- Last Updated: June 4, 2020
Holding a Gun - Grip Like An Expert With These Basic Guidelines
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By Bruce Reno
Holding a Gun: Safety First and Always
You may never foresee it but in a situation where you find the need to use a weapon, you must have the best storage that can easily access your firearm at one side. Another thing is, you must learn how to grip the firearm properly. Below are the important techniques in holding a gun.
Properly Holding a Gun
Learn the rule of thumb: treat it like it’s loaded and to always point it in a safe side or direction. If you will ask where that safe side or direction is, it’s away from the people and yourself. It would be best to own the best handgun safes where you can safely keep your new guns.
To ensure that your firearm is empty, you need to remove the rounds or magazines and put it down on the right table. Always put the weapon on the down range side. Also, rack the slide twice to ensure that there is no magazine left in the chamber. Do not forget to relock the slide because it helps you with the ejection port opening. If you see the light, that means the firearm is empty. Now, gather all the magazines and rounds, then you can insert the empty magazine which back into the firearm. Let the slide go so it can move forward to a position that sets your firearm in dry fire.
Why do you hold a gun sideways?
Holding the firearm sideways,results in the mechanisms fighting with gravity in which you can eject the casing. It will also fail to eject. There are times that you can grip the pistol using one-hand but it makes the weapon complicated to shoot. The reason is that it can’t rightfully manage the gun’s recoil.
Most soldiers and police grip firearms sideways during close quarters. It’s easy to use the recoils caused by the weapon because of the grasping position. It also does not make the weapon stick out as long as you are grasping it close to your body.
How to Hold a Gun
From the experts point of view, a police officer or a soldier, it is more effective to shoot if you are using both hands. It is recommended to use the two-handed pistol grip because it is more accurate and stable. Additionally, this also allows a higher level of safety and security in grasping a firearm while firing it. Also, do not forget to have the best gun rack for your weapons to keep them away from burglars and children too. In case that you have a vehicle, choose the best truck gun rack for it too.
Here are the important things to know before you start holding a firearm.
Highlights
In holding the grip, ensure that your fingers are close together and not overlapping. As much as possible, prevent using a ‘death grip but instead, grasp or grip the firearm strongly. The trigger finger which is also called the shooting finger must only get the grip of the trigger if you’re making a shot.
Aiming for the Firearm
In the aiming phase, relax the firearm using your non-dominant hand with the hand’s heel loading the open space which is left on the holding position. The thumb of your non-dominant hand must also be placed towards and under the thumb of your dominant hand. The fingers left must be wrapped tight under the base of the firearm.
Know Your Dominant Eye
In shooting, it is important to know your dominant eye because that’s what you will be using to aim the gun. Sometimes, the dominant hand is not always matched with the dominant eye. To find out, stretch your arm and grip your finger under the image of a distant object. Loot at it using both your eyes, then close each eye one at a time. If the object doesn’t move from the initial position if you see it, then that’s your dominant eye.
Trigger Management
The key to precision firing is an expert trigger management. To do this, you can put the center of your finger index to the entire trigger. If you are going to look at the upper portion of your firearm, there’s a part where the shooting finger that is close to the knuckle must be placed parallel to the gun’s frame. This avoids the firearm from pulling left to right. Push the trigger now with a linear force to give a successful shot.
Should you hold a handgun for maximum accuracy?
It is your body that can dictate the accuracy of your firearm. So for a better result, straight up and level your shoulders with the aim. It’s essential to give it the highest accuracy. Remember to coordinate your arms with your vision. Straight in your chest and arms. Your shoulder must be relaxed and not stiff. Do not carry your position except if you are aiming your muscle to tense up. You will only do a useless position that might exhaust your arms.
When it comes to being relaxed while you grasp a firearm, that doesn’t mean you need to be soft also. Your arms must be strong enough to endure the recoil of the firearm while firing.
How to Hold a Pistol: Safety First
If a one-hand grip is not used properly, it can be very dangerous. Automatically, you will have less resistance if you grasp the pistol with just one hand. On the other hand, when you fairly assign the force of the dominant hand as safely as possible, the grip can work.
That’s why in owning a firearm, they also recommend having a gun safe for safety purposes. It’s not that hard to find today because there are different shops online or in your local area that are qualified to sell safety storage, some are cheap and affordable and some are expensive too. But always choose the best gun safe under $1.500 for more efficient features and look. If you already have it, it’s safe to say that you can learn how to grasp a pistol properly now. You can follow the safe guidelines below on how to hold a pistol.
- Grasp the pistol using your non-dominant hand.
- Using your dominant hand, create a 'V' by dispersing apart your index and thumb fingers. Set the firearm into the center of the 'V' form so that the rear and front sights can be lined up evenly using the dominant arm.
- Enclose your ring, pinky, and middle fingers around the pistol grip. Ensure that you produce an equal pressure with all other 3 fingers, and use just enough force to press the gun's grip into your backhand.
- Only use enough force to cause your hands to shake slightly. Relax a bit so the trembling stops.
- Put your finger index on the trigger. The part of your finger that rests between the second and tip joints should be the portion on the trigger.
- Learn the position of your fingers and the quantity of pressure you've applied. This is the proper way to use a one-handed grip.
What are the 5 rules of gun safety?
One of the important responsibilities of a person handling a firearm is to get safe storage for their firearms today. It is not just a simple obligation but it requires a full-time responsibility. Always secure your new guns and ammunition individually so that it can’t be accessed with unauthorized people especially children. There are many to choose from for your homes and even for your cars which is called an under seat gun safe.
If your firearm is not in use, make sure to unload and lock it. Never leave it unattended unless it’s locked, secured, and unloaded. For more safety measures in handling or owning a weapon, here are the 5 rules for gun safety.
- Keep your gun pointed in a safe place or direction.
- Always assume that your guns are loaded.
- The trigger finger must be outside the guard always, off from the trigger unless you are ready to set fire.
- Be sure of your target and what lies behind it.
- If you are shooting for practice purposes, wear an ear and eye protection.
How to Grip a Pistol: Preparing to Shoot
It will make you safe while on shooting range if you will try to learn the proper way to grip a pistol. It will develop your aim and help you get a successful result. Experts like a soldier or police recommend the use of a 2-handed grip especially with unexpected situations like catching a burglar. But there are cases that you may also learn how to use the one-hand grip. It would be better to learn and make yourself aware of all these guidelines and gun safety procedures because it may put you in a safer direction.
Conclusion
Do not forget to secure your gun in a safe place while you are learning holding a gun as well. It is recommended to have gun storage for it for security and safety purposes. It’s a good investment because not only your weapons are protected but also the lives of people around you especially children. You are not wishing it to happen but sometimes accidents can’t be prevented so better to be safe than sorry.
The right way of handling and owning a gun explained above is the best way for you to be a responsible gun owner. It lets you practice and follow the safety gun procedures for handling and use. Aside from free materials and reliable sources about this topic, there are free online tutorials or videos too you can watch for more visual instructions.
