Limp Wristing - How To Address Limp Wristing

How To Address Limp Wristing

As the name suggests, the problem occurs most often with shooters who have a loose grip. A firm, two handed grip will often solve the problem. Some shooters, however, just lack the strength for such a firm grip, and in that case there are two avenues that can be explored: changing the firearm, or changing the ammunition.

In the event that proper grip and follow through cannot be obtained because of physical limitations an alternative would be to use a manually cycled firearm action, such as a revolver. Revolvers are viable option for shooters who have difficulty with semiautomatic designs. The other alternative is to pick a firearm whose frame is heavier in relation to its slide. Polymer framed hanguns have the lightest frames, and as the frame is flexible, it absorbs more energy than metal frames. Aluminium and titanium alloys are slightly heavier and much stiffer than the polymers, and steel is the heaviest frame material generally used. Full sized frames are also heavier than compact frames. The heavier frames will have more inertia, and will rely less on the shooter's grip strength to hold the frame still.

The other approach is to alter the ammunition used. Low velocity, light bullet loads such as those used in target shooting have the least energy available to operate the action, and thus are the most sensitive to limp wristing. A heavier or faster bullet will help. Accurate Powder did tests of various powder types in Glock and Sig-Sauer handguns, and determined that fast burning powders caused failures to increase, and that medium and slow burning powders (of the range suitable for the cartridge) gave the best reliability. Limp wristing would magnify these changes, so fast powders should be avoided.

When the ammo is too weak or the recoil spring is too stiff or the slide is too heavy, and limp wristing jams occur, the cure may be more powerful ammo or a lower force recoil spring. When the ammo is too powerful or the recoil spring is too weak or the slide is too light, slide slam occurs. Slide slam is bad for the firearm and bad for the shooter's hand. The correct balance is when the ejected casings land approximately 5 feet from the shooter. In this balance there is adequate ejection and no slide slam. When a police force chooses guns and ammo for a diverse population of personnel with low hand mass all the way to high hand mass, the compromise will be to have the heavy handed experience some slide slam, rather that the light handed to experience limp wristed jams. The ramification is that those on the force with heavy hands will see the ejected cases go further than 5 feet. This small amount of slide slam may cause some tiny additional wear to the slide, frame, and shooter's high mass hand, but it is a better option than a limp wristed jam for the low hand mass officers.