How do You Grip Your Wheel Gun?
- Thread starter Tophernj
- Start date
- Status
I go back to the .357 mag carry years, left thumb over right, works great for the S&W target and Pachmyer mono grips. Pushing .357/.44mag DA split times and the reason becomes obvious, plus, I don't want any part of my body close to the cylinder gap during rapid fire magnum loads.
Place a cardboard target/box parallel with the cylinder gap and the escaping cylinder gap gases will blast a hole through it.
Place a cardboard target/box parallel with the cylinder gap and the escaping cylinder gap gases will blast a hole through it.
deputy tom
Member
Old skool modified weaver with weak hand thumb over strong hand thumb with downward pressure. Same with semi-auto pistols. YMMV. tom. 
IWAC
Member
Yeah! Keep ANYTHING flesh away from the cylinder/barrel gap! But...showin's better than tellin"!Like this:
Two hands like Toms Picture
This gives the option of S/A if you want to switch and shoot it that way and you still have a concrete platform for D/A shooting!
I am trying may hardest to learn D/A as my little CHief has a Bobbed Hammer (that;s why I bought it) though my Model 10 has no mods to the hammer.
Learning D/a is the hrdest style I have ever shot! I wiggle and wobble bad due to a set of flat sided Pacmeyer Presentation grips. There is a big flat void behind the trigger finger! Natural place for irregularitys to happen.
The Model 10 HB is a big heavy revolver in comparison to a Chief and I want to rid bad habita from both frame sizes!
BPDave
This gives the option of S/A if you want to switch and shoot it that way and you still have a concrete platform for D/A shooting!
I am trying may hardest to learn D/A as my little CHief has a Bobbed Hammer (that;s why I bought it) though my Model 10 has no mods to the hammer.
Learning D/a is the hrdest style I have ever shot! I wiggle and wobble bad due to a set of flat sided Pacmeyer Presentation grips. There is a big flat void behind the trigger finger! Natural place for irregularitys to happen.
The Model 10 HB is a big heavy revolver in comparison to a Chief and I want to rid bad habita from both frame sizes!
BPDave
This, and as similarly recommended by shooter Jerry Miculek. Best for stability, control and speed and keeps digits from wandering near the fire snorting parts of the gun. Some of the holds in the pics look a bit close to the danger zone.
B
RetiredUSNChief
Member
HAHAHA! If it works, what does it matter, right?
Don't worry...I plan on officially joining the wheel gun community next year with a Colt SAA. Then people like you will have to suffer through me being all giddy and excited about it.
(Though, to be honest, I get that way any time I buy a gun...)
B!ngo said:
That it must be "best" 'cuz JM uses it is a non-sequiteur. JM is a great revo shooter for a number of reasons, but with or without JM's endorsement, the thumbs-forward grip is an excellent grip for stability, control and speed. JM's way isn't the only way. And many a clean and undamaged thumb will attest that "close" is relative.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Agreed.
Watching his videos on grip technique, he used the left-thumb-over-right grip ONLY for the little J-frames.
For those of you who choose to grip thumbs forward, here's pic of an under max pressure AA #9 powder load, not much of a muzzle flash, as would be expected loading using this powder, but there's huge fireball at the cylinder gap;
Start pushing max (max +pressures like the Ruger owners brag about) pressures and thumb integrity can become an issue.
Start pushing max (max +pressures like the Ruger owners brag about) pressures and thumb integrity can become an issue.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Sure. But if we/they shoot this way regularly and don't experience any more problem than what a bit of soap and water can clean up, what difference does it make?
It's not like getting your thumb tips blown off is a cumulative problem that builds up over time.
It's not like getting your thumb tips blown off is a cumulative problem that builds up over time.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Light target loads are one thing but full house magnums will embed particles in your hide. Extra sucky if your alignment is not perfect and lead or jacket material sprays out.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
That certainly could be the case. I personally shoot full power .44 Mags the same way I shoot 850 fps 200 gr. Specials. But, my thumbs don't pass beyond the cylinder gap, even when forward, so it's not a problem for me.
Deaf Smith
Member
When shooting one handed with the sights that is pretty much my way (but my hat is better looking.)
But if from the hip it looks more like this:
http://www.thellreed.com/html/the_original_combat_masters.html
Love those guys, even with the hokie speed holsters.
Deaf
No way your hat is nicer! The Green Stetson is the most magnificent hat in the history of hatdom!
I am decidedly old fashioned in almost EVERYTHING, and care little for today's shooting styles and fads, and I don't have a problem with that.
I've done some practicing with point shooting (not enough), and am not too bad at it. With a gun that fits your hand and points properly, it is surprisingly easy to hit fairly well at reasonably close distances.
I am decidedly old fashioned in almost EVERYTHING, and care little for today's shooting styles and fads, and I don't have a problem with that.
I've done some practicing with point shooting (not enough), and am not too bad at it. With a gun that fits your hand and points properly, it is surprisingly easy to hit fairly well at reasonably close distances.
Last edited:
How is a thumbs forward grip great for control, when opposable thumbs are necessary for good grip?
Reminds me of the AR15 fanboys and their strong side elbows tucked down by their sides.
When I shoot one handed, I hold it like Stophel.
BTW, Stophel, what revolver is that?
Nice Fedora. The pinnacle of civilian headwear.
When I shoot two handed, it's a white-knuckle, gun shaking from the tremors, kind of grip.
Just kidding. Thumbs locked down.
I remember the first time I saw someone shooting a handgun thumbs forward. Interesting fad that weakens your grip, but looks so tacticool that it must be the latest/greatest.
I can see it being ok for light loads. For anything generating real recoil, nah.
Reminds me of the AR15 fanboys and their strong side elbows tucked down by their sides.
When I shoot one handed, I hold it like Stophel.
BTW, Stophel, what revolver is that?
Nice Fedora. The pinnacle of civilian headwear.
When I shoot two handed, it's a white-knuckle, gun shaking from the tremors, kind of grip.
Just kidding. Thumbs locked down.
I remember the first time I saw someone shooting a handgun thumbs forward. Interesting fad that weakens your grip, but looks so tacticool that it must be the latest/greatest.
I can see it being ok for light loads. For anything generating real recoil, nah.
That's actually my long-term project gun. An "oldified" S&W modern M21-4 .44 Special. Lock gone, hole plugged, reshaping here and there, squarified butt, etc. Eventually, I'll finish the thing!
Two handed for me is the old "cup and saucer" hold.
I am the least tacticool shooter you will ever meet.
Two handed for me is the old "cup and saucer" hold.
I am the least tacticool shooter you will ever meet.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Actually, if you believe that then the grip you're using is probably not very good. Thumbs forward does not weaken the grip strength because the thumbs should not be gripping anyway.
Ahhh, I see.
Sam, you are wrong.
Opposable thumbs are what give us grip strength.
With your thumbs forward in that gun game fashion, you have NO grip strength.
You can disagree with me all you want, but you can't argue with physics or with anatomy.
If you were to actually shoot full power magnum loads with that grip, you'd not have control of your revolver.
That grip is fine for mouse fart powder puff toy loads, but for real loads it's useless.
Opposable thumbs are what give us grip strength.
With your thumbs forward in that gun game fashion, you have NO grip strength.
You can disagree with me all you want, but you can't argue with physics or with anatomy.
If you were to actually shoot full power magnum loads with that grip, you'd not have control of your revolver.
That grip is fine for mouse fart powder puff toy loads, but for real loads it's useless.
sam is right. handguns don't recoil sideways. the heel of your palm and three fingers of your shooting hand manage all the recoil (even the hard kickers). the same parts of the off-hand also help when using two hands.
the only thing the thumbs are good for is to push off the sight alignment while shooting.
murf
the only thing the thumbs are good for is to push off the sight alignment while shooting.
murf
Jaymo said:
Eh...no. And neither is murf. You can grip your revo as you wish, but thumbs don't do much for your grip. Note the grip of a Grip Champion below. Looks suspiciously like a thumbs-forward handgun grip to me.
Murf is spot on when suggesting thumbs can push sights off alignment. My grip when shooting standard pressure ammo is not only thumbs-foward, it's thumbs-off as well.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
You really need to practice this to see the error, I suppose. As I said before, my grip is the same from very mild to as wild as I shoot. (That's 300 gr. at 1,250fps or so.)
BCRider
Member
Is that great video by Jerry Miculek on revolver grip still out there? It was around for years but now I can't find it now. It was part of a 6 to 8 part series on revolver handling and shooting. A SUPERB resource from one of the masters and a great aid for questions like this.
- Status
