Massad Gives Tips For Older Shooters

[Ben]

Massad Ayoob gives some tips for older shooters who carry for defense. The two that caught my attention:

1) Though I'm not there yet on wearing glasses all the time, for sight acquisition, he suggested putting the "reader" part of bifocals on top instead of the bottom. I thought that was very interesting. I do have a pair of prescription bifocals, as well as several pairs of safety glasses with reader inserts. I hate focusing my eyes down to read and have thought in the past that it could be easier to have the readers on top instead of the bottom.

2) Holster position. I'd not thought of age or injury making 3-4 O'clock holster carry potentially difficult. He suggested appendix or crossdraw to alleviate problems. Of course lots of people do appendo carry now, but I thought the crossdraw suggestion was interesting. It IS probably more comfortable in general than hip carry, even if generally frowned upon for defensive pistol carry. I couldn't help but think of Old Man Eastwood in Gran Torino with the crossdraw. 

https://youtu.be/WHyx_a_EJks

[Kingcreek]

I saw that vid a couple days ago.
I need readers but don’t wear rx glasses since I had laser vision correction in 2008. I can shoot well enough without.
I did find the carry position pretty much what I came to on my own.

[dogmush]

1) Though I'm not there yet on wearing glasses all the time, for sight acquisition, he suggested putting the "reader" part of bifocals on top instead of the bottom. I thought that was very interesting. I do have a pair of prescription bifocals, as well as several pairs of safety glasses with reader inserts. I hate focusing my eyes down to read and have thought in the past that it could be easier to have the readers on top instead of the bottom.

Well you know what I'm going to say.

If only there were some sighting system for a defensive pistol that didn't involve focusing up close......

[Ben]

Well you know what I'm going to say.

If only there were some sighting system for a defensive pistol that didn't involve focusing up close......

 

He did actually mention it positively, but was also giving other options.

[lee n. field]

Massad Ayoob gives some tips for older shooters who carry for defense. The two that caught my attention:

That popped up in my Tube of You suggestions.  I'll review it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHyx_a_EJks

1) Though I'm not there yet on wearing glasses all the time, for sight acquisition, he suggested putting the "reader" part of bifocals on top instead of the bottom. I thought that was very interesting. I do have a pair of prescription bifocals, as well as several pairs of safety glasses with reader inserts. I hate focusing my eyes down to read and have thought in the past that it could be easier to have the readers on top instead of the bottom.

Hmm.

I've had progressives for a few years now.  You learn quick to adjust your head to where you get the clearest vision.

2) Holster position. I'd not thought of age or injury making 3-4 O'clock holster carry potentially difficult. He suggested appendix or crossdraw to alleviate problems. Of course lots of people do appendo carry now, but I thought the crossdraw suggestion was interesting. It IS probably more comfortable in general than hip carry, even if generally frowned upon for defensive pistol carry. I couldn't help but think of Old Man Eastwood in Gran Torino with the crossdraw. 

My right (stongside) shoulder is starting to give me twinges, so I can see shoulder mobility potentially being a problem down the line.  And, off the clock mostly doing appendix  at 1:30, with a snubby, and looking for a better holster solution for that.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1663622195384401923

Uhhhh.

[Ben]

Uhhhh.

Oops. Wrong link. Corrected. 

[grampster]

Back when I was in LE I discovered that appendix carry, OWB, cross draw was very comfortable.  Especially so when working a 1 man car and driving around for 8 hours. 

[230RN]

Well you know what I'm going to say.

If only there were some sighting system for a defensive pistol that didn't involve focusing up close......

roffle

When I first got into handguns (when I got to Colorado), I experimented a lot and decided crossdraw was to be my regular method of carry.  At the time (1960s) concealed carry wasn't a big deal, so my handgun usage was mostly afield.

When CCW finally was passed in CO, I got my permit about two years later and discovered that Gurugroup A condemned crossdraw for perfectly valid reasons (i.e., "crossing the target") and Gurugroup B praised it for its less awkward arm movement in the draw and made a gun grab from behind a little less likely and made drawing while seated (as in driving a car) easier.

But nowadays I just carry a J-Frame in my right pocket sans holster.

Terry, 230RN
Actually, you're much safer with me with a gun than you are with me without a gun.

[MechAg94]

My near vision isn't what it used to be.  I don't know if it is affected my view of the sights (yet), but I finally figured out that bright colored front sight dots helps me a great deal with speed and accuracy.  Helps keep my concentration on the front sight.  I think I have gotten better on grip and trigger control a bit as well.

[Ben]

My near vision isn't what it used to be.  I don't know if it is affected my view of the sights (yet), but I finally figured out that bright colored front sight dots helps me a great deal with speed and accuracy.  Helps keep my concentration on the front sight.  I think I have gotten better on grip and trigger control a bit as well.

Yeah, for my pistols that don't have RDs, the big dot style front sights are awesome.

[230RN]

For fereva, I've used red nail polish with thpse little shiny aluminum flecks in it for my front sights.  I think I still have the original bottle somewhere, probably dried up by now, but nowadays, all my carry guns have red laser sights.  I'd like to try green but I've already invested in red.

The nail polish does not work well on the 1911.

I've noticed with the Crimson Trace laser on my 1911, the beam partially strikes the slide stop protrusion on the right side of the gun.  Enough gets past it that the laser is eminently usable, but I wonder it Crimson Trace ever did anything about that minor problem

Terry, 230RN
"Actually, you're much safer with me with a gun than you are with me without a gun."

[MechAg94]

I remember when I was in my 20's and 30's wondering why all these people buy a gun and then immediately change out all the stuff.  Live and learn I guess.  Once I figured out how much I like night sights with the red or green color on the front sight, I was putting them on every gun I thought I might carry.  I am practically ordering the sights before I even get the pistol in hand. 
I wish I had experimented with them more when I first started shooting centerfire pistols.  It probably would have improved my shooting quite a bit. 

[lee n. field]

I remember when I was in my 20's and 30's wondering why all these people buy a gun and then immediately change out all the stuff.

If you know what works for you, sure.  A lot of it is folks listening to too much Internet.

[RoadKingLarry]

Some folks treat guns (particularly 1911s) like a lot of folks treat Harley Davidson motorcycles and Jeeps. And they get a bad reputation for the same reasons.
If I don't do X, Y and Z modifications to it my gun/bike/Jeep wont be worth a damn.
Then way too many of those folks decide they need to do the mods themselves. And, a huge percentage of those folks should A; never be allowed to own a gun or a motorcycle or Jeep or other complex machine in the first place. And B; never be allowed unsupervised access to tools.

[RoadKingLarry]

As far as at the range is concerned I picked up some full lens low power safety glasses a few years ago. The +.5 work well for me.

 https://www.amazon.com/Elvex-RX-500C-Diopter-Magnifier-Glasses/dp/B00KSJP2V0/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Elvex&qid=1685654010&sr=8-2