Disabled Carry Guide

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“Having Physical Disabilities and Choosing to Carry a Weapon: Turning Your Disability Into an Advantage.”
February 2011
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Having Physical Disabilities
and Choosing to Carry a Weapon:
Turning your disabilities into an advantage
Table of Contents
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Introduction
Cody S. Alderson
Mindset
Training
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. Mental Training
B. Medical Training
C. Physical Training
D. Weapons
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Practice or Building Skill Sets
Specific Gear Classes
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Holsters
Guns
Ammunition
Reloading During A Fight
The BUG
Magazine Disconnect
Wrap Up
Resources
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© 2003-2011 U.S. Concealed Carry Association & Delta Media LLC - All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Having Physical Disabilities
and Choosing to Carry a Weapon:
Turning your disabilities into an advantage
4
Introduction CODY S. ALDERSON
he main reason to be armed is to evade predation. Humans
prevent predation by utilizing avoidance, evasion, and
defensive confrontation from opportunistic and calculating
predators. The human that takes advantage of that big cerebral
cortex to avoid putting himself in danger of predation in the first
place is already a winner. The human who has skills to evade is
more capable of evading predation. Add to that learned skills to
fight to defend and it makes a well equipped human that is more
likely to successfully survive an encounter with a predator.
Now add to the mix a disability, and it is obvious this should
make a disabled person more likely to be the choice of prey for
a predator. Choice yes, but becoming a successful kill for the
predator is something else. Here is where training and mindset
make all the difference. Consider two types of disabled people.
The first group is disabled and gives little to no thought of being
tactically aware or defensively prepared. These are the ones that
are a joy for a predator to encounter. Now consider a second
group of disabled people with the exact same disabilities, but
the people in this group are trained to be tactically aware, and
they are trained to use what remaining abilities they have to a
defensive advantage.
Though the second group may possibly be targeted to the same
degree as the first group, the second group will by far be better
equipped and prepared to deal with a predator. If avoiding predator
hunting grounds fails, the prepared group will be better equipped
to evade and to defend using force. The first group may not even
give much consideration to avoidance. There is a failed mindset
of some who think they will be left alone simply because they
are disabled.
Each of us can have varying degrees of problems with our bodies
that can be labeled a disability. Diabetes has wreaked havoc on
this author’s peripheral and autonomic nervous system. There has
also been significant joint mobility impairment due to something
called glycosylated end products building up around a couple of
major joints. This reduces range of motion and speed significantly.
My issues may be more or less severe than yours. It doesn’t matter.
From the wheelchair bound paraplegic to the grandma with severe
arthritis or even fellow diabetics who are enduring some serious
Mindset
T
complications of the disease, there is a way for us to be better than
most of the predators we will most likely ever face.
Let’s take a look at four areas of building a defensive posture for
the physically disabled.
Mindset
Training
Practice
Weapons
indset will take a person further than anything else in this
venture to learn how to be able to effectively defend
against attack when there is a disability or two to deal
M
with. Mindset is the key component that makes all the difference
in any survival situation. Many people disassociate themselves
from their own capacity to control what they think. They can
do it to the degree of causing their own demise during a critical
incident. There are stories of people who have been shot and died
of non-lethal wounds because they simply were convinced that
they were going to die because of being shot.
To what degree those stories are true remains debatable, but there
are factual accounts of human beings who by all common sense
logic have been woefully unprepared to survive the situations
they indeed did survive. There are other accounts of humans who
have failed to survive situations that were completely survivable.
People who had equipment and training, but who lacked a survival
mindset died during survivable critical incidents without any
explanation other than they gave up. If you would like to explore
the subject of the psychology of survival to a greater degree, I
recommend “Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why” by
Laurence Gonzales.
In order for training to ultimately be effective, proper mindset
is an absolute necessity. Being highly trained but unmotivated
to succeed severely curtails one’s chances of success. Proper
mindset can be established much easier with proper motivation.
For purposes of establishing a survival mindset, the will to
survive is a great motivation. Each of us needs to firmly establish
an unyielding will to survive no matter the adversity. Fortunately,
the disabled are already survivors who have a tremendous amount

5
of practice working out the condition of their mindset and the
details of the will to survive. For many who have been labeled
disabled for an extended amount of time, there might not be any
need to refine any of the details of what it is that powers their will
to survive.
In order to establish proper mindset, it is imperative to think
through what truly motivates you to survive. Is it because of a
spouse or children? Is it a principle of faith? Is it a responsibility for
another person, group, even a pet? Whatever it is, the motivation
to survive needs to be hardwired into that survival mindset. With
the motivation to live established, it is then of critical importance
to realize that being injured in a fight does not mean you are going
to die.
The body can take an incredible amount of trauma. The stronger
the will to survive, the better the chances of surviving serious
injury. Pound it into your own head that being hit, stabbed or shot
is not going to kill you. Seriously, if you are alive long enough
to realize that serious trauma has occurred, you are ahead of the
game. If you are in a fight and realize you are hurt, that is a good
thing. It means that the injury did not cause instant death. Since
it isn’t over yet, it doesn’t have to be. Finish the fight, stabilize
your own body.
Training
raining is completed under subheadings that will round out
the skill sets needed to survive critical incidents.
T
Mental
Medical
Physical
Weapons
Mental training includes establishing the motivation to have a
will to live and the survival mindset. Further mental training is
to imagine all of those nasty scenarios that a vivid imagination
can conjure. Think all of those “what if” scenarios through to
resolution. What would or could you do if mugged at an ATM?
What would or could you do if a group of two, three, or four home
invaders breached the defenses of your home? How would you
respond to a carjacking? This is a dynazmic that will be practiced
for the rest of your life. However, don’t make the mistake of
dwelling on bad guys attacking you in all sorts of ways 24-hours
a day or you will miss out on much of the joy life has to offer.
A. Mental Training
Mental training can be exercised by watching physical training
DVDs and reading training books about the weapon you are going
to carry. Fundamentals seen enacted as well as being read about
establish a good foundation that can be built upon. Most training
books and DVDs are for the healthy and fully physically capable
but can easily be modified by simple mental reconfiguration to be
workable for our own specific disabilities. If there is a fundamental
of using a weapon that has an aspect of a physical maneuver that
is untenable, it is better to know it now than to discover it during
a critical incident.
Clint Smith is a no-nonsense teacher on how to handle firearms.
Consider the severity of the disability. A man with only one
working arm and only two fingers and a thumb on the hand of that
arm can still use all kinds of weapons to defend. He could use a
club, a knife, an electronic stun device, pepper spray, or even a
handgun. The choice of weapon would depend on several factors
such as grip strength, range of motion of the arm, strength of the
arm, and weapons legally permissible where he lives. By far, the
gun is the most lethal and threatening to predators.
B. Medical Training
Being able to stabilize one’s own serious wounds is a great
booster of confidence. It takes off the table the question of who
is going to help you if you get hurt. You will help yourself until
better treatment can be had. Here again the one armed man with
only three digits on the hand of that working arm comes into play.
There is a lot that can be accomplished with one working wing,
so-to-speak. If there is any doubt, then Google the name “Nick
Vujicic.” Feeling sorry for yourself and your disabilities? Mr.
Vujicic is an inspiration of what we can do though we may be
labeled disabled.
Take an advanced first-aid course. Learn how to stop bleeding.
Learn how and when to use a tourniquet. Learn the benefit of

6
always having some Celox close by. Try to find an instructor
who teaches survival first-aid from a battlefield perspective. The
civilian courses are nice, but taking a course that teaches battlefield
medical techniques will be of greater benefit for the scope and
purpose of what you are hoping to learn. Obviously the course
will have to be modified to train you in spite of your disabilities.
Consult with an instructor to find out how much private lessons
would cost. If money is tight, get a book and a DVD and a few
supplies. Practice what you are learning, but adapt the use of the
tools, supplies, and the methods to work with your disabilities.
C. Physical Training
Seek the advice of a medical professional before attempting
anything mentioned in this report. Each disability is different and
comes with its own risks.
Build on what you can do. With disabilities you will not be able to
follow the regimen of physical training that a Navy Seal does, but
you can move whatever still moves to get it to move better, and
moving whatever still moves will make it stronger. Of course, you
need to ask your doctor about strengthening what remaining parts
you have left that still work to one degree or another. Sometimes
just a few weeks of stretching and minimal strength training will
make something possible that you thought would forever remain
impossible due to your condition.
Some with two working arms with severely limited range of motion
and hand strength are convinced that they cannot effectively use
a gun. Forget about what you supposedly can’t do and focus your
mind on actually getting something done. For a person who cannot
hold a real handgun up in the normal way a handgun should be
held, there are options.
Crimson Trace LaserGrips can make the difference of whether or not a
disabled person can be able to use a gun for self-defense.
The first option is to use a laser aiming device. This takes the
need for a two-handed grip off of the table. If there is strength
in the hand to pull the trigger, then the battle of finding gear that
will work is easily won. If grip strength is an issue, then there are
two ways to approach it. First, try strength training exercises that
will build grip strength. Second, try out some revolvers with light
double action triggers. Since we are already talking about a one-handed
person trying to use a gun, a pistol is not going to work as
well because of the need to manipulate the slide. This actually can
be done one-handed but requires strength we are not considering
for this scenario.
There is a second option for those who can hold both arms out in
front of them in a way one would hold a gun. Maybe they cannot
hold their arms out for long or hold the weight of a gun. This is
where a strength training exercise specific to building up muscles
to be able to hold a handgun in a proper two-handed firing position
helps. It starts with getting a training or dummy gun of the model
you will be carrying.
Training guns are made of plastic and are nowhere near the weight
of the real thing. Those who are too weak to hold a real gun may
be able to practice daily with a dummy gun to build up the needed
range of motion and strength required to hold a handgun. Starting
with the light weight of a training gun allows a person to establish
proper grip and movements from the beginning while strength
and endurance are built over time.
It is relatively easy to use some electrical tape and add a hand
weight to a training gun as strength increases. In the photo, I have
attached a plastic dumbbell to the training gun to actually make
it heavier than the real gun is. For those building strength, they
should work their way up from the light training gun to at least
The five pound weight attached to this training dummy with electrical tape
may not be pretty, but it works for building endurance for steadily holding a
handgun in a proper grip. Start out with a lighter weight or just the weight
of the training gun.

7
the weight of the real thing. The trainer I use is to help me with
aggressive therapy for frozen shoulder and to regain endurance.
Be innovative and think it through. You don’t have to rely on
another person’s way of doing things. Think for yourself. Consider
for a moment martial arts masters. Who was the first master of the
art? It was someone who came up with certain moves or weapons
and was sought after by others who wished to learn the craft. For
those of us with disabilities, we need to become our own masters
for what we need to do to overcome handicaps the world puts in
front of us that seem to mock our disabilities. Don’t wait to be
lead. Be the leader of your own life. Who knows, you may be the
next master trainer for people with disabilities who desire to be
armed with a weapon.
D. Weapons
There are basically two types of handguns used by those who
carry concealed. There are semi-automatic pistols and revolvers.
A pistol will load another round into the chamber from a spring-loaded
magazine full of ammo with each pull of the trigger.
The first round that is chambered on loading the gun requires
manipulating a slide to the end of its rearward point of travel and
letting it go. The slide has resistance from being pulled back due
to the recoil springs. Many with hand and arm disabilities will
never be able to successfully manipulate a pistol. Others will be
able to after some strength training, while many more will need
to only use a specific model of pistol.
I still have my hand strength but not without pain at times. I find
it more painful to manipulate a smaller pistol than a larger one.
Smaller pistols have tiny slides that are tough to grip and have
really heavy recoil springs since the pistols don’t have enough
weight to help with managing recoil forces. It may seem odd until
some time is spent practicing with triple redundantly confirmed
unloaded guns*, but some will find that a big old 1911 .45 ACP
might be easier to handle than a tiny Kel-Tec P3AT.
For those who are not holding out much hope of being able to
manipulate a pistol, there is always the revolver. In fact, many
experts who are always touting this pistol or that pistol actually
carry small .38 Special snub nose revolvers in their pockets
wherever they go. Depending on the cylinder latch, the revolver
can be much more easily manipulated with one hand than a pistol
can. That hypothetical one-armed one-handed man with only
two fingers and a thumb mentioned earlier could load, unload,
and shoot a revolver. Of course, he won’t be able to reload with
any great speed, but in most critical incidents a reload is never
necessary anyway.
Some see the benefit of having more than one weapon for defense.
Some incidents where it would be illegal to use lethal force may
be completely appropriate to use less-than-lethal force such as
an electronic stun device or pepper spray. Fox Labs is the best
pepper spray available. You can read rhetoric for hours, but the
Fox Labs products are what I trust. As for electronic stun devices,
I like the TASER C2 model except for the sliding door that reveals
the trigger button.
Fox Labs pepper spray is the best there is. Don’t forget an inert training unit
to test spray patterns and distances for your chosen type of pepper spray
whether it be fog or stream. Pictured is a Fox Labs pepper spray “grenade”
on the left which has a stay-on actuator. It is great for fogging an area with
pepper spray while evasion maneuvers are carried out. The spray on the
right comes out of the end of the tubing. It is great for defending an entrance.
It does require installation for such use.
Products such as electronic stun devices and pepper spray are
called less-than-lethal simply because they can be lethal under
certain circumstances. The intent of the weapons is to have one
that can be deployed to defend, but a weapon that under almost
every circumstance imaginable is not designed to cause death or
even serious injury. However, people with heart problems have
been said to have died as a result of being hit with an electronic
stun device, and people have been seriously burned by pepper
spray. Secondary accidents are often the culprit of death when
using a less-than-lethal weapon such as an attacker falling down
and striking his head when hit with a TASER, or an attacker
running out into traffic and being hit by a car after being sprayed
with pepper spray.
The logical bottom line is that the intent to attack from the attacker
caused all of his problems. Take away the intent to attack and all
the rest of the problems disappear. However, blame in America
seems to go where the dollar is rather than where the logic is.
Check your state’s statutes on owning, carrying, and using devices
such as a TASER or Fox Labs Pepper Spray. Also, if you decide
to regularly carry a handgun and have a multi-state license, be
sure that your less-than-lethal weapons are okay in the states you
have a gun permit in. Just because your neighboring state honors
the gun permit from your state does not mean they allow other
weapons.
If you are ambulatory and walk with an unsteady gate or limp,
consider the wonderful cane as an adjunct weapon. Not the flimsy
adjustable metal ones, nor the ones designed specifically to be

8
ake the basic information you just read and adapt it to your
own personal needs. It comes down to some very fundamental
principles.
You need to establish what kinds of weapons you can manipulate
under stress. You need to decide whether you can build up strength,
endurance, and range of motion to effectively use your chosen
weapon. You need to acquire the skill of using the weapon.
Let’s say for this scenario you decided you might be able to use a
revolver. See if you can work out a deal with a gun shop. Check to
see if they will allow spending at least an hour or so learning and
manipulating a used model of a new gun you wish to purchase,
or the actual used model that is being considered. Used guns
may be a tad bit easier to manipulate simply because of already
being broken in. Springs are a bit more relaxed, and double action
triggers are worn in. Ask if they can accommodate by allowing
the use of a private area away from the other customers so you
can be comfortable while checking if a certain gun is a viable
weapon system option. Learn the basic operational principles
of the gun—loading, unloading and dry-firing. Practice loading
dummy ammunition and dry-firing. If you can almost squeeze the
trigger but not quite yet, then there is hope that some strength
building exercises will help.
ith the shelves of the gun store lined with holster options,
it is tough for those without disabilities to find that perfect
holster for their gun. There are some important things to
consider for anyone buying a holster with even more things to
consider for those with disabilities. First, it is important to be able
to choose from a wide variety of manufacturers and models of
holsters made specifically for a gun model. This means that it is
better to buy a well known and popular brand of gun that most
holster manufacturers make holsters for.
Practice or Building Skill Sets
Specific Gear Classes
T
W
used as a weapon. Rather, a nice solid wood crook handle cane
without any embellishments. No carving of the wood to add
rough spots to tear skin, no sharpening of the handle end into a
point, and certainly no hidden metal blades or spears. Just a plain
wooden crook handle cane. This type of cane will get through
every security checkpoint. I have never heard of a verifiable
incident where a plain cane was denied access into a secure area.
Imagine the extra security of always having a solid stick with you
to deter everything from aggressive dogs to holding off a killer
for a couple of seconds while you draw your gun. If you are in
an area where no weapons are permitted, you already have the
advantage of having a cane. If someone intent on doing harm
sneaks a weapon into the same secure area you are at, at least
you have something when most others have few implements of
defense to choose from.
If you choose a fancy cane that catches the eye of the security
guard even if it is just because it is so cool looking, you have
missed the point entirely. If you like to be flashy and call attention
to yourself, then you might want to stop reading here. This report
won’t be of much help. If your desire is to avoid, evade, and if
all else fails defend, then you can add some ideas to your brain
box by adapting information in this report to your own needs and
circumstances.
If there is nowhere near the amount of strength or dexterity needed
to manipulate a gun, then take a hard look at whether or not it is a
goal that can realistically be achieved. An investment of less than
a hundred dollars for a dummy gun and some strength building
equipment is a lot less than what would be lost by buying a new
gun only to resell it soon after finding out it is not a viable option.
If there is a glimmer of hope of becoming strong enough to be
able to successfully use a handgun as a weapon option, by all
means consider it and take the steps necessary to achieve it.
Therapeutic putty is sort of like a big ball of the children’s toy
Silly Putty, but there is more quantity and it comes in different
resistance grades. I have seen first hand (pardon the pun) how
great it works to rebuild hand strength and dexterity. It takes
discipline to use it every day, but it works. Find a local supplier
or buy it online. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you are tougher
than you actually are. Get the softer grade of putty and work your
way up.
Holsters
The SERPA Quick Disconnect system allows a SERPA holster to be attached
to a solid object. Add more female attachment points to other objects to be
able to move the holster to the underside of a desk, a bedside, or wherever it
is needed. Never leave a firearm unattended.
Stay away from generic or one-size-fits-all types of holsters.
They are a waste of money. A good holster is sized and shaped
for a specific gun model. This means it will be more likely that
the perfect holster will be found for the major gun models that are
popular among consumers. A popular gun will have a shoulder,
hip, inside the waistband, outside the waistband, ankle, and just

9
Galco makes premium leather holsters for numerous makes and models of
handguns.
The SERPA holster is a great retention holster. For many who use a wheelchair,
the wheelchair will always be occupied when its owner is out in public. A
SERPA holster may work as an option in such cases. The holster would have
to be attached in an area out of view and readily accessible by the wheelchair
occupant. Some wheelchairs have an enclosed seating area with armrests
that would facilitate such use.
Guns
Ammunition
Reloading During A Fight
about any other holster type specifically made for that gun model.
If the gun is a popular model for concealed carry, there will be
more options. Consider this fact when buying the gun.
Decide which carry method is viable for you. Do you use a
wheelchair for mobility? A shoulder holster or appendix carry
belt holster may just be the ticket whereas a pancake holster on
the belt at the hip may not work at all. Maybe a fanny pack is
a better option to suit your range of motion. Do not worry so
much about the actual holster before considering the prime spot
on your body where the gun will be carried. Once the carry spot
is decided, then work out the specific holster model.
If it is impossible to carry a gun on your person in a holster, but
there is room in the seat area of a wheelchair that is hidden from
view, consider a Blackhawk SERPA holster. The SERPA can be
attached to a solid object and will retain a handgun in place without
fear of it falling loose. An easy to press button that is pressed
with the index finger on the drawstroke will release the gun to
be drawn. This option is great for those in certain wheelchairs
who have good arm control but limited trunk control. The SERPA
Quick Disconnect will make it possible to easily detach and
reattach the holster to the wheelchair.
For revolvers check out Ruger’s LCR. The trigger may just be
light enough for easier manipulation than some other revolver
models, and the cylinder latch release is a push button. Unless
there is no issue with hand strength, then small pocket pistols are
out of the question. They have stiff recoil springs and small, hard
to grip slides. Truthfully, it may be easier for some disabled people
to manipulate a full size 1911 than it would be to manipulate a
small 9mm or .380.
There may be some special circumstances that only a single-action
revolver can solve. Although the old cowboy guns aren’t
much considered as a good choice for concealed carry, if it is the
only thing that works, then why not use it? Don’t limit options.
Use what is available to meet the need. If the only thought is
being as cool as the other guys at the range, then some rethinking
needs to be done.
It may be better to use .38 Special ammunition in that .357
Magnum until there is enough confidence in being able to handle
the recoil of the .357 loads during a multiple shot group. The .38
Special ammo will work in a revolver chambered for .357 Magnum
cartridges. Just not the other way around. Consider recoil before
deciding on caliber. However, smaller calibers usually mean less
stopping power and smaller guns. Smaller guns have more felt
recoil. The felt recoil shooting a Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm is the same
as a 1911 Commander size .45 ACP.
There is a lot of emphasis put on reloading pistols and revolvers
in training courses. They even have fancy names for the way a
gun is being reloaded and when it should be done. There is the
tactical reload for one. The so-called “tactical reload” is popping
out a partially empty magazine and inserting a full one while
retaining the half empty one in a pocket or other spot on the body.
It is supposed to be carried out when there is a pause in a gunfight

10
for purposes of topping off the amount of bullets available in the
gun to be fired. I think they have more of those fight pauses on
TV than in real life. There is a considerable amount of debate on
its usefulness in real world combat situations by those without
disabilities. It is unlikely to be needed as a skill set for anyone.
A disabled person with a pistol should concentrate on being able
to reload when empty and to clear jams if possible. For most
civilians, carrying an extra magazine for a pistol is due more to
the possibility of hardware failure than the need to have a bunch
of extra bullets to fend off attackers. Since any piece of hardware
can malfunction, another option should be sought. That other
option should be a back up gun (BUG).
The BUG
Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch teaches how, “Two is one and one
is none.” It simply is a play on words to emphasize the regularity
that any machine can fail. Having another working one close by
for any machine is always quicker than trying to fix the broken
one. If the disability permits a workable way of carrying a second
gun as a back up, then it is a good idea.
Magazine Disconnect
The magazine disconnect feature on pistols will not allow a round
to be fired when there is no magazine in the gun, even though a
round is in the chamber. This safety feature can be of benefit to
the disabled who can carry a pistol. If there is ever a tussle for the
gun, a disabled person may lose out due to disparity of physical
strength between him and his attacker. If the carry pistol has the
magazine disconnect feature, simply popping out the magazine
by pressing the magazine release may save your life in such a
situation.
With the magazine out, the attacker will not be able to shoot you
with your own gun unless he is gun savvy enough to know he
needs to acquire the magazine and reinsert it into the gun. This
type of situation would allow time to deploy a BUG. Be certain
whether or not your chosen gun has the magazine disconnect
feature.
Wrap Up
Resources
epending on the disability, there may be a degree of help
needed to be able to use a gun for defense. This is a private
area where each person will have to work it out on his own.
D
Self-sufficiency should be the goal, but don’t go on with life
without preparation for defense just because of pride. If there
is a friend or family member that can help build skills and self-sufficiency,
by all means ask for help. Maybe just a little help with
cleaning the gun will be all that is needed. Maybe you can load
and fire that 1911 like a champ, but there is a bit of difficulty with
pushing that last round in the magazine. Adapt by carrying the
gun with one round short or ask for help topping off the magazine.
Do what it takes to ensure your own survival. There is no need to
additionally be labeled a victim just because one already wears
the banner of being disabled.
*Redundantly confirming the unloaded status of a handgun
is taught by the guys at Armed Response. Simply put, it is to
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for unloading the handgun
followed by triple redundancy in making sure it is unloaded. For
example: Removing a magazine, followed by racking the slide
and seeing the chambered round eject is unloading. Redundancy
has the operator confirm again visually that the chamber is empty.
Tripling the redundancy has the operator confirming again by
sticking a finger into the empty chamber or having another person
confirm visually that the chamber is indeed empty. (Do not reinsert
a loaded magazine).
Pepper Spray
Fox Labs.com
Electronic Stun Device
TASER.com
Training Guns
BlueGuns.com
Exercise Putty
Available online and medical supply places.
Training DVDs and Books
ThunderRanch.com
Armedresponsetraining.com
Concealed Carry Fundamentals
Holsters
USGalco.com
Blackhawk.com (SERPA)
Revolver Option
Ruger LCR Revolver
Laser Aiming Devices
Crimsontrace.com
Medical Supplies
Celoxmedical.com

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