Limp wrist or myth?

**PA Dave** · March 16th, 2007, 11:26 PM

Prior to buying a springfield 1911 I had heard that grip was important because " Limp wristing" would cause fail to feeds and stovepiping. I don't recall where but I had heard it. It sounded like total crap and I just ignored it.

I recently had my 12 year old nephew out shooting and let him shoot my sigma and xd 9mms. Every shot he would take would either result in some form of jam and on occasion the empty wouldn't even leave the chamber.

If I shot the guns everything was fine no exceptions!

Any one have any thoughts or their experiences with this? No one I shoot with would believe me but I saw it with my own eyes. What else could possibly cause these symptoms?

**JustinM** · March 16th, 2007, 11:31 PM

Limp wristing will even cause a glock to jam.

Were you using different ammo when the kid shot, than you normally use?

**Intrigue** · March 16th, 2007, 11:33 PM

Absolutely, limp wristing can cause jams.

When you aren't holding the gun with a firm grip, you aren't providing the frame with a stable platform to allow the slide to push back against the recoil spring to eject the spent cartridge and chamber a new round. Picture in your head the slide just pushing the whole frame of the gun back in your hand, because your not stopping the frame from moving, therefore the slide and the frame are moving, instead of just the slide.

I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it's the best I can do in my current state (st. patties day preparation!)

**BUCKMARK** · March 16th, 2007, 11:34 PM

IMHO a lot of it is each gun used...

By that I mean, I have seen some guns fail due to so called "limp wristing" while another won't jam.

I have heard at least 3 people tell me a Glock G19 will jam due to limp wristing.

One day at the local range I loaded 3 15 round mags.

I held the G19 with just my thumb around the grip, and my finger on the trigger. I held my other 3 fingers away from the gun for zero support. I then made my wrist as limp as I could.

With each shot the G19 almost flew out of my hand. I would re-position my fingers and repeat. I could not make it fail through all 3 magazines.

At one point I wanted to put a video of it on a gun forum...but I don't know how.

Perhaps I just got a good one?

I also wanted to make a short video showing different objects inserted into a UNLOADED Glock trigger guard...and pulled/played with, to show just how much the Glock trigger will take without snapping. A guy once tried to tell us that a tree branch could get caught up and pull the trigger by accident.

One of these days I'm going to film some stuff and put it out for people to see.

YES - I do think guns can be limp wristed...but IMHO it's WAYYYY over blown!!!

**762xIan** · March 16th, 2007, 11:34 PM

Classic limp wrist if you ask me.

My daughter has the same problem with my .45, has to hold it stiff and 2 hands or sure enough either a stove-pipe or a FTF or FTE.

**1911shooter** · March 16th, 2007, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by jmateer

Limp wristing will even cause a glock to jam.

Were you using different ammo when the kid shot, than you normally use?

it will cause anything to jam esspecialy a 1911 i know from experiance.
by the way jmateer shot my new glock today, bad news it jammed... well have to try some more with it. but i chalk the jam to newness we'll see i'm trying man i'm trying.

**dgg9** · March 16th, 2007, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by PA Dave

Prior to buying a springfield 1911 I had heard that grip was important because " Limp wristing" would cause fail to feeds and stovepiping. I don't recall where but I had heard it. It sounded like total crap and I just ignored it.

I recently had my 12 year old nephew out shooting and let him shoot my sigma and xd 9mms. Every shot he would take would either result in some form of jam and on occasion the empty wouldn't even leave the chamber.

If I shot the guns everything was fine no exceptions!

Any one have any thoughts or their experiences with this? No one I shoot with would believe me but I saw it with my own eyes. What else could possibly cause these symptoms?

I've seen it often enough with lighter guns, and novice shooters who are physically small and/or weak. They haven't learned how to brace the gun, and their own arms don't have enough mass to, by default, hold the gun still without technique. Just a few weeks ago my friend brought his gf shooting, with his G19. She limpwristed at least one shot out of 10, but neither he nor I ever had a FTE with that gun, ever.

Oddly enough, you see it more with polymer guns like Glocks. I'm guessing a heavier all steel gun like a 1911 would have more mass of its own for the slide to operate against.

**dgg9** · March 16th, 2007, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by BUCKMARK

I held the G19 with just my thumb around the grip, and my finger on the trigger. I held my other 3 fingers away from the gun for zero support. I then made my wrist as limp as I could.

With each shot the G19 almost flew out of my hand. I would re-position my fingers and repeat. I could not make it fail through all 3 magazines.

I noticed the same thing -- I could NOT get the gun to FTE via deliberate limpwristing, yet I have seen it happen (novice female shooters in all cases).

**BUCKMARK** · March 16th, 2007, 11:44 PM

I agree with you guys.

There are too many reported cases with all types of guns, for me to think it's BS.

But for me, it's like a UFO...I have yet to see one.

I still think a lot of limp wristing cases are caused by a dirty gun, bad ammo, broken parts/ worn out parts...and blamed on a limp wrist.

**PA Dave** · March 17th, 2007, 12:25 AM

Oddly enough, you see it more with polymer guns like Glocks. I'm guessing a heavier all steel gun like a 1911 would have more mass of its own for the slide to operate against.[/QUOTE]
The "specific" gun was the 1911. the original source may have even been a service manual but I can't remember. Other than that I never heard of it again till this happened. The ammo was two different brands that I shoot often and it didn't give "me" any trouble just the neph. I even tried your test buck trying to do it delib but no deal.