How do you grip it: Thumbs forward or thumb over thumb?

Thumbs forward for me ... although I have to pause a second every time I pickup a wheel gun to get my thumbs right.

The key I've found with thumbs forward is to keep the fingers somewhat loose, and to squeeze palms together with equal pressure. If my grip is right, it feels like the thumbs are doing nothing ... just trying to stay out of the way.

Used to do thumb over thumb and the bullets would pull to the weak hand side due to lack of firearm support.

holy thread raising batman!

Thumbs forward for me.

I was taught "Thumbs Forward" at FLETC.

Before that I used "Thumbs Down" as taught on revolvers back when I worked for a state agency. Having waffled back and forth over the years I've come to the conclusion that it's "Thumbs Down, or Thumb over Thumb" for me.

My reasons are: better weapon retention, better scores, ability to handle recoil better, less prone to induce a malfunction and lastly having been shown/taught the "Crush Grip" that Massad Ayoob teaches I know it works better for me.

The "Thumbs Forward" grip is good for: teaching newbies and getting them qualified quickly. Beyond that it does not have much of a place in my Tool Box.

Used to do thumb over thumb and the bullets would pull to the weak hand side due to lack of firearm support.

Click to expand...

Grip harder with your strong hand and learn to shoot through the quivering. I try to squeeze so hard that sap runs out from between my fingers if I have wood grips on the gun. That "firm but relaxed" crap is OK for the PPC Course, but don't fly when you are shooting to live.

BikerRN

Thumbs forward on everything but Glocks and revolvers.

On weapons retention with the thumbs forward grip; Seems an odd argument against it. If a fella is grappling with you for your gun do you retain either a two handed thumb forward or thumb under grip? No. It would be exceedingly un-natural and odd. In either case the grip will shift some to the strongest retention grip possible while the other arm does what it needs to defensively.

So seems to me the argument against the thumbs forward grip because it's bad for retention is moot.

We have different sized hands and may grip different type guns a bit differently. What aids the individual shooter, for the type of shooting they are doing, is most useful.

tipoc

Hold with the right, cup with the left (supporting from beneath), thumbs brace each other (no pulling down).

two very important reasons thumbs forward is not the best grip for self-defense street work.

1. Drawing from a holster.... can and will cause accidental activation of the action levers on many semi-autos. Glock may be an exception. I have seen countless accidental "lock-backs" of semi-autos on the Range with newbies trying the thumbs forward grip. Sure training can help eliminate a lot of this stuff, but how much ?? and will the shooter actually train enough under "extreme Stress" senerios to be effective in emergencies ??

2. Weapon retention ....... there is NO struggling with someone that knows what they are doing ( like the inmates that practice hours and hours every day ) when it comes to removing a semi-auto from the hands of a Thumbs Forward grip. It is as easy as childs play ! Try it your self ........the next FOF training session. With Thumbs forward, the only power you have holding the weapon is the 3 fingers of the trigger hand ........the weak hand is usually just cupped as a support. Anyone knows the power in a GRIP is in your thumbs locking over the weapon or another person's hand. Self-defense training teaches you that in order to break a hand hold on your arm ....always move to break the thumb hold and your arm will come free easily.

Time is short or I could go on and on ..........


JF.

2. Weapon retention ....... there is NO struggling with someone that knows what they are doing ( like the inmates that practice hours and hours every day ) when it comes to removing a semi-auto from the hands of a Thumbs Forward grip. It is as easy as childs play ! Try it your self

Click to expand...

With "someone who knows what they are doing" they will likely take the weapon irregardless of the particular grip. If you let them get that close. Again an odd argument against it. The transition from one to the other is natural and takes about as much time as it takes to pull a trigger.

When shooting no one grips the gun as tightly as possible. The "crush" grip is only hard enough to turn the fingernails white at the tips, the thumbs down grip is no tighter than the thumbs forward and no more secure against "someone who knows what they are doing". Your scenario involves a person being taken unawares by a trained person in disarming someone. Only proper instruction in how to counteract this will work. Without the latter either grip is vulnarabul.

tipoc

4werd

Thumb over thumb feels awkward.

Thumbs forward.

I just tried the thumb over thumb grip with 3 different guns... Egads that feels weird! That just doesn't feel like anything that anyone would do instinctively. It felt completely unnatural.

I like and use "thumb over thumb".

Taught & trained thumbs forward -- now after all these years that's all I know

I use thumb over thumb even though thumbs foward is superior for 1911's

Thumb over thumb. Supporting hand-thumb curled & pressing down when shooting DA revolvers, pointing up & pressing sideways when shooting semi-auto.
All wrong but can't shake the habit.

the thumbs down grip is no tighter than the thumbs forward and no more secure against "someone who knows what they are doing". Your scenario involves a person being taken unawares by a trained person in disarming someone.

I will respectfully have to disagree ........ I suspect you have not done much force on force training with handsguns ???

I teach women to draw and work from what I call the shooter's triangle...... hangun held slightly in front of belt buckle and arms tucked tightly against their sides. Almost impossible to kick the gun loose from the shooter's triangle using the thumbs over thumbs grip. The thumbs forward grip is very awkward holding the weapon down that low. But this technique allows a shooter to draw his/her weapon and immeadiately put rounds on target [acccurately] out to 12 feet ( 11" circle with no misses with a 6 round burst response in under 2 seconds ) It is also "extremely" hard to try and pull the weapon from a person using this grip and stance. ( Even the smaller women )

Extend your arms even a little bit ........... and all bets are off !!!!

Working from the shooters triangle doesn't require you to try and line up your pistol sights, so it is extremely FAST. Target aquisition is learned from "motor memory" techniques that I teach. Since all movement happens in front of the shooter ........ the attacker is not given a clear picture of what is about to take place ........the body disguises the weapon to a degree.

As far as white knuckles ?? The thumbs over grip allows you to control the tightness of your grip by the amount of pressure that is applied by the weak hand thumb. The trigger hand or "strong hand " remains relaxed for the most part. The more pressure you apply downward from the top thumb --- the tighter your grip becomes .........try it !!

NOt trying to convert you at all .....to each his own ......... I need to teach the thumbs over thumbs grip in order for the shooter's triangle and 6 round burst response to work effectively .......... on average I have 15 weeks to teach a new student and go from -- a Novice to something that resembles a combat shooter. The shooter's triangle and burst response is awesome to watch & usually has many people stop to watch ........... but the thumbs over grip is an important part of this training technique.


JF.

I cannot foresee a circumstance in which I would maintain an arms-extended-thumbs-forward grip when someone was within arms-length. I suspect my left arm would be extended to create some distance while my right was squeezing the trigger in the general direction of the threat until it stopped or I could get more distance.

The discussion is as silly as arguing that a Weaver stance provides better retention than Isosceles when preventing gun grabs.

When the fight starts, you're gonna hold on to your gun by whatever part you can grab. The position of your thumbs will be the least of your worries.

Voted thumbs forward..but it depends on the gun ..Fullsize or compacts I usually go with thumbs forward.
Subcompacts, small pocketguns, snubs I go with thumb over thumb. ..I like the tip of my thumb to much

Click to expand...

This is me to.

Thumb over thumb is good for revolvers, but when I shoot semi-autos I prefer thumbs forward.

I'm a thumb over thumb guy and it seems that I secure the gun more than thumbs forward. But I'd like to know how you grip your semi-autoloader?

Click to expand...

[X]Other -- not listed.

Thumbs forward.

skinewmexico said Thumb over thumb, you'll lose a chunk of hide pretty soon.

Click to expand...

I gota agree with ya there. Did that the very fist time I shot an auto pistol and it was NOT plesent.

Now I just shoot one handed. It lets me light up my eye on that side with the gun and hand (left hand, left side, left eye; right hand, right side, right eye) If I try holding it in the center in front of me with both hands my eyes go cross and I can't hit the broad side of a barn from inside with a full mag. Thats just me tho, I do everything else right handed and right eyed but shoot pistol with either hand but not both. :banghead:

Edit: As far as retaining the weapon what good is the empty gun going to do them if they pry it out of my hands? If someone grabs my gun in a struggle and its not pointed at me i'm going to fire it as rapidly as I can to make it hard as hell for them to hold on to and empty the mag in case they get it away from me.

jojo: someone or even videos on utube can show you how to learn shooting combat grip both eyes open.
Even an old stubborn guy like me converted from bullseye to combat. A good instructor can convince you quickly that you CAN do it, and it will improve your overall shooting.