Cut by the 1911 slide

cw308 · July 5, 2019, 09:15 AM

This Wednesday went shooting handgun with friends , one of my friends was shooting his new compact Kimber 1911 3" after a few shots he came out with some choice words , the slide ripped the heck out of his hand . I can't see how he could have cut his hand that way , We will be busting him for some time for that one .

Jim Watson · July 5, 2019, 09:32 AM

Cut where? Lots of "railroad tracks" when somebody wraps his off side thumb across the back of an auto like he was accustomed to doing with a revolver.

Pahoo · July 5, 2019, 11:15 AM

Well, he will have some memories in the future. I still carry my "slide-bights" and sometimes tell kids that a snake bit me. …….

Aside from "perhaps" having an improper grip. There are some handguns that are notorious to causing slide-bights. Again, it's all in the grip…..

Be Safe !!!

cw308 · July 5, 2019, 11:30 AM

You know you guys are right it was on his left hand come to think of it , his left hand grip must have been above not below his right thumb . That's even funnier . I now just remembered in the 60's a friend of mine , shooting in the woods upstate NY . We were shooting his 22 Ruger when he was standing with his left arm bent across to his chest , used that arm as a rest and when he shot the bolt ( slide) came back and cut a half Moon cut across his nose .. As the blood dripped off the tip of his nose you couldn't hear this curse words over the laughing .

**Aguila Blanca** · July 5, 2019, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Cut where? Lots of "railroad tracks" when somebody wraps his off side thumb across the back of an auto like he was accustomed to doing with a revolver.

This was my immediate thought, as well. cw308, you wrote that this was a new Kimber. Is your friend new to 1911s, and maybe to semi-autos in general? People who usually shoot revolvers often forget that the slide comes back on a semi-auto and they hold the pistol as they might hold a revolver, with the weak hand thumb wrapped across the web of the strong hand, below the hammer. Right in the path of the slide.

I think I have heard this described as "revolver thumb." It's something I specifically cover in my NRA Basic Pistol classes.

T. O'Heir · July 5, 2019, 12:10 PM

"...thumb across the back..." Yep. Usually caused by too much 'training' from watching TV. Thumbs have been broken that way. Putting one's thumb across the back shouldn't be done with revolvers either.

HighValleyRanch · July 5, 2019, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Putting one's thumb across the back shouldn't be done with revolvers either.

I guess Jerry Miculek doesn't know what he's talking about then, since he suggested that for small framed revolvers. It really helps in migating the muzzle rise of revolvers, as many of them have a lower web to bore axis ratio.

TunnelRat · July 5, 2019, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighValleyRanch

I guess Jerry Miculek doesn't know what he's talking about then, since he suggested that for small framed revolvers. It really helps in migating the muzzle rise of revolvers, as many of them have a lower web to bore axis ratio.

Yeah, was about to say the same. Many revolver shooters shoot that way, and some I know have been doing it since before "training on TV" was even a thing.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

HiBC · July 5, 2019, 01:27 PM

The left thumb over the top of the wrist works great for me,shooting single action revolvers. I don't do the "plow handle roll" thing,even with full power 44 mag loads.I grip the gun tight. My left thumb is ideally positioned to thumb the hammer during recoil. Single action is pretty fast that way.

But,yeah….most folks don't have to learn about the slide coming back more than once. Hardly the 1911's fault.

I take an appropriately high grip on a semi-auto. I have big,meaty hands.

Browning Hi-Powers and Walther PPK's make me bleed.In the web of my right hand I have a series of scars,like rungs of a ladder ,not from the slide,but fron hammer bite. I worked some logging out of high school,seven years busting tires,and 30 years cranking handles.The web of my hand is thick.

On those pistols,and with a short spur Commander,the structural part of the web of my hand is below the spur where it belongs,but the hide behind the web of my hand crawls over the spur,and gets hammer bit.The longer 1911 spur works. Some folks hate beavertails but a "carry"beavertail from Wilson works good for me.

**44 AMP** · July 5, 2019, 04:48 PM

Quote:

I don't do the "plow handle roll" thing,even with full power 44 mag loads.I grip the gun tight.

why??

As to getting bitten by the slide (or anything else) its simple. If you get "bitten" you put your hand in the wrong place!!

Paul B. · July 5, 2019, 05:32 PM

"On those pistols,and with a short spur Commander,the structural part of the web of my hand is below the spur where it belongs,but the hide behind the web of my hand crawls over the spur,and gets hammer bit.The longer 1911 spur works. Some folks hate beavertails but a "carry"beavertail from Wilson works good for me."

I had a Colt Combat Commander and that thing literally dug a hole in web twixt my thumb and trigger finger first time out. I replaced it with a beaver tail and gun is fine now. Next option is a decent set of sights I can see. I already did the trigger and feed ramp so once I get proper sights it should be good to go.
Paul B.

HiBC · July 5, 2019, 07:29 PM

Quote:

why??

Because I can and it works for me. If the objective is shooting accurately,quickly,I can do it better if I don't have to re-acquire my grip every shot.

I'm no Jerry Miculek,but in the same way a pump action shotgun can be roughly,+ or - a match for a semi-auto for speed,because the slide is stroked during recoil . I can thumb and shoot a single action aimed shots with heavy loads about as fast as I can with a DA or even a semi as long as we are talking about enough recoil to generate "recoil recovery time",such as full power 44 mag,and a two handed hold.

Cowboy shooters using light loads don't let the gun roll,they thumb with the weak hand,and they shoot fast.
Anyway,off topic,but you asked.

Anyway,it works for me.

July 5, 2019, 09:15 AM	#1
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	Cut by the 1911 slide This Wednesday went shooting handgun with friends , one of my friends was shooting his new compact Kimber 1911 3" after a few shots he came out with some choice words , the slide ripped the heck out of his hand . I can't see how he could have cut his hand that way , We will be busting him for some time for that one .

July 5, 2019, 11:15 AM	#3
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Slide-Bights Well, he will have some memories in the future. I still carry my "slide-bights" and sometimes tell kids that a snake bit me. ……. Aside from "perhaps" having an improper grip. There are some handguns that are notorious to causing slide-bights. Again, it's all in the grip….. Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

July 5, 2019, 12:10 PM	#6
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...thumb across the back..." Yep. Usually caused by too much 'training' from watching TV. Thumbs have been broken that way. Putting one's thumb across the back shouldn't be done with revolvers either. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 5, 2019, 05:32 PM	#11
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	"On those pistols,and with a short spur Commander,the structural part of the web of my hand is below the spur where it belongs,but the hide behind the web of my hand crawls over the spur,and gets hammer bit.The longer 1911 spur works. Some folks hate beavertails but a "carry"beavertail from Wilson works good for me." I had a Colt Combat Commander and that thing literally dug a hole in web twixt my thumb and trigger finger first time out. I replaced it with a beaver tail and gun is fine now. Next option is a decent set of sights I can see. I already did the trigger and feed ramp so once I get proper sights it should be good to go. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

July 5, 2019, 09:32 AM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	Cut where? Lots of "railroad tracks" when somebody wraps his off side thumb across the back of an auto like he was accustomed to doing with a revolver.

July 5, 2019, 11:30 AM	#4
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	You know you guys are right it was on his left hand come to think of it , his left hand grip must have been above not below his right thumb . That's even funnier . I now just remembered in the 60's a friend of mine , shooting in the woods upstate NY . We were shooting his 22 Ruger when he was standing with his left arm bent across to his chest , used that arm as a rest and when he shot the bolt ( slide) came back and cut a half Moon cut across his nose .. As the blood dripped off the tip of his nose you couldn't hear this curse words over the laughing .

July 5, 2019, 01:27 PM	#9
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,289	The left thumb over the top of the wrist works great for me,shooting single action revolvers. I don't do the "plow handle roll" thing,even with full power 44 mag loads.I grip the gun tight. My left thumb is ideally positioned to thumb the hammer during recoil. Single action is pretty fast that way. But,yeah….most folks don't have to learn about the slide coming back more than once. Hardly the 1911's fault. I take an appropriately high grip on a semi-auto. I have big,meaty hands. Browning Hi-Powers and Walther PPK's make me bleed.In the web of my right hand I have a series of scars,like rungs of a ladder ,not from the slide,but fron hammer bite. I worked some logging out of high school,seven years busting tires,and 30 years cranking handles.The web of my hand is thick. On those pistols,and with a short spur Commander,the structural part of the web of my hand is below the spur where it belongs,but the hide behind the web of my hand crawls over the spur,and gets hammer bit.The longer 1911 spur works. Some folks hate beavertails but a "carry"beavertail from Wilson works good for me.