Limp wristing

Of the important variables involved in this type of malfunction, bullet and gas momentum, slide and barrel mass, recoil spring pre-load and spring rate, and shooting hand and arm mass are much more important than the compliance (limpness) of the wrist.

Approximately 50% of the momentum imparted by the bullet and gas is converted into kinetic energy of the slide relative to the frame.

Depending on the operating mechanism, there are a number of places that limp wristing can cause a failure to cycle.

When there is not enough energy to move the slide back far enough relative to the frame to cycle the action, it is called limp wristing.

One common result of limp wristing is a failure to eject, as the slide will be moving too slowly at the point where the ejector is activated.

As the name suggests, the problem occurs most often with shooters who have a loose grip or allow their wrists to flex or bend too much relative to their forearm during recoil.

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.

Aluminium and titanium alloys are slightly heavier and much stiffer than the polymers, and steel is the heaviest frame material generally 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.

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 than the light-handed to experience limp wrist-induced malfunctions.