Proper Handgun Hold - per Mr Ayoob

[AJMD429]

I learned to shoot handguns like Jimmy Hendrix learned to play guitar - "on my own" without formal instruction, so I just kind of evolved my own thing. Sadly, I don't think I'm as good a handgun shooter relative to others as he was with the guitar relative to others, so his 'eccentric' playing style is counterpart to my 'stupid-looking' shooting style.

Here is Akoob's take on it - https://youtu.be/XVvUHsFdHK4

What do you guys do/think...?

[gamekeeper]

Interesting even though I rarely get to fire a handgun anymore. Thumb down is the only way I shot pistols and mostly only used one hand ( got to keep one hand free for the saber)

[Bill in Oregon]

Nice discussion by Massad. I hadn't seriously considered the thumb down position. I "learned" to shoot handgun reading and re-reading Jeff Cooper's section on handguns in the old Outdoor Life Complete Book of Shooting, and at that time -- the early 1960s, the colonel was a huge fan of the Jack Weaver stance and grip, the right thumb straight forward and the left thumb crossing over it at a 90-degree angle. I don't seem to want to unlearn this grip and stance as it has all become "muscle memory" over the years -- like working the controls on a 1911. Hand me that Beretta and I will politely hand it back.

[Rusty]

I learned to shoot handguns like Jimmy Hendrix learned to play guitar - "on my own" without formal instruction, so I just kind of evolved my own thing. Sadly, I don't think I'm as good a handgun shooter relative to others as he was with the guitar relative to others, so his 'eccentric' playing style is counterpart to my 'stupid-looking' shooting style.

Here is Akoob's take on it - https://youtu.be/XVvUHsFdHK4

What do you guys do/think...?

I once heard someone describe himself as a self made man, a result of unskilled labor.

[AJMD429]

I don't seem to want to unlearn this grip and stance as it has all become "muscle memory" over the years -- like working the controls on a 1911. Hand me that Beretta and I will politely hand it back.

That's why I like my Taurus PT-92 - when I want the capacity of a 9mm (although my full-size 1911 holds 14 rounds in a flush magazine and 16 in one that just protrudes 'a bit' and 20 in one that protrudes about three inches or so), it has the SAME safety function as the 1911, instead of that ridiculous 'push forward' thing on the Beretta.

[Bullard4075]

Interesting.

[Grizz]

I was a revolver guy in Alaska and hunted with a couple of them. Took something over 50 blacktails over the years with those revolvers. I shoot the da smith single action when I am hunting. My main meat gun was a 10 inch 44mag SBH that I loaded with pb 325gr hard cast bullets. The grip I developed was thumb down locked by the off hand thumb which was directly behind the hammer. When the barrel moved up I used my left thumb to engage the hammer spur, cocking the gun as the muzzle came back down. It was an easy thing to learn to do.

BUT, when I switched to semi-autos for city business, that high grip would come to grief at the first shot. Then I tried the same grip as the revolver grip with the left thumb down, almost exactly Ayoob's last setup in the video.

I couldn't find the paper much less a deer head with that grip. I finally got to the two thumbs mostly forward and not supporting anything before I could get my semi's to group. Not good but now I have a goal of getting the strong grip and strong groups to coincide. Oh My, I need to go to the woods for some serious re-training. And maybe haul the SBH out there for old time's sake. Anyone care to ride along ?