for the advice. I am having a great time testing guns. I picked up a xd 9mm and I fell in love. I can reach the release button very easy. (sorry its the button that you press to drop the box from the bottom of the gun and you put bullets in it.) Now I feel like a dork for not knowing the name...

Anyway I fell in love with the xd 9mm 4 in barrel. I can get it for about 500 from academy. If I can find one cheaper from a pawn shop then I may get that one. But I feel I should just stick to new guns till I get more experience.

That's the magazine release. The "box" is the magazine. You load cartidges into it, not bullets. The "bullet" is only the projectile, and does not include the case, powder or primer that make up a complete cartridge.

Don't feel like a dork - we were all beginners once. You might see if there is an NRA Basic Pistol class in your area. Taking the class can help you with terminology, gun selection, and basic technique. Lots of NRA instructors (I'm one) have experience working with people facing physical challenges.

The XD is a nice gun. I personally prefer the Glock design and I'm not shy about saying so, much to the irritation of some people on this board. The barrel of the XD sits higher above the web of the hand than the Glock, 1911, P35, and CZ designs, thus giving the muzzle more leverage to flip up in recoil. But it's a minor difference, and not even likely to be noticed by a beginner.

Good luck with whatever you choose, and keep us posted on your progress.

I have a Glock 34 - and it doesn't recoil much. I like the gun a lot. But, I still feel like the Beretta 92 still has less recoil with the heavier frame. Just me.

Hey Wheels I see in your post where you might get a gun at a pawn shop. I would not recomend that for a peron new to guns. It's to easy to miss some safty feature on it, and that could be bad. If you can try to get a new gun and from a dealer with a good reputation. Might cost a little more, but you will have a safty net behind you if something is wrong with the gun. Good luck.

I bought an xd 9mm service model today. Then I went shooting. I love this gun. After shooting about 100 rounds. I came home and cleaned it. My beretta is still at beretta la la land but now I have something to shoot. I was going through withdrawls and I would look on the web and read everything about the xd 9mm.

So I now own 2 guns. And for some reason some one just gave me a 22 mag mini gun today.

Now how do I correct my shooting? I am shooting low and to the left. I know how to aim but I must be doing something wrong. Remember, I need to use 1 hand.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND ADVICE.

Originally Posted by Wheels

Now how do I correct my shooting? I am shooting low and to the left. I know how to aim but I must be doing something wrong. Remember, I need to use 1 hand.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND ADVICE.

Here is a chart that I found that tells you what to do to correct bad shots. Hope it helps. Look at where your bullets are landing in relation to the target. It will tell you what you are doing wrong. I have one taped to the lid of My shooting box for quick reference.
correction_chart.jpg

It doesn't show as such on the chart, but usually low and left with the XD is having the first joint on the trigger. Try putting the center of the finger pad on the trigger, which will also put a gap between your index finger and the frame.

Most right handed shooters tend to shoot low and left. That is the direction your trigger finger tends to take as you go through the travel of the trigger.
I agree with Don - one of the methods to correct this tendency is to have the center of the pad of your trigger finger positioned on the center of the trigger. Another technique is to concentrate on pulling your finger straight back with a steady pull until the discharge surprises you. OK, not completely but you know what I mean.

I did like Martial said and that has improved my shooting. I don't have to rush, just be accurate for now. I am still learning to get used to having a gun. It needs to become 2nd nature / natural for me to carry. So for now I keep the bullets out of the chamber, until I hit the range. The magazine is full but I am going to keep the chamber empty till this gun is a part of me.

I have been shooting a lot since my last post. I now have a good 800 rounds through my xd. The recoil is a bit tougher than I thought it would be. I feel the recoil in my elbow. I still only shoot with 1 hand and my aim is getting a bit better. But it's still not dead on. I am still anticipating the recoil, and shoot to thee left. The middle part of my trigger finger was great advice. Does anyone have good web sites to go to for advice on how to shoot with 1 hand?

Wheels practice and more practice. Does your range offer a shooting corse or have an instructor who can give you a little one on one? Our range all you have to do is ask and they help. If you are hitting the target it shouldn't be hard to get you to center. You don't say what distance you are shooting. Bring it in till you start to hit center and then back it up about every other week. I practice at 15yds the most. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Wheels

I have been shooting a lot since my last post. I now have a good 800 rounds through my xd. The recoil is a bit tougher than I thought it would be. I feel the recoil in my elbow. I still only shoot with 1 hand and my aim is getting a bit better. But it's still not dead on. I am still anticipating the recoil, and shoot to thee left. The middle part of my trigger finger was great advice. Does anyone have good web sites to go to for advice on how to shoot with 1 hand?

Get a few dummy cartridges and load them randomly into the magazine. If you flinch when you fire, you will see the front sight dip when the striker falls on a dummy round. This is an old drill called "ball and dummy."

You can flex your elbow slightly, rather than locking it out. This will give you better recoil control. Ideally, you don't want the gun to torque off to the side when you fire, but rather pop straight up and down. This is difficult to achieve in one-handed fire, however.

When shooting, remember to ease the trigger forward after each shot, so that you feel the trigger reset (it's a fairly distinct "click" on the XD). Don't let the trigger fly completely forward.

Also remember that, for self-defense, you don't need tiny little one-hole groups. Groups you can cover with your hand are adequate for defense, as long as they are centered in the upper chest of the target.

I practice at 10 - 25 yards. When I shoot I am all over the target but mostly to the left of what I am aming at. I shoot slow, pull the trigger as straight as I can. I got some shoot and see targets from walmart. That has helped a lot to see what I shoot an make necessary corrections. I have been getting advice from people at the range. I have not asked any range hands for help yet.

I have really enjoyed shooting. So far this week I have gone through about 400 rounds. I find it very hard to be accurate with the .32 beretta at anything over 10 yards. My groups in the shoot an see are all in the black of the target and mostly between 3 and 6. (left of center) I don't feel too bad after watching other people shoot with 1 hand. It's a lot harder than it seems with a 9.

I am anticipating the recoil. After about 100 rounds, my elbow hurts. Mike - THANKS FOR SERVING. I always wanted to be in the military but had car accident at 16 and that put an end to that idea.

FWIW the lowest recoil gun that I have shot (standard defense cal) was a 9mm CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical. It has about the lowest boar axis out there and has a standard 1911 angle grip. It is very accurate and can hold 19+1. I was impressed with the gun and it will be the next 9mm I buy.



And you can get one of these with it!

Originally Posted by Wheels

I am anticipating the recoil.

Like the guys have said, you gotta dry fire, dry fire, dry fire. That always helps quite a bit!

Oh, and can we get some pics of the guns?