Upside Down

[ErikW]

When I was relatively new to shooting, I shot steel plates with a small club on Saturday nights. We'd go head-to-head, without any regard to shooter ability or gun differences. This one old-timer shot a revolver with a red dot sight, whereas everybody else shot something like a 1911 with iron sights. In a head-to-head match, if his challenger really tanked it and he cleaned his steel, the wheelgunner would turn his gun upside down and pull the trigger with his pinky, shooting down the remaining plates. (Somebody else told me he tried that with his 1911 and it went full auto.)

The other day I was down to my last .38 Super round in practice, and I thought, "What the hell." It took an eternity to acquire the dot, then another half-eternity to reacquire it when I lost it. I held on the upper A/B zone and let it rip. Did I mention this was a 121 gr bullet at 1,420 fps, with a full case of slow-burning powder, and a five-chamber compensator? I had to hold it much closer than normal. (The USD-Iso position requires radically bent elbows.) I was wearing shorts.

The blast was more surprising than injurious, like a static shock. Still, I consider myself lucky to have hair remaining on the front of my legs. (Had I a hybrid gun, I may have ignited my shirt on fire.)

[Liota]

Erik,

If you wanted to know about that, you could of just asked.

A couple of years ago a friend was training with me pretty hard to improve my skills. He was demonstrating with his open gun that the sights/dot would work whichever way he held the gun. "Heck, it'll even work like this." said he. He turned the gun upside down and stuck is pinky into the trigger guard. Brraap!! said the gun. "Oh, Sh!t!" was his response. Static fire. I said, "How cool!" and laughed at him. Even now, I still give him grief about being pretty mean with that pinky finger.

Liota

[PaulW]

Erik, you Da man for telling us that story, funny sh$t.

When I first started shooting an open gun I was still trying to figure out how that funny looking comp thingy worked. I was very intrigued to say the least. I was out practicing, by myself, and was shooting away. I started to hold the gun to the side so I could see the blast pattern. Tough to see during the day. So I brought the gun down so I was looking directly down at the comp. I pulled the trigger and...............

Well thank God I had run out of bullets, because just as I realized that I was about to fry my face I heard the LOUD noise of the hammer hitting the firing pin. Outa ammo, wew. That was soo dumb.

[tightloop]

Cooper says that the .45 can be fired with the thumb holding the pistol and the index finger working the trigger...anyone try that?

The only guy I ever say try it, was picking his pistol out of the dirt for the second shot...while I was hoping the barrel I was behind was completely bullet proof.

[Jake Di Vita]

I've done it with my thumb, forefinger, and middle fingerm. Never just my thumb and forefinger.

[tightloop]

Stalion

You might be right. Researched my own statement and Cooper says it can be fired with two fingers. If he doesn't count the thumb as a finger, you are correct. Never tried it either way. After witnessing the above mentioned attempt, I never had the nerve to try.

[shred]

Occasionally I demo shooting a Glock 17 with 2 fingers holding the gun (thumb on back, middle finger on front of triggerguard) and working the trigger with my index finger. This is generally to show newbies there's nothing really to be afraid of recoil-wise and otherwise falls into the 'party-trick' category.

[ErikW]

I only had that one round in it. I didn't want a big stick to go off full auto. I suppose now I'll have to load two rounds just to see whether I have a gravity machine gun...

I've done what shred has with newbies. It's actually very controllable, even weak hand.

[j1b]

While hunting in AK I saw a decent buck pretty close and decided to give it a go with my Redhawk.

There was a tree close by and I decided to do it Bianchi Barricade style. I was stealthy and sneaky and did everything right, got the gun up, held the barrel against the tree with my weak hand as I pulled the trigger. BOOM! Bark and spray and powder and sap all over the freakin' place. Not from the bullet - oh no - it was from the freakin' cylinder blast. I spent ten minutes picking crap out of my hair, teeth everywhere!

Lesson learned - Bianchi style shooting is for Bianchi and not with a .44!

JB

[Nolan]

. So I brought the gun down so I was looking directly down at the comp. I pulled the trigger and...............

Well thank God I had run out of bullets, because just as I realized that I was about to fry my face I heard the LOUD noise of the hammer hitting the firing pin. Outa ammo, wew. That was soo dumb.

Ha! Paul,

I wasn't so lucky, but just as dumb! Just before the 2001 Back to Back Nationals I tuned up both my Limited and Open guns with all new bits and pieces. While at the range I checked the Limited gun by pointing it into the backstop and holding it at waist level with my left hand I stuck my right index finger in the trigger guard and proceeded to do my best Bob Munden imitation. I ripped through a full mag, no problems. Now to check out the open gun. Same drill except I really wanted to crank the trigger...so....I....leaned....over....the....gun to really get my finger moving........BIG mistake! My comp really works. I got off about 3 rounds before I could stop, the comp blast blew off my hat, and earmuffs (thank god for ear plugs!) and my face felt like David Littman had slapped me (and he should have for being so stupid!)

Jack,

I learned not to use my Dillon Border Shift ammo bag as a sandbag rest for my Dan Wesson .44 Mag. The cylinder gap blast cut 2 nice slits, one on each side of the gun.

[EricW]

While hunting in AK I saw a decent buck pretty close and decided to give it a go with my Redhawk.

Thanks for the clue Jack! Shit! I'd have done that w/o even thinking about it. Yikes!

Was the deer impressed, or is it in your freezer?

[j1b]

Actually bagged the buck. He was my first handgun deer so I was pretty happy after the fact.

It was pretty impressive in the end. I'd used a handload - a Speer 225gr and it pretty much flopped him where he was at.

Of course the shot was spot on because of my sturdy rest

I have to believe it was the first time I ever shot an animal where after the shot I wasn't watching to see what happened. The deer was definitly an after thought.

JB

[mcoliver]

..picking crap out of my hair, teeth everywhere!

Teeth?!

Can't help yourself from smiling, can you?

[benos]

In a head-to-head match, if his challenger really tanked it and he cleaned his steel, the wheelgunner would turn his gun upside down and pull the trigger with his pinky, shooting down the remaining plates.

Man, that takes me down nostalgia lane. Local revolver legend Mike Henry used to do that regularly, sometimes shooting down plate racks. Good times...

[AGlock36]

Well I have seen a certain GM shooter from Woodbridge shoot a Glock 23 .40 cal upside down with his thumb and index finger. Blew me away that he actually hit what he said he would. Phil you are just the man.

Happy Shooting

Paul Franklin

[Ted Murphy]

I learned not to use my Dillon Border Shift ammo bag as a sandbag rest for my Dan Wesson .44 Mag. The cylinder gap blast cut 2 nice slits, one on each side of the gun.

Good to know I'm not the only one who has done that.

Ted

[bgary]

I was still trying to figure out how that funny looking comp thingy worked.

Several years back (late 80s) some guys at my local range were debating how much pressure really came out of the ports on the comp. It devolved into a series of manly dares, each of them trying to convince the others to put their hand over the ports.

Fortunately, cooler (?) heads prevailed. They went into the clubhouse, found a chicken breast in the fridge, and laid it over the top of the slide.

When they touched off a round, it pretty much atomized the chicken breast. I think they all ended up pretty happy it hadn't been a hand.

Bruce

[Nolan]

Bruce,

At the Bianchi match many years ago Jim Randolph was shooting the Barricade event and managed to get his index finger over the first port in the comp instead of over the top of the shroud. He said it pretty much felt like getting hit with a sledgehammer then having a Greyhound bus parked on his finger. No permanent damage, but it had a nice powder burn and was numb for a couple of days once it stopped hurting. Good thing it was Bianchi loads and not IPSC Major!

Nolan

[ErikW]

Another related thing not to try at home...

Do not take a 14.5" barrel AR-15 with an AK-74 style compensator, hold the trigger guard at your waist, and let loose with a burst.

[Loves2Shoot]

Another related thing not to try at home...

Do not take a 14.5" barrel AR-15 with an AK-74 style compensator, hold the trigger guard at your waist, and let loose with a burst.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How far did your hat fly?

[XRe]

I think you've stumbled on why the high-speed entry team types don't use compensators on their pistols....

I shot an HK-53 w/ a large muzzle brake at one point - felt like my teeth were being shaken out of my head by the concussion..... sheesh.... after that, my racegun was like shooting a BB gun....

[Loves2Shoot]

I think you've stumbled on why the high-speed entry team types don't use compensators on their pistols....

I shot an HK-53 w/ a large muzzle brake at one point - felt like my teeth were being shaken out of my head by the concussion..... sheesh.... after that, my racegun was like shooting a BB gun....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But what about the "shock and awe" factor?

[Bob Hostetter]

I took a class from J Micheal Plaxco back in the mid 1980's and he taught that trick during the class. My, my, my.....how things have changed.

[Carmoney]

After seeing videotape (or perhaps film) of Cooper shooting a 1911 with only the thumb and index finger, I tried it myself. Single-stack .45 with factory ball. He's absolutely right, and it can be easily done by anyone with decent hand strength.

It's kinda like shooting the Tommy gun with the butt against your face--it sure seems like it would be a problem, but it's really no big deal.

Mike

[Harmon]

I was still trying to figure out how that funny looking comp thingy worked.

Several years back (late 80s) some guys at my local range were debating how much pressure really came out of the ports on the comp. It devolved into a series of manly dares, each of them trying to convince the others to put their hand over the ports.

Fortunately, cooler (?) heads prevailed. They went into the clubhouse, found a chicken breast in the fridge, and laid it over the top of the slide.

When they touched off a round, it pretty much atomized the chicken breast. I think they all ended up pretty happy it hadn't been a hand.

Bruce

i demonstrated the same thing to Non-shooting friends at the range one day...no chicken but a hot dog weenie over a hybrid shooting major power factor 115 grain bullets.....the hot dog disentergrated!

I dare someone to stick thier hand over a comp...and double dare someone to stick any thing over a hybrid!

i watched someone stick thier brazos prosx in a METAL barrel and touch off a round (9.6 grains SP2, 124 grain bullet) i can tell you that he will probably think alot more about where he breaks the shot and where his muzzle is from now on...that shot in the barrel sounded like a cannon! KABOOOOOOOM!!!