Gangster Style Shooting?

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Just a by the way, but ten paces (the standard dueling distance) is 50 feet. Each duelist would take ten steps -- and since there were two of them that made ten paces.

To count paces, step off on the left foot and count every time the right foot strikes the ground.
 
Eric F said
Not that I really care to run this off into thread drift but my 1911 is sighted in for 25 yards so therefore I would engage at 25 yards if I could
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I'm sure the goblins will consult your sight settings so as to become threatening at your preferre engagemnt range.

At 7 yards and under, it makes no difference at all.
 
I believe it was in my gun digest 2000 that they did a test to see if it was more or less accurate to shoot a handgun holding it sideways and when they looked at the targets at the end of the article it was about the same either way. Shoot in a way that is comfortable for you while keeping your accuracy at its maximum.
 
I was at the range and there was a "gangster" with an AR15 pistol and he held it buy his hip with the laser sight on while he shot.

I actually took a video of it. It's on my photobucket but can't get to it at work
 
The reason they hold guns that way in TV & Movies is because if they held the gun properly the camera couldn't see their face.
 
I think it was a combination of many valid things originally, then became a "style" that is recognizable in pop culture.
The first place I saw this technique was in the movie "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly". The "Ugly" holds his gun sideways to shoot over the top of a door while offing some farmer.
As for the concept of empties whacking one in the head. This is true. A lot of small guns have an extractor dead on top of the gun, empties sail up and come right down on MY forehead. I've tested the gangsta hold on several of these type hand guns and it does force the empties out and away from me.
The sideways spray theory is valid also. Probably originating from small full-autos like the Ingram and such.
 
personal preference, but I find it easier to get the bullet to curve when I'm shooting gangster style. Now if I could just get some back spin on the bullet...
 
IBTL!

The story I heard was that when older movies with guns were being filmed. If they held the pistol correctly it would eject blanks and always hit them in the head or face... So they held it sideways to not get pummeled by hot shells.

And then ghetto people thought it looked cool, and here we are....
 
Look at this vintage poster from one of the gangsters' all-time favorite movies:

sf1.gif

IIRC, Montana does shoot the dirty cop in the gut from a sideways-held pistol.
 
it probably started out for the hollywood reason, the 'keep spray of bullets going lateral' reason, possibly an instinctual habit of aiming that starting with unskilled street thug shooters, etc.

but now it is almost certainly part of an image.
 
IIRC, Montana does shoot the dirty cop in the gut from a sideways-held pistol.
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His arm is "casually" resting on the arm of his chair when he_without warning_shoots the cop. The gun is sideways as a factor of that rather than him choosing to "aim" it that way.

I'm curious where so many of you live and what you do for a living that allows you to know how "gangsters" handle guns as a group. The only people I have ever seen shoot a gun that way are dufuses (dufi?) at the shooting range. They were all different colors and ages and most of them were clearly just goofing around.
I, too, am of the opinion that you think "gangsters" shoot that way because TV and movies have convinced you of it.
 
I was told in the police academy That they had first seen it in soldier of fortune magazine, I believe they mentioned 1911's and BHP's that shooting like this, caused the muzzle to flip vertically, and since most people present a greater target vertically than they do horizontally, increased their chances to hit said target.

I could also see an advantage in exposing less of yourself shooting over the top of a car.

Now "gang-bangers" do get it from hollywood, as an emulation of their "idols". let us all pray they dont start watching Jerry Miculek.

the idea of doing this with a jennings to enhance feeding was valid, until the slide sheared off the rails and hit me in the chest. brass from my cz-52 shooting surplus ammo caught upwards of 10 seconds of airtime, going completely vertical, in one instance hitting the gun on its decent.
 
I'm curious where so many of you live and what you do for a living that allows you to know how "gangsters" handle guns as a group. The only people I have ever seen shoot a gun that way are dufuses (dufi?) at the shooting range.
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The dufi and the gangstas are the same people.
 
And here... I thought the gang bangers had learnt to point and shoot...
 
well vegasOPM has it right!

the reason they hold their weapons that way is simple. this actually started in los angelas. when the riot teams would break down the doors or gang/crack houses and raid them the lead officer would cant his weapon sideways around his entry shield. the gang members saw this and assumed that was the way the "elite" were supposed to shoot.

true story!
 
If they were all in prison and movies wouldn't glorify them we'd never see it again......its all urban hype and showing off what they learned from these "gangsta" movies...I bet Capone and Machine Gun Kelly are rolling in their graves....
 
I heard it was first done in Lethal Weapon I when the bad guys were tired of getting popped in the face. The actors changed grip and then all is history. Since hearing this explanation though, I haven't seen the original Lethal Weapon movie again to see if the bad guys were doing this.
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I first saw it used alot in the TV Series "The Equalizer' which came out in 1985 , 4 years before "Lethal Weapon"
 
the reason they hold their weapons that way is simple. this actually started in los angelas. when the riot teams would break down the doors or gang/crack houses and raid them the lead officer would cant his weapon sideways around his entry shield. the gang members saw this and assumed that was the way the "elite" were supposed to shoot.

true story!
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I'm not sure I believe that, but it's an interesting theory.
 
I grew up in a rough place, and most REAL gangbangers I'd see shooting shoot like you or I would, with a 2 hand grip and aiming.
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It might be that, as with accents, people probably learn their shooting habits from those around them, with little national diffusion and uniformity.
 
what about the gangbangers that sort of look like they throw the bullet out of the gun, shaking the gun at you every time they fire.

Anyone see this on shooting videos?
 
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