Woo-hoo! I think I finally discovered the origin of the "gangsta hold!"

[230RN]

I've been toying with the idea of making a small proof-of-concept wheelock out of cigarette lighter parts, so I came across this in my scientifical research:


From:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheellock

The wheellock took around a minute to load, prepare and fire. Many contemporary illustrations of a wheellock pistol in action show the gun held at a 90 degree angle rather than vertically: this was to ensure that the priming powder in the pan lay against the vent in the barrel, and avoided a 'flash in the pan' or misfire (this was not the case for the flintlock, where the sparks had to fall vertically a certain distance on to the pan).

I shall undoubtedly go down in firearms history as the first putter-togetherer of this fact with the long sought answer to the origin of the gangsta hold!

So much for fame, now how about some fortune, ha?



This guy doesn't hold it that way, but is an interesting vid anyhow:

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

Terry, 230RN

 

[MachIVshooter]

Well, it makes sense.

So now we get to tell the thugs that not only did ebonics originate as the lexicon of poor Southern white trash two centuries ago, but that the thug way of holding a pistol was developed by rich old white European men in the 16th century.

 

[230RN]

^

Well, it makes sense.

So now we get to tell the thugs that not only did ebonics originate as the lexicon of poor Southern white trash two centuries ago, but that the thug way of holding a pistol was developed by rich old white European men in the 16th century.

I'm having a hard time not laughing at that.

One of the tentative design elements is to have a rack-and-pinion wheel-spinning arrangement instead of a clock-type spring that has to be wound for each shot. The idea is that the rack can be set against a straight coil spring and stopped in, say, 3/8" of travel with the pull of the trigger, but ready for the next shot with the next trigger pull, without re-setting it.

Don't think it'll actually work because of the small teeth in the spark thumbwheel, but it might. Also, the axle of the thumbwheel is pretty small and weak-looking. (It's pressed and staked together.)

Terry da Vinci, 230RN

 

[Trent]

I was shooting a game of Horse against a southern gentleman one time, when visiting North Carolina.

(For those unfamiliar with such a game, it's a lot like the basketball version of "Horse". You have to call how to hold the gun, what you are shooting at. If you HIT what you are shooting at, the fellows behind you in line all have to hold/stand/shoot the same way or gain a letter.)

I was whooping up on those southern boys resoundingly for the first portion of the game; target shooting is kind of my thing, and I'm able to hit a silver dollar with a 45 at 50 yards offhand on a good day.

Then, this southern gent called a steel popper at 25 yards - "Off-hand, gangsta style!".

I ended up losing, once they found my Kryptonite.

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

Well, it makes sense.

So now we get to tell the thugs that not only did ebonics originate as the lexicon of poor Southern white trash two centuries ago, but that the thug way of holding a pistol was developed by rich old white European men in the 16th century.

Very true. In fact, my ancestors also invented hamboning, break-dancing and the zoot suit.

 

[mrhill]

I shoot like that because that is how it was shipped from the factory. You know they have done alot of studys and this is how they design it.

 

[Nasty]

I thought it was because that's how they come in the box...