Shooting on Crutches

[wmg1299]

I've finally reached the age where I can't just tough it out and walk off my injuries. I had hip surgery Monday and will be on crutches for up to 3 months. I had never thought about it how to shoot while on crutches. I assume that when I start going out of the house, I will be a more attractive target due to my obvious injury and inability to run away from danger. Have any of you ever tried shooting on crutches? Was there any carry or draw style that you found to work well? I'm homebound for a bit, so I have plenty of time to practice if any of you have any ideas.

 

[J.Russell.P.B.]

I've finally reached the age where I can't just tough it out and walk off my injuries. I had hip surgery Monday and will be on crutches for up to 3 months. I had never thought about it how to shoot while on crutches. I assume that when I start going out of the house, I will be a more attractive target due to my obvious injury and inability to run away from danger. Have any of you ever tried shooting on crutches? Was there any carry or draw style that you found to work well? I'm homebound for a bit, so I have plenty of time to practice if any of you have any ideas.

You can always sit down and fire or learn up against something. On YouTube you can get music to speed up your recovery. You can get it also for your eyes ears any part of your body.

 

[HansGruber]

I've finally reached the age where I can't just tough it out and walk off my injuries. I had hip surgery Monday and will be on crutches for up to 3 months. I had never thought about it how to shoot while on crutches. I assume that when I start going out of the house, I will be a more attractive target due to my obvious injury and inability to run away from danger. Have any of you ever tried shooting on crutches? Was there any carry or draw style that you found to work well? I'm homebound for a bit, so I have plenty of time to practice if any of you have any ideas.

I replaced a hip a couple years ago; but wasn’t on crutches...did have a walker for a week, then a cane for a bit, though.

What I found I needed was 1) something very light, as I really didn’t want to wear a belt, and pocket carry was the order of the day in athletic shorts I was wearing all the time; 2) something with minimal recoil, since my cane would be in my right hand, I’d be shooting left handed, and heavy recoil would really muck with follow-ups; and 3) something fairly ambidextrous—see left hand shooting.

Went with a S&W 351PD.

As for crutches, though...that’s gonna be fun. Best bet might be something in the kangaroo pocket of a hoodie?

 

[wmg1299]

As for crutches, though...that’s gonna be fun. Best bet might be something in the kangaroo pocket of a hoodie?

I was leaning toward pocket carry, but hadn't thought about the kangaroo pocket. My LCP II tends to bounce around in athletic shorts/pants pockets, even in a Sticky Holster. It's a solid setup in jeans or khakis, but not with anything loose fitting. I think I'll give the kangaroo pocket a try to see if its more stable.

 

[HansGruber]

I was leaning toward pocket carry, but hadn't thought about the kangaroo pocket. My LCP II tends to bounce around in athletic shorts/pants pockets, even in a Sticky Holster. It's a solid setup in jeans or khakis, but not with anything loose fitting. I think I'll give the kangaroo pocket a try to see if its more stable.

It'll bounce around, too, I think. Maybe worse on crutches.

Possible put a piece of Velcro inside the pocket, and then one in the holster?

 

[J.Russell.P.B.]

I replaced a hip a couple years ago; but wasn’t on crutches...did have a walker for a week, then a cane for a bit, though.

What I found I needed was 1) something very light, as I really didn’t want to wear a belt, and pocket carry was the order of the day in athletic shorts I was wearing all the time; 2) something with minimal recoil, since my cane would be in my right hand, I’d be shooting left handed, and heavy recoil would really muck with follow-ups; and 3) something fairly ambidextrous—see left hand shooting.

Went with a S&W 351PD.

As for crutches, though...that’s gonna be fun. Best bet might be something in the kangaroo pocket of a hoodie?

Download YouTube then search music for recovery, it's all NASA stuff it's amazing.

 

[SimonRL]

European Man Purse?

Recover quickly.

 

[J.Russell.P.B.]

European Man Purse?

Recover quickly.

Pause you so right thanks for reminding me. Start doing that now

 

[jumpinjoe]

Whatever you settle for in all other aspects, just be careful, take it easy for a while, and get better soon !!!

 

[wmg1299]

I appreciate all of the well wishes. I won't start venturing out of the house for anything other than PT for another week or so, but I plan to have developed the ultimate crutch-carry system by the time I do.

 

[Bassbob]

Get braces for your AR pistols that strap to your arms. It's basically like having your hand surgically removed and replaced with an AR pistol.

 

[Peglegjoe]

Belly band. You can scootch it up to your pits if you need to, depending on where the sore spot is on your hip... Or, depending on your state and open/concealed laws, rig a holster to your strong-side crutch! You can also work on balancing on your good foot, if needed - it'll let you keep your strong hand by allowing you to stand without tying up hands on crutches.

Keep in mind, your crutches extend your reach and can also be used as impact weapons to a point. Use what ya got. If you need to you can stab an offender's foot or whack them with a crutch once they're within reach. If you have aluminum crutches, you can look into adding some weight inside the bottoms for a little more inertia.

Definitely stick with your PT. I nearly lost both legs in an accident in '08 - have a metal rod in my right tib-fib (compound fracture), knee to ankle; have a metal rod from my left hip to left knee (left femur in 17 pieces, shattered like a wine bottle), and a plate/hinge in my left hip (broke the end of my pelvic bone off, where the leg attaches). 2# of titanium in me (rods, screws, plates) - I'm fun at the airport! 6 months of heavy duty PT brought me back though, and now other than the fact I can't run...nobody can tell I've had work done. Standard gait, normal posture, when I'm wearing pants (as opposed to shorts, which expose the huge graft/scar on my right calf from the compound fracture), nobody can tell at all.

Yes...you can see the connection to my username now...

Do your leg lifts, your hip adductions, all your range exercises and all your strength work. It'll hurt like hell, but they won't tell you to do anything that'll cause problems. I wanted OUT of the hospital, so the only thing out of my mouth during PT was "yes, sir...how many?". I tossed all my hardcore pain meds right off the bat, and its been nothing but ibuprofen ever since.

They told me I'd be on a cane forever. Since I'm too dumb to give up...I proved them wrong. I was cane-free less than a year after my accident. The accident was in July '08 - shattered femur, compound fracture tib-fib, 4 broken ribs, 4 broken vertebrae, collapsed lung, bruised heart, torn rotator cuff, and 2 closed-head bruises/bleeds. I was back at work January 3, 2009. By February, I'd ditched the cane. It can be done, it just takes dedication.

 

[David N.]

Belly band. You can scootch it up to your pits if you need to, depending on where the sore spot is on your hip... Or, depending on your state and open/concealed laws, rig a holster to your strong-side crutch! You can also work on balancing on your good foot, if needed - it'll let you keep your strong hand by allowing you to stand without tying up hands on crutches.

Keep in mind, your crutches extend your reach and can also be used as impact weapons to a point. Use what ya got. If you need to you can stab an offender's foot or whack them with a crutch once they're within reach. If you have aluminum crutches, you can look into adding some weight inside the bottoms for a little more inertia.

Definitely stick with your PT. I nearly lost both legs in an accident in '08 - have a metal rod in my right tib-fib (compound fracture), knee to ankle; have a metal rod from my left hip to left knee (left femur in 17 pieces, shattered like a wine bottle), and a plate/hinge in my left hip (broke the end of my pelvic bone off, where the leg attaches). 2# of titanium in me (rods, screws, plates) - I'm fun at the airport! 6 months of heavy duty PT brought me back though, and now other than the fact I can't run...nobody can tell I've had work done. Standard gait, normal posture, when I'm wearing pants (as opposed to shorts, which expose the huge graft/scar on my right calf from the compound fracture), nobody can tell at all.

Yes...you can see the connection to my username now...

Do your leg lifts, your hip adductions, all your range exercises and all your strength work. It'll hurt like hell, but they won't tell you to do anything that'll cause problems. I wanted OUT of the hospital, so the only thing out of my mouth during PT was "yes, sir...how many?". I tossed all my hardcore pain meds right off the bat, and its been nothing but ibuprofen ever since.

They told me I'd be on a cane forever. Since I'm too dumb to give up...I proved them wrong. I was cane-free less than a year after my accident. The accident was in July '08 - shattered femur, compound fracture tib-fib, 4 broken ribs, 4 broken vertebrae, collapsed lung, bruised heart, torn rotator cuff, and 2 closed-head bruises/bleeds. I was back at work January 3, 2009. By February, I'd ditched the cane. It can be done, it just takes dedication.

Dang, Joe! My bones are hurting [just thinking about it] all the way over here in Oklahoma.

 

[Bassbob]

Belly band. You can scootch it up to your pits if you need to, depending on where the sore spot is on your hip... Or, depending on your state and open/concealed laws, rig a holster to your strong-side crutch! You can also work on balancing on your good foot, if needed - it'll let you keep your strong hand by allowing you to stand without tying up hands on crutches.

Keep in mind, your crutches extend your reach and can also be used as impact weapons to a point. Use what ya got. If you need to you can stab an offender's foot or whack them with a crutch once they're within reach. If you have aluminum crutches, you can look into adding some weight inside the bottoms for a little more inertia.

Definitely stick with your PT. I nearly lost both legs in an accident in '08 - have a metal rod in my right tib-fib (compound fracture), knee to ankle; have a metal rod from my left hip to left knee (left femur in 17 pieces, shattered like a wine bottle), and a plate/hinge in my left hip (broke the end of my pelvic bone off, where the leg attaches). 2# of titanium in me (rods, screws, plates) - I'm fun at the airport! 6 months of heavy duty PT brought me back though, and now other than the fact I can't run...nobody can tell I've had work done. Standard gait, normal posture, when I'm wearing pants (as opposed to shorts, which expose the huge graft/scar on my right calf from the compound fracture), nobody can tell at all.

Yes...you can see the connection to my username now...

Do your leg lifts, your hip adductions, all your range exercises and all your strength work. It'll hurt like hell, but they won't tell you to do anything that'll cause problems. I wanted OUT of the hospital, so the only thing out of my mouth during PT was "yes, sir...how many?". I tossed all my hardcore pain meds right off the bat, and its been nothing but ibuprofen ever since.

They told me I'd be on a cane forever. Since I'm too dumb to give up...I proved them wrong. I was cane-free less than a year after my accident. The accident was in July '08 - shattered femur, compound fracture tib-fib, 4 broken ribs, 4 broken vertebrae, collapsed lung, bruised heart, torn rotator cuff, and 2 closed-head bruises/bleeds. I was back at work January 3, 2009. By February, I'd ditched the cane. It can be done, it just takes dedication.

Am I the only one who is now thinking about custom crutches with a mechanism for stiletto like action of a sharp implement at the base?

 

[Lock n' Load]

I was leaning toward pocket carry, but hadn't thought about the kangaroo pocket. My LCP II tends to bounce around in athletic shorts/pants pockets, even in a Sticky Holster. It's a solid setup in jeans or khakis, but not with anything loose fitting. I think I'll give the kangaroo pocket a try to see if its more stable.

When I pocket carry, the Desantis Super Fly or Nemesis pocket holsters keep my EDC's stable and secure even in athletic shorts or pants which I'm usually wearing around the house. They differ from the Sticky due to built in tabs and viscous material to hold your firearm in place. Get well soon! Here's a link for your LCP II:

Search-result - DeSantis Holsters

www.desantisholster.com

 

[wmg1299]

Definitely stick with your PT. I nearly lost both legs in an accident in '08 - have a metal rod in my right tib-fib (compound fracture), knee to ankle; have a metal rod from my left hip to left knee (left femur in 17 pieces, shattered like a wine bottle), and a plate/hinge in my left hip (broke the end of my pelvic bone off, where the leg attaches). 2# of titanium in me (rods, screws, plates) - I'm fun at the airport!

You have me beat by a few pieces of hardware, but I also present a fun challenge to metal detectors. Throughout football, wrestling, professional MMA, and a career in law enforcement I managed to fracture my pelvis, take out the meniscus in one knee, nearly tear my left arm off, destroy one lung, and collect a titanium plate at three levels of my neck. As far as my injuries go, this one was one of the least impressive. I've always been able to heal up quickly in the past, but it's definitely taking longer as I age. I'll recover from this one in a few months, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm running out of comebacks.

 

[jumpinjoe]

"........................................" I've always been able to heal up quickly in the past, but it's definitely taking longer as I age. I'll recover from this one in a few months, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm running out of comebacks.

Hang in there wmg, you'll get over it in time, just don't rush it and cause more damage. I've got more screws, plates, and other hardware in my body than can be found at the local "Ace" Hardware store. Each and every piece came with a slightly harder, longer recovery time, but they did come.

As we get older the healing process does seem to take a little longer, but that's just part of it I guess. All in all we are pretty danged lucky the medical profession can do for us all that they can do. But good as they are, they can't work miracles. We still have to do our part and like you said ..... "it's definitely taking longer as I age."

 

[Peglegjoe]

As long as you wake up and look down at the grass...you can make a difference

I like the stiletto crutch idea. Either that, or a rudimentary IED type construction - reinforce the crutch lower into some sort of a "barrel", insert a shotgun shell, and make a basic spring-loaded firing pin...

 

[Bassbob]

As long as you wake up and look down at the grass...you can make a difference

I like the stiletto crutch idea. Either that, or a rudimentary IED type construction - reinforce the crutch lower into some sort of a "barrel", insert a shotgun shell, and make a basic spring-loaded firing pin...

View attachment 14022

I like this idea much better. Nevertheless I see no reason why you can't do both.