Shooting Styles

There are many techniques used when utilizing a handgun, I will discus the most popular and widely used. The techniques are the Weaver stance, the modified or improved (Chapman) Weaver stance and the Isosceles.

The Weaver Stance was developed by Deputy Jack Weaver in the 1950's while working at the L.A. Sheriffs Dept. The Weaver stance was widely used among law enforcement officers and government officials. The bent elbows allow for a cushioning effect during recoil and reduces the amount of felt recoil, however it seems to be somewhat complex to position yourself into the Weaver under stressful conditions or while in movement. The Weaver used for stationary target practice is probably adequate, but for self defense it seems to be a little awkward to position.

A brief description:

·             Feet apart adjacent from each other;

·             Body at a 45-degree angle facing the target;

·             Legs locked at the knees;

·             Firing arm slightly bent at the elbow;

·             Support arm is bent at approximately 90°, elbow pointing toward the ground;

·             Arms and elbows tucked close to the body;

·             Strong hand pushes out into support hand;

·             Weak hand pulls into the strong hand;

·             Head tilted to align with weapon sights

The Modified Weaver as the name implies is a modified version of the original Weaver. The stance is related to the Weaver and may be a better alternative for most people. In this stance, the body is held identically to the Weaver (at a 45-degree angle to the target with your dominant hand and foot back), but the gun hand is locked out at the elbow straight as if you where to point your finger at the target. Thus reduces trembling, and allows most people to maintain a steadier hold than the traditional Weaver.

The Isosceles is the basic stance that most people will take instinctively during a stressful confrontation thrusting the gun forward with both arms straight out, shoulders perpendicular to the target, and elbows locked. The arms and shoulders make an isosceles triangle, hence the name. This stance is the fastest to assume. It is important not to merely thrust the gun forward and shoot, but to lean your entire upper body forward.Your knees should be slightly bent. This allows for maximum recoil absorption, even with large caliber handguns.

Grip

Your weapon must become an extension of your hand and arm.  It should replace your finger in pointing at an object. A firm, consistent grip must be used at all times.  Proper grip is one of the most important factors in being able to place accurate shots on your target, quickly.

One-hand grip:
To establish a good grip, form a V with the thumb and index finger of your firing hand.  Place the weapon in the V with the front and rear sights in line with your firing arm.  Wrap the lower three fingers of your firing hand around the pistol grip, putting equal pressure with all three fingers to the rear.  Allow the thumb of the firing hand to rest alongside the weapon without pressure.  Place the pad of your trigger finger on the trigger between the tip and first joint so that it can be squeezed not pulled.

Two-hand grip:
Using both hands allows the shooter to steady the firing hand and provide support during firing. Two handed grips are recommended whenever possible for all handgun firing.
To use a two-handed grip, first put your firing hand on your weapon as described with the one-hand grip.  Then place the thumb of your non-firing hand with the thumb of your firing hand and wrap the fingers of your non-firing hand around the fingers of your firing hand.

Finger Placement:
Your trigger finger should always be placed outside the trigger guard until ready to fire. Your thumbs should be facing forward towards the target.

Sight Picture
Aiming is a combination of sight alignment and sight placement.

Sight alignment is the centering of the front sight in the rear sight.  The top of the front sight must be level with the top of the rear sight.  To align your sights, first center the front sight and then raise or lower it to make the front and rear sights level.

Sight placement is placing the front sight on the target where you wish to hit the target, without disturbing your sight alignment. For defensive shooting, your point of aim will generally be your point of impact.  In other words, after properly aligning your sights, cover the point you wish to hit with the front sight. The human eye can only focus at one distance at a time, so while aiming you should focus on your front sight. While focusing on your front sight the rear sight and the target will appear slightly blurred.

Trigger Squeeze

When firing a firearm you should squeeze the trigger, do not pull the trigger. When you “pull” the trigger it causes a slight jerking motion to the firearm causing your sights and your point of aim to be off your intended area of impact. Jerking usually stems from the shooter attempting to pull the trigger at the precise time he/she sees the sights align with the target. Trigger squeeze or lack of, is the biggest cause of poor accuracy. Flinching is another cause of poor accuracy, brought on by the shooter anticipating recoil. A common practice to improve trigger squeeze is to try to “surprise” yourself by squeezing the trigger slowly enough to allow the firearm to fire without you expecting it. To determine if you are a “flincher” is very easy, allow someone to load your firearm for you with a snap cap (a plastic cartridge used for different types of training) mixed with live rounds. Upon firing your firearm at the shooting range, unaware of where the snap cap is placed, if you jerk or flinch upon the firing of the “dud” you know what you need to work on.

Trigger Finger Placement:
Placement of your trigger finger should be between the tip of your finger and the first joint on your finger.
(Revolvers and Semi-Auto differ slightly)

Trigger Take Up:

Most triggers have "slack" this is the rearward movement of the trigger until it gets to the "breaking point"