Grip techniques: Which one do you use?

[mesinge2]

I was just curious. I have always used a weaver stance to shoot any of my handguns. I was just curious about how many other grips styles there are, how they work (pluses and minuses) and what is everyone's favorite.

[JWJacobVT]

http://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics_training/combatg_100306/index5.html

[Zak Smith]

Modern isosceles dominates practical shooting competition
http://demigodllc.com/photo/CC3G-2007.04/smaller/D101_4544_img.jpg (http://demigodllc.com/photo/CC3G-2007.04/?small=D101_4544_img.jpg)
............... Larger version of above photo. (http://demigodllc.com/photo/CC3G-2007.04/?small=D101_4544_img.jpg)

Here's a good article on it http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_149_24/ai_65910635/?tag=content;col1

[geronimo509]

Gangsta style http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_02/004gun_468x377.jpg

Ps. that is not me, I google imaged "gangster shooting gun"

[nachosgrande]

^^^^^^^^^

Word

[sniper5]

Weaver for combat. "Duellers" stance for bullseye. They both work well for me. Plus the Weaver transitions well to shotgun, knife, or hand to hand and kneeling becomes a simple matter of dropping your strong knee.

[S&Wfan]

Mas Ayoob wisely teaches that we should use what works!

When a threat comes from the side, you turn to the threat . . . using the Weaver.

If the threat is in front, you might transition to Isosceles . . . and back again.

Up close and personal, you'll naturally go into the fighting stance of the Weaver again.

If you are wounded, you must transition to a single handed grip . . . either strong or weak hand.

If something gets in your eye you might have to smoothly shift to your non-dominant eye (try that sometime and you'll see why you need to practice hard before this might happen.

Folks, train hard, and train variably! Master it all. It is foolish to remain a one-trick pony.

T.

PS: My favorite grip in most matches is Isosceles. Then again . . . ain't nobody shooting back!!! I'm a big enough target as it is, not to have to turn face-on!

[floods]

Thumbs pointing grip, isosceles stance. Need to work on more forward lean, I tend to get a little too relaxed. :)

[9mmepiphany]

thumbs forward grip in the Modern Isosceles stance. as i transition to different targets, i will drop an elbow into something like the Chapman stance but the grip stays the same.

i find the thumbs forward and Isosceles allows me to get followup shots off faster due to the more natural return of the gun from recoil

[kyo]

http://www.pointshooting.com/carmag.htm
http://www.ipdsystems.com/index.html
The first one explains what it is and examples of it, the second link are a few examples.
Central Axis Relock.

[wrs840]

Weaver.

Not advocating. It's just what I do.

Les

[9mmepiphany]

a question of Weaver users:

when you transition between targets, do you shift your stance to maintain the proper arm relationship?

O/T: since Ray Weaver invented the Weaver Stance for use with his the S&W K-38, wouldn't use with any semi-auto pistol be a Modified Weaver?

[Clifford]

It's a modified weaver stance my right foot is 4" back and angled out. I started shooting thumbs forward and found wrapping my left hand around the right was more comfortable.

Weaver had big hands and could wrap his hands around a revolver. I'm a midget and can't shoot a revolver that way.

[Deanimator]

Chapman or one handed.

[heron]

If all you'll ever do is stand in one place and shoot non-moving targets, just try all the stances and stay with the one that serves you best for that. Be sure to modify it to best suit your own body mechanics, and then you can name it after yourself if you like.

If you anticipate ever having to engage an armed opponent, get a copy of "StressFire (Volume I of Gunfighting for Police)" by Massad Ayoob. You'll quit naming positions (or even thinking about them) and start thinking, "stop the bad guy."

[Clarence]

Weaver - It's worked fine all these years and I'm too old to change now.

[BillyBA]

found this cool lil thing on my "GUNS AND WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT" magazine.

CS152 - Steady Strap

Target shooters, hunters and law enforcement personnel all have one problem in common the need to hold their firearms steady when aiming at a target no matter what the shooting situation. Now there is an effective way to help solve the challenge of steadiness when shooting a new product called Steady Strap

Regularly:
$6.25

On Sale:
$5.95
the link is http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index.php?app=ccp0&ns=prodshow&ref=SS

thinking about trying it myself ??

[David E]

I have found few people know what stance they use.

Sure, they may THINK they know, but then they show you something altogether different.

I once had a Sgt tell me why he didn't like the "Weaver" stance then proceed to demo a stance that wasn't even remotely similar to it. No wonder he didn't like it.

Of those that do know what stance they use, they don't execute it properly. It may LOOK like the stance, but the muscle tension isn't right or non-existent.

Modern Isosceles works very well for most people in a variety of situations, but it must be properly executed.

Weaver is a close second.

Everything else "works" for recreational shooting for slowfire or specific shooting pursuits like Bullseye.

(BTW, it was created by JACK Weaver, not "Ray")

[9mmepiphany]

oops...i was thinking of Ray Chapman

[Wolfeye]

I use Weaver, with thumbs crossed. My legs usually place themselves the same way they do for martial arts, and I crouch a lot. If I'm firing magnums I find the Modified Weaver to be the most managable, and isosoles the least.

[Bat22]

Isosceles/Weaver for me

But I've seen some pros really dominate the competition using Gangsta, especially with the right modifications...

http://mossycreekcustom.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/homeboy-sights.jpg

[tbtrout]

I use Weaver and Iscoceles. I do not like the thumbs forward grip and stick with high crossed thumbs.

[HorseSoldier]

Isoceles, or probably technically modified isoceles.

[thorazine]

Center axis relock.

[KarenTOC]

Now there is an effective way to help solve the challenge of steadiness when shooting a new product called Steady Strap

But why would we want to shoot a new product?

[ScareyH22A]

Anywhere I can go to find good details on these stances?

[Geno]

Clifford:

I didn't realize you knew Larry the Cable guy. Hmmm. I didn't know he was a shootist. Impressed he let you take his picture. :D

Geno

[kmrcstintn]

depends on how hard I concentrate when I'm slinging lead; sometimes dedicated weaver, sometimes dedicated isoscoles, sometimes a bit of both; I'm working on single hand shooting a bit more nowadays, especially weak hand cross body to dominate eye with the snubby and the long barreled beasts...each one demands a new set of motor skills in grip and angle (ie: the snubby w/ boot grip leaves pinky unsupported and the beasts balance heavy toward the muzzle) & again I find myslef shooting more with supporting leg back and standing sideways, but I try to train with an isoscoles stance because I cannot always guarantee that I will have room to step back and sideways

[stana]

I grip the handgunn just as hard as I can without shaking with my strong hand and hang on with my weak hand. Thumbs down with revolvers, thumbs pointing ahead with pistols, thumbs down with one hand. I like the Weaver stance, because that is what I was taught in the beginning and it brings the front sight closer, I like to see the lots of light on both sides of the front sight. (when theres time to notice).

[possum]

isosceles for me, but that all goes out the window when you start shooting anf moving, and in alot of the positions that you might find yourself in in a gun fight. if you can get a good stance that is great but don't be too surprised if you aren't able to assume a good textbook stance when you need to defend yourself.

[tipoc]

Anywhere I can go to find good details on these stances?

This may help, and there are related vidoes there as well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFq5Qkedl3Q

There is another portion of the interview with Weaver which is in the written version and I don't see it here. In the full interview Weaver points out that some time after he had developed his stance he read an article on it which went into some detail on foot positioning in the Weaver stance as well as mentioning an isometric push/pull on the gun. Weaver points out that he had never thought of these things and wasn't aware of any particular foot stance he used. He used what seemed right for where he was and how he wanted to move. He also said that he did not think of any isometric tension on the gun, he just held it in two hands and raised it enough to see the sights well and dipped his head a bit. That was it.

Nowdays when you look at instructors teaching the Weaver they will argue among themselves the correct foot positioning, correct amount of push/pull tension, etc. They will argue the Weaver vs. the "modern" isoceles, etc. Silliness most of it.



tipoc

[possum]

zak posted pics, i guess i will too.

here is what i set up when i can,
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/rollins_joshua/IMG_9882.jpg

but as you can see from these that technique has to be modified to work in other situations/ body positions if used at all.
here on my knees.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/rollins_joshua/IMG_0485.jpg
ie shooting behind cover etc.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a98/rollins_joshua/IMG_9628.jpg

[Zak Smith]

but that all goes out the window when you start shooting anf moving,
One of the points of modern isosceles is that it works very well while on the move.

http://www.demigodllc.com/photo/TR-FOF-2005/smaller/DSC00349.jpg (http://www.demigodllc.com/photo/TR-FOF-2005/?small=DSC00349.jpg)
............... Larger version of above photo. (http://www.demigodllc.com/photo/TR-FOF-2005/?small=DSC00349.jpg)

[Clifford]

Geno, I get that a lot. BTW I normally shoot with two eyes open unless it a long range shot.

GIT-ER-DONE!!!

[bigfatdave]

I have noticed an improvement using modern isosceles in the last few months. I always shot Weaver, so every time I pick up a pistol I start to assume Weaver, and then go to the M.I.
Perhaps it is just that I am really thinking about my stance and thus improving fundamentals, but it works.
Now to drill/train the M.I. as the primary stance, so I can assume it without extra thinking.

[David E]

Placing your support hand UNDER the gun hand is the old "cup and saucer" technique.

It was lacking then, it's lacking now.

When firing single shots or slowfire, then technique doesn't matter as much.

There are pictures of Elmer Keith firing a .44 magnum in full recoil that show his hands totally separated by the recoil force. For SINGLE shots, such as when hunting, this doesn't matter one whit.

For accurate RAPID FIRE, such as when shooting to defend your life, it matters a lot.

A good, properly executed technique allows the gun to be controlled during rapid fire. (We'll define rapid fire as 1 shot per 1/2 second or faster)

If your technique or execution won't allow that, then keep looking or tweaking.

.