Marksmanship Techniques - GRIP

Shooters today are being taught techniques used by top-tier competitive shooters who may shoot 50,000 rounds per year. But the average shooter may only fire 1% of that shot volume. High Speed - Low Drag techniques can cause problems for the average shooter. Dick illustrates these issues from real-world experiences and covers how to cope with them.

[@44hawk28]

I do not remember when I first learned the Weaver stance., but those who say that the Weaver stance will get you killed, or the same idiots who think that a 9mm will equal virtually anything else you can shoot in a realistic handgun cartridge. I teach the Weaver because you can fold your arms up and draw it all the way into you to keep from presenting the firearm out too much so that you can do in building clearance drills without holding your Firearms so far out that it can be taken from you yes that exaggerates the use of the Weaver but that's why the Weaver works. Not only that, if you have a firearm that you think recoils a lot, the Weaver tends to absorb recoil far better than the isosceles. I have done drills with a Ruger Super Blackhawk with Full House loads in it. I find the Weaver quite handy at that point.

[@davidslesinski4761]

Great fundamentals,looking forward to next segment, also nice to compare and get a real world opinion with real world experience

[@bobtrenholm8638]

I wrap the off hand around in front over strong with weak thumb over strong. Works for me.

[@jona5517]

When I was first taught to use a pistol, it was a revolver. I was taught the low thumb technique. That was 30 years ago. Used the same technique with semi autos because that’s what I knew. I never had a problem with that grip with any type of pistol or even larger caliber ones. Plus that’s how you should be holding it if you have to go one handed. Also at the same time was also taught the Weaver or Modified Weaver, but it wasn’t given a name. It was probably a decade later that I learned it was the Weaver stance that I was taught. Love this channel.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

If your technique works for you, don't let anyone talk you out of it.

[@rodgerhoffman307]

SUPERB INFO. GREAT STUFF. THANKS.

[@kevinramsey3490]

Mr. Fairburn I'm retired law enforcement too. Did you ever write magazine articles? I've heard of you in the past. I don't think I've ever trained with you. I was sponsored by my department to shoot in law enforcement shoots but I've never shot where you are. You're name keeps nagging at my memory. I've subscribed to your channel and enjoy it immensely. A side point about Isosceles grips, it's a good chance to get your gun taken away from you if that's all you know when you're in one of those 3 or 4 feet encounters. I love your channel.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Kevin, your name looks familiar, too. I started writing for the old Police Marksman mag in 1983. Did a lot of writing for POLICE mag and SWAT. Spent more than 10 years writing for Police1.com until they became too liberal for most of us and they lost all their good writers. I now write for Concealed Carry mag (USCCA) and have taught ambush survival classes at the ILEETA conference for more than 10 years. I have a "who am I" video posted. Thanks for the kind words about my channel.

[@paulheinz2145]

Sounds like a Glock problem! Love your work Dick!

[@davehartman4350]

Thank you so much for the info, I really appreciate your knowledge

[@MrEmoor]

I’ve tried to shoot thumbs forward and just found it too uncomfortable and cumbersome. I found that if I gripped it like you do it worked much better. More comfortable, more stable, better accuracy, etc. Plus I’m getting more of my palm on the grip with the wrist straight. Good video.

[@danoman5217]

Great video.. I am a left handed shooter. I use a model 13 3inch 90% of the time from CCW. I use a Glock 9mm 19 for duty. The 2 thumb down never feels right to me. I use a modified cup and saucer grip. Works fine for me .

[@theldun1]

I use a modified teacup grip. it works for me just fine. but I also have huge hands.

[@silver2644]

I have evolved my grip away from what some instructors tell students. This means I have better POI-POA congruence. I use the trigger guard front strap and wrap my rear thumb on my support hand. So what Dick says about doing what works for me is what I'm going to do.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

That is the key phrase ... "what works for me." NOT what all the cool guys say you should do.

[@garander1954]

One might call that limp wristing

[@nelsondoan8271]

All my experience is in competition. I do use the thumb forward grip. I compared my two hands, and in my case the thumb forward on the left hand exactly duplicates the wrist angle of my gun hand, and feels stronger in that position. However, I will try your suggestion. I’m not as strong as I used to be, and always willing to try something old/new! Might be I’m missing something. Your comments on springs certainly hits home. I always set my spring to run limp wristed with my weak hand. Might be harder on the gun, and I’ve certainly experienced a problem that could be connected, but that was secondary to performance!

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

It took a long time for me to move my left thumb forward of the safety on a 1911, but I think it does help.

[@kevinramsey3490]

I'm buying your book

[@44hawk28]

I never even attempted holding my thumb on the safety because I do have smaller hands, and I never did get the safety that had the low paddle on it for my 1911 for either of my 1911's. I've never had a problem with the safety being pushed on on the recoil, and I've never had a problem with my extended slide release holding the slide open during recoil either. Rolling your left hand forward with a right-handed shooter isn't even a consideration for me either. It does not help in Recoil mitigation. And the hold is not natural, and therefore is an afterthought to even try to maintain it. It's attempted Wizardry. Even the 10 mm I don't find recoils enough to need any special hold, just put it in a proper Weaver stance and it's not going anywhere, it will return to its aiming Point as long as you maintain your hold.

[@christhirkell755]

Great video 🙏🏻! Made me decide to carry a revolver 👍

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

Gee, I must be very influential!

[@christhirkell755]

@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jbyou have legitimate real world experience broken down into simple terms. I had never heard anyone explain the issues with grip that can effect a semi auto. I know 100% I would be “flustered somewhat” in a real incident and griping the gun could be an issue. Hence I’d rather now have a revolver because it negates some of that issue. Thank you. And hopefully you gain more notoriety on here.

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

@@christhirkell755 Revolvers have served perfectly for self-defense for a very long time and still can. To this day, I shot better scores on qualifications and practical competition courses with a revolver, though am faster with a semi-auto.

[@alloutlife88]

thumbs forward seems like a weird grip to me. I tried it on the range and I felt like I was shooting with only 1 hand, also the slide lock cut kept eating away at my hand every time I fired. Not a fun way to shoot a cz 83 😄

[@44hawk28]

So the guy from Ohio went with a Sig pistol, which has even worse problems, it has several design flaws, especially in 40 Smith so much so that 4da agents were disabled on the gun range within a two-year period from about 2008 to about 2010 and they finally got rid of the pieces of junk. I don't think I have the time here to explain the problems that the Sig had but the DEA got rid of them and went to H&K

[@taylorharbin3948]

Incredible perspective. This mostly identified with Israeli units in today’s world.

[@44hawk28]

As for the model 92, I would not suggest even to this day that any police officer or somebody who wanted to carry the gun for their defense, carry a Beretta 92. When you do a clearance drill and you put your left hand on the top of that slide pinch the rear of it and rack that slide to make sure it's clear. You can easily hit the decocking lever. That will disable the firearm in the middle of a gunfight. It is the worst piece of shit ever put on a fighting firearm. I didn't even like them on the Smith & Wesson but Lisa Smith & Wesson was not as easy to cause it to go on cuz it didn't have paddles on the sides of the decocking lever. But I didn't like them on the Smith & Wesson either. They are not a safety. People keep talking about that being the safety on the Beretta it is not a safety. It is a decocking lover and that's what it was designed to be when Carl Walker designed it in 1929. When the firearm is designed to do things that are unnecessary, you shouldn't have them on a duty weapon. Sometimes you have to put up with it. But decocking lovers are a bad idea. They finally have the detoxing lever spring-loaded so that if you inadvertently hit it it automatically pushes itself back off. Now you only have to depend your on this tiny little spring to keep you alive.

[@onpsxmember]

Straight wrists keep wrists healthy. Athletes, musicians, lots of typing, sketching...the angled wrists get stressed, inflamed, then someone suggests injections to not feel it, later surgery. Elbows are next. The web of the hand alone is just one index point. Where does the butt sit in your hand? Following the center line of the arm or shifted like in some cooper videos to favour the line of sight?

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

I can line up small-framed pistols, like the 1911, with my wrist/arm but not with fatter ones like most Glocks. I lobbied Glock for a long time to bring out single-stack pistols and they now have a duty size/grade offering in the Model 48. It lines up for me as straight as a 1911.

[@birddog4015]

Dick can u do a video on your optic

[@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb]

I'm researching "old" eye solutions from two angles. The Red Dot slick slide with no sights and custom-made eye glasses to restore ability to focus on the front sight. When I have come to conclusions, I'll do a comprehensive video review.