Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
The pistol is not what most people expect. The majority of people only know what they have seen on television and movies. Pistolcraft in popular entertainment is the realm of the impossible. Action heroes make impossible shots at unbelievable distances. In real life, pistols are inaccurate weapons with a very short effective range. They are the least reliable of firearms. Is it any wonder that the real cowboys said that a man with a rifle would always beat a man with a pistol. In actual Western gunfights, the weapons of choice were rifles and shotguns. Pistols were merely a matter of last resort.
A pistol is inaccurate because of a combination of shortcomings. It uses a smaller bullet with a small powder charge, giving it less impact and range. Its short barrel assures short range and accuracy. Add to this the instability of the unaided human wrist and a pistol's tendency to kick.
The pistol's advantage is that it is small and can be carried easily. It is unobtrusive and wearable like an item of clothing. Pistols can easily be concealed. In the days of single-shot rifles, the revolver meant greater firepower at close range.
The smallest pistol was the derringer, a tiny piece that was easily concealed. It was favored by gamblers and those prone to attract trouble. Derringers were inaccurate and underpowered. Forget the Western movies where someone shoot an adversary through a table with a derringer. In actual illustrations drawn from eyewitness accounts, derringer shooters knew to reach out and try to touch the adversary before firing. Anything further might miss.
Another small pistol is the snub-nosed revolver. The weapon that was intended for undercover policemen because it was easily concealed. Detectives carried them. The snub nose revolver for those whose work was unlikely to entail gunfights. Otherwise, it was an inaccurate weapon with a shorter range that its full-length counterparts.
The first revolvers used black powder and took time to reload. eventually, a design allowed a man to remove the entire cylinder and replace it with a loaded one. When pistols were made for brass cartridges, it was easier to reload.
Most Western pistol fights happened at very close range. Usually, several shots were fired. It was said by Western gunslingers that the fastest man was inferior to the man who could keep his cool in a gunfight.
Automatic pistols did not make a great change in pistolcraft until the 1980s. Initially, they allowed shooters to have a few more rounds and reload faster. However, they could jam. Revolvers did not jam, which is one reason why police favored them. Automatics only became more of the threat in the 1980s, when pistols with 16-round magazines became popular. These weapons had a great firepower advantage, forcing police to adopt similar weapons. The threat of the larger pistols is not accuracy, but the sheer volume of fire. This is why so many innocent bystanders have become victims of gunfights since 1980.
We have found the best information on pistols in US Army manuals printed prior to 1965. Prior to 1960, pistol manuals included cavalry techniques. The horse techniques originated during the Civil War with the old black powder Colt revolvers.
Holding the Pistol
Proper grip with a revolver |
Proper grip with an automatic pistol |
Two handed grip. This came into use between the World Wars. It went out of fashion in the 1950s. |
Fist Grip
The non-firing hand is wrapped around the firing hand. The index finger of the non-firing hand is placed between the middle finger of the firing hand and the trigger guard. The non-firing thumb is placed alongside the firing thumb. First appeared in U.S. Army manuals in the 1950s. The 1953 manual suggests a grip like this for small revolvers. A similar grip is shown on page 48 of Fairbairn's 1942 book, Shooting to Live. |
Palm Supported Grip
The non-firing hand is placed under the firing hand. The fingers are wrapped around the back of the firing hand. The non-firing thumb is placed over the middle finger of the firing hand. I do not know when this grip originated, but one line illustration in the later verion of "Kill or Get Killed" has it. That was drawn after 1943 and before 1950. At this time, I am uncertain as to when this grip was gaining acceptance by the military and police.
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Weaver Grip
This is the same as the Fist Grip, except that the thumb of the non-firing hand is placed over the firing thumb. This grip was invented by Deputy Jack Weaver in 1959. It was was taught at the FBI academy as early as 1982. However, it was known among competition handgunners much longer. |
Basic Pistolcraft
Pistol lowered These images are from the 1904 US Army manual of firing regulations. |
Pistol raised |
Aim and fire. Most pistol shooting was done this way instead of the "hip shot" seen in Western movies. |
Pistol Shooting Techniques
This stance is not only military: it resembles drawings of real Western gunfights based on eyewitnesses. |
Another pose that would be equally at home in the West. It is a quick "point and shoot" exercise. |
This stance is normally used when firing behind cover. |
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Kneeling pose with two-handed grip. Usually used from behind cover. |
Prone pose |
Sitting pose |
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This hip shot pose looks like it would be at home in a Western movie. It is a quick shot technique for an adversary at very close range. Five yards would be too far for this type of shot. |
This hip shot pose is what one might expect when a gunmen holds someone at gunpoint. |
Cocking the pistol with the thumb. Old single-action pistols required cocking with each shot. It was also advisable with early double-action revolvers, as they required a strong pull. Later double-action weapons had a smoother pull. |
Classic cavalry pistol shooting from a moving horse.
Firing to the right The soldier may be wearing a 20th century uniform, but the techniques hie back to the Civil War. |
Firing to the left |
Raising pistol to fire when he gets closer to the target. |
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Firing to the front |
Firing to the rear |
Firing while passing |
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