The Lock-a-Draw draw keep, which allows strength challenged individuals to draw a strong bow with both hands and a foot, was modified so that a one armed person could shoot it.  I made a prototype and it worked well when used with my testing apparatus.  However when it was tried on a bow the shock of shooting an arrow rattled the release in the mouth, endangering teeth and caused some bleeding.  Using the release in the mouth is not practical.

I will continue to try to develop a practical system to use the Lock-a-Draw draw keep with one arm.

The Impractical Modified Release

To see how the system works, you should first watch the video, Shooting with the Lock-a-Draw draw keep which demonstrates the unaltered draw keep.  The unaltered draw keep has a release with a button safety that has to be held down while pulling the trigger.  The Altered Prototype shows the lever

Standard Lock-a-Draw Release

Modified Prototype

system used to actuate the safety and trigger.  The unit shown is in the tester I use to test each Lock-a-Draw release at 30# letoff draw weight before shipping them (to insure 3# or less trigger pull).  This is how I have tested the prototype since I do not have a bow set up to try it out on.   The trigger is pulled with the tongue by pressing the small lever connected to the trigger.  This is very easy to do after the top lever is depressed with the lips between the bottom tab and the top lever. 

 There are a couple of issues in the system that may require some bow modification.  First of all, the draw length will be shorter than usual by perhaps an inch or possibly two.  Also, the position of the front sight and peep will have to be lower than usual by the same amount.  This may require the serving on the string around the nocking point to be shorter.  These changes should be easily made by a bow shop.

One of the ways that one armed shooters have shot traditionally is to use a tooth tab on the bow string.  The tab is held between the teeth while the bow is drawn by extending the arm holding the bow.  It seems to me that this would require a low draw weight bow.  The advantage of the present system is that it would allow the use of a much stronger bow.  Cocking a 70# Lock-a-Draw draw keep equipped bow with one hand is doable even for this 78 year old.  (I cannot draw a 50# bow in the traditional manner.)

If you would like to be notified if and when the modified Lock-a-Draw draw keep is available please email me at vsandel@1armarchery.com.  I will not sell or give your email to anyone, or even contact you for any reason other than to notify you   Contacting me in no way commits you to purchase.  I would need at least 50 responses to go ahead setting up manufacturing.