nvmichael Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I caught the end of Jerry Micelik shooting on the History channel the other night and wow is he fast. He was shooting a 1911 and a 686 and it looked like he was shooting machine guns. In slow motion it looked like the muzzles were barely rising. My question is why? I know load, gun weight and strength all play a part. But this was just mind boggling. It looked like recoil was non existent. I shoot Clays and have a tungsten guide rod and my muzzle still jumps. Tell me the Secret! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Well .... if we did then it wouldn't be a secret anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 It is all in the proper grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I'll tell you why--he hangs onto the gun hard. Many practical shooters think they should pussy-hold the gun, some after reading and misinterpreting Brian's book. The concepts of "neutral grip and let the gun recoil" have been misunderstood to mean "soft grip and let it fly all over the place." Every time I shoot a match I see struggling shooters doing this. The good shooters hang on hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierman Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 2 things. #1- What they said above. Proper grip is the key. #2- Make sure the gun is "grippy". Way too many guns, particularly polymer ones, are slick as can be. Get thee some grip tape ( I like Tru-Grip) or get the thing stippled. Yes, there are folks who can run a box stock gun without any mods whatsoever, but I don't see any point in making things harder than they have to be. My .02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Build up your forearms like Jerry's (or Popeye's) and everything will feel like an airsoft. Seriously though... You've got to control the gun and that takes some strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I took a class from Jerry a while back hand his technique for revolvers is to really clamp down hard with your weak hand to steady the gun. Notice how his weak hand thumb is over his strong hand thumd to increase the grip force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RePete Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 (edited) I took a class from Jerry a while back hand his technique for revolvers is to really clamp down hard with your weak hand to steady the gun. Notice how his weak hand thumb is over his strong hand thumd to increase the grip force. That's funny, because that's what the RCMP were teaching when they still had revovers for a duty sidearm. The way it was explaned to me, by an RCMP FTU training Corporal, is to grip the gun, stronghand, with a firm handshake grip, then with the support hand grip more firmly and support thumb over the rear joint of the strong thumb, and then slightly relax the stronghand grip - but not enough to drop the gun. I've been using this grip since the mid '80's. Edited September 1, 2008 by RePete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 When I shoot, both my hands are gripping much harder than I would ever shake somebody's hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RePete Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 When I shoot, both my hands are gripping much harder than I would ever shake somebody's hand. But the point is that the main gripping force is with the support hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I don't know much abut shooting revolvers, so I'll defer that to the revolver shooters. Shooting autos...well, I'll hang with most any shooter on the planet. I'll do so with full power ammo out of a stock Glock that weighs a pound less. For me, it is more of a function of technique. I don't advocate a soft grip, but I don't advocate a death grip either. I'm a big proponent of camming the weak-side hand...sort works like a spring to hold the gun down. I am also a big proponent of doing most of the gripping action with the weak-side hand...approximately 70%. I see the soft grip shooters that Carmoney talks about. Those tend to be shooters that don't shoot much, I think. I am sure their are repeat offenders that have been around for years. Some people you just can't reach. The death grippers...they are always out there. They get caught up in speed and want those fast splits that seem so cool. In trying to get there, they grip the crap out of the gun with the wrong hand. They really clamp down with the strong-side hand...and their accuracy goes to hell because they then can't run the trigger well that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 One thing that is a little different for revolver shooters--we don't have any reciprocating mass slamming forward on the slide return cycle to drive the front sight back down from its recoil arc. We have to do all of it ourselves, through some sort of isometric tension on the gun. The other thing that is somewhat different for revolver shooters is that the trigger finger has to be completely unhinged from the rest of the strong hand in order to cycle the action--we don't press the trigger and then let it ride until the sear resets. We have to roll the trigger through, then consciously release the roll every time we fire a shot. With that disconnect already in effect, I can employ a very strong grip on the shooting hand--not just the support hand. Watch the better revolver shooters shoot one-handed, there will be very little muzzle rise--trust me, we ain't just "shaking hands" with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Long ago somebody said "Shake hands with Jerry and you'll see why the revolver doesn't dare recoil". I'm guessing he has his timing down so well that he can push at juuust the right time too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvmichael Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks Everyone For the very informative answers and education. At the end of the segment he shot at a 10"? plain cardboard target at 10 yards "Blindfolded" with his 686. He did this with 1 reload and put all shots in about a 6" circle in about 2 seconds. And that gun looked like it did not move. Working on my grip Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS_A18138 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 He has a grip from hell.....Just shake hands with him some time! He is always working on his hand strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyZip Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 For someone just getting re-acquainted with his revolver, what are some exercises that increase forearm and grip strength? I need it bad. (And I have worked with pliers and tools most of my life, I just don't have natural hand strength) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RePete Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 For someone just getting re-acquainted with his revolver, what are some exercises that increase forearm and grip strength? I need it bad. (And I have worked with pliers and tools most of my life, I just don't have natural hand strength) Get yourself a Grip-Master with the heavy tension. http://www.gripmaster.com.au/index1.htm Look at the EXERCISES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Burtchell Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Very good article by Ron Avery in the current issue of Front Sight featuring grip strength products by IronMind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I don't think I've ever met anyone with a stronger grip than Jerry. He's brutally strong. And he probably got more practice rounds downrange than just about anyone alive. With a super-powerful grip - you can grip with more pressure without introducing a tremble or shake into your grip. Or in other words, Jerry can grip with a lot more "useful" force than the rest of us. But now check this out. I think it was long ago when I very first met Jerry... I was milking him hard with technique questions, and I still remember, word for word, his answer when I asked him how hard to grip a revolver. He said, "Most people choke the life out of it by trying to grip too hard." Now that really rocked me, because I had just shook hands with him. He got all his techniques from Ed McGivern's book, Fast and Fancy Shooting. I highly recommend finding a copy, and checking out the section on "timing" and "poking" (for recoil control). Strength is good, but recoil "control" ("management" is probably a better word) is not about strength. It's much more subtle. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 (edited) For someone just getting re-acquainted with his revolver, what are some exercises that increase forearm and grip strength? I need it bad. (And I have worked with pliers and tools most of my life, I just don't have natural hand strength) http://www.dynaflexpro.com/store.php?crn=208 I love these Gyro Balls. http://www.dynaflexpro.com/whatisit.html Edited September 3, 2008 by North Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 A lot of people confuse strength with tension. If you are very strong you can keep the gun down and still be relaxed. If you are weak, you can't. Get stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I seem to remember reading that Jerry grips his gun very high on the grip. This would help reduce muzzle flip as the closer you are to the axis of the barrel the less it will flip. You would be taking the recoil down the wrist and arms instead of your hand being a pivot point. fwiw dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 One excellent shooter told me, get two grip exercisers (he used tennis balls) and work both hands when you are just sitting relaxing. Dryfire a lot, concentrating on maintaining most of the grip with the support hand and watching for any sight jiggle. Lastly, practice shooting support hand only more than you want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 (edited) For someone just getting re-acquainted with his revolver, what are some exercises that increase forearm and grip strength? I need it bad. (And I have worked with pliers and tools most of my life, I just don't have natural hand strength) If you want grip strength, go to ironmind.com Start with the 3 minute egg and the sport gripper. When you can easily do 25 reps with the sport, move up to the 140# and do the same thing. Keep going and you will become a Master of Crush. One thing to remember is you must exercise the extensors also. The bands they sell work good for that. If you have any questions, they are very good with information. And by the way, I think it is spelled Miculek and maybe Donny will stop by and comment Edited September 3, 2008 by Round_Gun_Shooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Long ago somebody said "Shake hands with Jerry and you'll see why the revolver doesn't dare recoil". I'm guessing he has his timing down so well that he can push at juuust the right time too. You got that right. Jerry has a Very "firm" grip. He has big ole gnarly hands with a lot of strength... Big forearms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now